On Nov. 24, it was revealed that a Ferguson, Missouri, grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager. Various LGBT individuals and groups responded:
—The National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell said, in part, "We vacillate between heartbreak and outrage at the decision from the grand jury. Injustice is too tame a word for what today's decision represents. The fact that an unarmed black youth can be fatally shot by a police officer with no accountability or consequence is a chilling commentary on the worth afforded to young, Black lives and the sorry state of racial justice in this country."
—The National Black Justice Coalition's Sharon Lettman-Hicks: "I speak as a Black mother of a Black toddler boy who will one day grow up and learn that he lives in a nation where his very existence is a threat. I, as a parent, will have to instruct him on how to properly conduct himself in front of law enforcement because one perceived wrong motion or non-submissive remark towards a police officer could serve him to be fatal.
"Like so many in our nation, particularly in the Black community, we at NBJC are beyond saddened and heartbroken that there will not be an indictment in the Michael Brown shooting death. Once again, the life of a Black child has been taken and the process to render justice has failed us."
—The National LGBTQ Task Force: "People across this nation feel angry and outraged by this decision. Justice has been denied today to the parents of Michael Brown, the community of Ferguson, and an entire nation that continues to battle with racially motivated homicides and violence targeting Black and brown males. No one should ever live in fear of walking down a street in their neighborhood and being killed by a police officer—the very officials who are meant to protect not take our lives.
"As Americans, we have a moral obligation to speak up and stand up against injustice. All lives matter! Anyone who takes someone's life must be brought to justice. We cannot allow the murders of young Black men such as Michael Brown or Trayvon Martin to continue."
—Lambda Legal: "While there will be debate and disagreement about the facts that led to the grand jury decision announced today in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Police Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO, there is no debate about the facts that a terrible tragedy took place and that another unarmed young black man lost his life at the hands of a police officer.
—Metropolitan Community Church: "Today, we pray for Ferguson, the family of Michael Brown, and for people everywhere who are impacted by racism. We write to you as spiritual leaders of Metropolitan Community Churches ( MCC ) and join with the millions around the world who grieve the death of Michael Brown, who shot down with eight bullets while unarmed and holding his hands in the air. We grieve that the grand jury felt there was not even enough evidence to have this case go to trial. We grieve that so many people are in denial about the realities of racism today."
—GetEQUAL: "The decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson is yet another example of the devaluation of Black lives that occurs each day in cities and towns across the United States."
