Obama Signs Hate Crimes Bill into Law; Protections Extended to Gays; Act Hailed as 'Historic Milestone'
Byline: Jon Ward, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
President Obama delivered a major victory to the gay rights movement Wednesday by signing into law a bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the class of minorities protected under federal hate crime laws.
The historic and controversial legislation was attached to a $680 billion defense authorization bill that was noteworthy for its elimination of some costly weapons systems and its expansion of the war in Afghanistan.
Speaking to an emotional audience of a few hundred gay rights activists in the White House East Room, hours after a separate ceremony for the defense authorization bill signing, Mr. Obama called the hate crimes portion of the …
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Publication information:
Article title: Obama Signs Hate Crimes Bill into Law; Protections Extended to Gays; Act Hailed as 'Historic Milestone'.
Contributors: Not available.
Newspaper title: The Washington Times (Washington, DC).
Publication date: October 29, 2009.
Page number: A08.
© 2009 The Washington Times LLC.
COPYRIGHT 2009 Gale Group.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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