MEDIA STATEMENT
Statement from Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler;
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Boston, MA ( October 28, 2009 ) —Today President Obama signed the FY 2010 Department of Defense Authorization bill, which included the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The Act gives the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence by providing the DOJ with jurisdiction over crimes of violence where the perpetrator has selected the victim because of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
The President's signing comes after both Senate and House passage earlier this month. The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 28, 2009 by the late Senator Edward Kennedy ( D-MA ) , Sen. Patrick Leahy ( D-VT ) , Sen. Olympia Snowe ( R-ME ) , and Sen. Susan Collins ( R-ME ) , among others. On October 8, 2009, the United States House of Representatives voted 281-146 in favor of a joint House-Senate "conference report" on a defense authorization measure that also included provisions that would expand the definition of federal hate crimes to cover attacks based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and military service. The Senate then passed the bill late last week with a decisive 68-29 vote.
Family Equality Council has long supported passage of this key measure, and we have been working hard to draw public awareness to bias-motivated hate violence and the need for hate crimes legislation as well as providing grassroots support necessary for the bill's passage.
Statement of Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director, Family Equality Council:
"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."
