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               PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE

                      THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FUND

News from the Nation's Largest Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual
Political Organization


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                            CONTACT:  Gregory King
                                                    (202) 628-4160 work
                                                    (202) 547-4310 home

   SENATE PASSES HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION BY OVERWHELMING MARGIN,
                         HELMS OPPOSITION IGNORED

     WASHINGTON, DC  (November 5, 1993)  The United States Senate
voted to dramatically increase sentences for hate crimes, including
gay bashings, by a vote of 95 to 4 when it passed the Hate Crimes
Sentencing Enhancement Act as an amendment to the Omnibus Crime
Bill on November 4th.  Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ben
Nighthorse Campbell (D-CO), Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL), Daniel
Inouye (D-HA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced the legislation
last month following passage of a companion bill in the House of
Representatives.

     The Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation's largest lesbian
and gay political organization, called the passage of the bill "a
landmark vote of major significance to the lesbian and gay
community."  Executive Director Tim McFeeley praised Senators
Feinstein and Moseley-Braun for their leadership in steering the
bill to passage.  "They were able to squelch the effort of Senator
Helms to remove sexual orientation from the bill.  Helms was
totally out-maneuvered," McFeeley said.

     Similar legislation died in the closing days of the last
Congress when Senator Helms voiced opposition to the bill.  Helms
objected to the inclusion of "sexual orientation" in the bill, but
sensing defeat, he did not introduce an amendment.  The Crime Bill
now goes to a conference committee but the sentencing enhancement
language is not expected to change.

     The legislation increases the penalty for hate crimes by at
least three offense levels over the present sentencing guidelines.
Hate crimes are defined in the bill as any crime in which the
defendant intentionally selects a victim because of race, color,
religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation and
gender.  The Senate added "disabilities" to the list on a motion by
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA).

     Daniel Zingale, the Campaign Fund's Public Policy Director,
noted that the bill sends a message to local law enforcement
officials that hate crimes should be aggressively prosecuted.  "In
my home town of Sacramento, there have been four hate bombings in
the last three months.  This bill says that the federal government
is at last getting serious about anti-gay crimes."

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Human Rights Campaign Fund
1012 14th Street, NW  Suite 607
Washington, DC  20005
Phone (202) 628-4160
Fax#  (202) 347-5323