The Colorado Anti-Violence Program today applauded law enforcement in Montezuma County, CO and San Juan County, NM, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, for their cooperative efforts to apprehend those responsible for the murder of Fred Martinez, Jr. in Cortez, Colorado.

"Today's announcement by law enforcement that they have arrested a suspect provides a small measure of relief to all the communities affected by the murder, and also sends a clear signal that law enforcement has followed through on their commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the Four Corners area and throughout Colorado," said Denise de Percin, Executive Director. "Of course we still have concerns about whether the crime was motivated by any type of bias," she continued, "but we have renewed confidence that the investigation will eventually be able to address these questions."

Although Colorado has no hate crime legislation, the Federal Hate Crime Statistics Act does require the FBI to collect statistics from each state. However, state compliance is voluntary and effective documentation depends on a number of factors, including whether the state has passed hate crimes legislation that requires training for law enforcement and the development of mandates and protocols for reporting. The Campus Right to Know Act requires colleges to collect information on certain types of crimes, including hate crimes based on sexual orientation, and make that information publicly available.

The Colorado Anti-Violence Program documented 120 incidents of violence targeted at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and hiv+ people statewide in 2000, while the FBI reported only 26 incidents based on sexual orientation in Colorado during the same period. "In a state that provides no civil rights or hate crimes protections for LGBT people, there are huge barriers to reporting violence to police," according to Carter Klenk Colorado Anti-Violence Program Director. "This highlights the need for community-based organizations, such as the CAVP, that the community trusts to provide services, document violence, and, in some cases, be a conduit for reporting to law enforcement."

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) documented a 38% increase in anti-LGBT violence directed against people who describe themselves as heterosexual in 2000. "Anti-LGBT-violence effects all of our communities because of its prevalence and wide-spread social sanction," emphasized Klenk. "School-based studies compiled by the Washington Safe Schools Coalition indicate that for every LGB student who is targeted for anti-gay violence or harassment, four heterosexual students are also
targeted."

The tragedy of Fred Martinez's murder reinforces the unfortunate reality that bias-motivated violence can and does occur everywhere. It emphasizes the need for training and education for law enforcement, community organizations, and schools to increase the understanding and safety of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Inquiries concerning the local community response and information that has been made available to the LGBT community should be directed to Kathy Keyes, (970.264.0051/Pagosa Springs) or John Peters-Campbell (970.564.0665/Cortez). Donations to help defray costs that the family has incurred may be sent to Citizen's State Bank of Cortez, PO Box T, Cortez, CO 81321, with Fred Martinez Jr. Memorial Fund in the memo line.