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Dear friend,

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expand the Federal Hate Crimes law to add gender and sexual orientation. This vote elicited an immediate veto threat from the White House. The explanation for the threat was the president’s belief that all violent crime should be vigorously prosecuted.

That is hard to disagree with. However, there already is a Federal Hate Crimes law, and this legislation simply would expand it to include protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Mr. Bush is not advocating repealing the current law; he just opposes including gay and lesbian people in it. Fundamentalist Christian leaders applauded the veto threat because they do not want to see lesbian and gay people protected under federal law. Again, they are not advocating repealing the current law, just opposing letting LGBT taxpayers receive equal protection under the law.

One must give Team Bush credit for being consistent. When he was Governor of Texas, Bush also singled out LGBT people as eligible for hate and ineligible for the state’s protection. After the brutal dragging murder of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper, Texas in 1999, the Texas legislature finally crafted hate crimes legislation. Then-Governor Bush, who was about to run for President, called a secret meeting with Republican legislators to tell them not to send him a bill that included sexual orientation. After the meeting, a furious Republican state representative from East Texas called me and asked me to alert the media. I did just that, outing the governor for surreptitiously seeking to remove LGBT people from being protected by the law. That led to two of my proudest moments as an activist. When a reporter asked the Governor about the statement I had issued, he actually cursed me by name.

The other moment of pride came a few months later. Governor Bush met with James Byrd, Jr.’s family to ask them to support removing sexual orientation from the law named for their loved one. This poor, and largely uneducated, family from East Texas refused the Governor’s request, and, as a result, no hate crimes bill was passed while George W. Bush was governor. However, the Cathedral of Hope honored the Byrd family that year with our Hero of Hope Award. What amazing integrity it took for them to stand up for others when they didn’t have to.

Ultimately, the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes bill passed, and Mr. Bush’s successor signed it into law. Although we may have to wait the more than 600 days until Mr. Bush has retired from political office, I am convinced that LGBT people will be included in the list of those it is unacceptable to victimize by hate. In the meantime, we need to let our representatives know how we feel about their vote. Fundamentalist organizations like Dr. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family generated tens of thousands of expressions of opposition to our inclusion. If we hope to win future battles, we have to let our political leaders know that we, too, are people of faith and we also vote.

• Contact your representative and let him/her know how you feel about their vote.
• Contact your senators and let them know how you expect them to vote.
• If there is a veto, contact them again to let them know you expect them to vote to override it.

Regardless of how people feel about the effectiveness of hate crimes laws, make no mistake that singling LGBT people as ineligible for protection sends the clear message that we are still the people many think it is okay to hate. There are no “special rights” in law-abiding taxpayers demanding equal protection under the law.

Sincerely,

Rev. Michael S. Piazza
President

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO
	Write to Congress Encourage their support of pending legislation
	Read what Dr. Dodson said Bill would “ultimately strip away religious freedoms.”
	Read the about supporting efforts PFAW’s response to the Religious Right’s mis-information