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[ 本帖最后由 katsura 于 16-8-2011 12:03 编辑 ]

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crimes law to gays signedby Washington Post
PresidentBarack Obama has signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. HateCrimes Prevention Act - named after victims of two brutal 1998 murders:Shepard, a 21-year-old gay Wyoming college student and Byrd, a blackman dragged to his death - on Oct 28.

                               
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Hate crime survivor Todd Metrokin recounts his brutal attack
outside a Washington DC pizza shop on CNN

The following is an excerpt from "After 10-year dispute,expansion of hate crimes law to gays signed" by Perry BaconJr.  published by the Washington Post. For the full article, follow the link at the end of the page.
When a gay Wyoming college student was slain in 1998, congressionalDemocrats pledged to broaden the definition of federal hate crimes bythe end of that year to include attacks based on sexual orientation.
The effort instead turned into a decade-long proxy war betweenliberal groups that want to expand gay rights and conservative groupsthat do not. But Wednesday, President Obama signed the bill and thenhosted a White House reception for gay activists and the parents of theslain student, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard.
"After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we've passedinclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens fromviolence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray orwho they are," Obama said after the signing.
During that period, the House and the Senate separately approved thehate crimes expansion numerous times. But congressional Republicansrepeatedly used legislative tactics to block final passage, arguingthat most crimes that would fall under the law could be prosecutedunder other statutes, and conservative groups such as the TraditionalValues Coalition said the legislation would turn "homosexual behaviorsas well as cross-dressing, transvestism, and transsexualism intofederally-protected 'minority' groups."
This year, with enlarged majorities in Congress, Democrats attachedthe hate crimes law to a $681 billion defense spending bill this monthover GOP objections. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)said the approach put "radical social policy" on the "back of oursoldiers."
The legislation extends provisions first passed in 1968 that make ita federal crime to target individuals because of their race, religionor national origin. Under the law, judges can impose harsher penaltieson crimes that are motivated by such animus, and the Justice Departmentcan help local police departments investigate alleged hate crimes.
Gay author and political commentator Andrew Sullivan quotes a reader:
"To paraphrase Dan Savage, it is true that hate crimes legislationwill not create a force field around gay people and instantly providethem with new levels of protection from anti-gay violence. Hate crimelegislation does, however, allow the federal government to provideresources to local governments as they investigate and prosecute hatecrimes. In the Shepard case, prosecuting Matthew's two killers cost thecounty US$150,000, forcing the county to furlough five employees(according to the Matthew Shepard Foundation's website). While hatescrimes legislation would not have protected Matthew from the rage ofhis killers -- nor would it have added more time to their prisonsentences -- it could have provided much-needed resources as Laramiestruggled to deliver justice. I think this last point should not bedismissed so out of hand." - "No More Matthew Shepards, Ctd"
Gay news blog Queerty on Todd Metrokin's  comments in the CNN package:
But let's make onething clear: In this segment's opening package, hate crime survivorTodd Metrokin retold his brutal story outside a pizza shop. Tellingthat story is important. But Metrokin's statement is misleading:"[Hates crimes laws] at least gives you a sense of safety, and thatadds value."
Hate crimes laws should not give LGBTs a sense of safety.
They do not preventanti-gay attacks. You think harsher punishments and federal funding forinvestigations factor into the mind of an attacker? They don't. Sodon't go around thinking Obama signing the Matthew Shepard Act makesyou safer walking down the street. And nobody should be sending thatmessage. Especially the gays. (Kudos to Dan to reminding viewers asmuch.)

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http://www.youtube.com/v/AfATyDKXHuA