More than 30 national LGBT groups signed onto a letter Monday showing support for organizations and community leaders asking the federal government to investigate the slaying of Trayvon Martin after his accused killer was acquitted.

The NAACP, which openly supports marriage equality, has a petition set up at its website and is asking people to sign it to demand the Obama administration file a civil rights case against George Zimmerman. The petition went up on Saturday, the day a 6-woman jury found Zimmerman not guilty in the killing of Martin, an African American teen who was 17 and unarmed and was returning to his family's house after walking to a nearby convenience store for tea and Skittles.

National LGBT groups support efforts seeking federal investigation into killing of Trayvon Martin

Zimmerman, 29, a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer, was found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges late Saturday. Zimmerman said he shot Martin in self-defense on Feb. 26, 2012.

Since the verdict, many rallies across the country, including at least two large marches in Atlanta, are calling for “Justice for Trayvon.”

The NAACP petition, addressed to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, states: “The most fundamental of civil rights — the right to life — was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin. We ask that the Department of Justice file civil rights charges against Mr. Zimmerman for this egregious violation.”

On Monday, Holder said in a speech the federal investigation into Martin’s death was not over and called the shooting “tragic and unnecessary.”

The largest national LGBT groups issued a statement Monday supporting the NAACP and other groups seeking the same. The letter in its entirety:

An Open Letter: Trayvon Deserves Justice



We cannot begin to imagine the continued pain and suffering endured by Trayvon Martin’s family and friends. We stand in solidarity with them as they continue to fight for justice, civil rights and closure. And we thank everyone who has pushed and will continue to push for justice.



Trayvon Martin deserves justice and his civil rights. We support the organizations and community leaders who are urging the federal government to explore every option to ensure that justice is served for Trayvon and that his civil rights are honored and respected.

But our work does not end there: we will honor Trayvon Martin by strengthening our commitment to end bias, hatred, profiling and violence across our communities.

We represent organizations with diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender constituencies.

Our community has been targets of bigotry, bias, profiling and violence. We have experienced the heart-breaking despair of young people targeted for who they are, who they are presumed to be, or who they love: Rashawn Brazell, Lawrence King, Ali Forney, Brandon Teena, Brandon White, Matthew Shepard, Marco McMillian, Angie Zapata, Sakia Gunn, Gwen Araujo and countless others.



Every person, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, must be able to walk the streets without fear for their safety.



Justice delayed is justice denied and in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “a right delayed is a right denied.” We honor Trayvon by seeking justice for all people.

All Out

American Civil Liberties Union

Believe Out Loud

BiNet USA

Bisexual Resource Center

Center for Black Equity

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers

Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals

Equality Federation

Family Equality Council

Freedom to Work

Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network

Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network)

GetEQUAL

GMHC

GLAD

GLAAD

Harvey Milk Foundation

Human Rights Campaign

Immigration Equality

Lambda Legal

Movement Advancement Project

National Black Justice Coalition

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

National Minority AIDS Council

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

PFLAG National

The Trevor Project

Trans Advocacy Network

Transgender Law Center

Trans People of Color Coalition