Los Angeles, CA, October 31, 2008 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is urging media outlets in Washington and Idaho to draw attention to hate motivated harassment and violence against gay and transgender students at universities in these states. This follows a series of incidents involving anti-gay and anti-transgender harassment and violence at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. and the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho.

Between Sept. 29 and Oct. 20, five attacks have targeted the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities of Washington State University and the University of Idaho:

• Sept. 29: University of Idaho student Korey Larabee finds anti-gay vandalism and a death threat written on his door.
• Oct. 12: A gay Washington State University student returns to find his door vandalized with anti-gay slurs.
• Oct. 15: An openly gay student is physically assaulted by another individual while walking on Washington State University's campus.
• Oct. 18: An openly gay student is physically assaulted by a group of three people wearing Halloween masks at Washington State University.
• Oct. 20: A transgender student is knocked to the ground and kicked while attackers yell anti-transgender slurs in a Washington State University parking structure.

The attacks and intimidation of the last few weeks are part of disturbing nationwide trend of a rise in  anti-gay and anti-transgender motivated crimes. This month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released 2007 Hate Crimes Statistics, which revealed a 6 percent increase in anti-gay violence from 2006 to 2007. Earlier this year, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) found that the number of individuals that were harassed or assaulted because they were perceived to be gay or transgender rose by 24 percent from 2006.

"We urge media in Washington and Idaho to report on these incidents of anti-gay and anti-transgender violence," said Neil G. Giuliano, President of GLAAD. "These media outlets have the chance to play a vital role in determining community and law enforcement responses to these crimes and to advocate that campus administration take steps to prevent future incidents from occurring."

While investigations into these incidents as possible hate crimes are still in process at both campuses, GLAAD urges the media to investigate the increase in anti-gay and anti-transgender violence as well as the community's response to it. The media can play a vital role in determining community and law enforcement response to hate crimes as well as motivate local law enforcement and campus administrators to more strongly and transparently address these incidents.

Media Resources
For more information about terminology and other recommendations when covering hate crimes, journalists can view GLAAD's In Focus: Hate Crimes on our website as well as the rest of the GLAAD Media Reference Guide.

Equal Rights Washington
Josh Friedes

www.equalrightswashington.org

Idaho Equality
Rachel Greer

www.idahoequality.org

About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org.