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the Hate Crimes Prevention Act Bipartisan Legislation follows rash of Brutal Slayings Vice President Gore's Statement Urges Quick Passage |
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Compiled By GayToday
Washington, D.C.--Members of Congress announced the upcoming introduction of the
Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) Thursday at a bipartisan press conference on
Capitol Hill.
The HCPA would extend current federal hate crimes protection to cover gender, sexual orientation and disability.
HRC contends that the murders of James Byrd, Matthew Shepard and Billy Jack Gaither and others highlight the need for Congress to pass this legislation and make it clear that our nation must no longer ignore this growing problem. The press conference featured nine congressional co-sponsors: Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Arlen Specter, R-Pa.; Gordon Smith, R-Ore.; and Reps. Michael P. Forbes, R-N.Y.; John Conyers, D-Mich.; House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo.; and Constance A. Morella, R-Md. Members of Congress pointed out that while crime continues to decrease nationally, hate crimes based on sexual orientation were up 8 percent in 1997, according to the latest FBI statistics. Sexual orientation was the third highest category of hate crimes behind race and religion and represented 14 percent of all hate crimes reported. Calls for passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act accelerated in the aftermath of three brutal murders that rocked the nation. Last year, white supremacists dragged James Byrd to death behind a pick-up truck in Jasper, Texas. University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was killed in Laramie, Wyoming last fall in part because he was gay. Two men beat Shepard, tied him to a fence and left him to die in freezing weather.
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws that include sexual orientation. Twenty-one states have laws that do not include sexual orientation. Eight states have no hate crimes laws at all. "Hate crimes against gay and lesbian Americans are rapidly increasing as more people choose to live their lives openly and honestly," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "The Hate Crimes Prevention Act is needed to stem the tide of this alarming trend and to bring uniformity to the maze of state laws that exist today." The Hate Crimes Prevention Act will also allow local law enforcement authorities to utilize federal assistance in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. This key aspect of HCPA is why it has broad support from notable law enforcement agencies and state and local leaders, including 22 state attorneys general, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Foundation, former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. While high-profile cases such as Shepard's and Gaither's gain a lot of publicity, anti-gay violence is far from uncommon. A study released in August by Dr. Karen Franklin, a forensic psychologist at the Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training, suggests that harassment and hate crimes against gay students by their peers is commonplace.
According to the study, nearly one-quarter of community college students who took part in this survey
admitted to harassing people they thought were gay. Among men, 18 percent said
they had physically assaulted or threatened someone they thought was gay or
lesbian. And 32 percent admitted they were guilty of verbal harassment.
An October 1998 CNN/Time poll found that 75 percent of Americans think violence against gay Americans is a serious problem across the country. According to the survey, 68 percent of those polled said a similar attack could happen in their community. And 39 percent said anti-gay violence is a very serious problem, while 36 percent said it is a serious problem. Two federal hate crimes laws include sexual orientation as a protected group. The Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990 requires the FBI to collect statistics on bias-motivated crimes. The Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act of 1995 provides for tougher sentencing when it is proven that the crime committed was motivated by bias.
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Suspects Steven Mullins (top) and Charles Butler Jr. 
Vice President Gore 