Date: Thu, 26 Aug 99 22:25:30 -0400 From: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Subject: [NGLTF PRESS] NGLTF Joins National Days of Remembrance ********************************************* 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 ********************************************* NGLTF JOINS NATIONAL DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE "We will not forget this sad summer of hate." --Executive Director Kerry Lobel Aug. 26, 1999-The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force today joined the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, the Filipino Civil Rights Advocates and other civil rights and religious groups in observing National Days of Remembrance in memory of Joseph Ileto and other victims of hate. Ileto, the Filipino postal worker who was shot to death in Los Angeles allegedly by white supremacist Buford O. Furrow, was killed because he was a nonwhite federal worker, according to police. Furrow also is charged with wounding five people during a shooting rampage at the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. National Days of Remembrance rallies will be held between Thursday and Tuesday in Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Seattle (Editors: rally information for each city is at the end of this release.) Ileto's death occurred during a summer in which Asians, African Americans, Jews, lesbians, bisexuals, gay men and transgender people have been beaten or killed, synagogues vandalized, women's health clinics attacked, a rainbow flag burned and a gay pride parade pelted with tear gas. "We will not forget this sad summer of hate," said NGLTF Executive Director Kerry Lobel, who spoke at the Washington, D.C. vigil. "When a hate crime occurs, every single one of us is diminished, regardless of our race, our religion, our sexual orientation. The very thing that separates hate crimes from other crimes of violence is that the victim is selected because of the community he or she represents. This is the principle that those who say 'every crime is a hate crime' do not understand. Sadly, for his family and for our collective communities, Joseph Ileto has provided a painful example of the hatred that abounds in our society and the need for action." Lobel noted the current epidemic of hate crimes is exactly why many diverse groups and coalitions are working together to pass strong hate crimes laws, both in Congress and in the states. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA). This act, which is awaiting action in the House Judiciary Committee, would expand federal authority to prosecute hate crimes. Currently, federal officials can only intervene if a victim is engaged in a federally protected act such as attempting to vote, go to school or serve on a jury. Federal officials cannot intervene at all in hate crimes based on disability, sexual orientation or gender. In July, Missouri became the 22nd state to enact hate crimes legislation inclusive of sexual orientation and the fourth state to enact legislation inclusive of transgender people. NATIONAL DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE RALLY INFORMATION WASHINGTON, D.C. Thursday, Aug. 26 11 a.m. press conference, Murrow Room, National Press Club, 1 4th & F Street NW. Noon Memorial Vigil, Freedom Plaza, 14th & Pennsylvania Ave NW Speakers: Leaders from the Asian, African, Latino, Jewish-American, labor and GLBT communities. NEW YORK Thursday, Aug 26 6 p.m. vigil, speak-out and memorial service Epiphany Church Corner of East 22nd St. and 2nd Ave., Manhattan Featured Speakers: Ben Ileto, Uncle of Joseph Ileto; Loida Nicolas Lewis, National Federation of Filipino American Associations; Hazel N. Dukes, NAACP; and Melanie Kaye-Kantrowitz, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice CHICAGO Saturday, Aug. 28 9:30 a.m. Ecumenical Memorial Service St. Genevieve Church 4835 W. Altgeld , Chicago, Illinois Santiago Leoncio will be the main celebrant. LOS ANGELES Saturday, Aug. 28 6 p.m. Community Vigil & Memorial Filipino Christian Church, 301 N. Union Ave. March from Pilipino Town to St. Columban Catholic Church Keynote speaker: Jesse Jackson (invited, not confirmed) DALLAS Friday, August 27 Press Conference, Federal Building Time and details unconfirmed. Contact: Gus Mercado, Chair, NaFFAA Southwest Region Tel. 972 881-0583, email: BHPublishr@aol.com SEATTLE Tuesday, Aug. 31 5 p.m. silent vigil and memorial service Filipino Community Center 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South The National Days of Remembrance is sponsored by the Filipino Civil Rights Advocates (FilCRA) and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Cosponsors include: Alleluia Dance Theatre of San Francisco Am Kolel American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) American Jewish Committee (AJC) American Jewish Congress American Postal Workers Union Anti-Defamation League Arkipelago Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area Asian American Government Executive Network (AAGEN) Asian American Institute Asian American Law Enforcement Association Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF) Asian Law Caucus (Bay Area) Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA), Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Asian Pacific American Network in Agriculture (APANA), Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) Asian Pacific American Islander Queer Sisters of Washington, DC (APIQS) Asian Pacific Islander Queers United for Action of Metro Washington, DC(AQUA) Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council Audre Lorde Project Boat People S.O.S. CAAAV Center for Constitutional Rights Charismatic Group of Metro DC Coalition of Asian Pacific American Democrats of Maryland (CAPAD-MD), Coalition of Korean American Organizations Committee on Human Rights in the Philippines Committee on Philippine Issues (Chicago) D.C. Mayors Office on Asian Pacific American Affairs DIWA organizing committee (DC) East Bay Asian Consortium Factory Lunch Box Empire State Pride Agenda (NY) Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), Feed the Hungry, USA, Inc., Filipino American Council of San Francisco Filipino American Democratic Caucus of San Francisco Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI-NY) Filipino American Report Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI-LA) Filipino American Women's Network (FAWN) Filipino American Youth Dialogue (DC) Filipino Postal Workers of Palatine & Northwest Suburbs (Chicago) Filipino Youth Coalition (FYC-DC) Filipinos for Affirmative Action (FAA) Fr. Carl Schmitz Memorial Awards Committee (Chicago) GABRIELA Collective - Chicago Illinois Asian American Hate Crime Network International Friendship Cultural Arts Heritage (DC) Japanese American Citizen's League (JACL) Japanese American Service Committee Korean American Coalition (KAC) Korean American Citizens Coalition League of Filipino Students League of Korean Americans (LOKA-USA) MCA Pizza dba Dominos Pizza (Chicago) National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC), National Association of Asian American Professionals Chicago Chapter (NAAAP-Chicago) National Association of Korean Americans, National Association of Letter Carriers National Council of La Raza (NCLR) National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NKASEC) National Indian American Leadership Council National Postal Mail handlers Union NYC Central Labor Council Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Overseas Artists Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego Philippine American Bar Association (PABA-DC) Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Metro DC Philippine American Foundation (PAF) Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC) Philippine American Heritage Federation (PAHF) Philippine American Postal Employees Association (Chicago) Philippine Engineers & Scientist Organization (PESO-Chicago) Philippine Normal University Alumni Association (Chicago) Pintig Cultural Group Resource & Info Center Philippines (RICE)Samahang Misang Pilipino Samahang Pinagbuklod sa America (SPA) Shalom International Society of Filipino Young Professionals (Chicago) Tanghalang Pilipino ng DC Tongue in the Mood (San Francisco) United for Justice (Virginia) VIA Times (Chicago) Vietnamese American Society (VAS) -30 _____________________________________________________________________ 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. _________________________________________ This message was issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Media Department. If you have a question regarding this post, please direct it to the contact at the top of this message. 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.