Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance (INTRAA)

ACTION ALERT: Call Senators About Hate Crimes Bill S.909

Friday, 07. 10. 2009  –  Section: TransNews

Dear Friends,

We have good news: The Senate is likely to vote on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, as early as next Wednesday, July 15. As you may remember, the companion bill, H.R.1913, already passed the House of Representatives this past April after NCTE’s successful lobby day. With a final push, you can help to make this important bill become a law.

This bill expands the coverage of existing hate crime laws to include crimes not only based on race, color, religion, and national origin, but also bias-motivated crimes based on the victim’s actual pr perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.

TAKE ACTION

Call your Senators on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, July 15, call your senators toll free at 866-659-9641 between 9am and 5pm ET.

It is vital that they hear from you since they will also be hearing from those who oppose this bill. Urge your Senator to vote in support of S.909, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Please take this important step to help address the violence faced by transgender people.

WHAT THE BILL SAYS

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act, S.909, would:

• Extend existing federal protections to include “gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability”
• Allow the Justice Department to assist in hate crime investigations at the local level when local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to fully address these crimes
• Mandate that the FBI begin tracking hate crimes based on actual or perceived gender identity
• Remove limitations that narrowly define hate crimes to violence committed while a person is accessing a federally protected activity, such as voting.

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act is supported by nearly 300 civil rights, education, religious, and civic organizations. The bill is also endorsed by virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country-including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, and thirty-one state Attorneys General.

For more information:

• Read the specifics about this legislation from the Library of Congress, go to their website and search by bill S.909
• View the NCTE Fact Sheet about the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (the House version of this bill) and read additional information about hate crimes on NCTE’s website

Thank you!

Thank you for taking action on this vital issue as we work together to make our world safer for transgender people.