WATERLOO - City human rights groups say a gay Waterloo man's murder this month was a hate crime and have renewed calls for sexual orientation protections in the city code.

"We're looking at it as a hate crime from all indications," said Craig White, a former Black Hawk County supervisor, member of the Waterloo Human Rights Commission and hate crimes roundtable chairman of the Cedar Valley Diversity Appreciation Team.

The commission is asking the City Council add sexual orientation protections to the city's human rights ordinance. "It's a project in progress right now," White said. "We've sent them over the letter. We want to make sure we have all our ducks in a row before we take it to the full council."

Commissioners and other interested individuals have scheduled a 10 a.m. Monday press conference outside commission offices on Mulberry Street to discuss the issue.

It will be two weeks since police found the body of Jason Gage, 29, in bed in his apartment at the Russell-Lamson Building. Within hours, authorities arrested Joseph Lawrence, 23, recently of Cedar Falls, for first-degree murder. Lawrence's girlfriend said Lawrence told her he struck Gage when Gage made sexual advances.

An acquaintance called police March 14 after friends noticed Gage had been missing for several days. Police in court records said Lawrence told investigators he clubbed Gage twice in the head with a bottle and stabbed him in the neck with a piece of glass in the early morning hours March 12.

"Jason Gage, a homosexual, was murdered and among many charges, the suspect has been charged with assault with the intent to violate an individual's rights," commission and CVDAT members said in a prepared statement. "Even though this is a homicide, it has its origins in hate. This is a cause for great concern" by commissioners, CVDAT members, city officials and all citizens.

"This community needs to make it clear that we cannot and will not tolerate violence and hate," the statement continued.

White said Gage's death brings into focus the need for sexual orientation protections in the city code.

"All the indications I've seen, from doing diversity training in the high schools, there's a lot of bullying going on in the schools with people with different sexual orientation," White said. "We're not all alike. There's no reason to be treating people like that - hurting them, bullying them, whatever level it goes to … calling people the 'f' word and stuff like that.

"I think it (Gage's death) really puts some teeth into it, makes the council aware it's definitely something that's needed," White said.

The Human Rights Commission voted in December to endorse adding sexual orientation to the list of protected classes in the city's human rights ordinance. At that time, prior to city budget deliberations, Mayor Tim Hurley said it would be brought up for debate and council discussion once the ordinance is reviewed by the city attorney and when the council members would have more time to give it due attention.

"Eventually, we're gong to look at it," Hurley said Saturday. "Their proposed ordinance is still in review in the city attorney's office. They're fine in calling for it, and we'll take it down the proper process and see what happens."

Pat Kinney can be contacted at (319) 291-1484 or Pat.Kinney@wcfcourier.com