Told A Gay Joke? Go To Prison For Seven Years
If you tell a joke about gay people, you could sent to prison for seven years under measures in the Criminal Justice Bill currently passing through Parliament. The Bill, intended to stamp out homophobic behaviour, has been criticised by the comedian Rowan Atkinson, who points out that it has
Indeed it does, especially when the penalty is so high.
When it comes down to it, you can’t “stamp out” homophobia. It’s not something that can be forced out of people. It is best just to ridicule the idiots who feel that way for their narrow-mindedness and get on with our lives.
Also, being a homophobe is not illegal, and nor should it be. The expression of this and an incitement to hatred of gays is and should be - but that does not need this new law. Nor should any group - whether they be able to be defined by age, gender, race, religion, sexuality or anything else - should be “protected” like this. All it would result in is an ostracisation of that group since any remark that could possibly be interpreted in an “illegal” way could lead to excessive punishment, such as seven years in prison. It would cause an apartheid rather than prevent discrimination.
This sort of law are utterly unnecessary and, really, prevent full and complete social inclusion of any “minority” group rather than facilitate it.
Source: The Telegraph
This entry is filed under Freedom of Speech, Ridiculous Legislation, Sexuality. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Guess thats many a pub comic’s routine that is going to need an urgent re-write.
Just a matter of time before New Liebour get around to banning Mother in Law jokes…
Chris
Nice blog, if you like winding up lefties, try this
http://drinksoakedtrotsforwar.com/2007/11/07/defining-bloggertarian/#comments
The comments are particularly choice
This is the mindlessness I’m mindlessly trying to stamp out too, TD.