Great Britain: Anti-gay comments could cost you seven years in jail

The Government is to make it a crime to incite hatred against gay people, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced tonight.

The move to outlaw inciting homophobic hatred comes after ministers moved to criminalise such activity on religious grounds earlier this year.

Today's announcement could cause a row over free speech, as the Government experienced over the religious hate crime measures.

Mr Straw said: "It is a measure of how far we have come as a society in the last 10 years that we are now appalled by hatred and invective directed at people on the basis of their sexuality.

The move comes a month after Comedian Jim Davidson was axed from ITV's celebrity cooking show Hell's Kitchen for insulting homosexuals.

The 53-year-old controversial entertainer was asked to leave by programme-makers for homophobic comments, which saw him brand gay men "shirtlifters".

Davidson left the nightly reality show after a series of rows with former Big Brother winner Brian Dowling, who is openly gay.

And earlier this week a group of firemen who shone their torches at four men engaged in illegal 'dogging' were demoted and fined £1,000 by their bosses after being accused of being homophobic.

Today Jack Straw said he would listen to views on whether the incitement offence should be further extended to cover hatred against disabled and transgendered people, and would proceed "if a case can be made".

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The presumption will be that the authorities will disclose information if they consider that an offender presents a risk of serious harm to a child."

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "We are committed to protecting children from sexual predators and the proposals being laid out today will strengthen that protection.

"The UK already has the strongest restrictions on child sex offenders and these proposals which follow on from the publication of the Child Sex Offenders Review earlier this year will help us to continue doing all we can to protect them."

Mr Straw told MPs the moves would be made as amendments to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.

In a further amendment, criminals on the sex offenders register will be required to provide extra information to the police, including information about email addresses, about new relationships with any woman who has children, and whether they are living in the same house as anyone under 18.

The law against inciting religious hatred came into force at the start of this month.

It closed a gap in race legislation that meant only Jews and Sikhs, who were deemed by the courts to be racial groups, were protected.

Other groups like Muslims and Christians were considered to be religious rather than racial so were thought not to have the same protection under the law.

Anyone convicted of the offence, which follows the introduction of the Racial and Religious Hatred Act, faces up to seven years in jail.

When first proposed the religious hate crime legislation was heavily criticised by some groups who believed it could outlaw people such as comedians making jokes at religion's expense.

Blackadder and Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson was among those who warned that such measures risked undermining the freedom of satirists, comedians and writers, and legitimate discussion about religion and religious practices.

There were two attempts by the Government to introduce it, first in 2001 and then later with the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. They faltered because of the concerns.

But ministers pressed for the law a third time because it was seen as an important counter-balance to anti-terror laws which can be seen to disproportionately target Britain's Muslim population.

On the new anti-homophobia move, a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "The new law would not prohibit criticism of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, but it would protect them from incitement to hatred against them because of their sexual orientation."

"We've worked tirelessly over the last six months, seeking to persuade Ministers to match existing race incitement laws with identical protections for sexual orientation.

"A new offence will help deter extremists who stir up hatred against lesbian and gay people.

"These protections aren't about preventing people expressing their religious views in a temperate way.

"However, we refuse to accept any longer that there's no connection between extreme rap lyrics calling for gay people to be attacked or fundamentalist claims that all gay people are paedophiles, and the epidemic of anti-gay violence disfiguring Britain's streets.

"We anticipate, as always, a tough battle with our traditional opponents in the House of Lords but remain determined to secure complete equality in the criminal law."

I fully expect Hollywood to come to his defense over this freedom of speech issue.......

Hollywood now requires Rehab for Hate Speech Offenses.

Therapist's notes court-ordered rehabilitation for hate speech patient Coulter, First Session:

The patient arrives on time, displays pleasant and agreeable affect. She is charming and complimentary about therapist's office, calling it cozy. She asks if the therapist decorated it himself, and when told that he didn't, remarks that she should have known as he doesn't seem gay. Therapist asks why patient instantly assumes that interior decorators are invariably gay. Patient apologizes for the stereotyped response. "I guess this is why I'm here," she says with great sincerity. "I need to learn how to better express myself. I need to learn to stop saying things that upset so many people, to stop saying such hurtful things, using such hateful language. This is going to be a difficult and painful journey for me, I know. But together, I hope we can get to the bottom of it." Therapist compliments patient on her positive attitude. Patient and therapist share a healing hug. "So let me rephrase my statement, if that's okay," patient says. "All interior decorators are not gay--only the good ones are." Patient then bursts out into gales of laughter, points at therapist, and shouts "PSYCH!"

No progress during this session.

Second Session:

We move to a group-encounter experience. The patient is encouraged to engage the group--consisting of a dozen participants, some clearly homosexual, others merely avid environmentalists included as "gay decoys." Within minutes, patient has identified the decoy environmentalists, and has reduced several of them to tears. They exit angrily, leaving only the patient and eight or so homosexuals. The conversation quickly evolves into an unproductive conversation between patient and the remaining homosexuals in which all agree that the Prius is the most unattractive automobile on the road today, and that any man--homosexual or heterosexual--who drives one can be safely called a "f*g." When reminded that the therapist himself drives a Prius in solidarity with the green movement and Planet Earth, patient and remaining homosexuals erupt into hurtful giggles. Therapist reminds homosexuals that the patient is here in therapeutic rehabilitation to learn better, less hateful and hurtful ways to communicate. "I was kidding!" shouts the patient. "I used the word as a joke!" Therapist reminds the patient that humor is often the most hateful form of communication, and is therefore best avoided. "But they use that word all the time," she says, pointing to the homosexuals. The homosexuals agree that this is an important issue, but the truth is, they were all wondering about John Edwards anyway. Patient promises to dish over drinks. Patient and homosexuals leave together, leaving therapist in office.

No progress during this session.

Third Session:

Patient arrives on time, upbeat about a new book deal. Patient and therapist talk about this for a moment. Patient is reluctant to share details of the book.

Apparently, a more "stealth" approach to book topics is the norm these days. Still, the patient is reminded that the therapeutic environment is a "safe space," where anything can be shared in total confidence. "Really?" the patient asks. The therapist assures her that anything she says or does within the therapeutic frame is sacred and totally confidential. "Like, if I said the word f*gg*t? That would be okay?" The patient is reminded that one of the reasons she is currently undergoing court-ordered rehabilitation is precisely because of such language. "So this is a safe space where I can say anything I want unless it's what I'm in the safe space for in the first place? Am I the only one to realize that this makes no sense?" The therapist tries once again to explain to the patient that she is here primarily because she seems incapable of not saying whatever is in her mind, irrespective of social norms.

Patient laughs, and remarks that one of the ways to get on the bestseller lists is to speak your mind, then inquires about how the therapist's own book, On Being Nice, is doing at the stores. Therapist suggests that they concentrate on the patient and the patient's book. "That bad, huh?" asks the patient. "Suggestion? Try writing an interesting book. Those usually move faster."

No progress during this session.

Fourth Session:

Patient misses the session, and instead appears on Hannity & Colmes to introduce her new book, entitled Rehab Is for Quitters, in which she promises to expose the "unbelievable liberal nonsense" of the entire rehabilitation-therapy movement. By show's end, Amazon presales hit record highs, far outpacing therapist's own On Being Nice, which languishes at 12,978,675.

No progress during this session.

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