GLAA Responds to Medford Murders

[The following was introduced by then-Secretary Rick Rosendall on December 12, 1995.]

Moved, that GLAA:

1. Condemn in the strongest terms the brutal and cowardly murders in Medford, Oregon, last week of lesbian activists Roxanne Ellis and Michelle Abdill;
2. Hold accountable such hatemongering individuals and organizations as Lou Mabon and the Oregon Citizens Alliance for creating a climate of hatred and fear in which these atrocities were more likely to occur;
3. Call upon our local leaders and elected officials to condemn loudly and publicly these heinous acts, to counter hate speech with speech of their own condemning intolerance, to cease giving praise and honor to those who promote fear and intolerance, and to declare their unequivocal opposition to anti-Gay initiatives and other attempts to place the equal rights of minorities up for popular vote;
4. Criticize The Washington Post for effectively imposing a "news blackout" on the story of the murders of Ellis and Abdill by failing to report on it, thereby contributing to the invisibility of anti-gay hate crimes and to the denial of this national problem;
5. Donate $100 to the PFLAG Abdill - Ellis Memorial Fund in Ashland, Oregon.

ADOPTED on a voice vote after discussion.