Anti-Gay Crime a Product of America's Anti-Gay Industry

[Ian David]

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Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 19:33:23 GMT
From: Task Force Media <[e-mail]>

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NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
MEDIA RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jessica Stern
[phone]
[e-mail]
http://www.TheTaskForce.org

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Task Force Calls Rise in Anti-Gay Crime a Product of America's
Anti-Gay Industry

Fear-Mongering and Demonizing Sermons Promote Violence

Statement from Matt Foreman, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

"The leaders of America's anti-gay industry are directly
responsible for the continuing surge in hate violence against
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. While
other forms of crime continued to fall, the National Coalition
of Anti-Violence Programs has documented a 4% increase in
anti-LGBT crime in 2004, coming on the heels of a 26% increase
in the last half of 2003. This spike in violence parallels the
exact same period since the Right went into demonic, anti-gay
hyperdrive following the Supreme Court's Lawrence v. Texas
decision in July of 2003. Since then, church pews and the public
airwaves have been awash in ugly, anti-gay rhetoric and
fear-mongering.

"These words obviously do not just vanish into the ether - as
intended, they are absorbed and become fuel and justification
for violence. To say otherwise defies reality.

The literal blood of the thousands of gay people physically
wounded by hate during 2004 is on the hands of Jerry Falwell,
James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and so many others who spew hate for
partisan gain and personal enrichment."

See
http://www.ncavp.org/media/MediaReleaseDetail.aspx?p=1420&d=1492
for more details on the NCAVP report.

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The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute is a
think tank dedicated to research, policy analysis, and strategy
development to advance greater understanding and equality for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

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Founded in 1973, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Foundation (the Task Force) was the first national lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy
organization and remains the movement's leading voice for
freedom, justice, and equality. We work to build the grassroots
political strength of our community by training state and local
activists and leaders, working to strengthen the infrastructure
of state and local allies, and organizing broad-based campaigns
to build public support for complete equality for LGBT people.
Our Policy Institute, the community's premiere think tank,
provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle
for complete equality. As part of a broader social justice
movement, we work to create a world that respects and makes
visible the diversity of human expression and identity where all
people may fully participate in society. Headquartered in
Washington, DC, we also have offices in New York City, Los
Angeles, Cambridge, and Miami. The Task Force is a 501(c)(3)
corporation incorporated in Washington, DC. Contributions to the
Task Force are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.


Copyright 2005 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Creating Change (TM) is a trademark of the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force. All other trademarks mentioned herein belong
to their respective owners. The Task Force Foundation is a
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