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The Montana Human Rights Network awarded the plaintiffs in the landmark Snetsinger v. State of Montana with its annual Walt Brown Award. The award is given to people who personify the struggle to support human rights and democracy. The Network gave the award to Carol Snetsinger, Nancy Siegel, Carla Grayson and Adrianne Neff for working to make sure all Montanans, regardless of sexual orientation, are treated equally under the law.

Despite the knowledge that they would likely face harassment and intimidation for doing so, these four individuals had the courage to put themselves front and center in this struggle. They filed suit against the Montana University System for violating the state's constitution by refusing to make health insurance and other benefits equally available to all families. After filing the lawsuit, the plaintiffs received letters reading "Die Dykes" and claiming to contain anthrax. Grayson and Neff's home was destroyed by arson shortly thereafter. Grayson, Neff and their infant son escaped the burning house through a window.

In November 2002, District Court Judge Thomas Honzel threw out the lawsuit. Honzel ruled that the University System's policy was constitutional because it was based on the state's definition of marriage, not sexual orientation. The ACLU, which is representing the plaintiffs, says it will appeal the case to the Montana Supreme Court.

"Carol, Nancy, Carla and Adrianne understood their lawsuit would be controversial, and they would likely draw homophobic hatred," said Greg Haegele of the Montana Human Rights Network. "After filing suit, they received hate mail and anthrax threats. An arsonist burnt Carla and Adrianne's house. Anyone would be tempted to withdraw the suit in the face of this kind of intimidation, but these four plaintiffs bravely persevere. The Network wants to recognize their steadfast refusal to allow acts of political terrorism to stop their work to ensure all Montanans enjoy equal standing under the law."

Walt Brown was an African-American civil rights activist from Great Falls who was president of the Montana Human Rights Network's board of directors in the 1990s. After his death, the Network began giving out the Walt Brown Award every year to individuals in Montana who support human rights and the democratic process.

The Network presented the Walt Brown Award at a rally commemorating the one-year anniversary of the arson that destroyed Grayson and Neff's home. Over 150 people attended the event, which was sponsored by the Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality, Western Montana Gay and Lesbian Community Center, Outfield Alliance, PRIDE, and the Network.

Rally goers listened to various speeches, including presentations by two Missoula members of the Montana House of Representatives ÷ Tom Facey and Rosie Buzzas. They also watched portions of a video produced by the Network featuring personal accounts of students who have been targeted by anti-gay harassment [see below].

The End of Silence: Montana Gay Youth Speak is a video project of the Montana Human Rights Network. In every Montana school, there are boys and girls whose voices we have not heard, whose needs have been ignored, and whose harassment we are blind to. These are our lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. This video breaks the silence and gives gay youth in Montana a platform to speak from.

The voices of 12 youth from six Montana communities representing 13 schools are featured in the video. They speak of their experiences in public, private, religious, alternative, and job corps schools in Montana. They come from schools ranging in size from 50 students in K-12 to high schools with 1,700 students.

The video is scheduled to be shown at the Polson Library on March 18, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. There are also showings being lined up in Helena, Billings, Great Falls and Missoula. Stay tuned for more information. If you would like more information or are interested in scheduling a showing of the video, please contact the Network at (406) 442-5506 and ask for Betty.