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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1997)
Just out ▼ march 7, 1907 ▼ 13 Lesbian bar bom bed bomb loaded with 3-inch nails ex ploded on the patio of a lesbian night club in Atlanta on Feb. 21, sending one woman to the hospital and injur Five people are hurt in the Atlanta blast; ing four other people. Another bomb found an hour later in the club’s parking lot was in its wake a diverse community rallies together in unity detonated using a police robot. ▼ Police now say that similarities between the attack on The Otherside and the Jan. 16 bombing by Richard Shumate at an abortion clinic in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs, which injured seven people, could The carnage might have been much worse, ernment motivation. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, be evidence that the attacks are the work of a serial however. The bomb went off relatively early in Tobacco and Firearms— viewed as villainous by bomber—perhaps one with far-right political ties. the evening, before the popular bar filled up with many far-right and militia groups ever since the Authorities are also looking at whether these people. And after a week of unseasonably warm fatal 1993 raid on the Branch Davidian compound attacks could be related to a bombing at Centen weather that might have drawn a crowd to the in Waco, Texas— has been investigating all of the nial Olympic Park in July that killed one person patio, the Friday of the explosion was stormy, as bombings in Atlanta, and federal agents were and injured 100 others. a cold front blew through the city. among those injured in the abortion clinic attack. News of the Friday night attack sent shock The Otherside sits at a busy intersection but is There are some differences between the abor waves through Atlanta’s sexual minority com about two miles away from the Midtown neigh tion clinic and nightclub bombings and the attack munity. A crowd of 150 people rallied on the steps borhood, where most of Atlanta’s lesbian and gay on Centennial Olympic Park. Though nails were of the State Capitol on Sunday, Feb. 23, calling bars are concentrated. In the wake of the bomb also used in the park for legislation in Georgia to stop hate crimes, ing, other bars have implemented stricter security attack, it was carried while another group of activists gathered near the measures, including banning backpacks and out with a pipe bomb bombing site to remember the victims and the searching purses. and a warning was violence. Some of the people in the club at the time of the phoned in to 911 be At a press conference the same day, Atlanta attack apparently fled before being interviewed fore the explosion. Mayor Bill Campbell, flanked by representatives by police because of fears that their sexual iden There were no warn from a number of gay organizations, denounced tities might be disclosed. Community leaders and ings in the later bomb the attack and said that the police would beef up bombing investigators have been asking those ings. security around other lesbian and gay bars and people to come forward, saying their anonymity In a handwritten businesses in the city. will be protected. letter mailed to sev “Anyone who plants an explosive device that The bombing at The Otherside bears a striking eral Atlanta-based targets a particular group is expressing hatred,” resemblance to an abortion clinic bombing in news organizations, a said Campbell, who described the attack as the January. In both cases, the bomber left two de group identifying it work of an “urban terrorist.” vices, set to go off about an hour apart—the self as The Army of Gay and lesbian leaders met with Campbell second bomb presumably designed to injure in God claimed respon after meeting among themselves early Sunday vestigators and members of the news media re sibility for the bomb morning to decide how to respond to the attack. sponding to the first attack. Long, thick nails were ings of The Otherside used in both sets of bombs to produce flying and the abortion clinic “We wanted people to know we were banding shrapnel intended to injure and kill people over a together and being strong and that we would not in Sandy Springs. The wide area. letter vowed more at be terrorized,” said Larry Pellegrini of the Geor gia Equality Project, a statewide sexual minority The abortion clinic bombs were made of dyna tacks, saying the rights group, who was part of the contingent that mite. Authorities have not yet said how the bombs Army was officially met with Campbell. at the nightclub were declaring war “on the ‘This was definitely a made. entirechild-killing in hate crime.” In the abortion dustry.” Georgia’s Legisla clinic attack, no one As for gay men ture has for years re was injured when the and lesbians, the let fused to pass legisla first bomb went off. ter said, “We will tar- j tion providing stiffer But seven people get sodomites, there penalties for bias- were hurt when the [sic] organizations, and all those who push their related crimes, prima second bomb, planted agenda.” rily because support in the parking lot of Another group, identifying itself as an off ers of that legislation the office complex shoot of the Ku Klux Klan, also claimed respon have refused to re where the abortion sibility for the bombings in a phone call to the move sexual orienta clinic was located, ex publisher of the local Gay Yellow Pages. But tion as a covered cat ploded. The