A new law over the pond makes bad mouthing (no pun intended) homosexuals a crime punishable by seven years in prison. I assume this means almost every lesbian in England will end up in the joint once they hear what our sapphic sisters think of their male counter parts.

More importantly, the new law gives people more time than rapists who average a disgustingly low sentence of five years.

From the Daily Mail:

Stirring up hatred against homosexuals is to become a serious crime punishable with a seven-year jail sentence under a law announced last night.

The legislation – similar to laws already in force outlawing persecution on religious or racial grounds – will make criminals of those who express their views in ways that could lead to the bullying or harassment of gays.

The maximum sentence is longer than the average of around five years handed to rapists.

The announcement widened the rift between opposing supporters of freedom of speech and gay rights.

Christian groups condemned it as “a law to allow Christians to be locked up for what they believe”.

But the gay pressure group Stonewall said those who disapprove of homosexuals would have nothing to fear from the law if they express their views in a manner that is “temperate” and “polite”.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw told MPs the gay harassment law will be included as an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill currently going before Parliament, though ministers have yet to decide the wording.

Mr Straw said: “It is a measure of how far we have come as a society in the last ten years that we are now appalled by hatred and invective directed at people on the basis of their sexuality.

“It is time for the law to recognize this.”

He raised the prospect of extending the law to cover to “transgendered” people and the disabled.

The new law aims to catch those who do not explicitly call for attacks or discrimination against homosexuals, as this is covered by existing incitement laws.

Instead, police will be allowed to pursue those who create an “atmosphere or climate” in which hatred or bullying can be fostered.

So a rapist is, according to the sentencing guidelines, less vile than some closet case who yelps out a condemnation of gays, or a Christian who is for all intents and purposes following the tenants of his religion by saying homosexual relationships (and in fact all intimate relationships outside of a Marriage) are wrong?

Isn’t this misogyny? Doesn’t this law in essence say that it’s worse to offend a man than it is to violate a woman?

h/t Theo Spark