Subject: NGLTF ACTION ALERT! Montana Registry!!!
From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 13:45:52 -0500

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   National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

     ACTION ALERT ! ACTION ALERT ! ACTION ALERT !

(202) 332-6483 X3215
2320 17th Street NW   Washington, DC   20009

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MONTANA LEGISLATURE MOVING TO REQUIRE REGISTRY FOR GAY MEN & LESBIANS
CONVICTED UNDER STATE'S "DEVIATE SEXUAL CONDUCT" LAW

Urgent Action Needed

Washington, DC -- March 23, 1995 -- The Montana State legislature is moving
to pass a measure that would require offenders of the state's "deviate sexual
conduct" law to register for life with local law enforcement officials.
 According to a provision in House Bill 214, those convicted of homosexual
acts between consenting adults would be included with murderers, rapists and
other violent criminals in Montana's pending law to register violent
criminals.
      The bill was approved yesterday in the Senate by a 41 to 8 vote.  Sen.
Terry Klampe (D-Florence) led a Democratic effort to remove the "deviate
sexual conduct" provision from the list of crimes requiring state
registration.  That measure failed on an 18 to 32 vote.  The Senate had
earlier added "deviate sexual conduct" to the bill as an amendment after it
originally passed the House.
      Democratic members of the House have an opportunity to reject Senate
amendments and send the measure to a conference committee.  According to
Diane Sands of the Montana Women's Lobby, that action is unlikely to be
successful because the House is more conservative than the Senate. Democrats
are outnumbered in the Senate by 31 to 19 and in the House by 67 to 33.  
      Anti-gay rhetoric rang out during Senate deliberations.  Sen. Al Bishop
(R-Billings) said,   "This type of action is even worse than a violent sexual
act."   
      Following yesterday's Senate vote, the Montana gay and lesbian rights
group, Pride!, held a rally at the Capitol, attended by several Democratic
legislators.
      Currently 22 states have laws barring various sex acts between
consenting adults.  Six of those states, including Montana, bar only
homosexual acts.  Montana's law equates homosexuality with bestiality and is
sweeping in its definition, including any form of sexual contact between
members of the same sex -- theoretically applying to kissing.  The law
contains one of the top ten worst punishments in the country for conviction
-- ten years in prison and fines of up to $50,000.  
      Gov. Marc Racicot (R) has not said whether he would sign the measure.
 He has in the past publicly stated that he would support repeal of the
"deviate sexual conduct" law.
 
ACTION:  Governor Racicot must not sign this bill into law!  He needs to hear
from activists, colleagues and media around the country that this blatant
attack on the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community is outrageous and
intolerable.  

x  Call, fax, or write Gov. Racicot:  (406) 444-3111 (voice), (406) 444-4151
(fax).  Write:  Governor Marc Racicot, Capitol Station, Helena, MT, 59624.

x  Ask elected officials, including your mayor, and state and federal
legislators, to add their voices to those condemning the Montana state
legislature and calling upon the governor to remove "deviate sexual conduct"
from the measure.  To call your senators and representative in Washington,
call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

x  Write letters to the editor of your local paper and to the editors of the
Billings Gazette (406) 657-1208 (fax), the Great Falls Tribune (406) 791-1431
(fax), and the Helena Independent Record (406) 447-4052.  All letters to the
editor must include your name, address, and daytime phone number.

x  Activists in Montana are encouraged to attend a rally at the state capitol
at noon on Saturday, March 25 .