Human Rights
Campaign (HRC), the largest civil rights organization in the United States
fighting for LGBT equality, will be holding the Martin Luther King, Jr
(MLK) Day of Service across different cities in the country.
According
to information published on its official website, MLK Day of Service
events organised by HRC will be held in 23 cities across the country on 18
January 2016 (Monday), which includes cities such as Austin, New York, Los
Angeles and San Diego.
HRC shares
that through these MLK Day of Service events, it hopes to “transform Dr. King’s
life and teachings into community action to help bring together people,
strengthen communities and meet national challenges”.
HRC will also
“work to ensure the safety and well-being of our LGBTQ youth” this year, it
added.
MLK Day is an
annual federal holiday in the United States to mark the birthday of Martin
Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which
is around King’s birthday on 15 January. King was a Baptist minister, activist,
humanitarian and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement who was
assassinated on 4 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. MLK Day was since observed
annually since 1986, three years after then-President Ronald Reagan signed the
holiday into the books of the law.
This year’s
campaign will be largely centered upon LGBTQ homeless youth, who,
according to HRC, stand at approximately 40 percent of the total homeless
youth population.
“Consequences
of homeless youth in the United States, particularly for LGBT youth, range
from issues in mental and physical health, sexual abuse and exploitation,
chemical and alcohol dependency, educational attainment, to social stigma,
discrimination and family rejection,” it added.
HRC is in the
midst of collecting supplies and assembling care bags for these homeless youth.
On Monday, it is expected that hundreds of volunteers will be gathering to help
in making a difference to the LGBTQ community.
More information
on these MLK Day of Service events can be found here.
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