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 New York Times | Hate Crime Prevention Act may have far-reaching implications for gay rights Examiner.com And even if the new measure had been in effect when its other namesake, Matthew Shepard, was killed for being gay, it is unlikely that his ... Gays and Disabled Are Now Protected Under Hate Crimes Law in US After 10-year dispute, expansion of hate crimes law to gays signed Hate Crime Legislation Significantly Expands Protections |
LGBT activists call on elected officials, candidates to make public safety top ... Sovo.com On the day Atlanta Pride begins and with Election Day just around the corner, a coalition of LGBT activists issued ... LGBT groups back Mitchell for City Council presidency LGBT groups weigh in on best candidates Take your pride to the polls |
 guardian.co.uk | Obama lifts HIV travel ban ChicagoPride.com Chicago, IL â€" It's been a red-letter week in the LGBT and HIV/AIDS worlds thanks to the Federal Government. ... Lifting HIV Travel Ban Will Finally End 'Federally Sanctioned Stigma' Obama Ends US Travel Ban On Visitors, Immigrants With HIV-AIDS Obama lifts HIV travel ban |
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guardian.co.uk | Obama Forges Forward on Gay Issues: Ends HIV Travel Ban, Reauthorizes Ryan ... EDGE Boston GLBT equality lobbying organization the Human Rights Campaign issued a press release praising Obama. Said Joe Solmonese, the head of the group, ... Obama Ends HIV Travel & Immigration Ban |
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Earlier this morning President Obama signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. Below are his remarks:
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT SIGNING OF THE RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS
TREATMENT EXTENSION ACT OF 2009
Diplomatic Reception Room
11:58 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody.
AUDIENCE: Good morning.
THE PRESIDENT: We often speak about AIDS as if it's going on somewhere else. And for good reason -- this is a virus that has touched lives and decimated communities around the world, particularly in Africa. But often overlooked is the fact that we face a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic of our own -- right here in Washington, D.C., and right here in the United States of America. And today, we are taking two important steps forward in the fight that we face here at home.
It has been nearly three decades since this virus first became known. But for years, we refused to recognize it for what it was. It was coined a "gay disease." Those who had it were viewed with suspicion. There was a sense among some that people afflicted by AIDS somehow deserved their fate and that it was acceptable for our nation to look the other way.
A number of events and advances over the years have broadened our understanding of this cruel illness. One of them came in 1984, when a 13-year-old boy from central Indiana contracted HIV/AIDS from a transfusion. Doctors assured people that Ryan White posed no risk to his classmates or his community. But ignorance was still widespread. People didn't yet understand or believe that the virus couldn't be spread by casual contact. Parents protested Ryan's attendance in class. Some even pulled their kids out of school. Things got so bad that the White family had to ultimately move to another town.
It would have been easy for Ryan and his family to stay quiet and to fight the illness in private. But what Ryan showed was the same courage and strength that so many HIV-positive activists have shown over the years and shown around -- show around the world today. And because he did, we didn't just become more informed about HIV/AIDS, we began to take action to fight it.
In 1990, the year Ryan passed away, two great friends and unlikely political allies, Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, came together and introduced the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act -- the CARE Act -- which was later named after Ryan.
In a few minutes, I'm going to sign the fourth reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. Now, in the past, policy differences have made reauthorizations of this program divisive and controversial. But that didn't happen this year. And for that, the members of Congress that are here today deserve extraordinary credit for passing this bill in the bipartisan manner that it deserves: Tom Harkin and Mike Enzi in the Senate, we are grateful to you for your extraordinary work; Speaker Pelosi, who's always leading the charge on so many issues; Frank Pallone, Jr., Joe Barton, Barbara Lee and Donna Christensen in the House, thank you for your extraordinary work -- oh don't worry, I'm getting to Henry. (Laughter.) Nancy is always looking out for members, but we've got a special section for Henry.
And Chairman Henry Waxman, who began holding hearings on AIDS in 1982, before tefore there was even a name for AIDS, was leading here in Washington to make sure that this got the informed attention that it deserved and who led the House in passing the original Ryan White legislation in 1990.
I also want to acknowledge the HIV community for crafting a consensus document that did so much to help move this process forward. Some of the advocates so important to this legislation are with us here today: Ernest Hopkins from Cities Advocating for Emergency AIDS Relief; Frank Oldham, Jr., President and CEO of the National Association of People with AIDS; and Julie Scofield, Executive Director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
And I'm especially honored that Ryan's mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, is here today. For 25 years, Jeanne had an immeasurable impact in helping ramp up America's response to this epidemic. While we lost Ryan at too young an age, Jeanne's efforts have extended the lives and saved the lives of so many others. We are so appreciative to you. Thank you. (Applause.)
