The U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (LLEHCPA), aka the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. This is a major step towards enacting the legislation that will include protections against hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, among other categories. It will include protections not only for those who are LGBT, but also for those who are perceived to be so. Start contacting your senators now.
The White House has, not surprisingly, already threatened a veto. One more reason . . . .