In spite of all the controversy over the slogan “Black Lives Matter,” it is apparent even in a quick review of the daily news that people of color in America do not receive justice either from the police or our judicial system. I would not belittle the efforts to bring attention to this national problem that requires immediate corrections, but I would add a note of another minority group that often is overlooked in the criminal justice system.

I recently did a cursory review of statistics of physical attacks on LGBT people in the U.S. Of course, for years such crimes were not listed as “hate crimes,” and even after the federal legislation was passed many prosecutors choose not to take on that added burden of proof of motive.

My point in this discussion is not about what happens to LGBT people after they get into the criminal justice system, but of the many un-reported (or under-reported) incidences of violence that occur. I recall that when I lived in DC, the Washington Post almost daily reported on the murder of some hapless queen who picked up some rough trade who robbed and killed him. I didn’t see any of those reports listed in “hate crimes.”

For decades, most gays (I can’t speak for lesbians or transgender) were either too ashamed or afraid to report an attack for fear of being outed in the press. That was a realistic fear because it usually would result in the loss of a job.

I often have complained that we should ignore the rants of the “crazies” that promote homophobia that the media love to feed on because of the controversy. The more outrageous a statement is, the more coverage it gets. If the media simply would ignore their publicity stunts, they possibly might at least decrease their profanities because they weren’t getting the desired notoriety. These people love the notoriety, and so they not only make outrageous statements that are duly reported in the media everyday, but they also vent their internal homophobic rage in more violent ways. Racism and homophobia are products of the fears that some have of people who are somehow different. We are not part of the WASP tribe so we challenge the status quo. Some even use it to appeal to an ignorant, violent, and bigoted minority who are very vocal with their hatred.

Jesus commands us to love our enemies, which I find very difficult to do in the instance of Westboro Baptist Church protestors. I find it even more difficult to do with the modern KKK, Nazi skinheads, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson and other homophobes who not only preach but practice hatred. Hateful speech results in hateful actions, and the radical right can’t ignore their responsibility for the violence that their speech produces. I KNOW that love conquers hate, but it is so hard to put into practice. That’s why some mainline Protestant denominations choose not to focus on what a radical Jew Jesus was and portray him as a nice, kind man. He was a real rabble-rouser who challenged the authorities of his day with the the most radical idea that temporal power was weaker than love.

So what is the answer? More severe criminal prosecutions, more education, more political activism, more active outreach to those who persecute us, or a better narrative in telling our stories to the media? I don’t know.

Although it is not intended to directly affect the criminal justice system, I’m afraid that the proposed new Federal Equality legislation is just more pissing in the wind. The Republican radicals will fight it with every devious method possible. The recent decision by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will have a lot more teeth in providing job protection. EEOC Policy on LGBT workers