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Wash. OKs transgender hate-crime protection
By CURT WOODWARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Attacks against transgender people could be prosecuted as hate crimes under a bill approved Wednesday by Washington's Legislature.
The state's hate-crime law says it's a felony to threaten, damage the property of, or physically injure someone because of ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation.
At present, the hate-crime definition of sexual orientation covers gay, straight or bisexual people. The bill approved Wednesday adds "gender expression or identity" to that definition, making the law apply to attacks on transgender people.
Lawmakers who supported the change said broadening hate-crime protections was a matter of fairness and justice. Rep. Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw, said the state has a duty to defend people who are targeted solely because of who they are.
"If we do not defend the rights of those individuals, we defend the rights of no one," said Hurst, a former police officer.
Republican opponents argued against the principle of the hate-crime law itself, saying it seems unfair to dole out tougher punishments for crimes committed against certain types of victims.
"We're not protecting people equally," said Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama. "We aren't protecting the cowboy that walks into a location where he is the one that stands out, or when a woman walks into a facility where she is the one that stands out."
But Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, pointed out that women are indeed protected under hate-crime laws if they're attacked or threatened because of their gender. Liias also noted that stronger punishments already extend beyond the hate-crime statute, covering crimes against children or police officers, for instance.
By not giving hate-crime protections to transgender people, "We've said, 'You're just too different,'" Liias said.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 68-30, with six Republicans joining all House Democrats in favor of the bill. The measure was approved by the state Senate last month.
It now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it into law. The change would take effect three months after the end of the 2009 legislative session, which is scheduled to adjourn April 26.
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The bill is Senate Bill 5952.
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On the Net:
Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov
Governor: http://www.governor.wa.gov
This was posted on the SeattlePI.com web site = It still needs Govenor signature but it looks like a good thing there. Richard
Comments
Idiotic Transphobes like Orcutt
really get may goat. Even he knows a cowboy being attacked is hardly a pervasive problem yet here he is trying to weasel out of protecting a class of people who are known to be very vulnerable.
Trans folks still have a long way to go.
Kim
New Zealand and T folk
I was watching a thing on New Zealand and it sort of captured my heart, so I looked it up on the CIA page and a few others. It seems that they have passed some very aggressive laws to protect our folk down there. If it is warm there, I might consider a little visit.
Gwendolyn
Ah, New Zealand
I've only ever visited the north island but it was beautiful. Auckland is one of my favorite cities in the world, and has a climate similar to the San Francisco Bay Area--though not as hot and dry as the East Bay, and not as cool and foggy as San Francisco; probably most similar to the Berkeley Hills. Of course I was only there for two weeks, in April (local Autumn), so I'm going by what I was told by the friends I was visiting for what it's like the rest of the year. The people are generally nice and friendly too, though of course I wasn't openly TG when I was there.