From smindeaux@ngltf.org Mon Oct 7 17:34:43 1996 Received: from relay2.smtp.psi.net (relay2.smtp.psi.net [38.8.188.2]) by qrd.rdrop.com (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id RAA10344 for ; Mon, 7 Oct 1996 17:34:42 -0700 Received: from list.ngltf.org by relay2.smtp.psi.net (8.6.12/SMI-5.4-PSI) id UAA06568; Mon, 7 Oct 1996 20:24:43 -0400 Sender: presslist@list.ngltf.org Errors-To: smindeaux@ngltf.org Reply-To: "ngltf" Message-Id: <9609078447.AA844744421@ngltf.org> Precedence: Bulk X-Listserver: Macjordomo - A Macintosh Listserver by Michele Fuortes Date: Mon, 07 Oct 96 16:53:32 EST From: "ngltf" To: Multiple recipients of Subject: CHURCH DESECRATED BECAUSE OF DOMA? ********************************************************************* National Gay and Lesbian Task Force PRESS RELEASE Contact: Robert Bray 415/552-6448 rbray@ngltf.org pager 800/757-6476 Helen Gonzales 202/332-6483 x3236 hgonzales@ngltf.org 2320 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 http://www.ngltf.org ********************************************************************* 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. ###