Late last night, the Senate voted 63-28 to attach the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 909) to the National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1390). The Defense Act addresses funding for the U.S. military, but it now includes an amendment that would give special protections to individuals based on their “perceived or actual” sexual orientation and gender identity.
Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), states, “The point of the ‘hate crimes’ amendment is to create a special class of victims that would get preferential treatment.