NOW Extends Sympathy to Montana Lesbian Couple, Demands Passage of Federal Hate Crimes Legislation

February 13, 2002

"While conservative members of Congress toss around rhetoric about hate crimes, these crimes continue at a steady pace," said National Organization for Women (NOW) President Kim Gandy. "Just days ago in Missoula, Montana, the home of a lesbian couple and their 22-month old son was burned to the ground. This arson attack and blatant hate crime came just days after Carla Grayson and Adrianne Neff joined another couple employed by the University of Montana in suing the school for not extending health insurance and other benefits to same-sex couples."

In the days after the suit was filed, Grayson and Neff also received threatening letters that claimed to contain anthrax.

"The Montana arson attack underscores the need to amend existing hate crimes statutes to include sexual orientation and gender-bias crimes -- in state and federal law," Gandy said. "Montana is one of 27 states that does not include sexual orientation in its hate crime legislation."

"State Legislatures and Congress have managed to define penalties for assaults motivated by race or religious bias. Now more than ever, it's clear that they must do the same for crimes motivated by sexual orientation bias," said Gandy.

"We must turn our anger to political pressure by demanding that Congress take immediate action to pass the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act," Gandy said. This bill would strengthen existing federal provisions against crimes based on race, religion or ethnicity by removing the current requirement that the victim be engaged in a 'federally protected activity' such as voting. It would also extend the current law to cover hate crimes based on sex, sexual orientation and disability.

"NOW's National Lesbian Rights Committee is organizing feminists and other activists in chapters across the country to ensure expansion of state and federal hate crimes legislation," Gandy said. "We're also working to combat anti-gay initiatives and referenda in various states and countless gay-hostile bills in state legislatures."

"The Missoula community's show of support for Grayson and Neff is an encouraging example that state and federal leaders would do well to follow," Gandy said.

For more information on the arson attack, see:
Arson Fire Destroys Montana Home of Lesbian Couple

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