The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act

In October 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. According to the United States Department of Justice this legislative act offers funding and technical assistance to local, state, and tribal jurisdictions for investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. 

Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 - October 12, 1998) was a University of Wyoming student who was pistol-whipped, tortured, and left to die after being tied to a barbed-wire fence in Laramie, Wisconsin on October 6, 1998. In May 1995, Matthew Shepard graduated from the American School in Switzerland (TASIS). While at the American School he participated in theater classes and took German and Italian classes as well.

James Byrd, Jr. (May 2, 1949 - June 7, 1998) was murdered on June 7, 1998 in Jasper, Texas after being dragged behind a pickup truck along an asphalt road. James Byrd graduated from Jasper Rowe High School in 1967 and later became a vacuum salesman.

During a ceremony commemorating the enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act at the White House on October 28, 2009, President Obama said: "In the most recent year for which we have data, the FBI reported roughly 7,600 hate crimes in this country. Over the past 10 years, there were more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone. And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all. And that's why through this law, we will strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth. We will finally add federal protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. And prosecutors will have new tools to work with states in order to prosecute to the fullest those who would perpetrate such crimes. Because no one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability."

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/crt/matthew-shepard-and-james-byrd-jr-hate-crimes-prevention-act-2009-0

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-reception-commemorating-enactment-matthew-shepard-and-james-byrd-

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