“Ministers have admitted defeat in their efforts to remove a “free speech” defence from new laws against inciting homophobic hatred.”
I don’t often ‘do’ politics on here, it isn’t often something annoys me enough but this is one of those times!
A police spokesperson in the house of lords claimed he was told by many police officers that gay ‘activists’ were abusing the current system making them have to act on such people as Buju Banton ‘simply’ because they used their freedom of speech to enable them to express their opinion on homosexuality. These activists were forcing the police to take action against such people as comedians merely for them making jokes with anti gay references.
Those lords of a religious bent were arguing that their relgion teaches them that homosexuality is wrong and they should be allowed a legal voice to share their views.
The thrust of the argument seemed to revolve around religion. The police complained that they had to inform a concerned citizen that her views may be construed as homophobic just because she questioned whether a gay parade should be allowed or not on the basis that it offended her religious beliefs. It was felt, by the police that her rights to express her convictions should not be overlooked in favour of the rights of gay people to be gay.
It was argued that if freedom of speech can be used as a defence for negativity toward faiths then the same defence should apply to peoples strong beliefs about homosexuality.
The problem with that, and this is why this remains a UK issue, is that relgion, what people believe to be true, is a choice. Being gay, bisexual or lesbian is not a choice, people are the way they are as much as if they were black or disabled.
What right does an unelected and out of touch body of people have to dictate to an elected government what should and should not become law? Surely they should be there to advise, consults and debate, not dictate?
This is all so shitty poofaced wrong! The House of Lords, the out of touch ones, should GET KNOTTED!