ACTION ALERT!

Posted on June 25th, 2009 by Huck

The Senate has just moved to add the Hate Crimes Bill, S. 909, to the Defense Authorization Act, which would guarantee its defeat. It is absolutely urgent that everyone contact their Senators today and tell them to save The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
- National Center for Transgender Equality

You need to call your Senator NOW and ask them to save the hate crimes bill from certain death! If it’s added to the defense authorization bill it will be the death of hate crimes this year.

You can look up your Senator’s direct phone number here.

Or call (202) 224-3121 and tell them to SAVE THE HATE CRIMES BILL.

Here is an example letter that my partner sent to her senator:

Senator,

It is with the utmost urgency that I ask you to please save the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, by refusing to attach it to the Defense Auth Act. This attachment will certainly mean the death of this incredibly important act that seeks to seeks to expand upon 1969 U.S. federal hate-crime law by extending its scope towards bodily crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, in addition to the current provisions of bodily crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, and national origin. It would also codify and expand the funding and investigative capabilities of federal officials for aiding their local counterparts.

Myself, my friends, my family, and the lives of GLBT citizens depend on you to look out for them. Please do not attach S.909 to the Defense Auth Act.

Thank you for all your hardwork and dedication to improving the lives of Californians.

Sincerely,

Erin P.

Filed under: Action Alert, All Posts, Social Justice

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2 Responses to “ACTION ALERT!”

  1. Cedar, on June 25th, 2009 at 7:20 pm Said:

    Hey, could you give a really quick explanation of why adding it to the defense authorization bill would kill it? Not that I doubt you, nor that I like the idea of having TBLG protections linked to militarism, but it’s not a transparent link to me.

  2. Huck, on June 26th, 2009 at 9:52 am Said:

    This issue here is that the Defense bill is likely to be a tug of war between the Dems and Republicans over the military expenditures, with hate crimes caught in that mess. This happened last time, which is why it failed. It basically gets all the Senators to ignor the Hate Crimes Bill and focus just on the military expenditures, so that they aren’t having to educate themselves about why this bill is important.

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