House Votes to Extend Hate Crime Law to Cover Gays
With passage, federal prosecutors will for the first time be able to intervene in cases of violence perpetrated against people because of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
AP
Thursday, October 08, 2009
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The House has voted to significantly expand four-decades-old hate crimes law to protect those attacked because of their sexual orientation.
The Senate is expected to act soon on the bill, which is attached to must-pass $680 billion defense policy legislation.
With passage, federal prosecutors will for the first time be able to intervene in cases of violence perpetrated against people because of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Congress has been trying unsuccessfully for more than a decade to extend hate crimes to include attacks on gays and women, and it was a top legislative priority of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.
President Obama, unlike his predecessor George W. Bush, is a strong supporter of the hate crimes legislation.
The bill significantly expands the hate crimes law enacted in the days after the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
Civil rights groups and their Democratic allies have been trying for decades to broaden the reach of hate crimes law. This time it appears they will succeed.
"It's a very exciting day for us here in the Capitol," said the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, saying hate crimes legislation was on her agenda when she first entered Congress 22 years ago.
She said it has been 11 years since the gay college student Matthew Shepard, whose name is attached to the legislation, was murdered.
Many Republicans, normally stalwart supporters of defense bills, declared they would vote against it because of the addition of what they referred to as "thought crimes" legislation.
"The very idea that we would erode the freedoms for which our soldiers wear the uniform in a bill that is designed to provide resources those soldiers need to get the job done and come home safe is unconscionable," said Rep. Mike Pence, a member of the Republican leadership.
Republican opponents were not assuaged by late changes in the bill to strengthen protections for religious speech and association -- critics argued that pastors expressing beliefs about homosexuality could be prosecuted if their sermons were connected to later acts of violence against gays.
Supporters countered that prosecutions could occur only when bodily injury is involved, and no minister or protestor could be targeted for expressing opposition to homosexuality.
The bill also creates a new federal crime to penalize attacks against U.S. service members on account of their service.
Hate crimes legislation enacted after King's assassination defined hate crimes as those carried out on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin. It also limits the scope of activities that would trigger federal involvement.
The proposed expansion would include crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It eases restrictions on federally protected activities.
The FBI says there are some 8,000 hate crimes reported around the country in a year. More than half of those are motivated by racial bias. Next most frequent are crimes based on religious bias at around 18 percent and sexual orientation at 16 percent.
NOTE:
This is noithing more than an attemp to scare anyone in their dealings with Gays. Special Legislation for what thet consider Special People.
