The fate of the Local Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act H.R. 1592 (Matthew Shepard bill) may remain uncertain until September or possibly longer.

There was a lot of optimism that H.R. 1592 would be approved by the Senate earlier this month as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) pulled the defense bill from the floor after it became knotted in a debate over the Iraq war and questions were raised that it was being used to pass the hate crimes bill.

H.R. 1592 would give the federal government authority to prosecute hate crimes based on a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender or disability. Some reports indicate that the bill might be attached to another piece of legislation later in the year.

President Bush has vowed to veto H.R. 1592 because it includes protections that include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The power of the Democratic majority is an illusion since they lack the ability to come up with the two-thirds vote needed to override Bush’s veto.

Meanwhile, LGBT citizens face the threat of beatings and murder in America without adequate protections.