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Killing of CWA Member Fuels Hate Crime Debate
The senseless, cold-blooded killing of a CWA member and the wounding of six other people in Roanoke, Va. shocked the nation, brought outpourings of solidarity from union members and fueled an already intense battle in Congress for the passage of anti-hate crime legislation.
Danny Lee Overstreet, 43, a member of CWA Local 2204, was gunned down Sept. 22 by a man who opened fire in the Backstreet Café, a neighborhood pub known to be patronized by members of the gay and lesbian community in Roanoke. The assailant, according to news reports, announced earlier that he intended to “waste” homosexuals.
Police charged Ronald Edward Gay, 53, a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, with first-degree murder. Gay had been treated with anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs after the war. He reportedly had a history of problems with alcohol and had been frequently teased about his name.
Local Grief
David Layman, president of Local 2204, spoke highly of Overstreet, a service representative at Verizon’s Roanoke RSSC, who brought cheer to the picket line during the recent Verizon strike. Danny and his dog Friday turned out for every rally, both dressed in red.
“Danny knew the issues, and was very dedicated to doing his part to make sure we got a good contract,” Layman said. He went on to describe Danny as “a funny, outgoing individual. You couldn’t help but have a good time when you were around him. He just had a really good attitude toward life.”
On the night after the shootings, Layman and several local members joined a crowd of about 300 outside the Backstreet Café, in a candlelight vigil for Overstreet and those wounded. About 200 CWA members from around the state attended Overstreet’s funeral on Sept. 27, wearing red carnations and white ribbons distributed by the local.
The church was packed with family, friends and supporters. Layman estimated more than 1,000 attended, including Roanoke’s mayor and members of the city council. When fire marshals limited how many could enter because of safety rules, an overflow crowd waited and sang hymns outside the church.
“It was really a somber affair,” Layman said. “When you get a well-liked man like Danny … there are a lot of tears.” At the end of the ceremony, CWA members dropped their carnations into baskets placed beside the casket. Many attended a second rally held after the funeral, Layman said.
The Verizon call center in Roanoke allowed Danny’s coworkers time off for the funeral, brought in counselors to help them cope and rerouted calls to other Virginia call centers to reduce work load. Layman said the Bell Atlantic-Verizon Foundation donated $5,000 to various causes as a memorial to Overstreet, including $1,500 for scholarships to be distributed by PFLAG, or Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The support organization for gays, lesbians and their families has 440 chapters nationwide.
National Response
CWA President Morton Bahr, Executive Vice President Larry Cohen and Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling all joined the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the AFL-CIO that week in pressing for anti-hate crime legislation. Congress was considering a bill that would strengthen existing federal law by including crimes committed against individuals because of their gender, disability or sexual orientation and by removing the overly burdensome requirement that victims of hate crimes be on federal property or engaged in federally protected activities.
“Hate crimes aren’t just directed at innocent individuals like Danny Overstreet, but against entire classes of people, and thus whole communities are victimized,” Bahr stated.
Cohen spoke against hate crimes and in support of the legislation at a press conference in Washington on Sept. 26 and at a rally in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, the day of Danny’s funeral.
“We see human rights and workers’ rights as two sides of the same coin. All of our members and particularly the members of Local 2204 in Roanoke are committed to the mandate in our union to fight against hate crimes and violence of all types,” Cohen said.
In addition to passing hate crimes legislation, Cohen called for workplace education promoting diversity and multiculturalism, and pledged, “CWA will step up our efforts both politically and with our employers.”
The rally was attended by about 200 unionists, clergy and civil rights activists. Richard Womack, civil rights director of the AFL-CIO, Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and Virginia Sen. Chuck Robb (D) joined leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Sikh faiths in calling for an end to hate crimes.
Local 2204 member John Goodhart Sr., a friend and co-worker of Overstreet’s and a support group leader for the Roanoke chapter of PFLAG, joined CWA leaders in addressing the rally.
“Danny had a bulls’-eye on him, just because he was gay,” Goodhart stressed. “When we are silent, we send a message to the Ronald Gays that it is all right to kill gays and lesbians. When politicians are silent, we have to urge them to support anti-hate crime legislation.”
Was It Enough?
At the time of Danny’s death, House and Senate conferees were considering the Kennedy-Smith Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, an anti-hate crime amendment to the Fiscal Year 2000 Defense Department Authorization bill. The Republican leadership stripped the amendment before passing the authorization.
