Hate Crimes Bill Passes Congress

Just less than a month before the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day that marks countless senseless deaths in our community, the US Senate has joined the US House of Representatives in passing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill. The bill, an amendment to a military appropriations bill, passed the Senate 68-29. President Obama has already promised his signature on the bill.
Under the law, hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity would be added to the statues that protect individuals against felonious attacks based on race, gender, or religion. The bill is the first-ever favorable Congressional action for the gender-identity community. The bill is named for Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in 1998 by a group of men in Wyoming because they believed he was gay.
A similar law was inserted into another military appropriations measure in 2007 that made it through a preliminary vote by the Congress. Then President, George W. Bush, threatened to veto the bill if it was not removed from the military appropriation. The amendment was subsequently removed.
For more information see http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/us/politics/23hate.html?hp