What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
Q: What is the Matthew Shepard Act?
A: The Matthew Shepard Act is an Act of Congress that was passed on October 22, 2009, and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28.
Q: What does the Matthew Shepard Act do?
A: The act adds crimes that are committed because of the victims gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability to the 1969 federal hate-crime law.
Q: Who does the Matthew Shepard Act protect?
A: The Act is the first federal law that gives legal protection to people who are transgender.
Q: When was the Matthew Shepard Act passed?
A: The Matthew Shepard Act was passed on October 22, 2009.
Q: Who signed the Matthew Shepard Act into law?
A: President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard Act into law on October 28, 2009.
Q: What is the significance of the Matthew Shepard Act?
A: The significance of the Matthew Shepard Act is that it adds legal protection to people who are transgender and it adds crimes committed because of a victim's gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability to the federal hate-crime law.
Q: What other bill does the Matthew Shepard Act refer to?
A: The Matthew Shepard Act is officially called the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