CWA Legislative Representative T Santora said Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) was attempting to attach the amendment to an appropriations bill but the Republican leadership was also blocking that effort. He expected Congress to adjourn by the time the CWA News was printed, without taking any further action to end hate crimes.
Danny Lee Overstreet, 43, a member of CWA Local 2204, was gunned down Sept. 22 by a man who opened fire in the Backstreet Café, a neighborhood pub known to be patronized by members of the gay and lesbian community in Roanoke. The assailant, according to news reports, announced earlier that he intended to “waste” homosexuals.
Police charged Ronald Edward Gay, 53, a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran, with first-degree murder. Gay had been treated with anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs after the war. He reportedly had a history of problems with alcohol and had been frequently teased about his name.
Local Grief
David Layman, president of Local 2204, spoke highly of Overstreet, a service representative at Verizon’s Roanoke RSSC, who brought cheer to the picket line during the recent Verizon strike. Danny and his dog Friday turned out for every rally, both dressed in red.
“Danny knew the issues, and was very dedicated to doing his part to make sure we got a good contract,” Layman said. He went on to describe Danny as “a funny, outgoing individual. You couldn’t help but have a good time when you were around him. He just had a really good attitude toward life.”
On the night after the shootings, Layman and several local members joined a crowd of about 300 outside the Backstreet Café, in a candlelight vigil for Overstreet and those wounded. About 200 CWA members from around the state attended Overstreet’s funeral on Sept. 27, wearing red carnations and white ribbons distributed by the local.
The church was packed with family, friends and supporters. Layman estimated more than 1,000 attended, including Roanoke’s mayor and members of the city council. When fire marshals limited how many could enter because of safety rules, an overflow crowd waited and sang hymns outside the church.
“It was really a somber affair,” Layman said. “When you get a well-liked man like Danny … there are a lot of tears.” At the end of the ceremony, CWA members dropped their carnations into baskets placed beside the casket. Many attended a second rally held after the funeral, Layman said.
The Verizon call center in Roanoke allowed Danny’s coworkers time off for the funeral, brought in counselors to help them cope and rerouted calls to other Virginia call centers to reduce work load. Layman said the Bell Atlantic-Verizon Foundation donated $5,000 to various causes as a memorial to Overstreet, including $1,500 for scholarships to be distributed by PFLAG, or Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The support organization for gays, lesbians and their families has 440 chapters nationwide.
National Response
CWA President Morton Bahr, Executive Vice President Larry Cohen and Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling all joined the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the AFL-CIO that week in pressing for anti-hate crime legislation. Congress was considering a bill that would strengthen existing federal law by including crimes committed against individuals because of their gender, disability or sexual orientation and by removing the overly burdensome requirement that victims of hate crimes be on federal property or engaged in federally protected activities.
“Hate crimes aren’t just directed at innocent individuals like Danny Overstreet, but against entire classes of people, and thus whole communities are victimized,” Bahr stated.
Cohen spoke against hate crimes and in support of the legislation at a press conference in Washington on Sept. 26 and at a rally in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, the day of Danny’s funeral.
“We see human rights and workers’ rights as two sides of the same coin. All of our members and particularly the members of Local 2204 in Roanoke are committed to the mandate in our union to fight against hate crimes and violence of all types,” Cohen said.
In addition to passing hate crimes legislation, Cohen called for workplace education promoting diversity and multiculturalism, and pledged, “CWA will step up our efforts both politically and with our employers.”
The rally was attended by about 200 unionists, clergy and civil rights activists. Richard Womack, civil rights director of the AFL-CIO, Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and Virginia Sen. Chuck Robb (D) joined leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Sikh faiths in calling for an end to hate crimes.
Local 2204 member John Goodhart Sr., a friend and co-worker of Overstreet’s and a support group leader for the Roanoke chapter of PFLAG, joined CWA leaders in addressing the rally.
“Danny had a bulls’-eye on him, just because he was gay,” Goodhart stressed. “When we are silent, we send a message to the Ronald Gays that it is all right to kill gays and lesbians. When politicians are silent, we have to urge them to support anti-hate crime legislation.”
Was It Enough?
At the time of Danny’s death, House and Senate conferees were considering the Kennedy-Smith Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, an anti-hate crime amendment to the Fiscal Year 2000 Defense Department Authorization bill. The Republican leadership stripped the amendment before passing the authorization.
CWA Legislative Representative T Santora said Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) was attempting to attach the amendment to an appropriations bill but the Republican leadership was also blocking that effort. He expected Congress to adjourn by the time the CWA News was printed, without taking any further action to end hate crimes.