Date: Mon, 11 Oct 99 14:03:18 -0500 From: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Subject: [NGLTF PRESS] One Year, Twenty Dead, No Action ********************************************* NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE PRESS RELEASE Contact: David Elliot, Communications Director 202-332-6483 ext. 3303 800-757-6476 pager delliot@ngltf.org http://www.ngltf.org 1700 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC ********************************************* ONE YEAR. TWENTY DEAD. NO ACTION. Epidemic of hate crime against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people fails to move most lawmakers to pass strong hate crimes laws Oct. 11, 1999 - Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, and both the U.S. House of Representatives and many states have failed to pass strong hate crimes laws covering gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. During the past year, according to statistics provided by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, at least 20 GLBT people have been murdered across the United States. "The murder of Matthew Shepard was a national clarion call for strong hate crimes laws, but most of our political leaders have failed to respond," said Kerry Lobel, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "From James Byrd Jr. to Joseph Ileto to Matthew Shepard, people are being targeted for violence just because they are perceived as different. In the year since Matthew's wrenching death, many minority groups have come under attack - Jews, Christians, Asian-Americans, African Americans and women. Together all of us must renew our efforts to demand passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act in Congress and approval of hate crimes legislation inclusive of sexual orientation in the 28 states that do not have such laws." Since Shepard's death, only three states - Missouri, California and New Hampshire - have acted on hate crimes legislation. Missouri enacted a strong hate crimes law that covers GLBT people, while California and New Hampshire strengthened already-existing anti-violence laws. But hate crimes legislation inclusive of sexual orientation failed in 22 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico (where a bill passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the governor), New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. In an historic move, the Senate passed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act this past summer. But so far, House members have not followed the Senate's lead. Lobel noted that many of the 20 GLBT victims of hate violence over the past year were transgendered people whose deaths received little media attention. "Today we remember Matthew Shepard," Lobel said. "We also remember Tracy Thompson of Cordele, GA., who was struck in the head with a baseball bat in March 1999. We remember Emmon Bodfish of Orinda, CA., who was bludgeoned to death in June 1999. We remember Chareka Keys of Cleveland, OH., who died of blunt trauma to the head Sept. 27, 1999. We remember all victims of hate violence and look forward to building a world where diversity is seen as a strength, not a reason to kill." "When a hate crime occurs, every single one of us is diminished, regardless of our race, our religion, our sexual orientation," Lobel said. "The very thing that separates hate crimes from other crimes of violence is that we are selected because of the community we represent. Hate crimes are meant to tear at the very fabric of our society." Lobel concluded that "each of us has a responsibility to acknowledge and speak up against all expressions of discrimination, scapegoating and violence. Our struggle must be focused, but it must not be narrow. We cannot expect others to be there for us if we are not there for them." _____________________________________________________________________ Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force works to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people at the local, state and national level. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society. _________________________________________________________________ The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force presents the Creating Change conference - the nation's premier conference for activists and organizers in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movement. November 10-14 * Oakland, CA * http://www.creatingchange.org _________________________________________ This message was issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Communications Department. If you have a question regarding this post, please direct it to the contact at the top of this message. To reach the NGLTF Communications Department at NGLTF, please call David Elliot, Communications Director, at 202-332-6483 x3303 or pager 800-757-6476. If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, please send an email with "UNSUBSCRIBE PRESSLIST" in the subject and body of your email message to . You may also unsubscribe by visiting http://www.ngltf.org.