By Elizabeth Bowers
Staff Writer
The House of Representatives recently voted that the definition of hate crimes should be expanded to include violent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This offers protection to people with different sexual orientation, ensuring that any violent discrimination against them will be ruled as a hate crime.
The vote was 281 in favor of the bill and 146 against. The House is hoping that their efforts will help to stem the flow of violence because of bias.
In the past, there have been many murders and other acts of violence and discrimination that had to do solely with sexual orientation. Until now, however, this was treated as any other crime, and not considered a hate crime.
Just like there are many people who support this bill there is also a great magnitude that opposes it. For those that oppose the bill, the addition of extra charges to someone because of their thoughts on sexual orientation while they committed a crime is wrong. However, regardless of what they believe, sexual orientation discrimination is now considered a hate crime, just the same as if it were racial, political, or religious beliefs. The bill also states that “nothing in the measure should be construed to diminish any rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution”.
This bill is basically saying that discriminating against people of a different sexual orientation is now considered a hate crime. While racial, religious, and political discrimination have been hate crimes for quite a while, sexual orientation has now been added to the list, warning people across the United States to think twice before they decide to discriminate against someone because of sexual orientation.
