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HATE CRIMES TALKING POINTS

Anti-Gay hate crimes are prevalent in Michigan.

Hate violence continues to plague our country; victimizing individuals and communities because of their real or perceived membership in a targeted group. Numerous studies and U.S Department of Justice have shown that gays and lesbians are the most likely victims of bias-motivated criminal activity.

Hate crimes are different that other crimes.

Hate crimes are unique to other forms of violence because they most likely would not have occurred without the hate element. Hate violence is not about personal gain, it is about victimizing the targeted person because of hatred and prejudice. Sexual orientation inclusion in bias crime laws indicates the value and significance of the lives and safety of all citizens. Explicit omission of GLBT people from this law reinforces the notion that they are dispensable.

The original intent of this law was to cover GLBT people.

Michigan’s “Ethnic Intimidation” Act was originally introduced in 1987 with the term “sexual orientation,” but was stripped from the Bill’s protection on the last day of legislative session.

HB 4954 will fulfill a promise from the Engler administration.

Representative Kolb’s hate crime bills will fulfill the request of Governor Engler’s Bias Crime Response Task Force in 1996, which endorsed the addition of “sexual orientation” to Michigan’s Hate Crime Law.

A growing number of states include anti-GLBT hate crimes in their laws.

Currently over 40 states have hate crime laws and over 20 include “sexual orientation”

This is only a tiny change to current law that means a lot to GLBT victims.

House Bill 4954 is not a hate crime law. It is an amendment to an existing hate crime law. It would give prosecutors an extra tool for convicting assailants of anti-gay motivated violence by strengthening the penalty for such attacks.

This is about equality in our criminal statutes.

This is not a “gay rights” bill. There are no rights involved in Kolb’s hate crime bills. This is an anti-violence bill directed at bridging a gap in current law so that it may more efficiently address real crime.

Hate crime laws do not punish thought, they punish motive.

HATE CRIME LAWS DO NOT PUNISH THOUGHT, they enhance penalties for existing crimes. Hate crime laws have passed constitutional muster and have been affirmed by the United States Supreme Court.

Over 75% of the American public supports covering anti-GLBT hate violence.

Overwhelming majorities have indicated that they think a crime motivated by bias based on a person's sexual orientation should be considered a hate crime. (HRC Issue Paper, Oct 2000)