[NOW Actions] Demand Prosecution and Prevention of Hate Crimes

Support NOW's Work |	April 26, 2007	| Tell a Friend

Background Resources All NOW Actions More about NOW's work on lesbian rights		Demand Prosecution and Prevention of Hate Crimes Take Action Today: Demand Prosecution and Prevention of Hate Crimes The House takes up the Hate Crimes Prevention Act next week. Is your representative a co-sponsor? Find out here. Call your representative's office and urge that she or he co-sponsor and vote for this bill, or say thanks if your representative already signed on. Get direct numbers here or call the House switchboard at 202-225-3121. Send e-mail, too, for extra impact: Senate | House House bill to expand hate crime prevention efforts may be up for a floor vote NEXT WEEK, as early as Monday, April 30. After 15 years of determined advocacy on behalf of hate crimes prevention legislation, it appears we have a chance this year to pass an effective, inclusive bill. Activists must recruit supporters in the House for next week's possible floor vote and make sure our senators are sponsors and ready for Senate action as well. Take action now -- call 202-224-3121 -- or e-mail the House and Senate The House and the Senate are considering matching versions of the hate crimes legislation, formally known as The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. Introduced in the House as H.R. 1592 by Representative John Conyers (D-Mich.), and in the Senate as S. 1105 by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), this bipartisan proposal will expand current federal hate crimes protections for race, color, religion and national origin and include, for the first time, protections against violent bias crimes committed on the basis of disability, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. NOW activists and our allies are hoping that our hard work on this important civil rights bill will pay off. In the month ahead, we must thank our loyal supporters who have co-sponsored this bill and strongly urge the rest to co-sponsor and pass this important civil rights proposal which ensures that violent bias crimes are properly identified, condemned, investigated and dealt with at the federal level. H.R. 1592 was passed by the House Judiciary Committee this week and the bipartisan supporters hope to bring it to the full House for a vote as early as next Monday. Take action now -- call 202-224-3121 -- or e-mail the House and Senate We must take note that this bill does NOT criminalize hate speech nor infringe on anyone's religious liberties. Hate crimes laws apply only to crimes that "rise to a felony" and they're not just about enhanced punishment--the bill provides actual resources for prevention. Currently, when local law enforcement is unavailable, unable or unwilling to proceed, federal authorities cannot investigate or prosecute crimes involving death or serious bodily injury based on sexual orientation, gender, or disability-based bias. This bill allows federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Victims of hate crimes deserve this civil rights legislation. Take action now -- call 202-224-3121 -- e-mail the House and Senate Background: Many states lack broad and inclusive hate crime and anti-discrimination laws, and many incidents of hate violence go unreported.This legislation would allow the government to assist localities in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes -- a necessary tool in ensuring that resources are effectively used to achieve a just resolution to these cases. And when local law enforcement is unwilling or unable to investigate a hate crime, this federal aid would ensure that every victim is addressed and protected. At the same time, the bill protects freedom of speech by specifying that evidence of a hateful motive must be directly linked to the violent crime in question. Current legislation provides federal aid only in response to hate crimes that interrupt a victim's federal activities, like attending public school, voting or participating in jury duty. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act would eliminate this restriction and would allow the Department of Justice and FBI to respond, when called upon, to cases of physical violence based on the victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity. Passage of this legislation is especially important for the girls and women of this nation. NOW members and supporters know first-hand how vicious crimes of hate can affect our lives. We know that hate crimes are more than individual assaults -- they send waves of shock and fear throughout a whole community and segments of our diverse population. Hate violence is also a message crime and the message is: "know your place" and "your kind is not welcome here." For vulnerable individuals and communities, federal assistance and resources are vital and this legislation is an important beginning. The lives and dignity of so many people are at stake. We cannot remain silent when girls' and women's lives are restricted and often ruined by the fear as well as the reality of hate crimes, be they based on our religion, race, gender identity or just because we are women. Support The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. Take action now -- call 202-224-3121 -- or e-mail the House and Senate Resources: Detailed information on the bills: H.R. 1592 and S.1105. NOW Welcomes Introduction of Comprehensive Hate Crimes Bill NOW Links Arms with LGBT Allies Against Hate Crimes Read NOW's letter to the House about this bill (PDF) Leadership Conference on Civil Rights: Hate Crimes: Why You Should Care Human Rights Campaign Fact Sheet
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