To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

Violence Against the Homeless is a HATE CRIME

Beaten, stoned, dragged behind cars, set on fire--the homeless in our country are subjected not only to the violent but degrading and humiliating acts of violence at the hands of those who see them as having no worth. These crimes are targeted and have resulted in more than 500 deaths in the past 5 years. These are hate crimes by definition and need to be treated as such. Sign here to make violence against the homeless a hate crime.

Why is this important?

In 2011 I started the documentary These Storied Streets, which profiles Americas homeless across the country. I had no idea how violent, how often and scary it could be to be living on the streets. Often, just for fun, the homeless is targeted and beaten. Films like Bum Fights and Bum Hunter have lead to strings of violence against this vulnerable and unprotected people. This needs to change. Violence because of a economic condition is no different than violence associated with race or religion.