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PRESIDENT SIGNS NATIONAL HATE CRIMES ACT
START-UP PROBLEMS RESOLVED BUT EFFECTIVENESS QUESTIONED
from GLSO NEWS Staff
President George Bush si ned the Hate hotline was not "mandated" to collect such
Crimes Statistics Act at a pubiic ceremon on information.
April 23, i990. It is the first federal legisfation NGLTF notified Representative Barney Frank,
to include sexual orientation ever signed into Rep. Gerry Studds and Sen. Paul Simon of the
law. The ceremony also marked the first time roblem. Members of the coalition which
gay and lesbian activists had been invited to lbbbied for the Hate Crimes Act, including the
such an event. Anti-Defamation League and People for the
During the signing ceremony Bush explained American Wa , were contacted and lent their
that the Act orders the Attorney General to support. Folllowing intense pressure from the
collect information on "crimes motivated by lawmakers and coalition members, the hotline
religion, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.I agreed to track such incidents.
The US. Senate passed the bill on February 8, The hotline is operated by the US.
after defeating an anti-gay amendment Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Relations
proposed by Sen. Jesse He rns (R-NC). The Service and was established to help the DOJ
ouse had passed the bill last year. mediate and conciliate incidents of hate
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force violence. It is not a substitute for the formal
(NGLTF) began lobbying for the legislation four data collection effort' victims must still report
years ago and deve oped a diverse coalition of crimes to the local police.
su port. NGLTF hailed the event as a major The relevance of the Act is being questioned
miiiastone in the national and rassroots lesbian by some who are not affiliated with NGLTF.
and gay movement. NGLTl-g was invited to Writing in The Advocate, Dave Walter
bring seven people to the ceremony. "The suggests, "Some Capitol Hill activists might claim
team we brought to the White House represents that the federal law will serve as a model that
the team-effort NGLTF marshaled to pass this will spark le islative actions on the state level.
historic bill,’I commented NGLTF's Peri Jude This is wishfiii thinking. Furthermore, when the
Radecic. "The critical players in the passing of first batch of federal hate-crimes statistics is
the bill were grassroots political organizations, released, the figures will undoubtedly understate
gay Republican roups, survivors of anti-ga the actual number of crimes against gays.
and lesbian vicfience, Con ressional staff Homo hobes like Helms will run around saying,
members, sup ortive members 0% Congress, and '| toldp you so,’ while ay activists are busy
an extremef; inclusive coalition of law explaining the myriad reasons why the
authorities, people of color, Jewish groups and gay-relate numbers are too low, the primary
other organizations." reason being that many gay-bashing victims
Althou h not required by the Act, Bush refuse to filea lice report.|
announceg at the ceremony, "that today the Lesbian andpgay victims of hate crimes are
Department of Justice has established a new therefore urged to re rt incidents to the local
toll-free phone number for reporting complaints olice, and, to RR: national hotline at
of these hate crimes." Activists later discovered T-800-347-HATE. it is open 24 hours, seven
that operators would not take information on days a week. Beginning with this issue, the
” ay bashings" and religious-related reports. National Hate Crimes number will a or on
Ogificials claimed that since sexual orientation is the "DIRECTORY" page of GLSO NEWS.
not included in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the '