From: Heather Wright <hwright@PFLAG.org>
Subject: PFLAG News: Congress Fails Families with Defeat of Hate Crime Mea
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 21:00:12 -0400

> For Immediate Release: October 18, 1999		
> Contact: Eric Ferrero, 202-638-4200 x212
> 
> Congress Fails Families with Defeat of Hate Crime Measure,
> PFLAG Vows To Enlighten Membership of Right Wing Groups
> 
> 	As Congress struck down broadly-supported hate crime legislation
> tonight, families nationwide vowed to continue working "diligently and
> persistently to see that the people's will is done and that this bill
> eventually becomes law."  One of the nation's largest family-based,
> grassroots groups announced plans to press forward educating lawmakers,
> the public and even members of right-wing groups that helped defeat the
> measure.
> 
> 	"Tonight, as we deal with yet another disappointing and ill-informed
> Congressional move, we are putting well-heeled fringe groups on notice:
> You no longer have a free pass to shroud your political views in the guise
> of 'family,'" said Kirsten Kingdon, National Executive Director of
> Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).  "In the days
> and weeks ahead, we will educate your membership.  You have failed them by
> opposing this bill, which would have extended fairness and safety to
> religious groups, people of color and gay, lesbian, bisexual and
> transgendered people."
> 
> 	The Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) would have expanded federal
> law to include hate crimes based on sexual orientation, disability and
> gender.   It also would have strengthened efforts to address crimes based
> on race, religion and national origin.  The U.S. Senate passed HCPA
> earlier this year as an amendment to an appropriations bill.  Since the
> House did not act on the legislation, it was negotiated in Conference
> Committee.  None of the Committee's members - including the bill's
> original cosponsors -- took responsibility to raise the issue in this
> afternoon's hearing.
> 
> 	"We're particularly disturbed by the absence of leadership in the
> Conference Committee," Kingdon said.  "Again we've seen right-wing groups
> distort the truth - and again we've seen Congress listen to the Family
> Research Council instead of actual families.  Thousands of fair-minded
> families in literally every Congressional District in America called,
> wrote and directly lobbied for this legislation for months - consistently
> telling Congress that current law is woefully inadequate in protecting our
> loved ones."
> 
> 	Focus on the Family, the Family Research Council and other groups
> lobbied heavily against HCPA.  "The membership of these groups consists of
> people who are clearly at risk of being targeted for hate crimes, simply
> because of their religious beliefs," Kingdon said.  "Those members deserve
> better, and we're reaching past the well-paid, politically-motivated
> leaders of right-wing groups to invite their members into a broader
> movement for social justice and equality for all."
> 
> 	Today, the FBI released 1998 statistics showing that race, religion
> and sexual orientation are the top three factors in bias-motivated crime.
> Noting the irony that these figures were released on the same day Congress
> allowed hate crime legislation to die, Kingdon also called the numbers "a
> loud wake-up call" for groups that worked against HCPA.
> 
> 	"Every American has a right to live free of fear, intimidation and
> violence," Kingdon said.  "Congress ignored that right today, but we won't
> stop until it's a reality for all people."
>            
> 
>