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. The law is not limited to people who commit violent acts or incite violence, but the Justice Ministry claims the law "would not prohibit criticism of gay, lesbian and bisexual people"-as long as it done in a "temperate way," said one homosexual activist. What constitutes "hatred" or "invective" as opposed to "temperate" speech is in the eye of the beholder. Colin Hart of the U.K.'s Christian Institute put it bluntly: "A homophobic hatred law would be used by those with an axe to grind against Christians to silence them." Earlier this year, homosexual activists called on police to halt a peaceful protest against a "gay rights" bill in Parliament on the grounds that it was "inciting hatred."Although the "hate crimes" bill which the U.S. Senate recently attached to a defense bill is ostensibly limited only to acts causing "bodily injury," the situation in Britain perfectly illustrates the slippery slope such laws would set us upon. Congress should oppose, or President Bush should veto, any bill that adds "sexual orientation" to federal hate crimes law.Additional Resources
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