Date: Sun, 17 Oct 99 09:09:19 -0500 From: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Subject: [NGLTF PRESS] Unmoved by Epidemic of Hate Violence, Congress Stalls on HCPA ********************************************* 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 ********************************************* UNMOVED BY EPIDEMIC OF HATE VIOLENCE, CONSERVATIVES IN CONGRESS STALL ON HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT "The whole country is watching," says NGLTF's Lobel Oct. 16, 1999 - Despite the rash of hate violence that has swept through the United States during the past year, House and Senate conservatives are holding up passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act in the waning days of Congress. "The whole country is watching," said Kerry Lobel, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "We watched in horror when Matthew Shepard died, when Joseph Ileto was shot to death, when children at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles was attacked, when at least 20 gay, lesbian bisexual and transgendered people were killed during the past year alone. Now we watch again as Congress fails to act. We elect our leaders to provide vision and leadership and now is the time for them to step forward." The Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed by the U.S. Senate as an amendment to the Commerce-State-Justice appropriations bill. Because the House version of the appropriations bill does not include the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the differences between the two bills must be worked out in conference committee. Conferees include 17 Republicans and nine Democrats. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act would expand current federal law to include sexual orientation, gender and disability. The legislation also would expand federal authority to prosecute hate crimes. Currently, federal authorities can only intervene if a victim is engaged in a federally protected act such as attempting to vote, do to school or serve on a jury. _____________________________________________________________________ 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. _________________________________________________________________ The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force presents the Creating Change conference - the nation's premier conference for activists and organizers in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movement. November 10-14 * Oakland, CA * http://www.creatingchange.org _________________________________________ This message was issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Communications Department. If you have a question regarding this post, please direct it to the contact at the top of this message. To reach the NGLTF Communications Department at NGLTF, please call David Elliot, Communications Director, at 202-332-6483 x3303 or pager 800-757-6476. 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.