Subject: CHURCH DESECRATED BECAUSE OF DOMA?

From: "ngltf" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 07 Oct 96 16:53:32 EST

*********************************************************************
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Robert Bray  415/552-6448   [email-masked]
        pager 800/757-6476
Helen Gonzales  202/332-6483 x3236  [email-masked]
2320 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
http://www.ngltf.org
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CHURCH DESECRATED BECAUSE OF DOMA?

NGLTF URGES CLINTON, RENO TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE HATE CRIME

Washington, D.C.  Oct. 7, 1996...Normally the Metropolitan Community Church in
Great Falls, Montana, is decorated with flowers and sacred artifacts, especially
when Rev. Gina Hartung performs one of her frequent same-gender commitment
ceremonies for her parishioners.  But this day something was terribly wrong.

    Sometime on September 23 or 24, someone vandalized and desecrated the MCC
building.  The numbers  "666," a swastika and other graffiti were spray painted
on the rear of the church.  An upside down cross was painted on the front door. 

    The vandalism came just after Rev. Hartung was prominently featured on local
television and other media.  Rev. Hartung had publicly criticized the passage
and signing of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and announced she would
continue to perform same-gender commitment ceremonies at her church.  Local and
national activists are concerned the incident may be the first hate crime
backlash against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people following the
passage of DOMA and in the wake of extremely hostile rhetoric aimed at gays
during debate on the bill.  Local law enforcement is viewing the incident as a
possible hate crime.

    Now, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) has written to
President Clinton, who signed DOMA  into law last month, and to Janet Reno,
Attorney General, to alert them of the incident and call for their action.

    "My purpose in writing you, Mr. President, is to echo concerns we voiced in
earlier correspondence to you regarding DOMA," said Melinda Paras, NGLTF
executive director in a letter on Oct. 3.  "DOMA was legislation initiated and
orchestrated by right-wing extremists who intended to send a message of
intolerance and bigotry against gay and lesbian individuals.  That message,
repeated in state after state as well as on the national level, was apparently
heard loud and clear.
--more--
    "While we appreciated the statement issued when you signed DOMA -- for its
strong words against discrimination, violence or intimidation based on sexual
orientation -- that message got lost in the fact of your signing this
discriminatory legislation," continued the letter.  "Unfortunately, the action
conveyed to the general public was that you were signing DOMA, and as such
endorsing the discriminatory treatment against gays and lesbians.   The
connection between anti-gay rhetoric or policies and violence against the gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities has proven itself out too often. 
It's unfortunate that yet another policy debate around the lives of gay and
lesbian families leads to what may yet be another hate crime against our
community."

    In another letter to Attorney General Janet Reno, NGLTF's Paras asked the
Department of Justice to closely monitor the situation, and, if necessary, lend
assistance to local law enforcement authorities "to ensure the collection of all
needed information to determine whether or not this was a hate crime." 
    
    Paras also reminded Reno that the defacing of the MCC would not be covered
by the recently enacted "Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996," since that law
appears not to include crimes against a place of worship that are committed
because of the sexual orientation of an individual associated with that
religious property.

    Montana activists were quick to respond to the incident.  A rally was held
in Great Falls on Sept. 28 to unite communities against hate crimes.  More than
100 people participated.  A letter from Montana Senator Max Baucus condemning
the vandalism was read at the event.  The senator voted for DOMA.

    "The debate around DOMA was characterized by prejudice and inflammatory
rhetoric," said Christine Kaufmann, director of the Montana Human Rights
Network.  "This fuels the fires of hatred that leads to actions such as
[these]."

    Montana lacks any legal protection to prevent discrimination based on sexual
orientation in employment and housing.  The state still has an antiquated law
that makes sexual conduct between persons of the same sex a felony. The law was
ruled unconstitutional by a lower court, but the measure still remains on the
book pending higher court action.

    "As long as Montana's laws maintain the status of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender civil rights as second-class citizenship, we will continue to be
subject to these hateful attacks," said Sandy Hale, director of PRIDE!,
Montana's l/g/b/t civil rights group.

    Local activists say the graffiti found at the MCC was similar to that
sprayed at a predominantly Black church, the Mount Olive Christian Fellowship
Church, last November. 

    For more information, contact the Montana Human Rights Network, (406)442-
5506; PRIDE! of Montana, (406)442-9322; or Helen Gonzales, NGLTF Public Policy
director, (202)332-6483, ext. 3236.
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