You know, over the past 19 years this legislation has evolved from an emergency response into a comprehensive national program for the care and support of Americans living with HIV/AIDS. It helps communities that are most severely affected by this epidemic and often least served by our health care system, including minority communities, the LGBT community, rural communities, and the homeless. It's often the only option for the uninsured and the underinsured. And it provides life-saving medical services to more than half a million Americans every year, in every corner of the country.
It's helped us to open a critical front on the ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS. But let me be clear: This is a battle that's far from over, and it's a battle that all of us need to do our part to join. AIDS may no longer be the leading killer of Americans ages 25 to 44, as it once was. But there are still 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, and more than 56,000 new infections occur every single year.
Some communities still experience unacceptably high rates of infection. Gay men make up 2 or 3 percent of the population, but more than half of all new cases. African Americans make up roughly half of all new cases. Nearly half of all new cases now occur in the South. And a staggering 7 percent of Washington, D.C.'s residents between the ages of 40 and 49 live with HIV/AIDS -- and the epidemic here isn't as severe as it is in several other U.S. cities.
So tackling this epidemic will take far more aggressive approaches than we've seen in the past -- not only from our federal government, but also state and local governments, from local community organizations, and from places of worship.
But it will also take an effort to end the stigma that has stopped people from getting tested; that has stopped people from facing their own illness; and that has sped the spread of this disease for far too long. A couple of years ago Michelle and I were in Africa and we tried to combat the stigma when we were in Kenya by taking a public HIV/AIDSIV/AIDS test. And I'm proud to announce today we're about to take another step towards ending that stigma.
Twenty-two years ago, in a decision rooted in fear rather than fact, the United States instituted a travel ban on entry into the country for people living with HIV/AIDS. Now, we talk about reducing the stigma of this disease -- yet we've treated a visitor living with it as a threat. We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic -- yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people from HIV from entering our own country.
If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it. And that's why, on Monday my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban effective just after the New Year. Congress and President Bush began this process last year, and they ought to be commended for it. We are finishing the job. It's a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives. (Applause.)
We are continuing the work of crafting a coordinated, measurable national HIV/AIDS strategy to stem and suppress this epidemic. I'm pleased to report that the Office of National AIDS Policy, led by Jeffrey Crowley, has already held eight in a series of 14 community discussions in cities across the country. They've brought together faith-based organizations and businesses, schools and research institutions, people living with HIV and concerned citizens, gathering ideas on how to target a national response that effectively reduces HIV infections, improves access to treatment, and eliminates health disparities. And we are encouraged by the energy, the enthusiasm, and great ideas that we've collected so far.
We can't give Ryan White back to Jeanne, back to his mom. But what we can do -- what the legislation that I'm about to sign has done for nearly 20 years -- is honor the courage that he and his family showed. What we can do is to take more action and educate more people. What we can do is keep fighting each and every day until we eliminate this disease from the face of the Earth.
So with that, let me sign this bill. (Applause.)
(The Act is signed.) (Applause.)
END 12:07 P.M. EDT
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT SIGNING OF THE RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS
TREATMENT EXTENSION ACT OF 2009
Diplomatic Reception Room
11:58 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody.
AUDIENCE: Good morning.
THE PRESIDENT: We often speak about AIDS as if it's going on somewhere else. And for good reason -- this is a virus that has touched lives and decimated communities around the world, particularly in Africa. But often overlooked is the fact that we face a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic of our own -- right here in Washington, D.C., and right here in the United States of America. And today, we are taking two important steps forward in the fight that we face here at home.
It has been nearly three decades since this virus first became known. But for years, we refused to recognize it for what it was. It was coined a "gay disease." Those who had it were viewed with suspicion. There was a sense among some that people afflicted by AIDS somehow deserved their fate and that it was acceptable for our nation to look the other way.
A number of events and advances over the years have broadened our understanding of this cruel illness. One of them came in 1984, when a 13-year-old boy from central Indiana contracted HIV/AIDS from a transfusion. Doctors assured people that Ryan White posed no risk to his classmates or his community. But ignorance was still widespread. People didn't yet understand or believe that the virus couldn't be spread by casual contact. Parents protested Ryan's attendance in class. Some even pulled their kids out of school. Things got so bad that the White family had to ultimately move to another town.
