FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2019
Georgia House of Representatives
Passes Hate Crime Bill
The first bill to ever specifically protect LGBTQ Georgians to pass either legislative chamber in Georgia.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Tonight, the Georgia State House of Representatives passed HB 426, the first time a hate crime bill that specifically includes protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Georgians to ever passed either legislative body in Georgia. In a vote of 96 to 64, the chamber signaled its support for the bill which passed out of the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee last week.
“It is truly a historic moment for Georgia. A bill that was first passed at the state level in California in 1984 and has been a priority of Georgia’s LGBTQ community since the early 1990’s, has finally passed Georgia’s House of Representatives” said Georgia Equality’s executive director Jeff Graham. “Georgia Equality is proud to have worked in coalition with ADL (Anti-Defamation League) on hate crime legislation and send thanks to Representatives Calvin Smyre, Karla Drenner and Chuck Efstration who have been tireless advocates of this important issue.”
The General Assembly had previously passed a hate crime law only to have it ruled unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2004 because it did not include enumerated categories of specifically protected groups. Today’s vote also means that for the first time sexual orientation and gender identity have been protected by a bill passed by either chamber.
“While we cannot outlaw anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia, transphobia or other forms of bigotry, we can significantly improve hate crime response in Georgia by joining the 45 other states and the District of Columbia in putting hate crime legislation on the books” said ADL’s Deputy Regional Director Shelley Rose.
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Founded in 1995, Georgia Equality is the state’s largest advocacy organization working to advance fairness, safety, and opportunity for Georgia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens.
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