Part of the defense authorization bill, the new hate crimes provision will extend federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

As most REP blog readers know, Matthew Shepard, a gay twenty-one year old college student, was tortured and brutally murdered in 1998 because of his sexual orientation. His death inspired a national movement to expand federal hate crimes law. Eleven years after Matthew’s death, members of his family will attend the signing ceremony at the White House tomorrow.