Press Release for Immediate Release

Roanoke7 to Begin Weekend of Remembrance

Contact: John Goodheart, Sr., Spokesperson
540-483-7224

It was a Friday night, three years ago that Danny Lee Overstreet was murdered and six others were wounded at the Backstreet Cafe in Roanoke. Although the Commonwealth of Virginia still does not recognize this horrific tragedy as a hate crime, in the minds of most gays and lesbians, it still ranks as the single worst mass gay hate crime in United States history.

The Commonwealth's failure to see what is clear to so many others is a travesty of justice. Three years after the fact, Virginia still has not included gays, lesbians, and transgendered citizens in state hate crime legislation.

State sponsored marginalization of the people who are targets of the most abhorrent hate conduct is unacceptable. We call upon the state legislature to reconsider their "do nothing attitude" about GLBT violence in Virginia. We further call upon Governor Mark Warner to lead the way.

US Senator John Warner stated after the Backstreet shootings that the Backstreet incident caused him to reconsider his opposition to federal hate crime legislation. Since that time, the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA) has come before the Senate twice. In each instance, he failed to act.

The murder and victimization of gays and lesbians continue, and are even more violent; yet Senator Warner and Senator George Allen, turn a blind eye.

Roanoke7 once again calls for State and Federal hate crime legislation inclusive of gay, lesbian, and transgendered victims of hate crimes.

We will begin a weekend of remembrance leading up to Monday night's 7:30 PM memorial (Outside Backstreet) by visiting the Backstreet Cafe on Friday, September 19th, at 4:30 PM to place flowers and offer symbolic acts of love and comfort for the family of Danny Lee Overstreet and other victims of hate crime who have suffered and died while Virginia's two distinguished senators look the other way.

We will not go away, nor will we allow our elected officials to forget that blood and death is still shed weekly while they allow inclusive hate crime legislation to remain in limbo.

Members of the press and media are invited to join us Friday at 4:30 PM at the Backstreet Cafe on Salem Avenue in Roanoke. We will have additional comments at that time.

Respectfully,

Eddie R. Ratliff
Executive Director
Roanoke7, Inc.

Roanoke7 (R7) is a non-profit 501(c)(3)agency that educates and advocates for stronger, safer communities through anti-hate programs that advance understanding of diversity and minorities. Out to Change (OTC) is a diversity project of Roanoke7. Contributions are tax deductible as permitted by law.

Roanoke7 was honored this year to be in the company of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the Internationl Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission as Top Ten Finalists for the 2002 Subaru Rainbow Leadership Award. Thanks to all who cast a vote for Roanoke7.