The U.S. Senate will attempt to pass hate crimes legislation by Wednesday, by attaching it to a tourism bill (in an expected move). Which, if senators cannot pass the thing as a stand alone bill, is fitting — since enacting gay rights does help boost tourist dollars. Congress already approved its version of The Matthew Shepard Act, which means the bill would then head to the desk of the president, who’s promised to sign it.
Federal Hate Crimes Protection Just 48 Hours Away?
Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated
TheJohnV
Well it’s about *#%$@ %#&*#* #@%@ %^#*@ time!!!! After all national polling shows an average of 70+% support across the country for hate crimes legislation. The grip that the hardline religious right has on Congress is staggeringly disproportionate to the percentage of those rat bastards in our population. Organized religion is oppressive and it is time to make progress with civil rights!!!
TheJohnV
And I hope Obama doesn’t think that this bill will placate the LGBT community. It will not!!!
Rob
I hope this is true. I’m glad to hear that Congress may finally be acting on a piece of gay rights legislation.
The timing of this is interesting. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Senate leaders are setting up this press conference right after the gay community went into uproar over the Administration’s DOMA brief.
We need to keep the pressure on. We especially need to keep the pressure on Congress to take swift action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In a time of high unemployment, anti-discrimination legislation is an urgent matter. ENDA would also help us in the long run by making it easier for gays in conservative states to come out.
With 89% of the population supporting equal rights for gays “in terms of job opportunities” (Gallup 2007), ENDA will not cost the Democrats a nickel of political capital. Congress has no excuse not to act on ENDA this year.
galefan2004
ENDA should be next in my opinion. Others will say DADT, but I kind of feel that ENDA should do away with DADT on its own because when you start telling private companies that they can’t discriminate against gays and lesbians but the government can it kind of pisses them off. Anyways, I would like to see ENDA come next then we can work on the marriage issue. I like this bill; however, I think that strict guidelines for punishments should be enforced nation wide and the penalties for all crimes should be raised regardless if its a hate crime or not. Its time for the justice system to do something besides put people away for life for being caught with a joint their third time.
InExile
President Obama signing this bill is the least Judy Sheppard deserves after fighting for 10 years and The President barely giving her 2 minutes of his time!
Jim
I will believe it when it is a law. I no longer trust any politician especially Obushma.
Dabq
Hate Obama as much as this site and its posters do, as long as he signs this bill that still needs more teeth in it and its good as this was needed YEARS ago and after getting vetoed by Bush, maybe now it will become law, and, I for one could care less who signs it as long as its signed and a LAW.
And the next thing that needs to be signed into law is ENDA, which seems to be on the back burner now, which is sad.
hand
so…this is actually called the Travel Protection Act. and it’s a bill about…attracting tourism to the US.
i would have preferred something a little bit more … symbolic?
galefan2004
@hand: But Hand, this is very symbolic. The most symbolic part of it is that gay and lesbian tourists from other countries where their rights are recognized and they are treated with dignity and respect from their own governments, I know its shocking, are more likely to come to the US if they believe that when Bubba and his brothers beat the hell out of them he will get double the sentence. I don’t think anything could be more symbolic than when you realize your own human rights infringements are so bad that people from third world nations don’t even want to come visit.
Jim
@Dabq: I don’t hate him. I feel cheated. If I wanted a president who would lie to me, insult me, and use my government against me I would have voted republican.
Michael W.
@Dabq: Bush didn’t veto the bill. It was only a threat and that was enough to bring the process to a halt.
galefan2004
@Michael W.: All I can say is, “Obama change you can believe is four more years!”
Bri
It’s almost Friday. What is going on with this?