Out in the Mountains

Mississippi Women
Resisting Hate Crimes,
Homophobia

Expressions of solidarity are urgently
sought for a group of Mississippi
women who have become the target of
hate crimes.

Lesbians and activist women opened a
bookstore about four years ago in Gulf-
port, MS. Sister Spirit evolved into a
rape crisis center, with a food bank and
related services; the group purchased
120 acres of land near Ovett, MS, to
create a safe space/retreat center. Re-
cently, “highly selective excerpts from
Sister Spirit’s newsletter” appeared in
the local press and in church bulletins,
along with calls to buy back the land.
The Christian Ministers Association has
held one large “community meeting,”
fueling homophobia. According to Ma-
ria Pappalardo of the American Friends
Service Committee’s Nationwide Wom-
en's Program “Pets of Sister Spirit or-
ganizers have been killed and left
draped on their bullet-riddled mail box.
Local police have shown support” for the
hate campaign.

The women contacted the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF),which
has been in touch with the Community Re-
lations Service of the US Department of
Justice. The CRS has notified local Mis-
sissippi law enforcement officials that they
are monitoring the situation. ’

Sister Spirit seeks donations for fencing for
their property and to purchase CB radios;
checks may be sent to Camp Sister Spirit,
PO Box 12, Ovett, MS 39464; they are a
501(c)3 organization. Supporters are need-
ed to help occupy the land and to erect fenc-
ing; others are asked to help publicize the
situation. Religious leaders are asked to be
in touch with the Christian Ministers As-
sociation and to “labor with them to stop
acting on their biases”. The leader appears
to be Rev. Ray Thornton, Good Hope Bap-
tist Church, Stringer, MS. The women of
Sister Spirit prefer that people not call them
directly for updates; Robin Kane at the
NGLIF (202/ 332-6483, ext. 3311) is serv-
ing as information liaison. (NGLTF, Amer-
ican Friends Service Committee) V

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FBI Launches Investigation

in Mississippi

The FBI launched an investigation in late
January in the volatile situation in Ovett,
Mississippi. Two lesbians in Ovett have
been harassed and threatened, and op-
ponents have organized town meetings to
condemn the women and their feminist re-
treat and plot ways to force them from
town. The FBI initiated the investigation
after Brenda and Wanda Henson of Camp
Sister Spirit received a threat through the
U.S. mail, which is a federal offense.

On Jan. 11, the Hensons received through
the mail a defaced news article about
themselves and Camp Sister Spirit with a
threatening message hand-written beneath
the original headline. The letter was hand-
ed over to the FBI last week.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force (NGLTF) forwarded a copy of the
letter to the U.S. Department of Justice
Jan. 12, following a meeting NGLTF at-
tended that same day with the Justice De-
partment to discuss federal involvement
in the situation. Justice officials said at the
meeting that because sexual orientation is
not included in federal civil rights laws,
the agency could only launch an in-
vestigation if there are violations of other

generally applicable federal statutes, such ‘

as mail or phone threats. NGLTF agreed
to forward to the Justice Department de-
tails of violent and threatening incidents
aimed at the Hensons so that the agency
could determine whether any of the in-
cidents violate federal criminal code and
could be cause for an investigation. Fol-

lowing the meeting, NGLTF contacted the
Hensons and received a chronological list
of incidents targeting them and Camp Sis-
ter Spirit, as well as a copy of the mail
threat. NGLTF forwarded the information
immediately to the Justice Department.
The Hensons also directly contacted the
FBI in Mississippi.

NGLTF has called on the Department of
Justice to intervene by monitoring and
mediating the situation. In a letter to At-
torney General Janet Reno last month,
NGLTF Executive Director Peri Jude Ra-
decic requested that the Department of
Justice intervene in the following ways:
the Community Relations Service per-
form mediation in the community to al-
leviate the potential for violence; the FBI
monitor the situation for any possible
hate crimes; and the Civil Rights Divi-
sion investigate any attempts to violate
the Hensons’ civil rights.

“The FBI investigation is an important
step towards insuring the safety and rights
of the Hensons,” said Robin Kane,
NGLTF Public Information Manager.
“NGLTF continues to stress the need for
the Attorney General to direct the Com-
munity Relations Service to mediate. This
situation highlights how the absence of
federal civil rights laws that include sex-
ual orientation prevent federal agencies
from protecting the rights of gay, lesbian
and bisexual citizens.”

(NGLTF) V

 

VT Department of Health Awards

Continued from page 1

In addition to these grants, two awards
for prevention efforts focused on people
with HIV and their sexual partners were
awarded to the Comprehensive Care
Clinic at the University Health Center in
Burlington ($20,000) and the Brat-
tleboro Area AIDS Project ($1,500). A
$2,500 grant was given to the People
With AIDS Coalition to Support their
speakers bureau and newsletter.

Other grants awarded focused on in-
jection drug users ($24,500), high risk

4

youth ($39,500 not including Outright),
and women at increased risk ($6,000).

This year’s awards represent a $60,000
increase in funding over the $100,000
that was given out in 1993. This in-
crease comes from a small increase in
Verrnont’s federal prevention grant and
a one-time $40,000 contribution from
the Department of Education for pre-
vention programs for high risk youth.
Grant applications were reviewed by an
eight-member external review panel,

and 19 of 21 applications received at

least partial funding. V