LGBTQ organizations hosted a public forum, including a panel of federal and local law enforcement officials and attorneys, on Thursday to discuss hate crimes and possible legislation to combat them.
The main focus of the forum was to have a complex conversation to define the meaning of hate crimes and what classifies a victim. The forum held at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center was sponsored by organizations including OUTLaw, LSU Law’s LGBTQ organization, and Spectrum, the University’s LBGT organization.
At the forum, five panelists offered their opinions on the issue of hate crimes and what measures they think need to be taken in order to make the community a safer place.
Charles DeLaughter, panelist and FBI supervisor for Baton Rouge, defined the concept of a hate crime versus a regular crime.
“A hate crime is when you define the fight or violent act as a mechanism to attack that person for their identity,” DeLaughter said.
Matthew Peterson, Spectrum activism committee chair, said the forum showed how hate crimes affect different forms of diversity, not just the LGBTQ community.
“I’m hoping for people to think more deeply about these things,” Peterson said.
Baton Rouge Police Chief and panelist Donald Dwayne White said the police department, in particular, will be handling hate crimes differently. White stressed the importance of police department support for equality and fairness for all.
“Who am I to judge?” White said. “Who are we to judge?”
He said the police department plans to train and educate police officers on how to better assess hate crimes. White said he wants the community to be able to trust their local police department.
Mandisa Moore, OUTLaw President, said it is important to have this conversation.
“We want there to be a new understanding of gender-based crimes,” Moore said. “People should leave [the forum] with a clearer understanding of structural challenges.”
The forum also served as an outlet to discuss possible hate crime legislation in the future.
Moore said she believes the system enables these acts of violence.
“People can shift how we approach or talk about hate crimes,” Moore said.
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, panelist and representative from the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance, agreed, saying hate crimes are the result of prejudices and oppression intersecting, or “intersectionality.”
“Hate-crimes legislation is the not the only answer,” Pelot-Hobbs said.
The event was facilitated by the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service and based on a similar program held in Shreveport.
 
____
Contact Lauren Duhon at [email protected].