Image: Glen, Flickr

Friday was historic for LGBT Americans as President Obama signed into law a hate crimes bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. But some among Minnesota’s religious right didn’t receive the news warmly, saying the law will bring the wrath of God down on America, that Obama is an “anti-Christian radical” and that the bill was a plot by “homosexuals” to silence Christians.

Bradlee Dean of You Can Run But You Cannot Hide ministries in Annandale, a group that brings its message of Christianity and morality into public high schools, slammed the passing of the hate crimes bill on his Saturday radio show, the School of Hard Knocks Roxxs. “If you grab the bull, you are going to get the horns. I want you to listen to me carefully,” he said. “America, as this is being passed again against the majority, I guarantee you that judgments are going to increase in our country… When you begin to pass laws against what God’s words say, God promises to turn that nation into hell that forgets him and if you want to go ahead play the Lord on a national level… Folks, just sit back because it’s only beginning right now.”

Dean repeatedly called gays and lesbians criminals, a familiar theme on his show. The bill, he said, is “there to protect the homosexuals that are perpetrating crimes against the righteous, and you need to understand that Obama’s calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality and he is calling for the criminalization — without saying it — of you.”

On gay marriage, he said, “So the homosexual communities are asking the government for help legalizing that which is illegal. They are also asking for a health care plan to help cure their AIDS from that same government that said it’s okay go ahead and do it.”

He continued, “Rest assured those ignorant homosexuals out there are working overtime to silence the dissent. They want to shut you up.”

Meanwhile, Jan Markell of the Maple Grove–based Olive Tree Ministries, condemned the bill on her popular “end times” radio show on AM 980 KKMS.

“I think that Christians who dare to tell the truth — including this program — about the social, moral, spiritual and health consequences of illicit homosexual acts are accused of hate speech and intimated into silence with threats of fines or jail,” she said. “I think this: The fact that the hate bill had to be passed in such an unscrupulous and cynical manner — which means attaching it to the Defense Authorization Act — reveals the depth of President Obama’s commitment to a radical anti-Christian agenda. I think he will stop at nothing to undermine the will of the majority of Americans to pay back militant homosexual activists who raised millions of dollars for him.”

She continued, “It shows the level of contempt President Obama has for the majority of Americans who oppose the homosexualization of marriage, the military and public education… We really have our work cut out for us.”

Although it has spoken out against the bill in the past, the Minnesota Family Council has been uncharacteristically silent on the bill’s passage and did not reply to a request from the Minnesota Independent. The group’s website says the bill will impose “fines or jail time if you publicly speak out against homosexual activity — even on moral or religious grounds — and a court determines your message might arouse people to hate homosexuals.”

Nationally, religious right leaders were livid. “Public school curriculum could be built entirely on the idea of what is illegal hate in our culture,” said Craig Parshall, chief counsel for National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). “And our children could be indoctrinated [to believe that] if you criticize another religion or mention Jesus as being the only way, that’s hateful— [or] if you say that homosexuality is a sin, that’s hateful.”

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said the bill is “part of a radical social agenda that could ultimately silence Christians and use the force of government to marginalize anyone whose faith is at odds with homosexuality.”

Of course, what the religious right doesn’t mention is that religion has been covered by federal hate crimes law since its inception in the 1960.

Photo: WDCPix

President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard Act into law on Wednesday ending a decade of efforts by LGBT and human rights groups to get sexual orientation and gender identity included in federal hate crime laws.

The bill was named for Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student, who was murdered because of his sexual orientation in 1998.

“After more than a decade, we have passed inclusive hate crimes legislation,” said President Obama. “I promised Judy and Dennis Shepard that this day would come and I’m glad they could join us for this event.”

Obama also praised the late-Sen. Ted Kennedy who was a fierce advocate for the bill.

LGBT rights groups immediately hailed the signing of the bill.

“We applaud President Obama for signing this bill into law and thank the leadership and our allies in the House and Senate. We also will always remember the tireless efforts of Senator Edward Kennedy on this issue,” said Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign. “This marks the first time that we as a nation have explicitly protected the LGBT community in the law. And this law sends a loud message that perpetrators of hate violence against anyone will be brought to justice.”

Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the Family Equality Council, said, “I applaud the President and all of Congress for passing this historic bill into law. I also thank Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mother, for her courageous battle and her work towards passing this Act. Her commitment and passion are a true testament to the love of a parent.” She continued, “This bill will provide the resources and protections needed to ensure greater safety to our children, parents and all members of LGBT families.”

The bill passed the U.S. House two weeks ago. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken were among the 68 Senators voting for the bill on Thursday. Twenty-nine Senators voted against the bill.

If Obama signs the bill, it will mark the end of 10 years of pressure from LGBT and human rights groups to pass the legislation.

Immediately following passage, LGBT groups hailed the vote.

Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director, Family Equality Council:

“Safety at home, at work, and in our communities is a cornerstone of happy, healthy families. LGBT families live in 99% of counties nationwide. We are neighbors, friends, loved ones, family members, workers and community members. Many of us are also parents who want more than anything to keep our children safe and to raise them in a world that finds strength in difference and celebrates diversity. Bias-motivated violence against any individual hurts our entire community. The protections and resources moved forward by Congress will ensure greater safety not just for LGBT people as individuals, but as parents and caregivers.”

Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

“Today’s vote marks a milestone for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. The hate crimes bill now shifts to the president. With his signature, President Obama will usher in a new era — one in which hate-motivated violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people will no longer be tolerated. Our country will finally take an unequivocal stand against the bigotry that too often leads to violence against LGBT people, simply for being who they are.”

Joe Solmonese, Executive Director, Human Rights Campaign:

“We applaud the leadership of our Senate allies, particularly Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senators Patrick Leahy, Carl Levin, and Susan Collins for ensuring that the hate crimes provision remained part of this authorization bill. We also recognize the tireless efforts of Senator Ted Kennedy on this issue; a hero for our entire community.”

Source: Wikipedia

Minneapolis’ First Avenue appears to have canceled an Oct. 4 concert by controversial Jamaican reggae artist Buju Banton after the Minnesota Independent inquired about the appearance. Banton, whose lyrics have advocated killing gay men — both with submachine guns and by pouring acid on them — has had a handful of shows canceled by venues after pressure from the public.

“Two man a hug up on an’ kiss up on an’ lay down inna bed, hug up on another anna rub dung leg,” Banton sings in Boom Boom Bye. “Send fi di matic an’ di Uzi instead. Shoot di batty boy come if we shot dem.”

The song extols woman as the “prettiest thing God ever put on di land,” then includes this threat to gay men who might approach Banton: “Guy come near we, then his skin must peel. Burn him up bad like an old tire wheel.”

But controversy surrounding Banton extends beyond his lyrics. In 2004, he was investigated over the beatings of six gay men in Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston; he was acquitted in 2006 for lack of evidence. Human rights activists pointed out at the time that Jamaican authorities tend not to handle such cases aggressively.

“There is a pattern of police indifference to attacks on gay men in Jamaica that goes far beyond what Buju Banton is alleged to have done in this case,” Rebecca Schleiser of Human Rights Watch told The Guardian in 2004, months before Banton’s trial. “Neither his fame nor the stigma attached to the victims should stand in the way of a full, fair and complete police investigation.”

As of Tuesday morning, First Avenue had the show listed on its calendar. The Minnesota Independent wrote to the promotions and marketing departments early Tuesday afternoon asking if the club had faced any pressure for booking the show and what policies they have on hosting controversial acts.

The club didn’t respond to those requests, but by Tuesday evening, the event had been removed from the club’s website and the show’s Ticketmaster page listed the show as canceled.

First Avenue didn’t return a request for information about the cancellation. First Avenue’s cancellation adds to a growing list: Last week, promoters AEG and Live Nation canceled six of his shows due to outrage from LGBT groups in Chicago and Los Angeles.

“I hope this victory sends a deafeningly loud message to other promoters and concert venues that singers who glorify violence against LGBT people, or any group of people, should never be welcomed,” said L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean, after the center spearheaded a successful effort to have Banton’s shows shut down in Los Angles. “It shouldn’t be necessary for us to pressure promoters to do the right thing; people like Banton should never have been booked in the first place.”