It would have been easy for Ryan and his family to stay quiet and to fight the illness in private. But what Ryan showed was the same courage and strength that so many HIV-positive activists have shown over the years and shown around -- show around the world today. And because he did, we didn't just become more informed about HIV/AIDS, we began to take action to fight it.
In 1990, the year Ryan passed away, two great friends and unlikely political allies, Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, came together and introduced the Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act -- the CARE Act -- which was later named after Ryan.
In a few minutes, I'm going to sign the fourth reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. Now, in the past, policy differences have made reauthorizations of this program divisive and controversial. But that didn't happen this year. And for that, the members of Congress that are here today deserve extraordinary credit for passing this bill in the bipartisan manner that it deserves: Tom Harkin and Mike Enzi in the Senate, we are grateful to you for your extraordinary work; Speaker Pelosi, who's always leading the charge on so many issues; Frank Pallone, Jr., Joe Barton, Barbara Lee and Donna Christensen in the House, thank you for your extraordinary work -- oh don't worry, I'm getting to Henry. (Laughter.) Nancy is always looking out for members, but we've got a special section for Henry.
And Chairman Henry Waxman, who began holding hearings on AIDS in 1982, before tefore there was even a name for AIDS, was leading here in Washington to make sure that this got the informed attention that it deserved and who led the House in passing the original Ryan White legislation in 1990.
I also want to acknowledge the HIV community for crafting a consensus document that did so much to help move this process forward. Some of the advocates so important to this legislation are with us here today: Ernest Hopkins from Cities Advocating for Emergency AIDS Relief; Frank Oldham, Jr., President and CEO of the National Association of People with AIDS; and Julie Scofield, Executive Director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
And I'm especially honored that Ryan's mother, Jeanne White-Ginder, is here today. For 25 years, Jeanne had an immeasurable impact in helping ramp up America's response to this epidemic. While we lost Ryan at too young an age, Jeanne's efforts have extended the lives and saved the lives of so many others. We are so appreciative to you. Thank you. (Applause.)
You know, over the past 19 years this legislation has evolved from an emergency response into a comprehensive national program for the care and support of Americans living with HIV/AIDS. It helps communities that are most severely affected by this epidemic and often least served by our health care system, including minority communities, the LGBT community, rural communities, and the homeless. It's often the only option for the uninsured and the underinsured. And it provides life-saving medical services to more than half a million Americans every year, in every corner of the country.
It's helped us to open a critical front on the ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS. But let me be clear: This is a battle that's far from over, and it's a battle that all of us need to do our part to join. AIDS may no longer be the leading killer of Americans ages 25 to 44, as it once was. But there are still 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, and more than 56,000 new infections occur every single year.
Some communities still experience unacceptably high rates of infection. Gay men make up 2 or 3 percent of the population, but more than half of all new cases. African Americans make up roughly half of all new cases. Nearly half of all new cases now occur in the South. And a staggering 7 percent of Washington, D.C.'s residents between the ages of 40 and 49 live with HIV/AIDS -- and the epidemic here isn't as severe as it is in several other U.S. cities.
So tackling this epidemic will take far more aggressive approaches than we've seen in the past -- not only from our federal government, but also state and local governments, from local community organizations, and from places of worship.
But it will also take an effort to end the stigma that has stopped people from getting tested; that has stopped people from facing their own illness; and that has sped the spread of this disease for far too long. A couple of years ago Michelle and I were in Africa and we tried to combat the stigma when we were in Kenya by taking a public HIV/AIDSIV/AIDS test. And I'm proud to announce today we're about to take another step towards ending that stigma.
Twenty-two years ago, in a decision rooted in fear rather than fact, the United States instituted a travel ban on entry into the country for people living with HIV/AIDS. Now, we talk about reducing the stigma of this disease -- yet we've treated a visitor living with it as a threat. We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic -- yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people from HIV from entering our own country.
If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it. And that's why, on Monday my administration will publish a final rule that eliminates the travel ban effective just after the New Year. Congress and President Bush began this process last year, and they ought to be commended for it. We are finishing the job. It's a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives. (Applause.)
We are continuing the work of crafting a coordinated, measurable national HIV/AIDS strategy to stem and suppress this epidemic. I'm pleased to report that the Office of National AIDS Policy, led by Jeffrey Crowley, has already held eight in a series of 14 community discussions in cities across the country. They've brought together faith-based organizations and businesses, schools and research institutions, people living with HIV and concerned citizens, gathering ideas on how to target a national response that effectively reduces HIV infections, improves access to treatment, and eliminates health disparities. And we are encouraged by the energy, the enthusiasm, and great ideas that we've collected so far.
