Hate Crimes Bill Passes Senate: Lambda Legal Urges President Obama to Sign Bill into Law

(New York, October 22, 2009)--After the U.S. Senate passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Lambda Legal issued the following statement from Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal:

"We anticipate that President Obama will sign the Hate Crimes Prevention Act which will become the first federal law that specifically protects the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Years after the tragic murders of Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena, Sakia Gunn and others our government is finally standing up and saying: No more. This law will send a message that violence motivated by hate will not be tolerated in this country and is a welcome first step towards other critical protections for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community."

Lambda Legal represented the family and estate of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was brutally raped and murdered in Nebraska in 1993 (the subject of the movie "Boys Don’t Cry") to make sure that the law enforcement officials who had failed Teena were held accountable.

"This law comes too late to provide justice for the victims of violence we have already lost, but it holds the promise of greater safety and respect for LGBT people today and in the future," Cathcart said.

"Now that the Hate Crimes Act has passed adding protections for all members of our community against violence motivated by hate, Congress must also pass an inclusive ENDA to protect us against discrimination on the job. The majority of Americans support workplace protections for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people and there is no reason for further delay," Cathcart added.

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