wfn.org | Title: Jesse Jackson, Troy Perry To Hold LA Rally For Hate Crimes Le

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J O I N T   N E W S   R E L E A S E
^From The Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches
and The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 21, 1998

Jesse Jackson, Troy Perry To Hold
Los Angles Press Conference, Rally
To Call For Federal Hate Crimes Protections
for Gays and Lesbians

Coalition of Jewish Rabbis to Attend, Support Hate Crimes Legislation
Historic Event Heralds New Ties Between
African-American, Jewish and Gay Communities

LOS ANGELES, CA –  The Rev. Jesse Jackson, President and Founder of the
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, will hold a public rally and press conference in Los
Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 22.  He will call for a national coalition of civic
and religious leaders to demand passage of federal hate crimes laws in the
aftermath of the Matthew Shepard murder in Wyoming and will demonstrate
solidarity with the gay and lesbian community.

Jackson will be joined at the press conference by the Rev. Troy D. Perry,
moderator of the 300 congregations of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches (UFMCC). Perry, who has just returned from funeral services
for Matthew Shepard and who is a delegate to the White House Conference on
Hate Crimes, has seen more than 20 of his predominantly gay churches
victimized by the hate crimes of arson and firebombing. The majority of these
anti-gay hate crimes have been ignored both by the civil authorities and the
media.

The rally and the press conference will take place between 3 and 4 PM at the
predominantly gay Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles at 8714 Santa
Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.
[PRESS NOTE: The church will open at 1:30 PM for members of the press who wish
to set up early, or who may wish to interview rally organizers and
participants.]

(END)

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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Tracy Rice, Media Coordinator
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Tel: (310) 889-1111

James N. Birkitt, Jr.
UFMCC Communications Department
8704 Santa Monica Blvd.,  2nd Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069

Tel. (310) 360-8640
Fax: (310) 360-8680

E-mail: info@ufmcchq.com

website: http://www.ufmcc.com