Obama signs first major federal gay-rights law

[ProSense]

Obama signs first major federal gay-rights law

By Margaret Talev, McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed the first major piece of federal gay rights legislation, a milestone that activists compared to the passage of 1960s civil-rights legislation empowering blacks.

The new law adds acts of violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to the list of federal hate crimes. Gay-rights activists voiced hope that the Obama administration would advance more issues, including legislation to bar workplace discrimination, allow military service and recognize same-sex marriages.

Congress passed the hate crimes protections as an unlikely amendment to this year's Defense Authorization Act. Obama, speaking at an emotional evening reception with supporters of the legislation, said that more than 12,000 hate crimes had been reported the past decade based on sexual orientation.

He spoke of President Lyndon Johnson signing protections for blacks in the 1960s and said this was an extension of that work. "We must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones but to break spirits," Obama said. "No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love."

Legislation barring firms from firing employees on the basis of their sexual orientation could win passage in the House of Representatives by year's end, gay-rights advocates said. More than half of U.S. states currently allow employers such freedom.

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[Cha]

1. Unfortunatley, this has to be done

because of all the ugly hate in the good ol USA.

[saracat]

2. Thank God this finally passed.

[JuniperLea]

3. It's truly sad that this was necessary...

I expect to see more of this sort of thing, as the Tea Baggers, Birthers, Death Panelists and other various and sundry haters get the misguided notion that we've taken giant strides backward and bigotry is in vogue.

Public KKK rallies are not far behind... full dress rallies to boot.

[Whisp]

4. I would like to see the same law based on gender.

many women are killed and torutured just because they are women, by men who hate women.

[dsc]

5. actually it already has been passed, under Clinton, called the violence against women act

[Whisp]

6. ah, thankyou. goes to show I could use some learnin.

but is it the same as being officially a hate crime?

[ProSense]

9. Here:

FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

[jenmito]

7. K&R. I thought Obama=Bush, though!

:shrug:

[mkultra]

13. i think the current meme is Obama hates Gays.

or some such nonsense. This is clearly just a token thrown to appease the angry left who wont be fooled by such trickery.

You have to keep up, the have a new one all the time. During the primaries it was:

Obama hates white people
Obama hates women
Obama hates rural people


The new is:
Obama hates gays
Obama is a war monger
Obama loves wallstreet

Interestingly perpetuated by the same people.

[vaberella]

8. Thanks Mr. President for doing this. n/t

[Arkana]

10. This wasn't in the hate crimes law already?

[lunatica]

17. Evidently not on the Federal level

Some states have hate crimes but this makes it a Federal crime. And it makes it permanent, and extremely hard to overturn or change

[Parker CA]

11. K&R for a very good move forward.

[Hekate]

12. KnR. This never would have happened a year ago, would it?

[ej510]

14. Every time we attempt to make progress in this nation money and religion hinder us. We have too many

knuckle draggers and wilfully ignorant people to progress as fast as we need to in this nation.

[freddie mertz]

15. A long-overdue first step.

Let's hope the progress continues.

DOMA?DADT anyone?

[Peacetrain]

16. Sad that we are so narrow in our thought process as a nation that this was necessary

But we are, and until some form of enlightenment hits us.. this is necessary.

Happy to see the President sign it.

Its a good day.

[lunatica]

18. This is great news

It's about fucking time.