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Pro-family group urges action against hate crimes bill

The American Family Association (AFA) is urging Christians to contact their representatives to oppose a bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes under federal hate crimes law, reports Charisma News Online.

H.R. 1913, also known as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, passed the House Judiciary Committee Thursday by a 15-12 vote. The AFA reported that the bill could be considered by the full House as soon as Wednesday.

While condemning violence against homosexuals, Christian leaders said the bill would inhibit pastors from condemning homosexual behavior and bar speech against the gay lifestyle. They point to hate crime laws in England, Sweden and Canada, where Christians have been prosecuted for calling homosexuality sinful.

"We believe that this is merely the first step in an attempt to suppress all speech that speaks against homosexual conduct," Michael DePrimo, special counsel to AFA President Tim Wildmon, told Charisma.

Although the bill is limited to violence against certain groups of people, DePrimo said exceptions have been made to First Amendment protections, and he believes the courts could one day use the bill to create a hate speech exception.

"The reason we believe this is because homosexuals for years and years have been saying that groups like the American Family Association, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council through their opposition to homosexual conduct are responsible for things like the deaths of homosexual persons like Matthew Shepard," DiPrimo said, referring to the 21-year-old gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death in 1998.

"We believe that the court at some point is going to tie those two together. And just like they did in Canada, we believe the mere speaking out against homosexuality will eventually be considered a crime."

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TAGS: USA pro-family group hate crimes bill homosexuality American Family Association

[04/30/2009]

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