We can't give Ryan White back to Jeanne, back to his mom. But what we can do -- what the legislation that I'm about to sign has done for nearly 20 years -- is honor the courage that he and his family showed. What we can do is to take more action and educate more people. What we can do is keep fighting each and every day until we eliminate this disease from the face of the Earth.
So with that, let me sign this bill. (Applause.)
(The Act is signed.) (Applause.)
END 12:07 P.M. EDT
At a White House reception commemorating the enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Primes Prevention Act, President Barack Obama told about 300 civil rights leaders that the day was a milestone toward the fair treatment of all Americans."As a nation we've come far on the journey towards a more perfect union. And today, we've taken another step forward," Obama said. "This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade. Time and again, we faced opposition. Time and again, the measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and love as we see fit."
Judy Shepard said the law â€" named in honor of her son Matthew, who was killed in 1998 by two men in Wyoming â€" was just the beginning.
“This is the first step,†she said, tears rimming her eyes after more than 10 roller-coaster years filled with advocacy and anticipation. “We have a lot to do, we need to be grateful for this and move on.â€
Asked what the day meant to her and her family, Shepard said simply, “Everything.†As she had watched the president bring the bill’s journey to completion from her front-row perch at the signing, Shepard wiped away tears flanked by Atty. Gen. Eric Holder on her left and her husband, Dennis, and their son, Logan, on her right. Despite the well of emotion, she added, “I am totally energized; it's all positive. I just can't even tell you how great it feels.â€
Holder called the legislation “the next great civil rights bill†and added that it would greatly enhance his agency’s ability to prosecute hate crimes.
“This is a great tool for the Justice Department and will, I think, significantly improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, for women, and for gay and lesbian Americans,†he said just after the bill was signed into law.
The new law expands federal hate-crimes protections beyond people targeted on the basis of a their race, color, religion, or national origin to victims of bias crimes motivated by their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. The legislation will provide extra resources to state and local law enforcement officials, give the U.S. Justice Department the power to investigate hate crimes that local officials decline to pursue, and direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to track hate crimes committed against transgender individuals -- statistics the FBI already keeps for other groups.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said the day was a watershed moment for trans equality.
“It is the first time ever that transgender people will be respected by a federal law,†Keisling said. “Five years ago, we were told that Congress would never, and in fact could never, pass legislation that protected trans people. Thanks to strong leadership from congressional allies and the civil rights community, that myth is shattered.â€
Gabi and Alec Clayton [from our PFLAG chapter in Olympia, WA], who traveled from Washington to attend the reception, hoped the law would help save lives in the future. Their son Bill took his own life one month after being beaten because of his bisexuality in 1995.
“He committed suicide because he didn’t think he’d ever be safe,†said Gabi Clayton, clutching a photo album of her son. “Getting this bill passed and signed is sending a message to this country that that’s not OK and we’re not going to be silent anymore and the country is going to take a stand against hate.â€
In his remarks, President Obama recalled the first time such a stand was taken, in 1968, just one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
"As he signed his name, at a difficult moment for our country, President Johnnt Johnson said that through this law 'the bells of freedom ring out a little louder,'" said Obama. "That is the promise of America. Over the sounds of hatred and chaos, over the din of grief and anger, we can still hear those ideals -- even when they are faint, even when some would try to drown them out."
The late senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts originally introduced the hate crimes legislation in 1997 during the 105th Congress. The bill was renamed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in honor of Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man from Wyoming, and Byrd, a 49-year-old African-American man from Texas, both of whom were brutally murdered in 1998.
Vicki Kennedy, the late senator’s wife, said seeing the legislative process finally come to completion was incredibly gratifying.
“This is something that meant so much to my husband,†she said. “He worked on this legislation for so long, I think he’s smiling right now.â€
To read the full article from The Advocate, click here.
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT RECEPTION COMMEMORATING THE ENACTMENT OF THE MATTHEW SHEPARD AND JAMES BYRD, JR. HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT
East Room
5:45 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you so much,
and welcome to the White House.
There are several people here that I want to just make mention of
because they helped to make today possible. We've got Attorney General
Eric Holder. (Applause.) A champion of this legislation, and a great
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.) My dear friend, senior
Senator from the great state of Illinois, Dick Durbin. (Applause.) The
outstanding Chairman of Armed Services, Carl Levin. (Applause.)
