Gay News Update: Hate Crimes Measure Passes *Update*
The Senate voted on the Mathew Shepard Hate Crimes legislation via Troop Funding Legislation for the Dept of Defense. Kafka anyone? The Hate Crimes legislation is attached as an amendment to the DOD reauthorization bill.
*Update* Hate crimes legislation passed the Senate this afternoon.
This morning from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: HHS, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced plans to establish the nation's first national resource center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and supports for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
Yesterday from the Dept of Housing and Urban Development: HUD, announced, a series of proposed regulatory changes that would include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families and prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in HUD programs, as well as the first-ever nationwide survey of housing discrimination against LGBT people.
The White House Released a statement to the Advocate, regarding voter referenda in Maine and Washington State:
The White House sent the following statement regarding President Barack Obama’s position on same-sex relationship recognition voter referenda in Maine and Washington.
“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples, and as he said at the Human Rights Campaign dinner, he believes ‘strongly in stopping laws designed to take rights away.’ Also at the dinner, he said he supports, ‘ensuring that committed gay couples have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country.’"
Comments [7]
AFT!
Yeah!
And it is about f*ing time.
And DONE
And DONE! Hate crimes legislation passes 68-29. On to Obama for a signature. Statement from Eric Holder (Attorney General):
"The action by Congress today to pass this vital legislation is a milestone in helping protect Americans from the most heinous bias-motivated violence. Hate crimes victimize not just individuals, but entire communities. Perpetrators of hate crimes seek to deny the humanity that we all share, regardless of the color of our skin, the God to whom we pray, or whom we love.
"There have been nearly 80,000 hate crime incidents reported to the FBI since I first testified before Congress in support of a hate crimes bill eleven years ago. The legislation is named after Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., both of whom were murdered in two of the most infamous examples of bias-motivated acts of violence, but recent tragedies like the shooting at the Holocaust Museum demonstrate that there are still those for whom prejudice can translate into violence. The passage of this legislation will give the Justice Department and our state and local law enforcement partners the tools we need to deter and prosecute these acts of violence.
"Since returning to the Justice Department, it has been one of my highest personal priorities to ensure that this legislation finally becomes law, and I applaud the Senate for joining the House in its vote today."
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
all i can say is
wow.
one small step for gaykind.
tweet tweet @gracemoon
Almost there
The Senate voted 64-35 to invoke cloture and cut off debate on the hate crimes legislation that was inlcuded in the Defense Appropriations Bill. One more vote to go on final passage.
Dick Lugar of Indiana, George Voinovich of Ohio and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine voted with Democrats to move the legislation to a final vote, which is expected Thursday night or Friday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/22/35-gop-senators-vote-agai_n_330...
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
Say it aint so Sen. Inouye
Not gays news but definitley a WTF are you thinking Sen. Inouye?
Multiple sources have told the Huffington Post that Sen. Dan Inouye, a longtime Democrat from Hawaii, is considering removing or altering the [anti-rape] provision, which was offered by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and passed by the Senate several weeks ago.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/22/frankens-anti-rape-amendm_n_329896.html
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
Wow, encouraging news about
Wow, encouraging news about HHS and HUD--whilst gay marriage sucks up all the oxygen in the room, sometimes it's quieter policy initiatives like this that could make a far greater difference in people's lives. After all, many individuals, gay and straight, don't want to marry, so we shouldn't put all our advocacy towards supporting 'coupling.'
Agreed
This is great news, but there are already some on other GLBT sites denigrating this development. I also saw this article on laying the groundwork for repealing DADT:
http://www.365gay.com/news/vanasco-does-wh-appointment-signal-movement-o...
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna