'Hurting women should be a hate crime'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Most states include gender in the list of protected class categories, which makes the fact that the bluest of the blue states is so out of line on something as basic as women’s equal protection of the laws seem especially odd. Similarly perplexing is the silence of groups that should be making noise. Where is the National Organization for Women, and anti-violence groups like Jane Doe? Isn’t it their job to speak out when government officials devalue women’s lives by refusing to redress gender-based violence fairly?
...
It’s time for Patrick, Coakley, the district attorneys and all the police chiefs to come together and demand that the Legislature add gender to Massachusetts’ hate crimes statute. With gender as a category, women’s lives will be better protected and cops and prosecutors will have access to more funding, which means law enforcement efforts will be more effective.'