Out in the Mountains

Camp Sister Spirit Update

The following is the text of the letter
sent by Attorney General Janet Reno in
response to the harrassment of lesbians
in Ovett Misissippi, reported in last
month ’s OITM. This is the first time the
Justice Department has mediated in a
gay-related dispute.

February 17, 1994

Peri Jude Radecic

Executive Director

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
1734 14th St. NW

Washington DC 20009

Dear Ms. Radecic.

Thank you for your December 7, 1993
letter concerning the situation in Overt,
Mississippi. As are you, I am deeply
troubled by the harassment and in-

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timidation of Brenda and Wanda Hen-
son, the lesbian owners of Camp Sister
Spirit. The intolerance and bigotry dem-
onstrated by some of the people of Ovett
has no place in this country.

I have carefully consideredtyour requests
on behalf of the Hensons for assistance
from the Department of Justice. As you
are aware, Department officials met with
representatives of the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) on Jan-
uary 12 to talk about the Department's
ability to respond.to the situation in
Ovett.

As was discussed at the January 12 meet-
ing, federal jurisdiction is currently re-
stricted by statute. At this time, sexual or-
ientation is not a protected status under
the federal civil rights law. Accordingly,
we are unable to assist the Hensons
through the enforcement of existing fed-
eral criminal civil rights laws concerning
housing or federally—protected activities.

However, we recently learned from an
NGLTF staff member that some federal
criminal laws may have been violated
through use of the federal postal system.
The NGLTF staff member reported that
an envelope addressed to the Hensons
containing a threatening letter was post-
marked January 9, 1994 and mailed from
Gulfport, Mississippi. Based on this de-
velopment, the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation has been asked to conduct an
investigation into this matter. If the ev-
idence shows that there was a violation
of federal criminal statutes, appropriate
action will be taken.

In addition to initiating the FBI in-
vestigation, I have signed a tasking order
pursuant to my authority under 28 U.S.C.
§§509—510 asking the Community Re-
lations Service (CRS) to intervene in the

matter and to help mediate the dispute.
While CRS is statutorily limited to assist
only in conflicts arising from race, color
and national origin issues, I consider the
threat of violence in Ovett to be real and
believe CRS’s involvement is both ap-
propriate and necessary to restore calm to
the community.

Finally, I have asked my staff to schedule
your requested meeting. Since the Overt
case is a pending criminal investigation,
it would be inappropriate for me to dis-
cuss the specifics » of the case at this time.
However, I look forward to the op-
portunity to talk with you about the gen-
eral issues that the situation highlights.

I intend to keep fully apprised of the sit-
uation and ask that you continue to pro-
vide information to the Department.
Thank you again for sharing your con-
cerns with me. Together we can and will
fight the discrimination faced by the
Hensons and others like them.

Sincerely,

Janet Reno

DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO
THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS SER-
VICE

ORDER NO. 1 850-94

By virtue of the authority vested in me as
Attorney General of the United States, in-
cluding 28 U.S.C. §§ 509 and 510, I here-
by authorize the Community Relations
Service to intervene in the matter arising
from the establishment of Camp Sister
Spirit in Overt, Mississippi. The Com-
munity Relations Service shall provide
conciliation and technical assistance to
the community and the persons therein. V

ARANOFF

.‘\"I"'I‘$R]<'EYS AT LAVV

UPSON

SERVING THE NEEDSOF THE

LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY

V

Susan L. Aranoff Lisa A. Upson
28 MAIN STREET, MONTPELIER, VERMONT 05602

802.223.1418