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U.S. Senate Re-Introduces Anti-Hate Crimes Legislation

Compiled by GayToday
Human Rights Campaign

Sen. Edward Kennedy is one of the co-sponsors of a new bipartisan anti-hate crimes bill

Washington, D.C. -The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (LLEEA), anti-hate crimes legislation, was re-introduced by a bipartisan trio Thursday by Senators Edward Kennedy, (D-Massachusetts), Gordon Smith, (R-Oregon), and Arlen Specter, (R-Pennsylvania).

LLEE would add real or perceived sexual orientation, gender and disability to federal hate crime laws, thus allowing the federal government greater leverage in providing assistance for the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. The Human Rights Campaign has hailed the measure.

"Hate crimes are meant to instill fear and create an atmosphere of intimidation against entire communities. This legislation will help to curtail the scourge of hate violence that is all too frequently directed at gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. Violence based on discrimination is antithetical to American ideals of freedom and tolerance, and we are very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with leaders from both sides of the aisle in fighting these insidious crimes," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg.

LLEEA enjoys strong bipartisan support in the Senate with 49 original co-sponsors, and is endorsed by more than 175 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations, including: the National Sheriffs' Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and many others.

LLEEA has already passed the Senate in earlier forms on two different occasions - most recently, in June 2000, as an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill, by a Senate vote of 57-42, with 13 Republicans. In September 2000, the House also passed a motion to instruct in support of the measure, 232-192, with 41 Republicans. The Senate also passed the legislation in July 1999, as an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State (CJS) appropriations bill. Each time the amendment was stripped out in conference committee.

Human Rights Campaign's Political Director Winnie Statchelberg

"Meaningful anti-hate crime legislation in this country is long overdue. This bill has passed the Senate on two separate occasions, only to be lost in political posturing down the road. HRC is urging the Senate to pass this bill into law quickly," said Stachelberg.

Since the Federal Bureau of Investigation began collecting hate crime statistics in 1991, more than 11,000 hate crimes based on sexual orientation have been reported. Since 1991, reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation have more than tripled, and increased 7.2 percent from 2000 to 2001, for a total of 1,393 incidents that year. Comparatively, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), a non-profit organization that tracks bias incidents against GLBT people, reported 1,943 incidents for 2001. The discrepancy in numbers is partially attributed to underreporting of hate crimes to the FBI, which is often motivated by fear of further discrimination and victimization.

"Hate crimes in this country are on the rise, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans are all too frequently targeted for violence based in discrimination and prejudice. It is time for this country to take a stand against those that would use violence to silence the voices or spirit of any American out of prejudice. It is time for Congress to pass LLEEA," said Stachelberg.

On February 22, 2001, Kyle Skyock, a slightly built 16-year-old, was found unconscious by a jogger on the side of the road after being beaten by four teen-age boys because they thought he was gay. After the incident, one of the alleged perpetrators reportedly bragged on the school bus that he had beaten up a "fag." Police refused to even interview Skyock for several months after the attack, and charges were never filed against the perpetrators. Skyock's family filed a civil suit against the perpetrators and in March 2003, a federal judge said the attack on Skyock was a "damnable" hate crime and awarded him $1.22 million in damages

"Kyle Skyock and his family have found justice in the civil courts, but they most likely will never see criminal charges brought against the four teen-agers who committed this malicious crime," said Stachelberg. "LLEEA is designed to give federal authorities jurisdiction to intervene and support local authorities in cases like this to ensure that hate crimes are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

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