President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd hate crime bill into legislation on Wednesday

HIPHOPWIRED.COM -- While many states already have hate crime laws, this bill will also protect people based on sexual orientation, a victory in the eyes of many homosexuals.

Expanding federal hate crimes to include those victimized because of gender, sexual orientation, and disability, the law also takes away many restrictions of when federal law enforcement can intervene and prosecute crimes.

Obama stated,

“No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love.   No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are, or because they live with a disability.”

The families of James Byrd and Matthew Shepard were also with Obama when he signed the bill.  Byrd was lynched in 1998 in Jasper Texas by three white men:  Shawn Allen Berry, Lawrence Russell Brewer and John William King.

Source: http://hiphopwired.com/13857/president-obama-signs-updated