The Imminence of Hate Crimes Legislation

by Michael Jones · 2009-06-15 09:01:00 UTC
Topics:

Stop hate

After more than ten years of limbo for federal hate crimes legislation that includes protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, it looks like we may see action this week in the Senate to finally pass an inclusive hate crimes bill.

The Washington Blade notes that the legislation will likely be folded into the Travel Promotion Act, known officially as S. 1023.  That bill will establish a national travel promotion program to communicate U.S. travel policies and to promote travel to the United States.  Which, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with hate crimes legislation.  But attaching the hate crimes bill to this rather inocuous piece of legislation, at least in the minds of the Senate leadership and Majority Leader Harry Reid, will allow the bill to pass through the Senate much more easily than if a stand-alone vote were to happen on the measure.

The hate crimes bill passed the House on April 29, 249-175, which means that if the U.S. Senate passes it with the Travel Promotion Act, it will move on to President Barack Obama's desk.  He's pledged to sign it, and given his reputation among LGBT groups right now, he ought to do so with as much fanfare as humanly possible.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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