For Immediate Release June 26, 2003 Says in Time Decision May Help Alter Environment That Endorses Hate Violence Decision Underscores Larger Issue of Unfair and Poor Use of Law Enforcement Resources
New York –
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) today hailed a 6-3 a ruling by the US Supreme Court, striking down Texas’ sodomy law, as well as laws in other states that have criminalized oral and anal sex between consenting adults. The opinion also repudiates the court’s 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick decision.
“First, we have to thank Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund for shepherding this case to and through the courts, as well as the work of activists around the country and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for their work in repealing sodomy laws state by state in the 17 years following the Hardwick decision,” said Clarence Patton, NCAVP’s Acting Executive Director.
“Today’s ruling is one more nail in the coffin of those looking to our nation’s laws and leaders for endorsement to hate us and harm us,” continued Patton. “As this ruling percolates through the country, voices of people like Senators Santorum and Armey, and alleged men of faith like Jerry Falwell will grow smaller and smaller. In time it will become not just wrong and illegal, but unacceptable to commit violence against us because politicians, courts and religious leaders don’t like what we consensually do in bed,” said Patton.
“One of the great ironies of arresting and prosecuting lesbian and gay adults for consensual acts is that it all happens within the context of thousands upon thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing acts of hate violence every year; we’ve always held that a much better use of law enforcement resources would be providing safer communities for LGBT people, not knocking down our doors to ‘catch us in the act,’” Patton concluded.
| |