Source: Truthout
“In a landmark decision coming on the tail of decades of fierce debate, Congress passed a bill to widen federal protection against hate crimes to those victimized because of their sex or sexual orientation. President Barack Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act on Wednesday.
Though also encountering great antagonism, the decision was passed by a vote of 281 to 156 in the House vote earlier this month, and then by a 68 to 29 vote in the Senate last Thursday, with a gay rights march on the Capitol attended by more than 200,000 people from all over the country and a speech by Obama to the Human Rights Campaign occurring in between. It will now go to Obama, who has said he supports the legislation, for signature.”
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