The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today reacted with disappointment to the decision of the House of Lords to keep a legal loophole which exempts a minority of people with extreme religious views on homosexuality from laws banning incitement to hatred on grounds of sexual orientation. The Lords voted yesterday to remove Clause 61 from the Coroners and Justice Bill with the result that people with extreme religious views will still be able to act in ways that incite hatred on grounds of sexual orientation without fear of prosecution.
Hanne Stinson, Chief Executive, commented, “This news is very worrying. The threshold for the new law was already extremely high and only covered highly threatening speech that is deliberately intended to stir up hatred against gay people. That the Lords have seen fit to allow some religious people to act in this manner, when it is illegal for everyone else, sends out the wrong message about the importance of the safety of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.”
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For further comment or information, contact Pepper Harow on 020 7462 4992.
Read the BHA’s briefing on Clause 61, which removes the exemption for extremists from the law against inciting hatred on grounds of sexual orientation.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious and campaigning for an end to religious privilege and discrimination based on religion or belief. It is the largest organisation in the UK working for a secular state.