State Moves to Require Life-Time Registry for Certain Criminals and Targets Gays and
Lesbians
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,
March 22, 1995
Contact: Robin Kane (202) 332-6483 ext. 3311
2320 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Issue: The Montana State Senate will likely vote tomorrow to require offenders of the
state’s sodomy law to register for life with local law enforcement officials.
According to a provision in House Bill 214, those convicted of homosexual acts between
consenting adults would be included with murders, rapists and other violent criminals in
Montana’s pending law to register violent criminals.
Efforts in the state House and Senate failed to remove sodomy from the list of crimes
requiring state registration. HB 214, which cites sodomy, murder, rape, aggravated
assault, incest, sexual assault, and indecent exposure, passed the state House and will
face a final vote in the Senate on Thursday.
Anti-gay rhetoric rang out during senate deliberations. Sen. Al Bishop (R-Billings)
said he found homosexuality to be worse than some violent crimes. "This type of
action," Bishop said, "is even worse than a violent sexual act."
"Senator Bishop’s comments are appalling and must be denounced by all
Montanans, gay and straight, for its offensiveness to survivors of violent sexual
crimes." said Robin Kane, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
(NGLTF).
Sandra Hale, Executive Director of Pride!, a Montana gay, lesbian, and bisexual public
policy group called the bill offensive.
"What an insult to women who have been raped, children who have been molested, and
any victim of a truly violent crime - let alone, lesbians, gay men and bisexuals who are
in loving committed relationships and make up the backbone on our Montana community,"
Hale said.
Some lawmakers downplayed the implications of the legislation, noting that no Montanans
have ever been prosecuted for sodomy. Activists were quick to shoot down this reasoning.
"This bill is a frightening example of the insidious dangers of sodomy laws,"
said Kane. "Sodomy laws, even when not fully enforced, classify all gay men and
lesbians as criminals and are used as weapons in public debate. Our criminal status under
these laws is cited as justification for policies that deny us our rights and
dignity."
Currently 22 states have laws barring sodomy. 6 states, including Montana, bar only
homosexual sodomy.
Local contact: Sandy Hale, Pride! Executive Director, (406) 442-9322.
NGLTF contact: Robin Kane, NGLTF Public Information Director, (202) 332-6483.
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