Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 00:04:16 -0700 From: Eros Publishing Subject: Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Vicky Kolakowski, Co-Chair, Bay Area Transgender Law Association (510) 763-6612 or Melinda Whiteway, Co-Chair, Bay Area Transgender Law Association (831) 458-2545 GOVERNOR PETE WILSON SIGNS HISTORIC HATE CRIMES BILL AB 1999 clarifies that hate crime protections extend to transgender people [San Francisco Bay Area, CA, September 29, 1998] Yesterday Governor Pete Wilson signed into law AB 1999, a bill which clarifies that gender and gender expression are protected categories under California's existing hate crimes laws. AB 1999 was authored by Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica). Assemblymember Kevin Shelley (D-San Francisco) was the principal co-sponsor. The major effect of the bill is to clarify that hate crimes against transgendered people are covered under California hate crimes laws. District attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles counties, who supported AB 1999, already prosecute such hate crimes under existing law, but other district attorneys do not use this interpretation of the statute. The new law creates uniformity of application of the broader reading of the law. "This is a milestone for the transgender community of California" said Vicky Kolakowski, Co-Chair of the Bay Area Transgender Law Association (BATLAW), a sponsoring organization of the bill. "Hate crimes are a major problem for transgender people everywhere, including the Bay Area, and I am very happy that the legislature and the Governor understand the importance of enacting this legislation. I hope that this becomes a model that will be used nationwide." "What a miraculous change from two years ago, when former state senator Milton Marks' (D-San Francisco) transgender civil rights bill SB 1964 died in committee without a single yes vote" Kolakowski added. "Last time, most legislators seemed uncomfortable with just hearing the word 'transgender.' This time around they publicly championed on our behalf." Kolakowski attributes the bill's passage to the work of a coalition of public safety advocates, hate crimes experts, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community organizations, but gave Kuehl and other gay and lesbian leaders with the bulk of the credit for the changing attitudes. "Most of that transformation was due to the leadership of Sheila Kuehl, her marvelous staff, and the support of gay and lesbian groups such as the now-defunct LIFE Lobby, Community United Against Violence (CUAV) out of San Franciso and the Lambda Letters Project out of Sacramento." AB 1999 received wide bipartisan support throughout the legislative process, partly due to the early endorsement of the bill by Attorney General Dan Lungren, the GOP candidate for governor. ### For additional information about the bill, contact Senior Consultant Jennifer Richard at Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl's office, (916) 319-2041 http://www.wolfenet.com/~aubrey/aubrey.htm