LCCR Hails Senate Passage of Hate Crimes Bill, Looks to President for Leadership

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation’s largest civil and human rights coalition, released the following statement on Senate passage of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, known as the Matthew Shepard Act:

Wade Henderson, president and CEO of LCCR, said:

“Today’s Senate passage of the hate crimes bill is a huge victory for civil rights and the civil rights community.

The president now has two choices: Either he’s a leader who respects the rule of law, extending protections to all Americans or he panders to the extreme elements of his party and vetoes this bipartisan bill.”  

Nancy Zirkin, vice president of LCCR, said:

“If signed by the president, this bill will give local communities needed and valuable support to combat hate violence. For too long, the federal government has turned its back on violent incidents committed against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals, women, and individuals with disabilities.”