Takes On Hate Crimes Legislation Passing The House & Senate

by: Autumn Sandeen

Sat Oct 24, 2009 at 08:00:00 AM EDT

"I am pleased that today we were able to move the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 a step closer to passage this afternoon.  But I'm disappointed that Senate Republicans have decided that defeating hate crimes legislation takes precedent over supporting our troops.

"It is outrageous and unacceptable that Senate Republicans would vote against pay raises for our troops, battlefield equipment upgrades and increased funding for veterans' health care as we continue to fight two wars.  And they decided to do this all for the sake of stopping passage of landmark legislation that will bring justice to those who commit violent crimes based on bigotry and prejudice.  What message does that send to our country and, more importantly, to our troops?"

~Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

The bigotry and prejudice Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid mentions is against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Some of us are servicemembers; some of us are, like me, veterans; some of us are, like me, are actually LGBT disabled veterans. The Republican votes against this bill, when one condiders that there are LGBT veterans and disabled veterans, really  was "outrageous and unacceptable."

As many of us trans folk know, we often get erased from the coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) federal legislation. I watched yesterday as Rachel Maddow wonderfully mentioned "gender identity" in the passage of The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act:

Well, to keep the reality in focus for trans people, The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is the very first piece of federal legislation that includes gender identity. Let me say that again: this is the first piece of federal legislation that specifically includes transgender people.

And, President Obama has promised he will sign the bill, and that will likely happen next week.

I talked to Adam Bass -- Senior Media Strategist with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) -- on the phone today about the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. I worked with him closely during the coverage of the Angie Zapata...we were both deeply affected by covering that trial. Today I'm thinking of Angie as I think of this bill, so naturally I thought of Adam. I asked for his comments on the House and Senate passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and this is what he said:

As we await President Obama's signature on the recently passed hate crimes bill, I can't help but think of Angie Zapata Last April, I sat in a court room with Angie's family and friends and listened about the horrific last few hours of her life - when she was brutally beaten to death, simply because another human being hated that she was transgender.  Angie was a young, vibrant, beautiful sister, aunt and daughter.  She's someone I would have loved to have known.  It is remarkable to think that in a very short time we will see the nation's first gender-identity inclusive bill signed into law by the President of the United States.  It is an incredible signal of respect for Angie and all the other transgender and gay people who have been taken from us through hate violence.

I couldn't agree more with Adam.

Below the fold is a collection of what leading transgender civil rights organizations have said about passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Please take a read -- what they have to say seems pretty important to hear.