From: communications@pflag.org Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 17:34:08 -0600 Subject: White House Hate Crimes Summit PFLAGers: For your information, here is the PFLAG release on the White House Hate Crimes Summit, which took place today. Thank you to those who participated at the local levels! ************************************************************************** For Nov. 10, 1997 Release Contact: Janice Hughes, Communications Director 202/638-4200 x225 PFLAG President Applauds Clinton For Convening White House Hate-Crimes Summit Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) President Nancy McDonald praised President Clinton for convening the historic White House Conference on Hate Crimes today. Among the leaders who participated in the event, McDonald stressed that the first ever conference "lends more credibility to the seriousness of anti-gay violence." She noted that PFLAG also encourages Clinton to recommend expanding coverage of hate-crimes legislation to sexual orientation. "As parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children, we live with the real fear that our children - family members - will be victims of a hate crime," said McDonald who heads the 70,000-member group which is based in Washington, DC. "Hopefully, one outcome will be much more attention to the huge rise in hate crimes against gays and lesbians," McDonald said. Two other key areas needing attention are tracking hate crimes and supporting strategies to prevent such acts of violence, she added. And hate speech itself must be reckoned with, she said. PFLAG works to battle hate crimes through: * a highly successful public education campaign - Project Open Mind - which underscores the link between hate speech and violence. PFLAG plans to expand Project Open Mind to additional U.S. cities over the next few years; and * another nationwide initiative to mobilize the creation of "safe spaces" for gay youth and their families in response to violent hate crimes. This week, several PFLAG chapters in a number of cities are also making their voices heard as participants in the White House-sponsored Field Conferences on Hate Crimes. PFLAG is organized in more than 400 communities across the U.S. McDonald traveled to Washington from Tulsa, Okla., where she resides. McDonald is available for interviews at 918-742-8565. PFLAG parents who participated at the field conferences are also available for interviews. ### Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure civil rights. PFLAG provides an opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. Serving more than 69,000 members, PFLAG affiliates are located in more than 400 communities across the United States, and in 11 other countries. 1101 14th Street, N.W., Suite 1030 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 638-4200 * Fax: (202) 638-0243 * E-mail: info@pflag.org Web: http://www.pflag.org