Good news: Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill is on its way to the President's desk

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act by a margin of 68 to 29. This measure expands the 1969 federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

It passed in the House earlier this month, so all it needs now is President Obama's signature, which he has already promised.

Upon the Senate's passage of the bill yesterday, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese issued the following statement:

"We're in the home stretch. This critical piece of legislation is on its way to the President's desk for his signature. We look forward to President Obama signing it into law - our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Too many in our community have been devastated by hate violence. We now can begin the important steps to erasing hate in our country.”

If only erasing hate were really this easy.

But this is a good step forward.