Illegal to tell a gay joke?

Question

What do you all think of this article. While I have no need or desire to tell or to laugh at a gay joke, I feel this is ludacris and completely asinine of the government to try to legislate something like this. Why arent they protecting race or religion as well if it is so important to dictate what comes out of ones mouth? Thoughts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/11/08/ngay108.xml

Toad: Agreed. My husband is originally from the UK and has lived in Spain and France as well. For a long time I fancied myself living there and after seeing SICKO I really wanted to move to France! Then I see stuff like this and realize we have it made in some ways here in the US.

Answer 1

That legislation proposal is .... so gay!

Sorry, I couldn't resist

Answer 2

The entire idea of a law to censor offensive speech is completely ludicrous, as the only kind of speech that needs protection "is" offensive speech.

Speech inciting violence should never be allowed as it is not simply offensive but endangers the general welfare of society.

Homosexuals do not deserve special protected status unless the lawmakers are willing to provide the same special protection to all who are victims of crimes. Because one is a homosexual does not make them any more valuable than any other person. A rape or assault or murder is an act of hate regardless who the victim might be. Torture or extreme aggravated assault, gang rape and murder is not exclusive to homosexuals as we can see with the Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom murders. But they apparently get more media publicity as they are a special interest lobbying group with wealthy supporters.

The laws as they are on the books are not inefficient, and if a person commits these crimes, they will be punished accordingly due to the nature of the crime. The sentence is determined according to the specifics of the case as it should be....not by making a mandatory starting point in the number of years for a sentence just because it was a crime against a person with a different sexual lifestyle or orientation.

If even making a joke about homosexuality is where the west is heading with their hate crimes ideology, I think we in the U.S. need to begin heading this kind of idiocy off at the pass. I have even read that some activists want even the "questioning of the legitimacy and propriety" of homosexuality to be a crime. Much the same as the Islamic leadership in some ultra liberal countries in the E.U. has made criticizing the Q'uran a crime.

People need to wake up or they will not be able to say anything without a lawyer present, or worst case scenario, a bodyguard.

Answer 3

Thank God I'm American. So... would this law apply to Gay folk that tell Gay jokes, because living in SF I know lots of those... ----- Edit after having read the site: Ok, in all fairness, that link states: "Ministers have firmly dismissed as unfounded claims that playground insults or jokes about gays could be caught by the new offence. Last night Chris Bryant, the openly gay Labour MP, said Mr Atkinson should relax because the right to make jokes about gays would remain. "I think it is perfectly possible to create a distinction in law between incitement to hatred and having a laugh," he said. Lord Lester, the Liberal Democrat peer who helped draft the compromise wording on the religious hatred law, said it was clear that "politically incorrect jokes at the expense of gay people" should not be banned." So it seems this is all hysteria, though in principle I'm against anti-hate speech laws. You have nothing to worry about. Drop the "f bomb" all you'd like :)

Answer 4

I really don't like ignoring the first ammendment . It's so negative to ban speech rather than teaching responsibility instead . also why can't paople grow a little thicker skin and learn to laugh at these things rather than take such an egotistical super sensitive stance. I take a few jibs now and then no problem I just don't want to be harangued to death with it.

Answer 5

With rights come responsibilities. That is to say that even though we have freedom of speech/expression, we still have the responsibility to use it in the right manner. Sure we can insult any group that we want to, but that group is made up of people with feelings just like us...

Should discriminatory "jokes" be illegal? Probably not, but I have no desire to hear any of them.

Answer 6

We are living in the last days before Jesus comes back to rule. The devil has come down and is like a roaring lion to devour who he can.....We need to pray a lot for the sinfulness of people. Don't spend your time teasing them and making jokes about them. Satan has them and dares anyone to take them from him....It's time for the Christian to be on his knees crying out to God concerning this world....
Things will not get better before Jesus comes either....We must be ready for the time Jesus will call us up to him.....We will be changed from mortal to immortal. Then God's wrath comes upon people for rejecting his Son.....Yes it's all coming folks...

Answer 7

i agree. I'm disabled and jokes about the handicap bother me but its not my place to chose what some one else says. what kind of world would it be if we got into trouble for opening our mouth. there would be no jokes and there for laughter would be scarce and there would be a lot more angry and sad people in this world. i do think people should stop being rude and hurting other peoples feeling by their own free will not because they are made to.

Answer 8

I think that the biggest problem the government will have about such legislation will be with the Muslims - who make no secret how they feel about homosexuals. So I doubt it will go far down that road.

Answer 9

its soon coming here to the usa though one x basketball player got fired from his job as a sports comentator , his name is tim hardaway by the way he played with the miami heat in the 90,s,, for saying simply gay men made his flesh crawl and he didnt want to be around them,, he had to apoligize for his statement seek counciling too.. is that radical or what??
what happened to free speach then?? mj

Answer 10

How stupid. I'm all for equality and ending hatred, but people telling jokes aren't the ones to attack. I doubt too many gay people would agree with that law, either.

Answer 11

I think that it is dangerous to make saying something illegal. Whether it is in good taste or not freedom of speech is important. Question is after that, where do they draw the line of what to criminalize?