Out for Justice Calls on Chicago to Provide Support During Upcoming Daniel Hauff Hate Crime Trial

Oct. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- Chicago — Out for Justice, an organization that provides support, visibility, and awareness surrounding crimes against the LGBTQIA community in Chicago, is seeking volunteers on November 7 and 8 to attend the upcoming hate crime trial for the attackers of Daniel Hauff, a member of Chicago’s GLBTQIA Community who was severely beaten in 2010 because he was a gay man trying to protect a gay teenager from harassment.

Out for Justice is looking for individuals to volunteer, support, and sit through the trial proceedings in support of Hauff. “It’s important to support Daniel for being brave and standing up to ignorance and bullying, even when it was at his own risk, by sitting in on the trial as a statement to the Chicago community and the world that hate crimes will not be tolerated,” said Out for Justice Director Elana Mendelson. “We want to show the defendants and bullies everywhere that we are watching – we are there. They didn’t just attack a single individual; they attacked an entire community.”

Hauff’s three attackers will be tried under the Illinois Hate Crime Act, which sends a powerful message to the world regarding attacks on members of the LGBTQIA community. The crime, which occurred in early 2010, initially garnered notoriety in the media, but has received little attention since. In an effort to support Hauff and stand up against hate crimes and bullying, Out for Justice has continued to follow the case to ensure that it is not forgotten. Out for Justice members have attended more than half of the court dates over the last two years.

Out for Justice provides training for volunteers, including basic information on crimes against the LGBTQIA community, what to expect from courtroom involvement, more information about Out for Justice, and other relevant information. Please join Out for Justice in supporting Daniel Hauff’s courage to stand up to homophobia and hate by going to the Out for Justice website to RSVP for the trial on November 7 and 8; http://www.outforjusticechicago.org.

“Today’s bullies are tomorrow’s civil rights defendants.”
~ Thomas Perez, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General

About Out for Justice
Out for Justice provides a silent but powerful presence in the courtroom in support of LGBTQIA victims of violent crimes. We mobilize community members to attend court dates to ensure that victims/survivors feel safe and empowered. We also serve as a resource, educating the community at large through outreach and notification of these crimes. To learn more about how you can volunteer to stand with Out for Justice to support Daniel Hauff, please visit: http://www.outforjusticechicago.org.

Contact
Elana Mendelson, Director, Out for Justice
elana@outforjusticechicago.org