The French President recently issued an executive order that greatly broadened the definition and penalties for hate speech or discrimination, particularly against homosexuals and transgenders. The executive order includes “non-public” comments, such as on social media, at work or even at home. Heavy penalties and other repressive measures have been set up for committing verbal “abuse” or differentiated treatment related to “gender identity” – even in private.
Since 1972 when the first anti-discrimination law came into force in France, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, and, more recently, handicaps and “sexual orientation” were part of the protected categories that fell both under the public and private hate speech laws. But, for the first time “gender identity” has been added in order to fight “transphobia.”
In the most radical breach of liberty to date, the order doubles existing fines and adds provisions for re-education of offending citizens. The rule’s range has deliberately been widened so that even private comments on social media would fall under the decree, or even a private talk or written exchange between third parties. Companies are treated as “moral persons” and fines for them start at 7,500 Euros. Fines have been doubled from 750 Euros to 1,500 Euros, and more for repeat offenders.
Other punishments can also be inflicted, including a ban on owning or carrying a weapon, confiscation of weapons owned, confiscation of things (i.e. computers, houses, etc.) used or to be used to commit the offence, community work for up to 120 hours, and forced attendance of a civic education course (political correctness).
Even though the statute of limitations is only three months after the offence, the new rules elevate the risk of condemnation and punishment significantly, even for private conversations.
The French government is actually installing positive discrimination to the benefit of protected groups. This gives homosexuals or transsexuals a “right to complain – and to sue – whenever they consider themselves not to have been treated according to their ever-inflating rights”
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot.” Luke 17:28.