Historic vote sends Hate Crimes Bill to Obama’s desk

[FreeState]

YEAH! Finally...

http://www.gaypolitics.com/2009/10/22/historicvotehatecrimes/

Historic vote sends hate crimes bill to Obama’s desk

Congress has approved the first-ever federal law aimed at protecting LGBT Americans. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal hate crimes laws, passed today as part of a defense authorization bill. The legislation now heads to the White House, where President Obama has pledged to sign it.

In the House, where the bill passed earlier, openly gay and lesbian members defended the measure on the floor. There are no openly LGBT U.S. Senators, but the issue was long championed by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

“Our community has long sought this tool to help protect vulnerable Americans from hate-fueled violent attacks. I’m proud that the openly gay and lesbian members of Congress were there to add their voices to the debate and to speak authentically about the experience of gay and transgender Americans. I congratulate Judy and Dennis Shepard, who have lobbied so long and so hard for this law, and I thank our colleagues at the Human Rights Campaign and all who contributed to this tremendous victory,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

[Dogtown]

1. K&R n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. ditto

[Kievan Rus]

3. It's about time

[DeSwiss]

4. It's about fucking time......

And piss on the fucking Repukes!

- K&R

[cynatnite]

5. It's a disgrace that it took this long. n/t