PLATFORM : A Deluge of Hate: ‘Now We Can Legally Beat You Up’

Gov. Wilson’s veto of AB 101 did more than deprive gays and lesbians of basic protection against discrimination in employment. It has unleashed a torrent of violence and abuse against an already threatened community.

Beginning Sunday night, when the veto was announced, this city’s gay and lesbian organizations began receiving a record number of hate calls. There have been bomb threats and death threats. There have also been numerous physical attacks.

One caller to the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center concisely summarized his feeling that his hate had been legitimized: “Now that your law has been vetoed, we can legally beat you up, and we will.”

Gays and lesbians make up a diverse, vibrant community in this state, but one that is constantly under attack by those who do not respect the rights of others. When a besieged community group, one that the public agrees is in need of protection, is denied protection by the state’s chief executive, where can we go to stem escalating threats against gay and lesbian lives?

In a twist, the governor is now posing as a victim. He described the protest that disrupted his speech at Stanford as “fascist tactics.” Gays and lesbians suffer such attacks, and worse, on a daily basis.

Wilson also said that gay protesters “should be pitied, not censured.” This insensitive statement derives from and reinforces myths and stereotypes about gays and lesbians as doomed and tragic figures.

For Wilson to encourage this climate of hatred by vetoing a popular measure, one designed only to ensure the right to earn a living free of arbitrary discrimination, flies in the face of public opinion favoring tolerance and decency in our society.

The gay and lesbian community has been galvanized by Wilson’s action to an unprecedented unity of focus. It has touched a nerve, even among the gay and lesbian community’s large “silent majority.” We cannot predict the final outcome of this standoff, but we can guarantee that gays and lesbians are not going to tolerate second-class citizenship any longer. A new activism is emerging, motivated by a profound sense of betrayal, and by a commitment to equal treatment under the law.