Timeline: Task Force’s long history of combating hate crimes against our community

Task Force works to secure hate crimes protections for community

1982

The National Gay Task Force launches first anti-violence organizing project, headed by Kevin Berrill. The Task Force lobbies successfully for an unprecedented research workshop on anti-gay violence, led by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Overview: Task Force’s long history of working to secure hate crimes protections for LGBT people

View the timeline

Task Force creates first-ever LGBT anti-violence project

Hate Crimes

Victory in 2009: LGBT-inclusive federal hate crimes legislation achieved!

Oct. 28, 2009, our community saw the passage of the first LGBT-inclusive federal law: hate crimes legislation. The Task Force has been working to achieve this victory since forming its anti-violence project in 1982, and was on hand at the White House the day President Obama signed the bill into law.

Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey had this to say about the signing of the bill: