From: 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.