Hate Crimes Bill Dies

Federal Hate Crimes legislation that would have added gender, sexual orientation and gender identity and disability to the Federal Hate Crimes Act has died. Also known as The Matthew Shepard Act, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed the House of Representatives and then the Senate, where it was attached as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, a Department of Defense spending bill. It was stripped from that bill on Thursday because Senate leaders believed it would not pass.

Judy and Dennis Shepard parents of Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old Wyoming resident who was murdered in 1998 in an anti-gay hate crime, released a statement that said, "At this time of year that fills us all with hope for humankind, we are sad to find that a Congressional majority of each House who have already adopted the Matthew Shepard Act cannot yet come together. If not here, where? If not now, when?"

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays also stated their disappointment in the failure of the bill. "PFLAG is saddened that Congress has decided at this time not to protect all Americans, especially our children," said John Cepek, National President of PFLAG. "We had come so close in this session for Congress to enact crimes protections for all - the progress made was historic, as was this callous act to end our effort."

Here's more about what the Hate Crimes Act would have done, if it had passed.
_{© Photo of Judy Shepard with Gordon Smith and Ted Kennedy introducing Hate Crimes Legislation in April by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images}