Do you believe that the anti gay legislation that includes making it a hate crime to bash gays?

Question

is for the straight guys who are being harrassed because some THINK they are gay? This is some of the reasoning behind this bill that is the first step towards making it a crime to speak out against homosexual acts. What do you think on this?

Answer 1

It shows who the real political fascists are and where the danger is coming from of losing our liberites. Gays who believe in man on man relations would lock you up and put you in jail if they could making themselves sacrosanct while attacking the 10 commandments like cultural pornography now. Soon they will push to have disagreement with them labelled as a disorder in need of re-education camps set up where they send you and drug you up until you accept what they want, this is the result of perverts in high places . This goes along with the constant fight by these people to promote eveything that is sick and perverted on TV programming to desensitize us to whoredom, while attacking tradition, religion and family, they are the main cause of all this irrational hatred of religion, and people don't even reaize how manipulated they are by gay lifestyle propoganda

Answer 2

The legislation doesn't convict people for speaking disapprovingly of gays - it was enacted to stop hate riots and violent crimes against homosexuals. The situation you are speaking of is a rare one. Just look at the LGBT boards and see how many people find it their right to be intolerant and hateful, and notice that none of them have gone to court for it. A hate crime is by definition a crime that is made even more vicious because of the offender's bias toward a certain group. It is NOT a dangerous censorship in the least. It protects gays from being able to form as a group and other groups not to start a riot in the streets. I know you may be reading a bit into the verbal aspect of the law, but it is not a crime to say anything unless it incites others to do harm, and even that is very difficult to prove. It's the same as with any other crime - if you verbally harass a Muslim or a black man it is allowed under the First Amendment, but once someone becomes threatening or extremely harassing there is a chance that some small action will be taken (small, because it is usually a misdemeanor). I really don't believe the lawmakers who put this into effect were thinking a great deal about the straight men who might be viewed as gay more than the ones who might become violent with homosexuals. There have most definitely been crimes in which straight men have been assaulted because some idiot "thought" they were gay and this too would be considered a hate crime, but it's intention is much more than that.

It's about time crime against homosexuals was made a hate crime because that is EXACTLY what is most often the case. If a crime is perpetrated against a gay person that has absolutely nothing to do with their lifestyle then it is tried like any other crime and the "hate crime" laws do not apply. No one out there is sitting in jail just for being nasty and unkind to gay people (although I can't help wishing some would be). Look at Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, and other churches that make videos condemning homosexuality. It is rare as hell that they get any flak from the government until it's too late.

I understand Aaron's point of view (I am an agnostic of Jewish heritage) but I do have to say that crimes committed purely as acts of prejudice should be a separate entity so as to teach a very intolerant society not to act out on their biases. Hate crimes may be judged more harshly in a court of law but there are very few courts who would justify throwing a cross out the window or doing something that is not necessarily harmful to any person or group of people as a hate crime. If a judge chose to take a small crime and make it as such, the outcry would be extreme and the case would most likely get overturned. This is not to say there aren't some really corrupt judges and/or lawyers, but that will be true whether or not hate crime legislation is passed. If you read the entire legislation there are clauses which protect people from being charged as such. More than 40% of homosexuals have reported being threatened or assaulted because of their orientation. It is a huge problem and I don't see any problem with the law really buckling down so as to prevent it in the future. I agree that most violent crimes involve hate of some sort and perhaps they should be called "bias crimes" but I do believe they are necessary. Hate crimes terrorize a large group of people rather than just one individual. They are meant to reduce bigotry and lower the level of hatred in society in general so as to promote more peace and tolerance. The laws only punish those who actually commit crimes; the Constitution and the clauses in the legislation do not make it a crime to speak out or express oneself.

Also and perhaps most importantly, the law does not make it a hate crime solely against homosexuals. The wording is "sexual orientation" and in that case a homosexual who attacks a heterosexual man or woman just because he is straight can be convicted of a hate crime. It is not often that homosexuals attack heterosexuals because they are biased against straight people and that is why we almost never hear of it. It is not because nobody will "talk about that kind of thing". It is because it is so rare that it occurs. Pastors and others who take it upon themselves to teach hatred in a religious setting should be convicted of inciting a riot. They are public figures. Who would like it if teachers were doing the same in their classrooms? It simply would not be allowed, and it shouldn't be allowed in church or temple or mosque either. It is a hate crime to assault a Christian just because they believe in Jesus as much as it is a hate crime to do the same with any other religious or secular group. Disagreeing with homosexuality is one thing but preaching homosexuals are somehow less human than anyone else (like Hitler did with Jews and homosexuals alike) is a way to incite violence and riots. Parents can say what they please in the home but once a public place becomes a soapbox to spout vicious hatred it becomes a problem in the eyes of the law. Unfortunately, sometimes society does have to instill some civility for the very reason that parents don't do it themselves. It is the guardians of a child who teach or further biases and we obviously cannot remove children from the home because of their parents point of view. This is why such a law becomes a necessity.

Answer 3

I need to say before I go any further.....I am vehemently opposed to homophobes, racists, anti-semites, etc.

I think the Christians in this nation are acting in an appalling fashion regarding gays. They should be ashamed of themselves....

That being said....I think the entire concept of hate crimes is absurd. Crime is a crime regardless of the motive. If you hit someone, you hit someone. If you threaten, you threaten. Having a special classification of crimes based on motive scares the hell out of me.

I am very much opposed to establishing a system of hate crimes.

I think we should bring logic and social pressure to bear on homophobic Christians....not hate crimes.

I am a Jew...and if someone threw a cross through my window....I'd want them charged with vandalism. Not a hate crime.

Answer 4

There are lots of laws out there about targeting identifiable groups. It's a crime to assault someone. It's a greater crime to assault them because of their ethnicity, or skin color, or sexual preference. The nature of the motive can often increase the seriousness of the crime.

Spray painting your name on a building is vandalism. Spray painting a swastika on a synagogue is a hate crime.

Answer 5

I think that this is a necessity for anyone who thinks using hate to confront their own discomforts (whatever they're based on, "ick", ignorance, arrogance whatever) is okay, because it is NOT, as I'm assure you know. There's no excuse to hurt anyone for any reason.

If you're curious about what hate crimes are commited against those within the LGBT community and why... do the research. Open your dear eyes and learn... it's being implemented for everyone.

_()_

Answer 6

For straight guys? No. And it won't be a crime to speak out, just to act out.

It's to protect homosexuals from being harassed and denied their rights and I think it's about time they enacted such legislation.

Answer 7

HATE is bad. But, legislating hate towards any one group of people is just as bad as legislating anything else to do with civility. It operates on a reward and punishment system that attempts to motivate people to act civil towards one another instead of parents taking the responsiblility on themselves to teach their children to treat people with mutual respect and common courtesy.

Answer 8

No it's for the gay people who are being harassed, as well as attacked, by anti-gay zealots...
It's not for the tiny number of straight people who might be harassed because someone mistakes them for a gay person...

Answer 9

I think people should be able to live their lives however they choose. If they find happiness in a relationship that some may consider taboo, well good for them. Based on your question, does your religion teach hate?

Answer 10

I think you are right. I see a war coming between theists and atheists. Maybe Christians will blow themselves up in crowds for their God just like the muslims.