this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
11 points (100.0% liked)
Melbourne
43 readers
38 users here now
This community is a place created for the people of Melbourne and Victoria. We are a positive, welcoming and inclusive community. We might not agree about everything, but we always strive to stay civil and respectful.
The focus of our discussions is based around things that effect Victoria, but we are also free to discuss our local perspective on wider issues. Or head to the regular Daily Random Discussion thread to talk about anything.
Ongoing discussions, FAQs & Resources (still under construction)
Adoption Certificate for Nellie, the Daily Thread numbat (with thanks to @Catfish)
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I have just been going through the material for the feedback on the proposed anti-vilification laws.
I find it a bit disturbing that there is so much focus on which groups should be protected. I absolutely agree that we should widen the coverage of the laws, but this feels like an exercise of deciding who is deserving of protection and who is not. This seems likely to both leave gaps in who is protected, but also likely to end up with court cases where the offender argues that their behaviour was legal because they hate someone for an allowable reason. Some awful variation of "I don't hate gay people, I just hate rainbows".
I am definitely in favour of this over what we have now, but it does feel like starting with a list of groups deserving of protection is a terrible way to make a law.
I think they've covered a lot of marginalised groups which weren't previously. I agree though they should just outlaw vilification based on any percieved difference. Oh and make the spread of information which could cause others to vilify a crime as well. Freedom of speech like every other right has to be balanced with responsibility with not using it to cause other's pain.