Criticizing Gender Identity Could Lead to Jail

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Criticizing Gender Identity Could Lead to Jail

Special Report - October 16, 2007
Britain's ruling Labor Party government has announced plans to introduce a new "hate crimes" law that would result in jail terms of up to seven years (more than the average penalty for rape) for "incitement to hatred" against homosexuals, according to The Times Online. The proposal would make it a crime to incite hatred against homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and heterosexual people. Unlike a bill introduced in the U.S. Congress this year and vetoed by President Bush, the proposed British law would not require conviction of an underlying crime of violence or inciting violence to which a hate crime charge would be added. Instead, it would apply if a person simply used threatening words or written material, or recorded visual images or sounds that incite hatred because of “sexual orientation.” Earlier this year in Britain, homosexual activists summoned police to halt a peaceful protest against a “gay rights” bill in Parliament because it “incited hatred.” The situation in Britain illustrates how American hate crimes laws, if enacted, can be manipulated to silence speech of those who oppose homosexuality, including Christians.

Hate crimes legislation has been threatened in North Carolina for years. Several North Carolina bills seeking to recognize special rights based on “sexual orientation” were proposed in the legislature this year, including HB 1366—School Violence Prevention Act, that would have required local school boards to amend their existing anti-bullying and harassment policies to include special protections for public school students and staff who engage in or identify with homosexuality, bisexuality, cross dressing and other “alternative” sexual behaviors. Other bills include HB 1631—Safer Communities Act, which would add "sexual orientation" to the state's Ethnic Intimidation Law, and SB 1534—Nondiscrimination in State Employment (see also HB 1789), which would add “sexual orientation” to North Carolina’s State Personnel Act. Both of these bills define “sexual orientation” as “actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender-related identity or expression.” NCFPC’s Attorney Tami Fitzgerald stated: “It would be the very deepest violation of First Amendment free speech rights for the U.S. Congress or the N.C. Legislature to silence people who object to homosexual behavior, simply because their speech is considered offensive by some people.”