HRC stands up for
the "Jena 6"

The Human Rights Campaign is standing alongside groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP in defense of the beleaguered "Jena 6" of Louisiana.

HRC, the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization, is reaching out to its contacts in Louisiana, urging them to get involved in defense of the African-American teenagers known as the Jena 6.

A white teen was hospitalized, and was released the same day, after a race-related brawl broke out in December between white and black teens in the small town of Jena in north-central Louisiana. Motives for the fight are unclear, but nooses were hung from a tree at one point, the Associated Press reported. All the whites involved in the case were eventually released by police, but the African-Americans were incarcerated, and many still face serious charges. The black teens arrested became known as the Jena 6.

"The Human Rights Campaign is proud to be part of the larger civil rights community and we stand united with others in this movement to replace bigotry and bias with equality and understanding," said Cuc Vu, HRC's chief diversity officer, in a press release. "This type of prejudice and hate in our country affects all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation." (The Advocate)