--

Out in the Mountains

   
 

When a group of teenagers in San
Francisco dragged David Johnson from his
car in a superinarketparking lot, they did so
solely because he was a homosexual. They
called him a “diseased faggot,” beat him
with their skateboards, broke his jaw and
three ribs, gashed his head and bruised his
kidneys.

David Johnson is just one of the thou-
sands of victims of the anti-gay violence
that has been growing at an alarming rate
during the past several years. On February
22 legislation was reintroduced in the US
Congress to take the first steps toward
ending the national epidemic of hatred and
“crimes of bias.”

The Hate Crimes Statistics Actof 1988
(HR 947) was introduced in the House by
cosponsors John Conyers (D-MI), Barbara
Kennelly (D-CT) and Hamilton Fish (R-
NY). The bill is expected to be introduced
in the Senate in the near future by Paul
Simon (D-IL) and Orrin Hatch(R-UT).

The Hate Crimes Statistics Act re-
quires the Justice Department to collect
comprehensive national data on crimes of
prejudice committed because of race, reli-
gion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.

Incidents of hate crimes against gays
and lesbians have risen dramatically during

Hate Crimes Bill Back in the U.S. House

the 1980’s. Recent attacks on homosexuals
and other minorities by “skin-hea ” and
other gangs have received national atten-
tion. Groups that monitor acts of violence
against gays estimate that up to 80% of
“gay bashing” cases go unreported.

Last year, the Hate Crimes bill passed
by an overwhelming vote of 383 to 29 in the
House of Representatives, after members
rejected attempts to remove gays and lesbi-
ans from the bill. This was the first piece of
pro-gay legislation passed in the history of
the US Congress.

However the bill was killed in the
Senate after threats by Jesse Helms (R-NC)
to gut the bill with anti-gay amendments.
Activists are predicting a vote on this year’ s
version within the next few months.

Gays and lesbians can send congress a
message by calling the toll-free mailgram
Action Hotline, 1-fim-251-425:1), Qpgrgtqr
£83. Ask for the “Hate Crimes” messages.

Mailgrams cost $4.50 each to send,
billed to your phone. The Hotline is spon-

sored by the Human Rights Campaign
Fund’s Field Division. If callers don’t
know their congresspersons, the operator
does.

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Putney Friends Embrace’

Same-Sex Marraiges

From the December issue of The
Nor’ Wester (Northwest Quarterly Meeting i
of Friends) |

On a Saturday in early Decembei,'
Quakers from all over New Hampshire and 3,
Vermont gathered in Rindge, New Hamp}
shire to consider their attitudes toward
homosexual marriages. In the ensuing dis.
cussion itbecame clear that they chose “not
to shelter themselves from controversy”
and recognized the need “as friends and,
lovers to pay attention to relationships of all ,
kinds, including their sexuality.”

The discussion was led by several
Friends from the Putney Meeting who do
tailed their “worshipfulconsideration” and
ultimate embracing of homosexual mai-
riage during the fall and winter of 1987-88. l

The Putney Friends summarized theii
sojourn in the following simple “minute”:
“We affirm our willingness to participatein
celebrations of marriage for both opposite
sex and same-sex couples. We intendto
follow the same customary and careful
process of arriving at clearness for all
couples who wish to unite under our careiii
accordance with our traditional proce»
dures. At every stage we intend to trealall ;
couples with respect, care and love.” i

Local monthly meetings were urgedlo ;
continue consideration of the issue, using

the minute as a “springboard”, without the
intention of passing their own versioii :
Instead the group decided the goal is“la’ l
nurture clarity and quality of ways of 1
communicating by asking and waiting.” 4

The Putney Friends described their 1
gathering’s journey toward unity fortlie i
above declaration, recalling the study,aiill l
reading and discussion. They remembeii l
moving by “careful steps”, sensitive toil
points of view, trying to move toward "all l
action of the heart.” Eventually, they found I
themselves wandering from the centrll
issue of homosexual marriages to the
meaning of marriage and and of “cleameii 
process.”

One Friend who had feared the issll
would tear the niral meeting apart sawllll
faith strengthened as the work went on. Tlli
process by which they arrived at lllllll
helped them “to grow greatly in opeml°55]
and sensitivity to each other.” Even i
they recognized a need to suppofl W
marriages “farther afield.”