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to Pass Hate Crime Legislation |
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Compiled By GayToday
Washington, D.C.--Family members of hate crime victims and civil rights advocates
held a press conference yesterday to launch United Against Hate, a web-based grassroots campaign
designed to secure House passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA).
www.unitedagainsthate.org
"We are excited to be a part of this diverse coalition that is committed to passing meaningful, comprehensive hate crime legislation," said Human Rights Campaign Political Director Winnie Stachelberg who spoke at the media event. "This new web-based campaign will be an effective tool to help mobilize, organize and energize supporters of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act." United Against Hate is a project of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the oldest, largest and most diverse coalition of organizations committed to the protection of civil and human rights in the United States. Unitedagainsthate.org will help support the grassroots organizing efforts of the LCCR's Hate Crimes Task Force, a working group--co-chaired by HRC, the Anti-Defamation League and the National Organization for Women Legal Defense and Education Fund--of over 175 national organizations working to enact the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
"For example, once this web-site is up and running, it could effectively be used to inform people about events like tomorrow's candlelight vigil in honor of Arthur Warren Jr. from West Virginia, who was killed in a hate crime earlier this month.” Speakers at the press conference included: Sangita Patel, Sister of Sandip Patel, critically wounded in a Pittsburgh shooting, April 2000; Dr. Michael Messing, first victim shot at in Midwest Independence weekend shooting, July 1999; Wade Henderson, executive director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Michael Lieberman, general counsel, Anti-Defamation League; Winnie Stachelberg, Human Rights Campaign; Nancy Zirkin, director of government relations, American Association of University Women; Prem Shunmugavelu, political director, India Abroad Center for Political Awareness; Kirsten Kingdon, executive director, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; Lawrence Gonzales, Washington, director, National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials. On June 20 the Senate voted 57 to 42 to pass the language of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA)--renamed the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2000 - as an amendment to the Department of Defense (DoD) authorization bill. The amendment was sponsored by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore. The hate crime bill is now before the House and unitedagainsthate.org hopes to lead the way in its passage, says the Human Rights Campaign |