Senator Arlen Specter. (Applause.) Chairman of the Judiciary Committee
in the House, Representative John Conyers. (Applause.) Representative
Barney Frank. (Applause.) Representative Tammy Baldwin. (Applause.)
Representative Jerry Nadler. (Applause.) Representative Jared Polis.
(Applause.) All the members of Congress who are here today, we thank
you.
Mr. David Bohnett and Mr. Tom Gregory and the David Bohnett Foundation
-- they are partners for this reception. Thank you so much, guys, for
helping to host this. (Applause.)
And finally, and most importantly, because these were really the
spearheads of this effort -- Denis, Judy, and Logan Shepard.
(Applause.) As well as Betty Byrd Boatner and Louvon Harris -- sisters
of James Byrd, Jr. (Applause.)
r />
To all the activists, all the organizers, all the people who helped make
this day happen, thank you for your years of advocacy and activism,
pushing and protesting that made this victory possible.
You know, as a nation we've come far on the journey towards a more
perfect union. And today, we've taken another step forward. This
afternoon, I signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act. (Applause.)
This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a
decade. Time and again, we faced opposition. Time and again, the
measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of
the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and
love as we see fit. But the cause endured and the struggle continued,
waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by
folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and
organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who
fought so hard for this legislation -- (applause) -- and all who toiled
for years to reach this day.
You understood that we must stand against crimes that are meant not only
to break bones, but to break spirits -- not only to inflict harm, but to
instill fear. You understand that the rights afforded every citizen
under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights --
both from unjust laws and violent acts. And you understand how
necessary this law continues to be.
In the most recent year for which we have data, the FBI reported roughly
7,600 hate crimes in this country. Over the past 10 years, there were
more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone.
And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all.
And that's why, through this law, we will strengthen the protections
against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart,
or the place of your birth. We will finally add federal protections
against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual
orientation. (Applause.) And prosecutors will have new tools to work
with states in order to prosecute to the fullest those who would
perpetrate such crimes. Because no one in America should ever be afraid
to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No
one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of
who they are or because they live with a disability.
At root, this isn't just about our laws; this is about who we are as a
people. This is about whether we value one another
-- whether we embrace our differences, rather than allowing them to
become a source of animus. It's hard for any of us to imagine the
mind-set of someone who would kidnap a young man and beat him to within
an inch of his life, tie him to a fence, and leave him for dead. It's
hard for any of us to imagine the twisted mentality of those who'd offer
a neighbor a ride home, attack him, chain him to the back of a truck,
and drag him for miles until he finally died.
But we sense where such cruelty begins: the moment we fail to see in
another our common humanity -- the very moment when we fail to recognize
in a person the same fears and hopes, the same passions and
imperfections, the same dreams that we all share.
We have for centuries strived to live up to our founding ideal, of a
nation where all are free and equal and able to pursue their own version
of happiness. Through conflict and tumult, through the morass of hatred
and prejudice, through periods of division and discord we have endured
and>and grown stronger and fairer and freer. And at every turn, we've made
progress not only by changing laws but by changing hearts, by our
willingness to walk in another's shoes, by our capacity to love and
accept even in the face of rage and bigotry.
In April of 1968, just one week after the assassination of Martin Luther
King, as our nation mourned in grief and shuddered in anger, President
Lyndon Johnson signed landmark civil rights legislation. This was the
first time we enshrined into law federal protections against crimes
motivated by religious or racial hatred -- the law on which we build
today.
As he signed his name, at a difficult moment for our country, President
Johnson said that through this law "the bells of freedom ring out a
little louder." That is the promise of America. Over the sounds of
hatred and chaos, over the din of grief and anger, we can still hear
those ideals -- even when they are faint, even when some would try to
drown them out. At our best we seek to make sure those ideals can be
heard and felt by Americans everywhere. And that work did not end in
1968. It certainly does not end today. But because of the efforts of
the folks in this room -- particularly those family members who are
standing behind me -- we can be proud that that bell rings even louder
now and each day grows louder still.
So thank you very much. God bless you and God bless the United States
of America. (Applause.)
END 5:53 P.M. EDT
AT RECEPTION COMMEMORATING THE ENACTMENT OF THE MATTHEW SHEPARD AND JAMES BYRD, JR. HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT
East Room
5:45 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you so much,
and welcome to the White House.
