From: Gayeditor@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 03:02:55 -0400 Subject: hate violence from update, southern california's gay and lesbian weekly newspaper "Die, Faggot! Die!" Hate Violence And Bomb Threat Prompt Increased Security At Gay Rights Organizations By Petr Pronsati Editor SACRAMENTO - An eruption of hate violence nationwide and a recent bomb threat to a Gay and Lesbian lobbying group in the state capitol have left many Gay rights groups with a heightened sense of security, but also a renewed sense of how important their missions truly are. The LIFE AIDS Lobby in Sacramento on April 25 received a bomb threat with explicit anti-Gay language, according to Donna Yutzy, interim program director of the LIFE League. Yutzy told Update that while "it is not unusual" to pick up hate messages off the answering machine, this was different. "This was a live call, and there was an implicit bodily threat," she said. The threat was clear in the caller's admonishment to "get out of the building unless you want to die." Additionally, he referred to "you faggot assholes" and chided "Die, Faggot! Die!" Yutzy blamed the threat on what she called "the environment of violence" since the most recent election. Without directly referring to the new Republican majorities in state and federal governments, she made it clear that things have changed. She talked about the new atmosphere in the California State Assembly and Senate. "Laurie [McBride, executive director of LIFE AIDS Lobby] was stunned at the level of hatred and vehemence in the capitol from legislators. It's almost as if it's permissible to say things - unbelievable hate-filled things." She quoted one legislator as saying "Gay men lead the dirtiest lifestyles and shouldn't be allowed to live." Another asserted that it's a "proven fact that Lesbians are incapable of holding relationships." Yutzy understood that comment to mean "of course that's true or else they [Lesbians] would be in relationships with men." In a prepared statement made just after the bomb scare ended, McBride said, "I blame the politics of division - the rhetoric of demagogues on the rabid right - for helping create a climate that allows extremists of all stripes to think their terrorist attacks are somehow justified." She added, "It's time for all Americans to speak up. Hate rhetoric is not entertainment. Hate rhetoric is incitement to violence. It leads to terror in Oklahoma, to mail bombings that kill, to hate calls like the one received today." Yutzy said that the decision to go public with news of the threat was a difficult one. The Sacramento police told the group that a public announcement would be "just asking for more." LIFE had a different thought, however. Yutzy said that "as a group that encourages people to report anti-Gay violence, what kind of message would we be sending [by remaining silent]?" She admitted, "Speaking out against anti-Gay violence is risky." It was a risk, though, the lobbying organization felt they had to take in an effort to lead by example. In the wake of the threat, and because they know that hate violence has been more than an aberration recently, LIFE is just a bit more aware these days. "The first day," Yutzy explained, "we kept the office locked. [Now] we're all more sensitive around [unidentified] mail and packages. All strangers are pre-screened before being let into the suites." Other Gay and Lesbian rights groups are taking precautions also. William Wayborne, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, told Update, "Our new security system was just installed last week." The measure was taken in response to what Wayborne termed "an epidemic of violence." He said that "if any group can identify with [the Oklahoma bombing tragedy], it is Gays and Lesbians," due to the community's experience with "attacks from unidentified extremist groups." He confirmed two points that have more than likely already been assumed by most Gays and Lesbians - that threats of violence against Gay rights groups have been a routine occurrence for years, and that, until recently these threats have mostly been ignored. He told of how, when he worked for an organization in Dallas, he was harassed with hate phone calls by a man for over eight months. The man never acted on his speech, but Wayborne said, "The venom and hate he spewed was very threatening." When they finally caught the perpetrator, Wayborne was stunned to find out not only that the man worked for "a major governmental institution," but that he was also believed to be Gay. The executive director wondered what, if any, societal factors may have been involved in creating this man's hatred and possibly internalized homophobia. Asked if these recent violent acts might inspire an even more galvanized Gay and Lesbian rights movement, Wayborne said, "I hope by now we have learned to motivate ourselves for the right reason," which he said is simply because we deserve our civil rights. "Violence," he continued," occurs routinely in our community. It is in some sense a motivating factor, but it shouldn't be." Everyone interviewed agreed that anti-Gay violence, and hate violence in general, has increased recently. Unfortunately, no figures were found to give a precise picture of the situation. One group in San Francisco might have an understanding of the situation, but Communities United Against Violence, who apparently have nothing at all against rudeness, were just short of hostile in telling Update that they had no time to talk. In the case of the Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF), it was not direct anti-Gay violence that caused an interest in increased security. Doug Hattaway, communications deputy director for the group, said that the Washington, D.C.-based firm brought in experts to do a security assessment following the shootings at abortion clinics in Massachusetts and Virginia earlier this year. In a phone interview last week, he explained, "The same right wingers who oppose choice also target Gays and Lesbians." There is a guard on the first floor of the building that houses HRCF and he screens all visitors to the offices. Also, once on the floor of their suites, everyone must be buzzed in by the receptionist. "It's simple stuff," said Hattaway, but it's important so the group can continue its work. He said that there has been a lot of media attention focused on HRCF this year because of the work they have done to encourage D.C. legislators to sign Gay and Lesbian anti-discrimination policies as pertaining to their hiring practices. Presently, 227 members (over 50 percent) of the 104th Congress have signed the policies. They have also been featured on C-SPAN twice in the past few months. All of this notoriety has increased HRCF's visibility with both the left and the right. While acknowledging that anti-Gay calls have increased, Hattaway happily noted that "supportive calls have outpaced hate calls two to one." Possibly the most security conscious group of all, though, is the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. They have all staff participate in a security training seminar at their office in Washington, D.C. According to Robert Bray, field organizer for NGLTF's Fight the Right project, the session teaches all the basics in preventing hate violence, including briefing employees on handling packages that may contain bombs like that one that killed a federal employee recently. "We take our security extremely seriously," said Bray. "We brought in the Anti-Defamation League to help with the training." He added that the league is widely viewed as one of the foremost authorities in the field of preventing hate violence. Security has also been stepped up at his field office in San Francisco. The building, which is called Queer Central because it is the home of a half-dozen Gay and Lesbian organizations, recently installed a card entry system. "We took the measure to create an environment of deterrence to any individual striking out against us," said Bray. He does not let all these precautions suggest a cowering, defensive stance however. "I am absolutely fearless," he said. Much of his work is done in rural areas and he encounters a great deal of anti-Gay sentiment. In spite of that, he remains focused on the positive. "We are not afraid," he said, "but we are not foolish, either. We [take steps to promote] deterrence, still keeping our eyes on the prize - which is freedom, not fear."