Gay Hate Crime Legislation

What makes a hate crime so severe? It's the devastation and fear it instills on an entire community. It's the thought of a horrific and often graphic crime being committed just because an innocent victim happens to be of a certain nationality or because they are gay (or at least thought to be so). It's a crime based on who someone is (something they cannot change), not what they have done.

Until recently, law enforcement officials were only given the tools to prosecute and hopefully deter hate crime offenders based on race, religion, and national origin. With the enactment of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, protection has now been extended to crimes based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability. See why the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act was needed for gay Americans...

Resources: Gay Hate Crimes
News: U.S. House Passes Hate Crimes Act