sexual orientation

Last June, the city council of Holland voted against adding sexual orientation and gender identity to local anti-discrimination laws.

Now, religious leaders and Republicans have joined to pressure the council to change that vote.

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The House voted 229-186 to pass a defense bill approving more than $700 billion for military programs and containing an amendment overturning the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law allowing gays to serve in the military only if they hide their sexual orientation.

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The 16-12 vote endorses an end to the Clinton-era policy under which gays could serve in the military only if they don't disclose their sexual orientation.

The full House planned to take an identical measure later Thursday or Friday.

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The measure expands current hate crimes law to include violence based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

To ensure its passage after years of frustrated efforts, Democratic supporters attached the measure to the must-pass defense policy bill over the steep objections of many Republicans.

Wednesday afternoon, President Obama will sign a new hate crimes bill into law, extending the definition of federal hate crimes to include attacks against people based on disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

It is an update to the federal hate crimes statute that Congress initially passed in 1968.

Was last week's shooting death of a sailor at Camp Pendleton in southern California a hate crime? The family of Seaman August Provost III believes the killing may be related to his sexual orientation, and now there are calls for a congressional investigation.

From KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, Scott Shafer reports.