EUGENE–The recent beating death of a gay Wyoming student is refocusing attention on the issue of "hate crimes." But what constitutes such crimes?

A panel discussion exploring the issue of hate crimes and anti-hate crime legislation will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, in the Walnut Room of the Erb Memorial Union (EMU), 1222 E. 13th Ave. at the University of Oregon. The event is free and open to the public.

"Recent tragic events are refocusing the public spotlight on hate crimes, which we think provides an opportunity for meaningful discussion about this kind of deeply disturbing behavior," says Joel Corcoran, president of the UO School of Law Student Bar Association. "We hope to provide a forum for the exploration of what social conditions contribute to such crimes, how we define hate crimes and how anti-hate crime legislation is combating the issue."

The event will include input from community leaders, experts and scholars from areas including law, ethics, sociology and ethnic studies, followed by audience questions and discussion.

"We’re very interested in engaging the general public in discussion about this issue," says Sharnel Korala, director of the UO Minority Law Students Association. "Hate crimes are not isolated to particular groups or areas; they signal larger social problems that reach well beyond the highly publicized cases of Roxanne Ellis and Michelle Abdil, James Byrd and Matthew Shepard."

Featured speakers will include Henry Luvert, president of the Eugene-area chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Lisa Kloppenberg, UO associate professor of law; and Dominick Vetri, UO professor of law.

Sponsors of the panel discussion include the UO Student Bar Association, Minority Law Students Association, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, and Outlaws, the gay and lesbian law students association.

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