Brody's Notes... National Stonewall Democrats’ Statement: 1st Anniversary Of Matthew Shepard Act Signed Into Law

By Linsey Pecikonis (Washington DC) OCT 28 | Michael Mitchell, Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats released this statement on the First Anniversary of the signing of the Matthew Shepard Act: 

“We mustn’t forget how important the  Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is – not only because it was so necessary, but because it was the first time that the words “sexual orientation or gender identity” were used in Federal law. I have heard naysayers complain that the measure doesn’t “protect anyone.” The Matthew Shepard Act (as it is commonly known) was not meant as a law to protect as much as to bring justice to people who use violence against individuals in a way that has an effect on entire communities or groups of people. 

“With critically important midterm elections just a few days away, I’d like to point out that the vast majority of lawmakers who worked for nine years to pass the Matthew Shepard Act – and the President who signed it – are Democrats.  And while tracking and prosecuting hate crimes is hardly a partisan issue, the commitment to pass pro-equality measures sadly appears to be. 

“We cannot forget that pro-equality laws like the Matthew Shepard Act aren’t just about ideas; they are about people and have an effect on real people’s lives. We hold the Shepard and Byrd families in our hearts today – as we do the families and loved ones tragically affected by hate crimes.”