Matthew Shepard Online Resources

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As Matt's murderers are now in jail, this Web site is no longer being updated, but will remain as a resource, and memorial, to Matthew Shepard and all who have been murdered simply because of who they are. Please click below to visit our new Web site HateCrime.org for updates on other hate crimes:

http://www.wiredstrategies.com/shepardx.html

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My partner on this blog has published many posts re: Hate Crimes Bill and GLBT Rights. I rarely post on these subjects (as Granny does a far better job than I could) but I support Granny in these endeavors 100%. One of Granny's sons is an intelligent, charming, handsome, kind, gentle, sensitive, loving, compassionate man who happens to be gay. Granny's devotion and loyalty to her dearly loved son makes her especially sensitive to GLBT rights and to hate crimes directed against people of these orientations. I daresay that supportive parents of all GLBT folks harbor dread that some small minded, evil, bigoted hate monger may attack their children. Every parent fears harm coming to their child but these offspring are especially vulnerable.

Many people seem to think that the Hate Crimes Bill is solely to protect gays. It is not; it is designed to help protect people against "a crime of violence under Federal law or a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim..." I support the rights of GLBT citizens and ALL citizens. All citizens have the right of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"; pursuing happiness is scarcely an option if some hater beats you up or kills you because of who you are.

So why is the Hate Crimes Bill hanging fire? Because of bias - bias against gays and bias in favor of Fundies. Several years ago an attempt was made to include sexual orientation in the Hate Crimes Bill and it has been fought against vigorously ever since. The following posts deal with these factors with examples of gay bashing and racial bias.

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http://www.pflag.org/Hate_Crimes.hatecrimes.0.html
Hate Crimes Legislation

Why is federal hate crimes legislation needed?

Documented hate crimes based on sexual orientation are on the rise according to FBI statistics. Unfortunately, the FBI data does not report separately on crimes against those who are targeted for non-traditional gender expression. We know that anti-GLBT hate crimes are underreported.
[WA: other types of hate crimes are also under reported. A previous post involved a racial bias hate crime but because it included rectal violation was called a sex crime. The stats on hate crimes are too low; perhaps it is prefered that the actual number appear low ].


State laws are inadequate to respond to these crimes. Only 27 states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws inclusive of sexual orientation, and only five of those and the District of Columbia are expressly transgender inclusive. A federal hate crimes law will strengthen existing laws by allowing the Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions, and where appropriate, investigate and prosecute cases.


Hate crimes are message crimes. Anti-LGBT hate violence, like all bias crimes, damages individuals, families, groups our communities. Perpetrators of anti-GLBT violence send a clear message to GLBT people, those perceived to be GLBT, or even their supporters, that they are unwelcome and unsafe in a particular community.


Most hate crimes are committed by “average people.” Perpetrators are typically not “psychos,” neo-nazis or skinheads, but are otherwise law-abiding people who disdain those who are different or fear those differences. Recent research suggests that anti-LGBT hate crime perpetrators perceive gay bashing to be socially sanctioned and therefore acceptable behavior.


Anti-GLBT hate crimes, like other bias crimes, are preventable. According to the American Psychological Association, “hate crimes are not necessarily random, uncontrollable, or inevitable occurrences,” and “there is overwhelming evidence that society can intervene to reduce or prevent many forms of violence, especially among young people, including the hate-induced violence that threatens and intimidates entire categories of people.”


Support for a federal hate crimes bill is widespread. Support from notable law enforcement agencies and state and local leaders includes 22 state attorneys general, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation and the National Sheriffs' Association. More than 175 law enforcement, civil rights and religious organizations that supported the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act.

Hate Crimes Resources:
Information on current federal hate crimes legislation
Responses to criticisms of hate crime law
Statistics on hate crime
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004885.html

Summary of Hate Crime Statistics, 2004

	Number of incidents	Number of offenses	Number of victims	Number of known offenders
Race	4,042	4,863	5,119	4,173
Anti-white	829	998	1,027	1,085
Anti-black	2,731	3,281	3,475	2,694
Anti-American Indian/Alaska Native	83	97	100	97
Anti-Asian/Pacific Islander	217	252	266	188
Anti-multi-racial group	182	235	251	109
Religion	1,374	1,480	1,586	604
Anti-Jewish	954	1,003	1,076	330
Anti-Catholic	57	57	68	37
Anti-Protestant	38	43	48	28
Anti-Islamic	156	193	201	124
Anti-other religious group	128	140	147	68
Anti-multi-religious group	35	37	39	14
Anti-atheism/agnosticism/etc.	6	7	7	3
Sexual orientation	1,197	1,406	1,482	1,258
Anti-male homosexual	738	855	902	832
Anti-female homosexual	164	201	212	163
Anti-homosexual	245	297	314	224
Anti-heterosexual	33	35	36	22
Anti-bisexual	17	18	18	17
Ethnicity/national origin	972	1,201	1,254	1,047
Anti-Hispanic	475	611	646	585
Anti-other ethnicity/national origin	497	590	608	462
Disability	57	71	73	54
Anti-physical	23	23	24	16
Anti-mental	34	48	49	38
Multiple-bias incidents1	7	14	14	9
Total	7,649	9,035	9,528	7,145

1. A multiple-bias incident is a hate crime in which two or more offense types were committed as a result of two or more bias motivations.

Source: Crime in the United States, 2004, FBI, Uniform Crime Reports.

Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
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hate crimes bill, hanging fire for 4 years:
http://capwiz.com/pflag/issues/bills/?bill=3643771

Congressional Legislation
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2003 (formerly Hate Crimes Prevention)Bill # S.966Original Sponsor:Edward Kennedy (D-MA)Cosponsor Total: 40(last sponsor added 07/09/2003)33 Democrats1 Independents6 Republicans

About This Legislation:5/1/2003--Introduced.- Authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime that: (1) constitutes a crime of violence under Federal law or a felony under State or Indian tribal law; and (2) is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of the hate crime laws of the State or tribe. Directs the Attorney General to give priority for assistance to crimes committed by offenders who have committed crimes in more than one State and to rural jurisdictions that have difficulty covering the extraordinary investigation or prosecution expenses.
continue text at:
http://capwiz.com/pflag/issues/bills/?bill=3643771
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