In hate crimes, people assault and even murder lesbians and gay men to fill different psychological needs, ranging from bolstering self-esteem and strengthening ties to a particular group, to upholding a set of values and denying latent, unresolved feelings about sexual orientation. This is among the conclusions in the new book "Hate Crimes: Confronting Violence Against Lesbians and Gay Men" (Sage Publications), edited by Gregory M. Herek, a research psychologist at the University of California, Davis, and Kevin T. Berrill, director of the Anti-Violence Project of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. The researchers, clinicians and community workers who contributed to "Hate Crimes" present evidence that violent crimes against homosexuals is a widespread, growing national problem that poses serious challenges for the criminal justice system, mental health professionals and public policy-makers. The articles include first-person accounts by survivors of anti-gay violence, and address the cultural context in which anti-gay violence occurs, the psychological motivations of the perpetrators, the response of the legal system to anti-gay violence, and suggestions for curtailing the problem. The book is "the first anthology devoted exclusively to serious discussion of what is known about anti-gay prejudice and violence," said U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who wrote the foreword to "Hate Crimes" and introduced the Hate Crimes Statistics Act, which became law in 1990. Herek, who wrote or co-wrote six of the book's 18 chapters, suggests that anti-gay prejudice and violence often serve one or more psychological purposes that share a common trait: they help people "define who they are by directing hostility toward gay people as a symbol of what they are not." For example, a person who regards homosexuals as evil may attack them as a way of affirming his or her own morality and virtue, according to Herek. Others commit violence as a -more- 2-2-2 "Hate Crimes" way of solidifying their sense of belonging to a particular group, and earning the acceptance, approval and love of people they consider important, such as family, peers or neighbors. Fear of latent homosexuality is a common explanation for anti-gay behavior. Although the explanation probably is used more often than is appropriate, Herek said, it does apply to some men who will attack gays as a way of denying unacceptable aspects of their own personalities. Anti-gay attitudes and actions of individuals reflect those of American society as a whole, Herek said. The society still generally regards homosexuality as a deviance, sickness or evil. It exerts pressure to keep homosexuality hidden and, when it surfaces publicly, to condemn or stigmatize it. For instance, American religious organizations, with few exceptions, widely condemn homosexual behavior and do not recognize same-sex marriages and families. The Vatican has officially opposed extending civil rights to gay people and has described homosexual feelings "as ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil." For most of the 20th century, mental health professionals linked homosexuality with mental illness. Although professional organizations now deny the connection, "the language of pathology still infuses public debate and perception," Herek said. For the most part, the law does not protect homosexuals like it does the general population, according to Herek. He notes that discrimination based on sexual orientation is not prohibited, except in four states and several cities. Only 16 states and the District of Columbia have laws that specifically address anti-gay violence. Hate crime legislation has been blocked, defeated or amended to delete "sexual orientation" in at least nine states. The experiences of lesbian and gay victims who report hate crimes provide further evidence that American society is willing to condone prejudice, discrimination and violence against them, Herek said. Victims frequently find police to be unprofessional, indifferent or even hostile. The victims also are regularly accused of provoking or inviting attacks by making unwelcome and aggressive sexual overtures. Known as the "homosexual panic defense," this tactic is based on the stereotype of gays as sexually predatory, and on the assumption that murder is an appropriate response to a sexual advance by one man to another, if such an overture actually occurred. This and other strategies have resulted in lenient sentences or even acquittals for those -more- 3-3-3 "Hate Crimes" charged with assaulting or murdering gays. Some judges and prosecutors, regardless of strategy, already are inclined to believe that hate crimes against gays should not be punished. "Hate Crimes" includes a comment from a Dallas judge who justified a lenient sentence for a man convicted of killing two gay men by stating, "I put prostitutes and queers at the same level ... And I'd be hard put to give somebody life for killing a prostitute." "Hate Crimes" offers a number of policy recommendations for addressing anti-gay hate crimes. One of the most significant steps would be eliminating institutional barriers that categorize homosexuals as undeserving of equal legal protection, according to the book. That would mean providing protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and services, and abolishing laws that criminalize sexual conduct between adults. Other recommendations include: • Training prosecutors in selecting jury members in gay-related cases and in countering the "homosexual panic defense;" • Enacting statutes to facilitate the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of anti-gay hate crimes, enhancing the criminal penalties and authorizing the victims or their survivors to file civil suits against their assailants; • Setting policies that prohibit denigration, harassment and abuse of lesbian and gay crime victims by criminal justice personnel, and establishing disciplinary actions for offenses; and • Urging religious organizations to consider how their teachings might be interpreted to justify violence. "Hate Crimes" is available from Sage Publications, 2455 Teller Road, Newbury Park, CA 91320. The publisher may be reached at (805) 499-0721.