While seven shows have been cut, Banton’s tour still includes 20 other scheduled stops.

Photo: Chris Steller

Sen. Al Franken announced Tuesday that he has signed on to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing hate crime laws which outlaw bias crimes based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin. The bill was introduced in April. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is an original sponsor.

A similar bill has already passed the House with Reps. Michele Bachmann, John Kline, Erik Paulsen and Collin Peterson voting against it. Reps. Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum, James Oberstar and Tim Walz voted for the House bill. McCollum and Oberstar were sponsors of the legislation.

The bill already has bipartisan support in the Senate with 46 cosponsors including Franken, and is a key component of President Obama’s agenda for LGBT equality.

“The overwhelming majority of Americans know that these protections are long overdue,” Franken said in a statement Tuesday. “No American should suffer because of their gender or sexual orientation, and no law enforcement official should be denied the necessary resources to prosecute their case. Minnesotans have a strong sense of justice, and no tolerance for hate. It’s time our laws reflect our convictions.”

The report is based on victim reports of attacks to anti-violence programs around the country. In 2008, 29 deaths occurred nationally where anti-LGBT bias was identified. According to NCAVP, that number is the highest number of anti-LGBT murders in one year since 1999.

In Minnesota, there were 73 cases of hate crimes committed in 2008, a 48-percent increase. There was a 185-percent increase in the number of incidents involving violence, and a 20-percent increase in the number of incidents involving more than one assailant.

Even though report authors say a portion of increases may be a result of more LGBT people reporting incidents, they are still not comfortable going to the police.

“While there was an 81 percent increase in the number of reports made to law enforcement, this number remains extraordinarily low (18 percent) in relation to the total number of reported incidents,” said OutFront Minnesota. “While many law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice personnel have performed admirably in their response to this violence, we see a need for further education for law enforcement about the unique elements of hate and bias related activity and effective victim support strategies.”

Minnesota saw several media reports of hate crimes last year. In August, a man who was leaving a gay bar after meeting his wife and friends there for drinks was beaten on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis. And in the winter, a lesbian woman was attacked by a group of men in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood.

“We must continue this vital work to create safe streets, homes and workplaces. Unfortunately, our community must continue to be aware of its vulnerability to hate and bias related violence,” said Rebecca Waggoner Kloek, director of OutFront Minnesota’s anti-violence program. “We must demand that the larger community and its justice systems hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.”

When Benjamin Refling, a transgender man, learned of the vote, he contacted college president David R. Anderson.

“I told him I did not think that the choice of a politician with such divisive views would be conducive to the spirit of commencement, which should be a celebration of all the diverse talents and experiences of the class of ‘09,” Refling said. “And that many LGBT students would be alienated by Paulsen’s refusal to support the recent hate crimes bill.”

The hate crimes bill, which passed the U.S. House, would add sexual orientation and gender identity to U.S. hate crimes law, which currently only covers crimes on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin.

The religious right, including Paulsen’s colleague Rep. Michele Bachmann, has argued against such inclusions by conflating sexual orientation with crimes such as pedophilia. James Dobson, the former head of Focus on the Family, lent his organization’s support to Paulsen in a letter to voters last fall.

Refling said he wasn’t expecting the college to cancel Paulsen’s speech but rather to issue an understanding response; that wasn’t what he got. “[Anderson] wrote to me that any commencement speaker would have to offend someone in the audience, and essentially, it was my bad luck that I just happened to be that ‘1 out of 5,000.’”

So Refling posted the exchange to his Facebook page and found that many students shared his concerns.

“The issue of LGBT rights is a sensitive one to St. Olaf students, some of whom have known victims of anti-LGBT violence in addition to being allies themselves, and the discussion that followed seems to have swept the entire campus,” he said.

The students are holding a demonstration by pinning gold ribbons to their graduation gowns as a symbol of inclusion. They also sent an email to the entire campus urging others to support the gold ribbon campaign. They wrote:

Inclusiveness is a definitive value at our institution. It guides St. Olaf through divisiveness and keeps our community relevant, diverse and cohesive. This year the commencement speaker, Representative Erik Paulsen ‘87 (R-MN), is a member of our St. Olaf family, and brings his own unique voice to local and national politics. His beliefs are not singularly representative of St. Olaf, but rather constitute one part of the sum of our diverse family. While we welcome his voice, a group of St. Olaf students with their own voices do not share his views on many social issues.

