Michael Cox, the union's lead activist, and the group gathered in the Durham Public Library to discuss, according to the event's press release, "ways of sustaining communication lines with the intent of documenting, preventing and educating about violent crimes within and against our queer communities."
Detective David Addison of the Durham Police Department first answered questions about the department's investigation from the group of media representatives and concerned LGBT residents.
The two men -- one stabbed Sept. 24 and the other Oct. 21 -- were known users of local gay chat rooms on the Internet. Their murders prompted Durham police to issue a warning to the area's gay community, although police have been hesitant to disclose information about the investigations.
"I do not see a common connection between the two murders," Addison said. "However, the chat rooms could have been one factor involved in both cases."
Glenn Grossman, chairman of the Carolina Alternative Meetings of Professional and Graduate Students, encouraged the LGBT community to be wary of using chat rooms to meet people.
"Like drugs and unsafe sex, the Internet is a high-risk behavior, and we need to better assess our risks and respond to those risks," Grossman said.
Addison agreed, but added that the danger of meeting strangers on the Internet is not exclusive to members of the LGBT community.
"I think that with every community you need to safeguard yourself, for the Internet is a powerful tool that is not just particular to the gay community," he added.
But several LGBT individuals at the meeting expressed concern that the Internet is one of few places where they can communicate with other members of their specific community.
