"When an innocent person can be beaten or killed simply on the basis of their identity, something is profoundly sick and wrong. There's not an LGBT person who didn't hear about this horrendous murder and think: 'that could have been me.'"

"As long as discrimination remains a feature of this nation's laws, as long as second class citizenship trickles down into our schools and our communities, these crimes and the terror they instill will never stop."

"We pledge liberty and justice for all, but every one of us has a duty to make those words a reality. We can't be patient and simply wait for equality, because the next Mark Carson is running out of time right now. Equality is an urgent fight--a fight that continues until our nation's laws treat all our citizens equally, with respect and dignity, in all parts of our lives. This is a fight that involves all Americans who believe in civil rights and equality for every citizen."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with victims’ families, and we thank the police and other agencies for their full and ongoing investigation of these heinous acts.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.