Urge your Senators to support the Hate Crimes Prevention Act

The following is information from the YWCA USA's Social Action and Advocacy office. Social action and advocacy have been the cornerstones of our national organization since it's inception almost 150 years ago. In communities across the United States, YWCAs like the YWCA of Charleston continue to work to improve social and economic conditions for all people. We work diligently to bring first-hand knowledge of how federal level policies and programs affect women, girls and their families in communities across the country. Historically, the YWCA USA has fought for issues such as the abolition of child labor, the 8-hour workday and desegregation and, today, we urge you to help carry on our long tradition in social action and advocacy.

Call your Senators now and urge them to support the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S.909). The Senate could consider the measure as early as Wednesday, July 15. The Matthew Shepard Act is a much-needed update to existing federal hate crimes laws. It expands the law to protect victims of crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity, and allows federal law enforcement to assist state and local jurisdictions in the prosecution of hate crimes. A companion measure, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, was passed by the House earlier this year.

Call your senators today at 202-224-3121 (Congressional switchboard) to urge them to strongly support this bill so that all Americans are protected from hate crimes.

About the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act

This bill would strengthen and expand current federal law by:

• expanding the legal definition of a hate crime to cover crimes committed because of a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability;
  lifting the overly restrictive requirement regarding engagement in a federally-protected activity. Currently, the federal government can only prosecute a hate crime if the perpetrator intended to prevent the victim from exercising a federally-protected right, such as the right to vote or attend school;
• providing local law enforcement officials important resources, including federal training and direct assistance, to combat violent, bias-motivated crime;
• allowing the Department of Justice to help local and state governments investigate and prosecute hate crimes and/or allowing federal investigations and prosecutions when local authorities are unwilling or unable; and
• demonstrating the federal government’s resolve to address violence based on prejudice.

About hate crimes

• Hate crimes are committed when a perpetrator intentionally selects his or her victim because of the victim’s membership in a particular social group usually defined by characteristics like race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Hate crimes don’t just cause harm to the victim; they are designed to intimidate and terrorize whole communities on the basis of personal and immutable characteristics.
• According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, hate crimes tend to be much more violent than other crimes.

Who supports the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA)/Matthew Shepard Act (S.909, H.R.1913)?

• This legislation enjoys strong bipartisan support and is similar to legislation introduced in the 110th Congress.
• The legislation is supported by 300 civil rights groups, women’s groups, disability groups, and law enforcement agencies including the YWCA USA. The president and the attorney general also support this legislation.