From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 94 09:18:00 EDT

NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Contacts: David M. Smith     (202) 332-6483 ext. 3309,
			     (800) 757-7736 pager
	  Robin Kane         (202) 332-6483 ext. 3311

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING FOCUSES ON HARASSMENT OF
CAMP SISTER SPIRIT IN OVETT, MISSISSIPPI

Jackson, Miss. (July 6, 1994)...A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee
held an oversight hearing in Jackson, Mississippi July 6 focusing on the
events surrounding the conflict in Ovett, Mississippi, the location of the
feminist retreat Camp Sister Spirit run by the lesbian couple Brenda and
Wanda Henson. The Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights of the
House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from the Hensons, leaders of
Mississippi for Family Values (who oppose the creation of Camp Sister
Spirit), several local officials, representatives of the U.S. Department of
Justice and experts in the area of hate crimes. The hearing was chaired by
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and also led by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).
Robin Kane, Public Information Manager at the National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force (NGLTF), attended the hearing and submitted a written statement to the
subcommittee.

 In their testimony, Brenda and Wanda Henson summarized the harassment,
threats and violent incidents that have been committed against them since
November 1993, including death threats by mail and phone, a dead dog hung on
their mailbox, gunshot fire along the property line, gunshots aimed at a
woman from a moving vehicle, and a high speed vehicle chase involving Brenda
Henson and an unknown perpetrator. These incidents have followed a highly
publicized campaign against Camp Sister Spirit headed by James Hendry and his
group, Mississippi for Family Values. Hendry has organized two town meetings
and two rallies targeting the Hensons and Camp Sister Spirit.

 The Hensons' testimony also featured several instances in which they say
Mississippi officials did not respond to requests for assistance or
intervention or were directly antagonistic toward the Hensons. Those
officials included the Jones County Sheriff Maurice Hooks, Deputy Sheriff
Myron Holifield, Jones County Clerk of Courts Cynthia Clayton, Commissioner
of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety James Ingram, Mississippi
Governor Kirk Fordice, and U.S. Representative Mike Parker (D-Miss.). The
Hensons implored federal officials to protect them and ensure their basic
civil rights. 

 "We do not seek tolerance and acceptance, " said Wanda Henson. "We seek
equality under the law and freedom from oppression, intimidation, and
harassment. We seek justice and a legal system that is capable and willing to
defend our rights."

 Both James Hendry and Rev. John Allen stated during their testimony that the
harassment and incidents against the Hensons are unsubstantiated and they
implied or overtly stated that the Hensons created the campaign against them
for publicity. Contrary to previous statements, both Hendry and Allen said
they do not want the Hensons to leave Ovett. Instead, they merely oppose the
"commercial" aspect of Camp Sister Spirit. (These statements are countered by
Hendry's own words, from a column in the 
Hattiesburg American as early as November 28, 1993: "The only solution I can
think of is to come together as a community, pool our resources and buy back
our land...This group has left the Mississippi 
Gulf Coast. Let's encourage them to keep heading north to New York or west to
California. If they would relocate to a major metropolitan area, I am sure
they would be happier." In the past, Hendry and Allen have also said they
would not oppose a Christian camp, with similar "commercial" use.)

 Hendry went on to list incidents of harassing mail and phone calls he has
received since January. Hendry played a tape of several graphic phone calls.
Allen also referred to harassment targeting him as a spokesperson for
Mississippi for Family Values and asked the Congressmen to "reject [the
Hensons'] claims and desires." While Allen's testimony focused on his moral
opposition to the Hensons' lesbianism and the "gay and lesbian agenda," he
did not outline any specific goals except that the Hensons "experience the
life-changing redemption found in a genuine faith surrender to Jesus Christ."

 Only one Mississippi official directly implicated by the Hensons
participated in the hearing. Jim Ingram, Commissioner of Public Safety, did
not submit a formal statement, but answered questions from Reps. Frank and
Nadler, stating that he felt local law enforcement officers were protecting
the Hensons to the best of their ability and were upholding the law. Sheriff
Maurice Hooks and Deputy Sheriff Myron Holifield (who stated in a newspaper
article that "It's a known fact that all your violent crime comes from
homosexuals") had agreed to appear at the hearing but did not attend due to a
funeral. Gerome Wyatt, President of the Jones County Board of Supervisors was
also scheduled to attend, but did not. Rickey Cole, chairman of the Jones
County (Miss.) Democratic Executive Committee did testify, stating that he
believes "a community has a right to self-determination...(and) has a right
to control commercial and political advocacy." After a lively dialogue
between Cole and Rep. Frank, Frank said, "I hope you find a country to live
in, because it's not the United States...I think you just confirmed to me
that you think people's rights depend on your tolerance."

 Two representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice testified at the
hearing: William Yeomans, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil
Rights Division and Ozell Sutton, Southeast Regional Director of the
Community Relations Service (CRS). Yeomans testified that "at present, none
of the nation's civil rights laws provide explicit protection on the basis of
sexual orientation...The Department of Justice is limited to enforcement of
the laws as written. Our jurisdiction reaches only so far as Congress chooses
to extend it." Yeomans also outlined several of the current codes used to
prosecute other civil rights violations not related to sexual orientation.
Also testifying on the experts panel were Brian Levin, visiting scholar on
bias crimes at Stanford Law School and Loretta Ross, program director at the
Center for Democratic Renewal in Atlanta.

 Mississippi officials had denounced the intention of Rep. Frank to hold
hearings in Mississippi about Camp Sister Spirit. Rep. Mike Parker, whose
district includes Ovett, said he was "very much opposed" to the hearing
because it would be "inflammatory." Gov. Kirk Fordice finally went on record
about the situation last month when he told a local television station that
"we seem to have a whole lot more (federal intervention) than we need here
lately...Ovett, Mississippi is a good example. That is absolutely no case for
anything that the laws of the United States have anything to do with. It's a
state matter. Nobody's been hurt. And I think it's been handled very well by
Mississippians, if the U.S. Justice Department would just butt out."

 "Contrary to the statements of Rep. Mike Parker (D-Miss.) and Gov. Kirk
Fordice, Mississippi public officials and law enforcement officers are not
responsibly handling the volatile situation in Ovett," said Robin Kane, NGLTF
Public Information Manager. "Local and state officials have fueled the flames
of bigotry in Ovett. The federal government has the responsibility to help
extinguish that fire. Someone must represent and protect the Hensons."

 "Given the testimony of representatives of both Camp Sister Spirit and
Mississippi for Family Values, mediation is urgently needed in this
community," Kane added. "We hope James Hendry will agree to mediation, which
he has blocked so far, and begin to heal the wounds he helped to create." 

 "The situation in Ovett has demonstrated how the lack of federal protection
based on sexual orientation actually hinders the federal government from
intervening on behalf of its own citizens.  Without specific inclusion in
legislation, gay, lesbian and bisexual people across the country lack basic
civil rights that are taken for granted by most citizens. NGLTF wants to
ensure that case-by-case advocacy is not necessary for the federal government
to protect is gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens," Kane said in a written
statement to the subcommittee.