Senate extends hate crime legislation

According to the Huffington Post and other news sites (I had to check just to be sure), the Senate recently approved a measure that expands the current federal hate crime laws to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability! This is great news!

Just earlier this week, I wrote about the Lateisha Green trial. Green was murdered because of gender identity. This legislation makes it easier for the feds to help with state or local authorities are unwilling or slow to act in response to hate crimes.

The passage of this bill will be one of the biggest extensions to the hate crime legislation since the '60's. The FBI recieves thousands of hate crime reports every year, and hopefully this will bring justice to those whose lives are unjustly hurt because of sexual orientation or gender identity. As Sen. Jeff Merkely (D-Ore.) said, "There is no room in our society for these acts of prejudice. Hate crimes fragment and isolate our communities. They tear at our collective spirit."

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