Gay Rights Activists Push For Hate Crimes Law

Wednesday, December 5th 2007, 6:15 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Prompted by the killing of a gay Oklahoma City man, faith leaders and gay rights activists in the city are calling for new legislation targeting hate crimes. Investigators believe 62-year-old Steven Domer was strangled October 26th by two members of a white supremacist group who targeted Domer because he was gay.

Tuesday, a group of clergy and gay rights activists called on federal lawmakers to approve a bill enhancing penalties for hate-motivated crimes and providing resources to prosecutors to pursue such crimes.

Meanwhile, the state's only openly gay lawmaker, Representative Al McAffrey, says he plans to file a bill for the upcoming legislative session to add gender and sexual orientation to the state statute on hate crimes.

Harry Knox, the director of the Human Rights Campaign, says Oklahoma is one of only 17 states that don't include sexual orientation in its hate crime law.

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