After 10 years of hard debate, and from the first time Judy Sheppard called on Congress to create such a law to protect the LGBT Community against hate crimes, the day we all been waiting for was here today! President Obama signed it into law. This is definately a day that we should all remember and hold dear to our hearts. This is the first Federally passed law for the LGBT Community. 

Even though we still have more to get done, we shouldn't look at this and keep saying what about this? What about that? We should be very grateful that this bill was finally signed into law, and remember it as a day of victory in our history. 

Equality groups in certain regions are now asking what should be our next focus? With the majority saying it should be DADT. I am glad to hear that the Sec of the Army is saying that it is time to end DADT. I am sure we will see this sometime early in the next year. 

Judy Sheppard and her family were present in the Oval office when President Obama signed the bill. She later released a statement shortly afterwards. 

 “When Dennis and I started calling 10 years ago for federal action to prevent and properly prosecute hate crimes against gay, lesbian, and transgendered Americans, we never imagined it would take this long,” said Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother and the president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation board of directors. Her son, for whom the measure was named (along with James Byrd Jr.), was murdered in Wyoming in 1998 after being targeted because he was gay.

“The legislation went through so many versions and so many votes that we had to constantly keep our hopes in check to keep from getting discouraged,” she continued. “But with President Obama’s support and the continually growing bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate lining up behind the bill this year, it became clear that 2009 was the year it would finally happen.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate-crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly,” Shepard added. “But each of us can and must do much more to ensure true equality for all Americans.”

This is a time that the LGBT Community really needs to look back and think we finally accomplished something by sticking together. We need to really look at our community as a whole and try to bring it back together as we start seperating on so many issues. We will never win anymore battles with a divided community.