LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
HRC Responds to Rise in Anti-gay Hate Crimes |
The Human Rights Campaign called on Congress and the Bush administration to use their bully pulpits to condemn recent outbreaks of alleged anti-gay hate violence across the nation. "To remain disengaged in the face of these violent tragedies sends the wrong message and allows dangerous hate mongers to grossly misinterpret this silence," says HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch. "We urge Congress and the administration to publicly address this unconscionable rash of anti-gay violence. They should use their bully pulpits to let people know this behavior is unacceptable and un-American." Last weekend, in what appears to be a crime caused in large-part by anti-gay bias, Willie Houston, 38, was fatally shot in the chest in Nashville, Tenn., after the alleged gunman, Lewis Maynard Davidson III, 25, taunted him with anti-gay epithets. Houston had just finished a midnight riverboat cruise with his fiancee, Nedra Jones, and friends when the trouble started. Houston escorted a blind male friend by the arm into a restroom while holding Jones' purse. Inside the restroom, the gunman allegedly hurled anti-gay insults at the friends. He followed them out of the restroom, while continuing his verbal harassment. Davidson then allegedly returned to his car where he retrieved a gun and said, "Now what you got to say?" before firing the weapon at Houston. Police are searching for Davidson and have yet to officially call it a hate crime, saying the investigation is "still very much open." While the victim is reportedly not gay, Tennessee hate crime laws cover violence based on real or perceived sexual orientation. HRC is working with local law enforcement and actively following this case with the help of its local leadership. In Las Vegas, Jerry Lee Stamper-Ousley, 24, was found beaten to death on June 30 inside his apartment complex. Police have made no arrests, but the victim had frequented a gay bar earlier that evening. Investigators believe robbery may be the motive, but have not ruled out a possible hate crime. HRC's field staff has contacted law enforcement and local activists to assess the situation and will continue to follow the case. On June 21, high school student Fred Martinez, Jr., 16,who described himself as openly gay, transgender and "two-spirit"was found beaten to death in Cortez, CO. Shaun Murphy, 18, has been charged with second-degree murder. Police had been told that Murphy had bragged to a friend that "he had beat up a fag." HRC, along with the Four Corners Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, is closely monitoring the case to ensure justice, says HRC. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation sent a representative to Colorado to help work with local media on the intricacies of this case. For instance, GLAAD explained to the media what "two-spirit" meant. This is a Navajo term for someone who identifies and lives as both genders or having the mind and spirit of a girl in a boy's body. Additionally, HRC is looking into reports of possible hate crimes in Alaska and Texas. "This escalation in brutal attacks comes at a time when Congress can pass the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act and commit this nation to stopping hate violence," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. The 33-year-old federal statute currently used to prosecute hate violence is in need of updating with the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. The law now does not cover hate violence based on sexual orientation, gender or disability and has an overly restrictive element that requires that the victim be chosen because he or she was engaged in a federally protected activity. The bill now before Congress offers a sensible approach to help combat these violent crimes. It would extend basic hate crime protections to all Americans in all communities by adding real or perceived sexual orientation, gender and disability to the categories covered and by removing the federally-protected activity requirement. The bill would also provide federal technical and financial assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. In addition to the recent upswing in hate violence, a new report of alleged anti-gay police misconduct in Texas was brought to the attention of federal authorities. Last week, FBI officials, at HRC's request, began an investigation of San Antonio Park Rangers for allegedly harassing and physically abusing two Canadian tourists who they referred to as "faggots" while they were allegedly beaten. "When the cop saw the Ontario license, he looked to the other three officers present and said he had 'two Canadian faggots,'" one of the victims, Joey Abbruzzese, told the Texas Triangle. "The officer asked, 'What are you fags doing in our city?'" The article reports that the Rangers then put the friends through a traumatic episode of extreme physical and verbal abuse, using anti-gay slurs during repeated beatings before hauling them off to jail. HRC will continue to work with the San Antonio Equal Rights Political Caucus to monitor the situation for the duration of the investigation. In 1999, the last year for which the FBI has statistics, there were more than 4,000 reported hate crimes based on race, more than 1,400 based on religion, 1,300 based on sexual orientation, 830 based on ethnicity and 19 based on disability. Eighteen states do not include sexual orientation in their hate crimes law, and 46 states do not include gender identity. Five states have no hate crimes law at all. The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 11, August 10, 2001. |