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Obama Set To Sign Bill Widening Hate Crime Laws

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October 28, 2009

10/28/2009


"At a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon, President Obama plans to sign a bill into law that was more than a decade in the making. It is an update to the federal hate crimes statute that Congress initially passed in 1968.


"For the first time, the law that had previously protected people from attacks motivated by race, religion or ethnicity will include gay, lesbian, transgender and disabled people.


"...'I don't have a goal for this law to be used over and over again many times every year,' says Kevin Cathcart, [Lambda Legal] executive director.


"'My goal would be for anti-gay violence to taper off and disappear.'"


Read more and listen to the story on npr.org

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