Press

CONTACT:
Blake Cornish, Federal Legislative Lawyer
bcornish@ngltf.org

URGENT ACTION: The Hate Crimes Coalition has targeted Thursday, September 7 as National call in day. Join over 100 state and national organizations in the fight to end hate violence in America. Call your representatives on September 7 at the Congressional Switchboard, (202)225-3121, to urge support for inclusion of the hate crimes amendment in HR 4205/S 2549.

Currently, federal law does not cover hate violence based on sexual orientation, gender or disability and is restricted to protecting only those victims who were engaged in a federally protected activity. Therefore, the Kennedy/Smith hate crimes amendment is particularly important for the GLBT community, whose members have been targets of hate crime violence across the country.

On June 20, the Senate voted to attach the amendment, known in the Senate as the Kennedy/Smith "Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act," to the FY 01 Department of Defense Authorization bill (S. 2549). However, the House version of the FY 01 Authorization bill does not contain the hate crimes amendment (H.R. 4205). For the Kennedy/Smith hate crimes amendment to become law, the House must agree to include it in the final Department of Defense Authorization bill.

This may be the last chance for this hate crimes legislation to be passed in the 106th Congressional session. Opponents have not allowed a vote on the independent bill; thus, it is essential to include it as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill.

The amendment needs bipartisan support. Therefore, all Representatives need to hear that their constituents care about this issue. Congress must not adjourn this year without enacting legislation to strengthen the federal response to hate crime violence.

While violence and bigotry cannot be legislated out of existence, a forceful, moral response to combating hate violence is required of us all. On September 7, call your member of Congress at 202/225-3121 to urge him/her to vote for the inclusion of the hate crimes amendment in the final Department of Defense Authorization bill (HR 4205/S 2549).

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.