Garden State Equality

Garden State Equality is New Jersey’s largest advocacy organization. Since Garden State Equality's founding in 2004, New Jersey has enacted 210 laws at the state, county and municipal levels to advance the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. That's more LGBT civil rights laws enacted in less time than in any other U.S. state – ever. A 2009 year-end study by www.eQualityGiving.com ranks New Jersey as #1 in the United States for LGBT civil rights, tied with California, Iowa and Vermont. In 2008, Garden State Equality became the first statewide civil rights organization in America to be showcased in an Academy Award®-winning film. "Garden State Equality has run the most effective grassroots campaign New Jersey has seen in years," the Star-Ledger has written. Next we will win a marriage equality statute to replace our state's failed civil union law. So welcome to Garden State Equality, a movement making history. We're glad you're here.

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October 9, 2009 – US Fed News
Rep. Rush Holt hails passage of Hate Crimes Prevention bill

Rep. Rush Holt hails passage of Hate Crimes Prevention bill
October 9, 2009 – US Fed News

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -- Rep. Rush Holt, D-NJ (12th CD), issued the following news release:

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today issued the following statement after the House passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 as part of the Defense Authorization for FY 2010. The bipartisan bill, which previously passed the House in April, will give state and local law enforcement the tools and resources they need to prevent and prosecute hate crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability to the victim. The bill is expected to pass the Senate and President Obama is expected to sign it into law.
I feel strongly that all men and women must be treated equally, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. That is why I am an original cosponsor of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Hate crimes are real. They spread fear and intimidation among entire communities. This bill would strengthen local law enforcement's ability to prosecute hate crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability to the victim. It's long past time for Congress to pass this important legislation to help prosecute those who would commit these heinous acts.

Some have opposed this bill by saying it would legislate "thought crimes." It is patently false to say that we're criminalizing thought. We are criminalizing the brutality that results when these thoughts lead to the death and serious injury of an innocent victim. This is no more about criminalizing thought than the antil-ynching laws were about criminalizing knot tying.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act authorizes the Attorney General to provide technical, forensic and prosecutorial assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any crime of violence that is motivated by prejudice based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability of the victim. It also authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to state and local law enforcement to assist in hate crime prevention.

This bill is about hate crimes and giving law enforcement the tools they need to prosecute them. This bill has strong support from over 300 civil rights, religious, LGBT, law enforcement and civic organizations, and I'm particularly pleased to identify the support of Garden State Equality, a group that has fought tirelessly to fight discrimination against all Americans, including discrimination based on gender identity.

The bill has in the past been approved by the House and the Senate only to fail to reach the president's desk. Yet, today we will finally pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law.