House Votes to Expand Hate Crimes Legislation

On Thursday, October 8th, nearly eleven years after the murder of Matthew Shepard, the House of Representatives voted to expand the definition of federal hate crimes to include those committed because of a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. The New York Times reports that the final vote was 281 in favor and 146 opposed. The bill, originally introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy, will now move to the Senate, where it has solid support, for final approval. The measure is included within an essential $681 million military policy bill, which authorizes military pay, weapons programs, and other essentials for the military.