Senate Votes to Add Sexual Orientation to Hate Crime Protections

[babylonsister]

Senate Votes to Add Sexual Orientation to Hate Crime Protections

By CARL HULSE
Published: July 17, 2009


WASHINGTON — The Senate has agreed to expand the definition of hate crimes to those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation and gender identity as part of a Pentagon policy measure that is becoming a magnet for tough social issues.

Senators added the anti-bias provisions to the bill Thursday night after voting 63 to 28 to shut off debate on the proposal by Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Judiciary Committee. The measure would also allow the federal government to intervene in cases where the local authorities lacked the resources for such criminal investigations.

“We need a strong federal law to serve as a backstop to prevent hate-motivated violence in America,” Mr. Leahy said.

Republicans countered that the hate crimes expansion should not be part of a Pentagon measure and argued that it would usurp the rights of states to pursue such crimes since most have their own versions of the law.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/us/politics/18hate.html?_r=1&hpw

[cali]

1. So glad to see this happen. The pukes are furious that Leahy attached it to

the defense bill.

[KittyWampus]

2. which makes it all the more just.

[47of74]

4. Someone telling Leahy to go F himself has come back around to bite the thugs in the ass

[shadowknows69]

3. NY just convicted someone of manslaughter in a hate crime case

For the murder of a transgendered person. Plead down to manslaughter though. In my opinion any hate crime involving death should be 2nd degree murder at least.

link from News 10 Now
<http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stories/477493/delee-guilty-of-manslaughter-as-a-hate-crime--weapons-possession/?RegionCookie=1013>