There are several people here that I want to just make mention of
because they helped to make today possible. We've got Attorney General
Eric Holder. (Applause.) A champion of this legislation, and a great
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.) My dear friend, senior
Senator from the great state of Illinois, Dick Durbin. (Applause.) The
outstanding Chairman of Armed Services, Carl Levin. (Applause.)
Senator Arlen Specter. (Applause.) Chairman of the Judiciary Committee
in the House, Representative John Conyers. (Applause.) Representative
Barney Frank. (Applause.) Representative Tammy Baldwin. (Applause.)
Representative Jerry Nadler. (Applause.) Representative Jared Polis.
(Applause.) All the members of Congress who are here today, we thank
you.
Mr. David Bohnett and Mr. Tom Gregory and the David Bohnett Foundation
-- they are partners for this reception. Thank you so much, guys, for
helping to host this. (Applause.)
And finally, and most importantly, because these were really the
spearheads of this effort -- Denis, Judy, and Logan Shepard.
(Applause.) As well as Betty Byrd Boatner and Louvon Harris -- sisters
of James Byrd, Jr. (Applause.)
r />
To all the activists, all the organizers, all the people who helped make
this day happen, thank you for your years of advocacy and activism,
pushing and protesting that made this victory possible.
You know, as a nation we've come far on the journey towards a more
perfect union. And today, we've taken another step forward. This
afternoon, I signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act. (Applause.)
This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a
decade. Time and again, we faced opposition. Time and again, the
measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of
the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and
love as we see fit. But the cause endured and the struggle continued,
waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by
folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and
organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who
fought so hard for this legislation -- (applause) -- and all who toiled
for years to reach this day.
You understood that we must stand against crimes that are meant not only
to break bones, but to break spirits -- not only to inflict harm, but to
instill fear. You understand that the rights afforded every citizen
under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights --
both from unjust laws and violent acts. And you understand how
necessary this law continues to be.
In the most recent year for which we have data, the FBI reported roughly
7,600 hate crimes in this country. Over the past 10 years, there were
more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone.
And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all.
And that's why, through this law, we will strengthen the protections
against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart,
or the place of your birth. We will finally add federal protections
against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual
orientation. (Applause.) And prosecutors will have new tools to work
with states in order to prosecute to the fullest those who would
perpetrate such crimes. Because no one in America should ever be afraid
to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No
one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of
who they are or because they live with a disability.
At root, this isn't just about our laws; this is about who we are as a
people. This is about whether we value one another
-- whether we embrace our differences, rather than allowing them to
become a source of animus. It's hard for any of us to imagine the
mind-set of someone who would kidnap a young man and beat him to within
an inch of his life, tie him to a fence, and leave him for dead. It's
hard for any of us to imagine the twisted mentality of those who'd offer
a neighbor a ride home, attack him, chain him to the back of a truck,
and drag him for miles until he finally died.
But we sense where such cruelty begins: the moment we fail to see in
another our common humanity -- the very moment when we fail to recognize
in a person the same fears and hopes, the same passions and
imperfections, the same dreams that we all share.
We have for centuries strived to live up to our founding ideal, of a
nation where all are free and equal and able to pursue their own version
of happiness. Through conflict and tumult, through the morass of hatred
and prejudice, through periods of division and discord we have endured
and>and grown stronger and fairer and freer. And at every turn, we've made
progress not only by changing laws but by changing hearts, by our
willingness to walk in another's shoes, by our capacity to love and
accept even in the face of rage and bigotry.
In April of 1968, just one week after the assassination of Martin Luther
King, as our nation mourned in grief and shuddered in anger, President
Lyndon Johnson signed landmark civil rights legislation. This was the
first time we enshrined into law federal protections against crimes
motivated by religious or racial hatred -- the law on which we build
today.
As he signed his name, at a difficult moment for our country, President
Johnson said that through this law "the bells of freedom ring out a
little louder." That is the promise of America. Over the sounds of
hatred and chaos, over the din of grief and anger, we can still hear
those ideals -- even when they are faint, even when some would try to
drown them out. At our best we seek to make sure those ideals can be
heard and felt by Americans everywhere. And that work did not end in
1968. It certainly does not end today. But because of the efforts of
the folks in this room -- particularly those family members who are
standing behind me -- we can be proud that that bell rings even louder
now and each day grows louder still.
So thank you very much. God bless you and God bless the United States
of America. (Applause.)
END 5:53 P.M. EDT
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