Urge Sen. Mike DeWine to Support Hate Crimes Protections!

As an Ohio resident, you have a unique opportunity to help make history — and make hate crimes protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people the law of the land for the first time. Passage of hate crimes legislation is needed for all communities affected by violence. The legislation helps combat crimes based on race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity by allowing the federal government to provide resources to local law enforcement and to give the federal government authority to take action if local law enforcement officials do not prosecute these crimes.

A month ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, for the first time ever, transgender-inclusive hate crimes protections as an amendment to a House crime bill, the Children's Safety Act. Fortunately, Senator Kennedy, a longtime civil rights champion, is considering ways to add a hate crimes amendment to a similar crime bill in the U.S. Senate.

This Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin considering their version of the House crime bill. If Sen. Kennedy decides to offer a hate crimes amendment, we want Sen. DeWine to know that we’re counting on him to support these historic protections.

Call Sen. DeWine today and tell him: "Please support hate crimes legislation and the House hate crimes bill language, with express protections for "gender identity," as an amendment to S. 1086 in the Senate, so that all LGBT people will be protected by clearly transgender-inclusive hate crimes legislation." Call 202.224.2315.

Or, if you prefer, send him a free fax by via the letter below.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will be considering this bill later this week, so it is imperative that Sen. DeWine hear from you as soon as possible.

Regards,

The Task Force

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to take an historic stand for equality and advance hate crimes legislation in the Senate. Specifically, I urge you to support the hate crimes language that passed in the House of Representatives last month as an amendment to S. 1086.

You have an opportunity to take an important stand for justice by supporting this bill. Passage of hate crimes legislation is needed for all communities affected by violence. Not only will the bill expand protections to cover communities especially vulnerable to hate crimes, but it adds the important step of authorizing the federal government to take action if local authorities do not prosecute these crimes.

I am urging you to press for and support the House hate crimes legislative language because that language makes clear that anti-transgender hate crimes are covered by the legislation. Transgender people are especially vulnerable to violence and they must be clearly covered by this legislation.

It would seem that the best chance for hate crimes legislation to survive a House-Senate conference committee is for the language of the hate crimes provisions to be the same. Because the House passed its hate crimes legislation with important bi-partisan support, and so that we have the best chance possible to protect hate crimes provisions in any conference committee, please support any attempt to amend S. 1086 by adding the House hate crimes language.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 18, 2005