An Unbalanced Bill

Independent Gay Forum  Oct 21 09

by Richard E. Sincere Jr.First published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 20, 2009

For more than a decade, liberal lawmakers have argued that federal "hate crimes" laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation among the categories that have been protected since the first such statute was enacted in the 1960s.

On Oct. 8, the House of Representatives approved the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, named for the young gay Wyoming man who was tortured and killed by thugs who now wallow in prison under life sentences. The U.S. Senate passed its version earlier this summer, and the two versions were reconciled by a conference committee. Full story...

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