Hate Crime Bill Approved, Now Waiting to be Signed by President Obama

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A groundbreaking legislation was passed on Thursday by the Senate that would make it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.

The federal hate crime law is now waiting to be signed by President Obama. He has said he will sign the measure, which a similar bill was threatened by former President George W. BushPresident George W. Bush.

The bill is named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being severely beaten in October of 1998, and also James Byrd, Jr, an African American dragged to death in Texas the same year.

Religious groups are expressing their concern about the new law about to be passed.

Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign, called the measure, "Our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender people. Too many in our community have been devastated by hate violence. We now can begin the important steps to erasing hate in our country."

Obama said during his address at the dinner for the Human Rights Campaign recently, "Despite the progress we've made, there are still laws to change and hearts to open. This fight continues now, and I'm here with the simple message: I'm here with you in that fight."

Obama has also called for the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military, the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

More than 77,000 hate crimes were reported by the FBI between 1998 and 2007. The FBI reported 7,624 hate crimes in 2007, the most current year with complete data.