Anti-hate laws must be wider than race

This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 20.4.11

Tasmanian gay activists have welcomed a state Law Reform Institute report calling for tougher laws against racial abuse, but say any reform of the Tasmania's anti-hate laws must include other grounds such as sexual orientation and gender identity.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said failure to strengthen laws against sexual and gender vilification and abuse will send the message that hate-motivated attacks against gay and transgender people are acceptable.

"Vilification and other hate-motivated crimes on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity is at least as common and just as damaging as racial abuse, and they must be subject to the same penalties", Mr Crome said.

"The last thing Tasmanians want to see is two tiers of anti-hate laws which suggest to perpetrators that there are more and less acceptable targets for their malice."

Yesterday, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute issued a report on racial hatred laws which recommended sentence enhancement for racial vilification and for other crimes that are racially-motivated.

The TLRI report acknowledges that vilification and abuse occurs on other grounds and notes that its approach to race hate "provides a model for dealing with all forms of attribute-motivated offences"

The report is now with the State Attorney-General, David Bartlett.

For the TLRI statement and report click here and here.

For Mr Bartlett's statement click here

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.