If you have nothing nice to say…
We’re going to play a little game, not unlike the one from Mean Girls where all the girls in the school are gathered in the auditorium. I want you to raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimised, not by Regina George, but because of your sexual orientation or gender identity?
I can imagine that a lot of metaphorical arms shot up from members of the LGBTQ+ community. Personally, I don’t know anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ who hasn’t been at the end of a wave of vitriol at some point, just for trying to be their authentic selves.
From spoken slurs to online bullying, hate speech like this is omnipresent and denigrates the entire community, belittling and inciting malevolence in every facet of life. And the terrifying thing about it is how it can build into targeted action. The stark rise in abuse directed at LGBTQ+ people over the last while has shown that while progress is being made, it is still fragile. According to Stonewall, 1 in 5 have experienced a hate crime in the last year alone, with the statistic doubling for transgender people.
There is a worrying trend towards complacency and even backsliding in many European countries, as outlined in the ILGA-Europe annual report on the human rights situation of the LGBTQ+ community. Referring to the ‘premeditated and brutal’ attacks as a ‘pan-European’ phenomenon, it’s a sobering read for anyone thinking that progress is being met with little resistance. However, one cause for some celebration in Ireland is the recent announcement of new legislation that will see tougher sentencing for hate crimes.
Headed by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, she stated that ‘hate crimes tell the victim that they are not safe simply because of who they are. They send the disgusting message to victims that they, and people like them, are somehow lesser.’ So if passed, the Criminal Justice (Hate Crime) Bill 2021 will allow for harsher repercussions if a crime is deemed to be motivated by prejudice against certain people based on race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability. Even inciting hate speech online is set to become an offence that could even lead to jail time depending on the severity.
This new legislation is a welcome and concerted step forward in terms of equality, on a number of fronts. It offers a veil of protection for the LGBTQ+ community and a firm warning to perpetrators, but the proof will be in the execution. Lip service masquerading as action is a disappointing reality in a lot of pushes for acceptance. Smokescreens of compliance simply do not bring lasting change. It is something that is even brought up in the State’s report, referring to the fact that while criminal hate speech is an offence under the old Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, ‘there have been very few prosecutions since its introduction.’
Taking to Twitter, Minister for Equality, Roderic O’Gorman detailed how this bill is “long overdue” in Ireland and gives another push towards the creation of a more inclusive country. Which should absolutely be the goal. Stamping out hate is a fundamental pillar of why Certified Proud exists. Members of the LGBTQ+ community (and all minorities for that matter) should be able to live, work and exist without fear of abuse. Hate crimes divide our society, breeding anger and unhappiness. While there is a long road ahead, any efforts to create parity, safety and justice are essential.