“I applaud the President and all of
Congress for passing this historic bill into law. I also thank Judy
Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mother, for her courageous battle and
her work towards passing this Act. Her commitment and passion are a
true testament to the love of a parent. As parents, it is our
calling to protect our children and keep them safe. That is what
motivates the heroism of LGBT parents each day as they work to
create a better world for their children by telling their stories
and making more welcoming schools, places of worship and
government, one act, one institution at a time. Bias-motivated
violence against any individual hurts our entire community. This
bill will provide the resources and protections needed to ensure
greater safety to our children, parents and all members of LGBT
families.”
-Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director
Family Equality
Council
A national coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) advocacy groups collaborated to issue the following
statement about this historic signing of the Matthew Shepard and
James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act by President Obama:
This week, we call upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people, families and allies to take this opportunity of increased
media and public attention on hate crimes to educate co-workers,
classmates, neighbors, family members and friends about our lives,
and about why we need not only their friendship and love, but their
vocal support for a more just and equal America for LGBT people. If
your members of congress voted in support of hate crimes
legislation, call them and thank them. Then ask them to be there
for us again when the vote turns to workplace non-discrimination,
military service and partnership rights.
Below is the complete statement from the national LGBT
coalition.
NOTE TO MEDIA: As President Obama today signed the Matthew Shepard
and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the following 31
organizations issued this joint statement:
History in the Making
It took much too long, more than a decade. And it came at too great
a price: the brutal killings of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.
are just two among the thousands of crimes motivated by hate and
bigotry.
But this week, the president put pen to paper and fulfilled a
campaign promise, the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James
Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, extending the federal hate
crimes statute to include sexual orientation and gender identity
along with race, religion, gender, national origin and disability.
Our deepest hope and strong belief is that this new law will save
lives. Now, lawmakers and the president have made an imperative
statement to the country and the world: Our nation will no longer
tolerate hate-motivated violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) people.
We have worked long and hard for this and its passage is
historic.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime
Reporting Program, there are nearly 8,000 hate crime-related
incidents annually, and more than 1,200 of those incidents involve
violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity. And even
more alarming, while the overall occurrence of hate crimes is
declining nationally, hate crimes against LGBT people have been
increasing. This year alone, we saw hate crimes trials in the
brutal killings of two transgender women, Angie Zapata and Lateisha
Green.
As a result of this legislation, if local jurisdictions are unable
or unwilling to investigate or prosecute hate crimes based on
sexual orientation or gender identity, the Justice Department can
now step in. And that’s why the LGBT community never stopped
working for this historic day.
This legislation not only has practical value, but is a symbol of
our progress. It is the first time in the nation’s history that
Congress has passed explicit protections on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity. We could not have reached this
moment without the powerful support of our allies who stood with us
every step of the way. We are deeply grateful to civil rights,
civic, faith and disability rights groups, as well as law
enforcement and district attorney organizations that worked side by
side with the LGBT advocates. We are equally thankful to Congress,
President Obama and members of his administration for passing and
signing this bill into law.
While today we celebrate this marker of progress, we must recognize
it as only one of the building blocks to full equality and demand
that it be just a first step toward equal treatment under federal
law in all areas of our lives. And we must focus on the next
step.
The passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes
Prevention Act provides us with an opportunity. We must use this
moment to educate and keep the momentum going so that we can
continue to make progress on the local, state and federal levels.
Yes, legislation takes a long time — often years of work. Yet,
our community is on the cusp of passing much-needed
protections.
This week, we call upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people, families and allies to take this opportunity of increased
media and public attention on hate crimes to educate co-workers,
classmates, neighbors, family members and friends about our lives,
and about why we need not only their friendship and love, but their
vocal support for a more just and equal America for LGBT people. If
your members of Congress voted in support of hate crimes
legislation, call them and thank them. Then ask them to be there
for us again when the vote turns to workplace nondiscrimination,
military service and partnership rights.
With your help and our collective pressure, equality is within
reach.
When talking about the need for hate crimes legislation, House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “The time for debate is over.”
She was right.
Just as the time has finally come for stronger hate crime
protections, it is also time to pass an inclusive Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and
the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and ensure that health care,
economic policy and immigration reform incorporate the needs of
LGBT people.
The time for debate is over.
Signed by:
Jo Kenny, AFL-CIO Pride at Work
Terry Stone, Centerlink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Gabe Javier & Debbie Bazarsky, Consortium of Higher Education
LGBT Resource Professionals
Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA
Toni Broaddus, Equality Federation
Jennifer Chrisler, Family Equality Council
Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry
Lee Swislow, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders
Jarrett Barrios, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
Rebecca Allison, M.D., Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
Eliza Byard, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Chuck Wolfe, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Marjorie Hill, Gay Men’s Health Crisis
Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign
Rachel Tiven, Immigration Equality
Earl Fowlkes, International Federation of Black Prides
Kevin M. Cathcart, Lambda Legal
Leslie Calman, Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health
Organization
Sharon Lettman, National Black Justice Coalition
Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Mara Keisling, National Center for Transgender Equality
Sharon Stapel, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
Justin Nelson, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Rea Carey, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Paul Kawata, National Minority AIDS Council
Kyle Bailey, National Stonewall Democrats
Greg Varnum, National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Selisse Berry, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
Jody Michael Huckaby, PFLAG National
Michael Adams, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)
Aubrey Sarvis, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
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