This is a Press Release and not a regular news item. This was sent out to the media outlets.
--
NCTE Applauds Re-Introduction of Federal Hate Crimes Bill to Address
Hate Motivated Violence
Bill Again Includes "Gender Identity" and "Sexual Orientation"
March 20, 2007
Source: National Center for Transgender Equality
Washington, DC - Today the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes
Prevention Act of 2007 (LLEHCPA) was re-introduced in the House of
Representatives by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). LLEHCPA is
identical to a bill passed in 2005 by an overwhelming margin.
National Center for Transgender Equality joins over 210 civil
rights, religious, and civic organizations in supporting this bill.
Importantly, virtually every major law enforcement organization in
the country has endorsed the bill-including the International
Association of Chiefs of Police, the National District Attorneys
Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Executive
Research Forum, and 31 state Attorneys General.
"Every day transgender people across our nation are threatened with
violence and discrimination," said Mara Keisling, executive director
of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "Just walking down
the street can require extraordinary courage in the face of
intolerance and hostility. Far too often, harassment escalates to an
attack, resulting in serious injury or even death. Transgender
people often live in fear of those who translate their personal
prejudices into violence directed against us."
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act would cover
bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived
sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability in
addition to the categories of race, color, religion and national
origin that are already in the law. "Gender identity" is the
legislative language that explicitly covers transgender people.
LLEHCPA would also eliminate a serious limitation on federal
involvement under existing law, namely the requirement that a victim
of a bias-motivated crime was attacked because he or she was engaged
in a specified federally-protected activity, such as serving on a
jury or attending public school. If signed into law, the bill would
provide local law enforcement agencies additional tools, resources
and support needed to combat hate-motivated violence in their
communities.
Despite the frequent and extreme levels of violence often wielded
against transgender victims, these types of crimes are not tracked
or addressed as hate crimes because "gender identity" is not
included in current federal laws. LLEHCPA would enable authorities
to collect this type of vital information.
"It is almost unheard of for a bill to be so unanimously supported
both by civil rights and law enforcement communities," said
Keisling. "It was crafted very carefully to protect free speech and
freedom of religion, while also providing assistance to local law
enforcement so crimes like these may be fully investigated and
prosecuted."
Both the Senate and House have voted in favor of legislation to
combat bias motivated violence in prior Congresses. Most recently,
the House of Representatives approved its hate crimes bill as an
amendment to the Children's Safety Act on a bipartisan vote of 223
to 199 in the 109th Congress. In the 108th Congress, the Senate
passed the measure by an overwhelming vote of 65-33.
Click here to sign NCTE's online petition in support of LLEHCPA:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nctequalityAbout the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE): The
National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social
justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence
against transgender people through education and advocacy on
national issues of importance to transgender people. The National
Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization. For more
information, please visit
www.nctequality.org.
National Center for Transgender Equality
________________________________
email:
NCTE@NCTEquality.orgphone: 202-903-0112
web:
http://www.nctequality.orgNCTE | 1325 Massachusetts Ave, NW | Suite 700 | Washington | DC |
20005
