President Barack Obama
President Obama is set to sign the Hate Crimes Bill today at 2:30 p.m. with a reception to follow at 5:00 p.m. This is less than a week after a Senate vote last Thursday passed the bill through its last major hurdle in Congress. Obama is also scheduled to share some brief remarks around 6:05 p.m.
This bill is a huge step in the fight for LGBT equality. It couldn’t have happened without the support of America’s LGBT community as well as the families of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., for whom the bill is named after.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Protection Act helps to broaden the definition of a hate crime, which now includes crimes committed against someone on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It also allows the federal government to prosecute violent hate crimes if state or local governments refuse to.
The passing of the bill also coincides with the time of the 11th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s brutal homophobically charged murder. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated, “No American should ever have to suffer persecution or violence because of who they are.” This is a step in the right direction America. Let’s stay on track.
Comments
Should we reward people who assault a person who is not gay ?
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Are there any members of minority groups who want to be protected AT ANY COST?
Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water! Please explain why "protecting everyone", like the 14th amendment, somehow disqualifies your people? Can I get a penalty enhancement for crimes against my people?
"for whom the bill is named after"
Lol. Nice grammar.
Matt,
Who is "your people"? Are they a historically discriminated against minority that hate crimes are routinely committed against?
Here's the bottom line: if hate crimes legislation is going to exist, LGBTQ people should not be left out of it. It already protected the identity axes of religion, race, nationality, etc. - now it's being updated.
As you've heard, many social conservatives oppose the new law out of fear that it would silence people who preach against homosexuality on religious or philosophical grounds. However, the offenses covered by the law in its definition of hate crimes are only actions that cause or attempt to cause bodily injury. The law specifically excludes from this definition actions that cause "solely emotional or psychological harm" to the victim. Finally, the law expressly provides that it shall not "be construed to allow prosecution based solely upon an individual’s expression of racial, religious, political, or other beliefs or solely upon an individual’s membership in a group advocating or espousing such beliefs."
How did I find this out? I did something revolutionary: I READ THE BILL.
Maybe the bill should be updated to include hate crimes against ignorant, bitter people, like Matt.
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