We, the undersigned, urge City Council to present and pass the current hate crimes ordinance for the city of Cleveland. We are also asking civic funders and partners and sponsors of Gay Games 9 to commit to the support and passage of hate crimes legislation. All residents and visitors to Cleveland should be equally covered.
Why is this important?
A hate crime is usually defined by state law as one that involves threats, harassment, or physical harm and is motivated by prejudice against someone's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical or mental disability.
Laws vary by state and if hate crimes are provided for by statute, the definitions of hate crimes and penalties imposed vary. States that have hate crime statutes provide harsher penalties for such offenses. The underlying criminal offenses that are designated in hate crime laws include, but are not limited to, crimes against persons like harassment, terroristic threats, assault and crimes against property like criminal trespass, criminal mischief and arson.
The current federal law regarding hate crimes deals with crimes where the offender is motivated by bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or ethnicity/national origin.
