LATE BREAKING: Hate Crimes Bill FINALLY Passes Congress, On Its Way to Obama's Signature

Here's a great announcement from HRC on the hate crimes bill FINALLY passing Congress!

Dear Andrew, The hate crimes bill has passed through Congress! This groundbreaking victory never would have happened without the actions and determination of thousands of people like you. Thank you. Visit LoveConquersHate.org and send a personal note of thanks to the families that did so much to make this victory possible! I have some amazing news: after a Senate vote today, the inclusive hate crimes bill has crossed its last hurdle in Congress! President Obama has vowed to sign it by the end of this month. Today's victory marks a truly pivotal moment in our fight for LGBT equality. It happened because of the dedication of people like you and the families of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., for whom the bill is named. And with bills seeking to end workplace and military discrimination coming up for debate in Congress, today's victory could be just the first of many if we can keep up our momentum. Check out our Love Conquers Hate site – celebrate this victory and send a note of thanks to the Shepard and Byrd families for their years of hard work! But even as we celebrate this amazing news, we're already getting a sense of the fight we'll have to wage to keep our momentum going. Courageous lawmakers are continuing to hear from right-wing groups falsely claiming their vote will end free speech, criminalize anti-gay thoughts, and open the door to jailing pastors for their sermons. One recent right-wing article said passing this bill would "shred America's Judeo-Christian value system." That's what we're up against. It's clear that we can't afford to sit back and hope for the best. But we've proved today that if we continue to fight with the passion and persistence that paved the way for today's hate crimes victory – we can fulfill the promise of this moment, despite our anti-equality opposition. I hope you'll take one moment today to celebrate this turning point and send your message of support for the families whose dedication helped pass this law: http://www.LoveConquersHate.org Thank you again for everything you've done to help make this possible. Warmly, Joe Solmonese President