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Act Today on Hate Crimes Bill!
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE MATTHEW SHEPARD ACT! The Senate may vote on the Matthew Shepard Act (Hate Crimes Prevention Act S.909) as early as tomorrow, Wednesday, July 15th. We are urging all Equality Illinois members to call the offices of Senator Durbin and Senator Burris now to thank them both for co-sponsoring S.909. It is imperative that our Senators hear our voices of support, as you can be certain that right-wing opponents, such as James Dobson's Focus on the Family, have been flooding the Senators' offices with phone calls and letters against the Hate Crime Act. Every hour of every day, at least one hate crime offense is committed somewhere in the
Senator Richard 'Dick' Durbin - 202-224-2152 Senator Roland W. Burris - 202-224-2854 The Matthew Shepard Act would give the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence. It will extend existing federal protections to include "gender identity, sexual orientation, gender and disability."
The companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 1913) already passed the House by a vote of 249-175, so we have a good chance to make this bill a law!
If you have family and friends in other states, tell them to contact their Senators and urge support of this bill by using the Capitol Swithboard at 202-224-3121.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , As your constituent, I am writing today to strongly urge you to pass S. 909, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which will secure comprehensive hate crimes protections for Americans who are victims of bias-motivated attacks. Every hour of every day, at least one hate crime offense is committed somewhere in the United States. Of those attacked, it's estimated that at least 15% of hate crimes are related to a person's perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. I'm asking you to help change that by voting to pass comprehensive federal hate crimes legislation without delay. Thank you.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people often fear for their lives and safety. One of every six hate crimes is committed because of sexual orientation or gender identity – and that number is on the rise.
Now, two years after George W. Bush's veto threat blocked it, the Matthew Shepard Act is back. This time, it has a real shot of becoming the law of the land. The bill has already passed the House and is now before the Senate. Right-wing groups are using lies and distortion to defeat this important bill again. If we're silent, they could bring lawmakers who are on the fence over to their side.
Send a message to your Senators today. Tell them we need the Matthew Shepard Act to help ensure safety and security for ALL people.
