The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act will be introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. This historic bill more explicitly covers the entire GLBT community by including a new protected class for gender identity. HRC has been working for many years to ensure that this bill would cover the transgender community and it is critical that we have strong bipartisan support when it is introduced.

Contact your Representative today and urge him/her to become an original cosponsor this important piece of legislation that will ensure that the entire GLBT community is protected.

Please take action today!

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Hate Crimes Bill

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to become an original cosponsor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act that will soon be introduced in the House.

Hate crimes based on sexual orientation remain in the top three of all reported hate crime categories. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a common sense, anti-bias crime measure which brings our nation's laws into the 21st century. This bipartisan measure has been updated to make sure that it achieves the original intent to cover the entire LGBT community.

This legislation breaks no new ground. Current hate crimes law permits federal prosecution of a hate crime if the crime was motivated by bias based on race, religion, national origin, or color, and because the victim was exercising a "federally protected right" (e.g. voting, attending school, etc.).

After nearly 35 years, it has become clear that the statute needs to be amended. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act removes the federally protected activity requirement and adds actual or perceived sexual orientation/gender identity, gender and disability to the list of covered categories - bringing much needed uniformity to federal law. Removing the outdated intent requirement would untie the federal government's hands and allow them to partner with state and local officials in combating serious hate crimes involving death and bodily injury.

I urge you to co-sponsor this legislation and ensure that the entire GLBT community is protected. I look forward to hearing from you on this issue.

Sincerely,

Donna Rose