New Hate Crime law needed

BBC Glos on the phone today re the Greens call for a new Hate Crime Law. I sadly wasn't able to pick up on the story soon enough to talk on the radio or get any local spokesperson... ....anyhow here's the issue below from a national Green party news release. See here my letter to local press with link to petition against hate crimes that is still open.

Photo: Rainbow flag flying over Stroud District Council on Gloucestershire's Rainbow Day

GREEN Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell have added their names to a 1,000-strong petition calling on the Government to enact new laws specifically outlawing hate crimes perpetrated against gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people.

Dr Lucas, who represents South-East England and hopes to become MP for Brighton Pavilion – a constituency with one of the largest LGBT populations in the UK – said the lack of specific legislation tackling homophobic and transphobic hate crime was yet another form of official discrimination against LGBT people. She said: “LGBT people face a barrage of discrimination – from employers, landlords, and, all too often, homophobes.

Dr Lucas added: “The Government must harmonise hate crimes legislation so that homophobic and transphobic crimes are dealt with on a par with racist crimes. In particular, this would outlaw the performance, sale, promotion and broadcasting of music and other arts which incite hatred and violence towards any oppressed group. We also campaign for police forces to adopt and implement action plans on homophobic and transphobic hate crimes."

Green Parliamentary candidate for Oxford East and Human Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "The government has failed to remedy the fundamental injustice of the ban on same sex marriage. Having a separate civil partnerships system is not equality. It's sexual apartheid. If there are going to be laws prohibiting incitement to hatred, these laws should cover all forms of hateful incitement. Outlawing incitment to racial hatred but not incitement to homophobic hatred is discrimination. Labour's failure to equalise the law is further evidence of it's ambigious commitment to LGBT equality."

The petition runs until November 3rd. It can be viewed in full, and signed, at:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/LGBT-Hate-Crime/