Description of U.S. hate crime
legislation, from all viewpoints

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Status of the 2009 federal hate crimes bill:

A hate crime is a crime of violence that is motivated by hatred of the group to which the victim belongs. Usually, the perpetrator and the victim are strangers to each other. For example, gay bashing involves a violent homophobe physically attacking a victim from the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community. Typically, the goal is twofold:

	To express hatred against a random member of that community, and
	To terrorize the entire community of which the victim is a member.

Many persons, often conservatives, feel that the perpetrator should be penalized according to the injuries sustained by the victim.

After a decade of struggle, an inclusive hate crimes bill was successful. The bill passed the federal House and Senate on 2009-OCT-22. President Obama signed it into law on 2009-OCT-28.

It will help protect every person in the U.S. from being the victim of a hate crime in eight separate ways, on the basis of their:

	Race,
	Color,
	Religion,
	National origin,
	Gender, whether female, male or intersexual,
	Disability,
	Sexual orientation, whether they be bisexual, homosexual, or heterosexual, and
	Gender identity, whether they be transgendered or cis-gendered

Topics in this section:

	Introduction: Confusion over hate crimes: what they are and what they are not   Quotations; updating legislation; current status of bills   Definitions; existing laws
	U.S. hate crime statistics Physical attacks motivated by religion or sexual orientation. Data accuracy
	Hate crime law arguments: pro & con. Civil rights concerns about these laws.
	Would hate crime laws inhibit free speech? Accusations that free speech is endangered Are these accusations reasonable?
	Including sexual orientation as a protected class
	Attempts to create hate crime law update -- unsuccessful so far   Years 1999 to 2005: Timeline of legislative activity In the federal Senate In the federal House In various states   Year 2007 effort: House hate-crimes bill H.R. 1592, (Did not become law): Proposed text; support; opposition Exactly who is protected/not protected by the bill? Quotations by social and religious conservatives Liberals and conservatives differ on H.R. 1592; who is right? Markup activity in the committee and vote in the House   Year 2007 activity: Senate hate-crimes bill S 1105, (Did not become law): Proposed text. Bill passes senate, but fails. Support and opposition by religious groups   Year 2009 activity: Hate-crimes bill << Current activity Activity in the House; Bill H.R. 1913: A general overview of the House bill House committee activity. Fatal flaw in wording House passes bill. Support for bill   Attacks on H.R. 1913 by religious & social conservatives: Reaction by religious and social conservatives Conservatives' specific concern over free speech 2009-APR   Activity in the Senate; Bill S. 909: Senate passes bill. Religious hate speech has special protection Obama veto? Double Jeopardy concern. Media coverage More media coverage: how news sources mislead without lying   Bill signed into law: Background. Bill becomes law. Positive reactions More positive reactions Deceptive and negative reactions More negative reactions. Author's comments
	California hate-crimes law (2004)

Reference used:

1. Tony Perkins, "Flying the Co-op," Washington Update, 2009-SEP-15

Related topic:

Canadian bill C-250 concerning hate propaganda

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Copyright © 1999 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2009-JUN-28
Author: B.A. Robinson

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