Topic: H.R. 1592

Breaking down myths of the Matthew Shepard bill

By David W. Shelton | August 19, 2007 |

The Matthew Shepard bill, also known as H.R. 1592, the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007″ and S. 1105, “A Bill to Provide Federal Assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes” has been the topic of much debate in among pundits and pastors over the last year.

One of the most die-hard myths surrounding these much-needed bills is the absurd notion that they would jeopardize the free speech and religious expressions of pastors who wish to preach (and often do preach) that homosexuality is sin.

Of all of the hate-crime bills (that include sexual orientation and gender identity language) that has come down the pike in recent years, this is the first that was endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union. That’s an immediate red flag to many conservatives, but it shouldn’t be. The ACLU endorsed this bill precisely because it would not interfere with guaranteed first amendment rights, specifically free speech and freedom of religion.

A colleague and fellow activist pointed out to me that there was a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee that the bill could infringe on free speech. When asked about his source, he then provided a link to the transcript of the meeting in question which included that quote. After searching through all 319 pages of the transcript, I came to understand the bill even more. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics | 2 Comments