Just this Wednesday, President Obama made major headway for civil rights legislation when he signed called the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, making it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity.
It is named after Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, who were both killed due to their sexuality and ethnicity in 1998.
While hate crimes still exist, this is a major step for humanity. Check out the article below for the details:
Hate Crimes Bill Signed Into Law 11 Years After Matthew Shepard's Death
By Rachel Weiner from the HuffingtonPost.com
President Obama signed major civil rights legislation on Wednesday, making it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity. The new measure expands the the scope of a 1968 law that applies to people attacked because of their race, religion or national origin. The U.S. Justice Department will have expanded authority to prosecute such crimes when local authorities don't. Read More…
