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Laws protecting persons of all sexual
orientationsMenuAnti-hate-crime and anti-hate speech laws
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Overview:Hate-crime legislation increases a criminal's sentence if it can be proven
that the crime of which they were found guilty was motivated by hatred of the
victim because of their race, religion, sex, or some other factor that is
specified in the law. Unless there is a crime like assault, aggravated assault,
attempted murder, etc. hate-crime laws generally do not apply. Hate speech legislation criminalizes the denigration, ridicule, or expression
of hatred against a person or group on the basis of the victim's race, religion,
etc. These types of legislation do not offer any special protections to any
specific group.
They usually include religion and sex as protected classes. They generally protect
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, and others alike; they generally protect both men and
women. Those laws which include sexual orientation as a protected class shield
everyone equally, whether they be heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Whenever such legislation is introduced, there is considerable opposition --
mainly from religious and social conservatives -- to the inclusion of sexual
orientation as a protected class. Often overlooked is the fact that
heterosexuals are protected as much as bisexuals and homosexuals by this type of
legislation. Some conservatives often claim that the laws give special
privileges to homosexuals, as in a comment by Rev. Lou Sheldon of the
Traditional Values Coalition:
"Under the cover of fighting so-called 'hate crimes,' H.R. 1592 will
be used to fund anti-Christian, pro-homosexual/drag queen materials for
children, and divert scarce federal resources away from fighting
Islamic terrorism." 1

Topics covered in this section:

References used:The following information source was used to prepare and update the above
essay.
- Rev. Lou Sheldon, "Pro-homosexual/drag queen bill on fast track in House
of Representatives," TVC-national newsletter, 2007-APR-12.

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Copyright © 2004 to 2011 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally posted: 2004-AUG-12
Latest update: 2011-JUN-19
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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