Friday Web Picks--Gays and Discrimination

By borges, Section Friday Web Picks
Posted on Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 04:02:43 PM CST

President Obama signed The Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act that is attached to the Defense Authorization Bill and adds gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to existing hate crimes laws. This is a big step for the homosexual community, but also those who are transgender. Generally, this will do three things:

1.) Allow the FBI to now keep statistics on hate crimes in these new categories.
2.) It will help provide federal expertise and resources when they are needed to overcome a lack of resources or the willful inaction on the part of local and/or state law enforcement.
3.) It will help educate the public that violence against anyone, including transgender people, is unacceptable and illegal.

We have plenty of hatred of gays in our local Kickapoo neighborhood, but to enact a law that makes progress on transgender issues is a tremendous leap and one not possible in previous administrations.

As a corollary to this courageous act, I'm posting a video produced by Jay Smooth on the roots of the Gay Rights Movement and how pale and ignorant today's hatred of the community can look in that context.