"After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we've passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray or who they are" "—President Obama.

The new law basically expands existing hate-crime protections to outlaw attacks based on sexual orientation or gender, in addition to race, color, religion or national origin. President Obama and Congress have sent a message that violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is wrong and that the gay community should not be excluded from the protections of our nation's laws.