President Barack Obama signed the hate crimes bill into law today. The bill provides special protection based on a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Family advocates say the law will endanger religious freedom.
Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, said all victims deserve equal justice.
"This law is a grave threat to the First Amendment because it provides special penalties based on what people think, feel or believe," he said. "It paves the way for the criminalization of speech that is not deemed 'politically correct.'"
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Learn more about the new hate crimes law.
