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News Release
For Immediate Release: April 30, 2009
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

As Hate Crimes Bill Passes 13 Pennsylvania Congressmen Give Protections to Pedophiles

(Harrisburg) – Yesterday’s 249-175 vote to pass H.R. 1913 out of the House shows either a lack of understanding on the dangers of this bill or a total sellout to a politically powerful special interest group. Thirteen Pennsylvania Congressmen voted to restrict free speech and for the eventual criminal prosecution of religious leaders and members of religious groups based on their speech and previously protected activities. The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide pro-family organization, also expressed concern that this poorly written bill would lead to protections being extended to pedophiles and those involved in bestiality.

“H.R. 1913 has no definition of sexual orientation and an amendment to specifically say pedophiles would not be protected was voted down by Democrats with lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) saying it was not necessary. So, apparently the 249 who voted in favor of this bill believe pedophiles should be a protected class under the civil rights law. And apparently they believe the other sexual orientations should be protected also, ” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA noted today.

This bill has nothing to do with ‘hate,’ but everything to do about those pushing for the normalcy of the homosexual lifestyle. Wyoming did not have a hate crimes law when Matthew Shepherd was killed, yet his murderers are spending the rest of their lives in jail. That state still does not have a hate crimes law, yet murder, assault and battery and vandalism are still prosecuted.

“There is no need for so-called hate crime laws. Such laws create unequal protection under the law giving greater legal protection to those on ‘the list.’ This goes directly against the 14^th Amendment of the Constitution which says ‘nor (shall any state) deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.’ H.R. 1913 adds an enhanced sentence of 10 years imprisonment if it is deemed the perpetrators thoughts are hateful at the time of the commission of the crime,” further noted Gramley.

Additionally, we here in Pennsylvania know first hand how these laws can be used to deny the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly to those who believe that engaging in homosexual acts are sinful. In October 2004 eleven Christians were arrested, jailed and charged with hate crimes while singing choruses and reading Scripture at a homosexual event in Philadelphia. They were charged under the ethnic intimidation law in which the legislature had added ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ in November 2002. In December 2004 the Philadelphia prosecutor said the Bible was hate speech.

Pennsylvania Congressman Jason Altmire, Robert Brady, Kathy Dahlkemper, Charles Dent (R), Michael Doyle, Chakah Fattah, Jim Gerlach (R ), Tim Holden, Paul Kanjorski, Patrick Murphy, Todd Russell Platts (R ), Allyson Schwartz, and Joe Sestak voted in favor of pedophiles and arresting pastors and priests. Congressman John Murtha, who has supported such bills in the past, did not vote.

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