Misleading Hate Crime Information Pushed By Gay Groups

May 7, 2009 – A militant gay group based in Washington, D.C. recently sent out an urgent email pushing for passage of the so-called Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

The alert claims that LGBT persons are victims of one out every six hate crimes in America! This is a half-truth and misleading. The FBI categorizes “single-bias” incidents and “multiple-bias” incidents involving one or more “offenses.” A LGBT may have been the victim of a single-bias incident or he or she may have been the victim of “multiple” offenses. For example, a cross-dresser may have been yelled at and then pushed. This would be a multiple-bias offense hate crime. This greatly inflates the numbers of “hate crimes” against LGBT persons when most of these only involve name-calling or shoving.FBI statistics for 2007 (Table 7) show there were 9,527 “single-bias incidents.” Of these, 1,512 involved sexual orientation bias. What this gay group conveniently fails to note is that of these 1,512 cases, 335 were crimes of intimidation (name-calling); 448 were incidents of simple assault (pushing or shoving) and only 242 involved actual bodily harm. In addition, in 2007 there were only 9 bias-related murders. These cases have been easily handled by local law enforcement officials. There is no need for federal intrusion into local criminal activities.

Claiming that one out of six victims of a hate crime is an LGBT person only tells a half truth—which is often a full lie. FBI statistics clearly show that only 242 gays, lesbians, bisexuals or transgendered individuals were victims of actual physical harm in 2007. This not a national epidemic of hate that needs federal intrusion into local law enforcement.

The second half truth spread by this gay lobby is that the hate crimes bill only deals with “violent” acts against LGBT persons – not speech -- and does not tell a preacher what he can or cannot preach. There is no religious protection in the Senate version of this hate crimes bill – and the alleged protection in the House version is worthless.

As former Judge Representative Louie Gohmert has noted, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act can be used to silence pastors who may preach against homosexuality. If a member of a pastor’s congregation goes out and commits a violent crime against a gay man, the pastor’s sermon can be introduced into evidence as a motivating factor under Article 18 U.S.C. 2(a) of the Federal Criminal Code. This section states that a person who “aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures” a crime’s commission is punishable just as if he had committed the crime himself. (Rep. Louie Gohmert, “Hate Crimes Bill Infringes First Amendment Rights,” Human Events, April 27, 2009)

This gay lobby is telling a half truth. The pastor’s sermon can be entered into evidence if some nutcase in his congregation commits a violent crime against an LGBT person. The House and Senate hate crime bills don’t tell a pastor what he can preach, but either bill chills his speech because he knows he may be charged with a felony crime if someone in his congregation commits a violent crime against an LGBT person.

Additional Resources:
Misleading ‘Hate Crime’ Statistics
Pedophiles and Other Bizarre Sexual Orientations Given Protection By Congress
Hate Crimes Bill Infringes First Amendment Rights - HUMAN EVENTS

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