Press

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force today joined with a large, new coalition of allied organizations to call for the preservation of freedom and civil liberties in the wake of the events of September 11th.

The "In Defense of Freedom" coalition – which includes a broad array of civil liberties, civil rights, ethnic, religious, privacy, and watchdog groups from the entire political spectrum – released a 10-point statement. (See further below.)

NGLTF executive director Lorri L. Jean released the following statement today:

"The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force stands in solidarity today with our colleagues from the ACLU, NAACP and other defenders of civil rights and liberties. In response to last week's attacks and the understandable wave of public anger and grief, George W. Bush and Congress are on the verge of hastily enacting sweeping and unprecedented proposals to extend the reach of law enforcement.

"Compromising the civil liberties that are the basis of our free society will only compound the tragedy of last week. We call for a more considered approach, including appropriate public debate and scrutiny, to ensure that the legislation does not weaken the fabric of our long-standing personal freedoms."

The American Civil Liberties Union has established a web site to chronicle this effort. For more information, please visit www.indefenseoffreedom.org.

STATEMENT - In Defense of Freedom at a Time of Crisis

1. Last week thousands of people lost their lives in a brutal assault on the American people and the American form of government. We mourn the loss of these innocent lives and insist that those who perpetrated these acts be held accountable.

2. This tragedy requires all Americans to examine carefully the steps our country may now take to reduce the risk of future terrorist attacks.

3. We need to consider proposals calmly and deliberately with a determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at the core of the American way of life.

4. We need to ensure that actions by our government uphold the principles of a democratic society, accountable government and international law, and that all decisions are taken in a manner consistent with the Constitution.

5. We can, as we have in the past, in times of war and of peace, reconcile the requirements of security with the demands of liberty.

6. We should resist the temptation to enact proposals in the mistaken belief that anything that may be called anti-terrorist will necessarily provide greater security.

7. We should resist efforts to target people because of their race, religion, ethnic background or appearance, including immigrants in general, Arab Americans and Muslims.

8. We affirm the right of peaceful dissent, protected by the First Amendment, now, when it is most at risk.

9. We should applaud our political leaders in the days ahead who have the courage to say that our freedoms should not be limited.

10. We must have faith in our democratic system and our Constitution, and in our ability to protect at the same time both the freedom and the security of all Americans.