area was investigators seem to be giving more credence to egory. In the wake of flooded with police the letter from The Army of God, which con the bombing, a re and mediaatthetime. tained specific details related to the bombs’ con newed push for hate- After the first ex struction. crimes legislation will plosion at The The FBI has sent a copy of the letter to its be made. O therside, police behavioral sciences unit in Virginia for analysis. “Politicians need sealed off the area Meanwhile, federal, state and local law enforce to send a message that around the nightclub, ment agencies held a summit in Atlanta on Feb. 28 this kind of violence specifically looking to discuss how to respond to any future bomb is unacceptable,” said for a second device threats or attacks. Pellegrini. “They with a robot. Once No one has claimed responsibility for the first can’t ju st say it’s one was found, the attack, which happened at Centennial Olympic wrong. They have to bomb was detonated Park during the Olympics in July. do something.” without incident. Po Federal agents and local police have appar The bomb ex lice were able to use ently not ruled out the possibility that all three ploded at about 9:50 the robot to take X- bombing incidents could somehow be linked. pn, on a Friday night u s Walfrs rays of the bomb, in the patio area of the which could provide w il l n o t b e club, which welcomes men but has a mostly clues helpful to the investigation. lesbian clientele. About 150 people were in the Because the targets of the two attacks were an V FRIGHTENED AWAY club at the time of the blast, which threw nails and abortion clinic and a lesbian bar, speculation has shrapnel as far as three blocks away. Four women arisen that the bombings might be the work of a A week and a day after the bombing at The and one man were injured. person or group with an anti-gay and/or anti Otherside, buoyed by the presence of numerous The most seriously injured person, Memrie abortion political agenda. Both attacks were also civic leaders and three members of Congress, Wells-Griswell, was hospitalized with a nail aimed at targets where most of the victims would Atlanta’s sexual minority community rallied to wound in her arm. She was reported in stable have been women. show unity and resolve in face of the attack. condition and her injuries were not considered In both incidents, the targeting of police with “We’re here as a community to celebrate life threatening. a second bomb might also indicate an anti-gov peace,” said Cherry Spencer-Stark, co-chair of A , “W e the Georgia Equality Project, which sponsored the March 1 rally. “Our vision for this community does not include bombings and burnings.” The gathering was held symbolically just two blocks from the tomb of Martin Luther King Jr. By the day of the rally none of the injured were still hospitalized. “We will turn the bombings around on this terrorist and show we are more united than ever before,” said Mayor Campbell, who has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the bombers. “Love is more powerful than hatred. That’s why we are here today.” At the peace rally, nearly 1,000 people were joined by a wide array of state and local leaders, with an invocation given by clergy representing Muslim, Jewish and Christian traditions. Three sitting members of Congress were also on hand. U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Cynthia McKinney represent Atlanta-area districts, and U.S. Rep. M ax i ne Waters, a Los Angeles Democrat, chairs the Congres sional Black Caucus. In a fiery speech, Waters said the bomb ers must be made to realize that their at tempts to create fear will not succeed. “We will not be frightened away from the work of justice and equality,” she said. “I f you ’ re going to shoot, you better shoot straight, because we will keep coming.” She also told the crowd that winning against the forces of hate will require gay men and lesbians to stand up for who they are. “Love y ourself and d o n ’t worry. When you love your self, you can teach oth ers what they must be about,” Waters said, to a thunderous ovation. In her remarks, McKinney took to task some members of Congress whom she says haven’t spoken out forcefully enough against far right- wing groups. And she said that has created an atmosphere where “homegrown madness” can flourish, resulting in such tragedies as the Okla homa City bombing and the attacks in Atlanta. “America has got a problem, and we’ve got some politicians that want to tell us that every thing is all right. But they don’t walk in our shoes,” said McKinney. “We’ve got to teach our young people that America is beautiful because it is diverse.” Also addressing the crowd were the owners of The Otherside, Beverly McMahon and Dana Ford. Just the day before the rally they reopened their bar, which was damaged in the blasts, with a banner draped outside that read “One Goal: Unity.” “I would have opened if I’d had to have a tent,” said McMahon. “We’ve got to stay strong and together.” In what may have been theemotional highlight of the rally, John Hawthorne, whose wife, Alice, was killed in the Centennial Park bombing, made an unscheduled appearance. He had heard about the rally on the news and drove more than 200 miles from his home in Albany, Ga., to lend support. “I just felt moved to come here today,” said Hawthorne. “I just pray to God that all of this senselessness and all of this violence will end. And it will only end if we all stay together.”