Every day women and men in this country are victims of hate crimes based on their perceived or actual sexual orientation. And JR Warren's brutal murder was frighteningly similar to the deaths of Matthew Shepard and Brandon Teena. Yet law enforcement officials in JR's West Virginia town apparently don't believe that beating an openly gay man to death and then driving over his body several times is a hate crime.
While conservative members of Congress sit on Capitol Hill insisting that these bias-related crimes don't deserve federal attention, we continue to face violence based on our gender, sexual orientation or disability -- three categories excluded from current hate crime laws. How many more of us will be harassed, abused and murdered before this Congress passes the strong hate crimes bill before them?
Congressional rhetoric on this issue has gone on way too long. The National Organization for Women is pressuring Congress to pass the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. This Act would improve access to federal resources to assist local and state law enforcement officials in better investigating and prosecuting bias-related crimes. It would also extend coverage to gender, sexual orientation and disability. And it wouldn't require that the victim of any hate crime be engaged in a federally protected activity like voting.
Activists must turn our outrage at this shocking murder into political
pressure. On October 15, the National Organization for Women is organizing
a mass march on Washington -- the World
March of Women 2000 -- part of a global mass-action to demand an end
to poverty and violence
against women, including hate crimes based on gender and sexual orientation.
When tens of thousands of women and men join together just a few weeks
out from the elections, our call for action will heard loud and clear.
Feminists are keeping a close eye on members of Congress and the presidential
candidates. And we will remember in November.