Just as Erik Paulsen will share his viewpoint at commencement, those in the St. Olaf community who respectfully disagree with Representative Paulsen will also express themselves. A group of students from all different backgrounds have organized and is proposing the following, under the theme: “Celebrating the Class of 2009 as They Are – Created Equally.

Paulsen’s office didn’t respond to a weekend request for comment, but Refling said that another student contacted the office and was told the commencement address would not be political in nature.

Wade Hauser, president of student government, said he didn’t think the college would change the speaker. “Paulsen was picked quite a while ago,” he said. “Some people were unhappy with that, but he’s an alum and I think people understood.”

“More recently, because of that specific vote, people have started paying attention to his past record.”

Hauser said it could be an effective demonstration. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that took off,” he said, referring to the golden ribbons.

The commencement controversy comes at the same time President Obama’s commencement at Notre Dame University drew anti-abortion protesters resulting in nearly 40 arrests.

Minnesota Independent reporter Chris Steller contributed to this report.

Among Minnesota’s Congressional delegation, Rep. Collin Peterson was the only crossover vote and one of only 16 House Democrats voting “no.’ He was joined Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann, John Kline and Erik Paulsen in opposing the legislation.

Reps. Tim Walz and Keith Ellison joined bill cosponsors James Oberstar and Betty McCollum in voting for the bill. Ellison, a co-chair of the House LGBT Caucus, praised the bill’s passage.

“Hate crimes are an especially insidious problem in this country,” Ellison said. “They often are underreported or not reported at all – especially when they are based on sexual orientation. I welcome this long over-due Federal legislation.”

A companion bill has been offered in the Senate. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a cosponsor along with several Senate Republicans.

“[A]pparently people who are practicing pedophiles would be considered protected under this legislation, but not, I understand, veterans, not, I understand, pregnant women, not, I understand, 85-year-old grandmothers would be protected under this law,” she said. “But who would be protected? A pedophile, someone who considers themselves gay, someone who considers themselves transgender, someone who considers themselves a cross-dresser? That is who is protected.”

The bill, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, adds “sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person” to existing federal law which currently includes race, color, religion, or national origin. Minnesota Reps. Betty McCollum and James Oberstar are co-sponsors.

Contrary to Bachmann’s statement, pedophilia is not considered a sexual orientation, a disability or a gender identity, and is instead a criminal act.

The vandal or vandals spray-painted a swath of messages on several buildings, on sidewalks and even trees and bushes. The messages included derogatory comments about gays and lesbians.

Hamline students said the incident was dealt with swiftly by campus authorities — so swiftly, in fact, most students never saw the graffiti.

“These are acts of vandalism, intended to be hurtful and to undermine our values as an inclusive and honorable community,” said school president Linda Hanson in an e-mail to students and faculty.

“Such acts will not be tolerated at Hamline, and we will pursue every avenue to discover the perpetrators of this vandalism. As a community, we embrace multiculturalism and aspire to be exemplary as an inclusive learning community, free of all forms of harassment, hostility and violence.”

A.J. Grieve, a member Spectrum, the student group hosting Rainbow Week, said it seemed that the graffiti was not directly targeting their events.

“The incident did not seem like it was trying to target the queer students as much as it was using questioning someone’s sexuality as an insult. It really just show just how ignorant some people still are,” she said. “Fortunately the school did do a very good job for the most part.”

She added, “I think we are all still hoping that it was done by someone outside of the Hamline community.”

Alex Suskovic, administrative chair for Spectrum, said campus administrators visited his group to talk about the incident but were brief on details.

“They were extremely prompt about fixing the graffiti. I wouldn’t have even known about it unless they had sent an email out,” he said.

“My only gripe — and this always seems to be the case — [is] they won’t give specifics on what actually happened. They are more interested in the aftermath, how people are feeling or how to address the issue.”

He added that the Hamline administration, and campus in general, has been a very supportive environment for LGBT students.

“I have never felt threatened or harassed here and I also know that if I did feel that way the administration would take it very seriously.”