The Forward reports in 2009<\/a>:<\/p>\nWASHINGTON \u2014 Twelve years of activism by Jewish groups is nearing an end as Congress prepares to approve legislation that would expand the definition of hate crimes to include actions based on a victim\u2019s sexual orientation, gender or disability.<\/p>\n
Jewish groups have been front and center in lobbying for the inclusion of these categories in the existing law, which already defines as hate crimes those that are committed on the basis of race, color, religion and national origin…
\nMichael Lieberman, Washington counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, who worked on the expanded hate crimes bill for more than a decade, said pushing it forward was in the interests of the Jewish community because of the leading role Jews play in fighting against hate crimes and for civil liberties.
\n\u201cWe must be cognizant of the fact that the third most common victims of hate crimes are gays and lesbians,\u201d Lieberman said. The most common factor in hate crimes is race, according to FBI statistics. The second most common is religion. Crimes against Jews make up 70% of the religion category, according to the FBI data.
\nAt times, the prolonged standoff over expanding the definition of a hate crime pitted Jewish activists against conservative Christian leaders, who argued the new legislation would criminalize opposition to homosexuality voiced from the pulpit.
\nIn June 23 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee debating the bill, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, argued the legislation would infringe on the rights of religious groups that are protected by the First Amendment.
\n\u201cWhile the bill before us is ostensibly limited to acts which cause bodily harm, it would put us on a slippery slope toward the punishment of so-called \u2018hate speech\u2019 as well,\u201d Perkins said. The Family Research Council issued an alert to pastors warning them that \u201cwhat you say from the pulpit could literally become illegal.\u201d
\nBefore the vote, another group, Focus on the Family, urged its supporters to sign an online petition arguing that the proposed legislation would be the \u201cfirst step toward ultimately gagging our pastors and other ministry leaders who are faithfully preaching the Scripture about God\u2019s plan for human sexuality.\u201d
\nThe ADL\u2019s Lieberman believes that the differing viewpoints over the bill will not damage interfaith dialogue between Jews and Christians. \u201cThe opposition is mainly conservative, not Christian,\u201d he said, adding that many Christian groups joined forces with the Jewish community in promoting the bill.
\nConservative Christian opposition stalled passage of the legislation throughout the Bush administration.<\/p>\n