PRESIDENT MAKES HISTORY BY SIGNING HATE CRIMES BILL INTO LAW
This is the first law that provides provides protections of anykind to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.
BY TROY MAY of http://www.onbayarea.com/node/883
This afternoon President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.
For years hundreds of people have been fighting for this new law that gives the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
“This marks the first time that we as a nation have explicitly protected the LGBT community in the law. And this law sends a loud message that perpetrators of hate violence against anyone will be brought to justice,” said Human Rights Campaign President Solmonese.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act honors the memory of Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student brutally murdered in an act of hate violence in 1998, and James Byrd, an African-American man who was dragged to death in Jasper, Texas, in 1998.
The hate crimes law was an amendment to a $680 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2010 that kills some weapons projects and expands military spending. By attaching this law to a defense bill was a Democrat strategy to get Republican votes. Many Republicans objected to the hale crimes law but many voted in favor because the defense bill was badly needed.
“We are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly,” said Judy Shepard, executive director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. “But each of us can and must do much more to ensure true equality for all Americans.”
“We appreciate everyone who worked so hard on this bill. My son was taken at such an early age and we hope this law will help prevent other families from going through what we experienced,” said Stella Byrd, mother of James Byrd. “Even though we’re different colors and different sexual orientations or gender identities, God made us all and he loves us all.”
The new law also provides the Justice Department with the ability to aid state and local jurisdictions either by lending assistance or by taking the lead in investigations and prosecutions of violent crime.
It also makes grants available to state and local communities to combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers, or to assist in state and local investigations and prosecutions of bias motivated crimes.
This legislation was first introduced in the 105th Congress. There have been 14 total votes in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to bring this historic legislation to the president’s desk.