Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill Passes House!

[Butterfly]

Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill Passes House!
Transgriot
By Monica Roberts
April 31, 2009


http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2009/05/matthew-shepard-hate-crimes-bill-passes.html


On Wednesday the Democratic-controlled United States House passed on a 249-175 vote and sent to the Senate the Federal Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, also known as the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill.

"Hate crimes motivated by race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, and identity or disability not only injure individual victims, but also terrorize entire segments of our population and tear at our nation's social fabric," House Democratic Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said while urging the bills passage.

[Genevieve Swann]

I agree that is was long overdue. I'm originally from Wyoming. Matthew was killed near Laramie on the other side of the state. Now it will probably be up to each individual state to determine the punishment for such crimes. Unfortunately it will not stop hate crimes. It merely makes it punishable by law. The best bet for we TG people is to use extreme caution.