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MENU:
Hate crimes in the U.S.:
Definitions, information, ethics, & laws
Sponsored link.
Quotations:
 | "Homosexuals are protected from assault under the law just like everyone else, and what is sought is special rights and protection above what everyone else has. Essentially, they aim to make sexual deviancy a protected and privileged class above normal behavior, and to make speaking out against sexual deviancy a hate crime." The Winds 1 |
| "Many people who are against this bill have said they oppose it because it makes thought a crime. It does not. This is about actions...motivated by hatred." Penfield Tate (D-Denver), commenting on a defeated Colorado hate crime bill, 1999-APR-16. 2 |
Overview:
The assault, robbery, crucifixion, and death on 1998-OCT-12 of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, breathed new life in to the call for an upgrade to the Federal hate crime law. 1,3,4 The current law does not protect three groups that are particularly vulnerable to physical attack: women, the disabled, and homosexuals. President Clinton commented at the time: "All Americans deserve protection from hate."
Almost a decade has passed since Shepard's crucifixion. Many versions of a federal bill to expand hate-crimes protection to protect women, men, heterosexuals, bisexuals, homosexuals, transsexuals and disabled persons have been proposed, discussed, but not succeeded. The latest version was introduced into the House on 2007-MAR-20 and the Senate on 2007-APR-12. It was known as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. It has since been renamed the Matthew Shepard Act. It was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 237 to 180 on 2007-MAY-03. It was approved by the Senate by a voice vote on 2007-SEP-27. The president promises to veto the bill. There is insufficient support in Congress to over-ride the veto.
Although several hate crime bills had been introduced into the Wyoming legislature, the state remains without a hate crime law as of 2001-NOV.
Also in this section, we describe the new hate propaganda/hate speech section of the Canadian criminal code.
Topics in this section:
Related topic:
| Canadian bill C-250 concerning hate propaganda |
References:
- "Gay martyr used to promote hate crime legislation: Emotions running high in skillfully manipulated media event," The WINDS, 1998-OCT-13, at: http://www.thewinds.org/
- Gregory Herek, et al., "Hate crime victimization among lesbian, gay and bisexual adults," Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12(2): Pages 195-215.
- "Local and national groups call for hate crime legislation following brutal Wyoming murder," 1998-OCT-12, at: http://www.glaad.org/
- "GBCS decries attack on gay Wyoming student and calls for passage of hate crime legislation," General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church, at: http://www.umc-gbcs.org/
- The Matthew Shepard Foundation 'Erase Hate' project," at: http://www.matthewshepard.org/
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Copyright © 1999 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Latest update: 2007-MAY-02
Author: B.A. Robinson
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