Comment on JK Rowling reported to police for ‘misgendering’ trans TV newsreader

• ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Yes. Slurs and swears aren’t illegal*. You can say anything you want about Trudeau, short of an actual death threat. Hate speech is publishing something that says disabled people or black people are subhuman. However, if you specify one person, it’s not a group, and not hate speech. So you can call Trudeau subhuman.

  *(small caveat, there’s a rarely enforced ‘public disturbance’ law that allows police to arrest people who swear in public, or are in general being a nuisance. Nobody actually goes to court over it. Police mostly use it as a way to arrest someone who is being an ass, then drop the charges once they’re back at the station. I’d say this goes against free speech but it’s rare and mostly an inconvenience)

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  • wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Hate speech is publishing something that says disabled people or black people are subhuman

    That’s legal in the United States. Though you could be sued civilly for libel.

    Can say say I wish they’d all die. That’s legal.

    You can’t say let’s go kill on the whatever. That’s typically illegal.

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  • wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    it. Police mostly use it as a way to arrest someone who is being an ass, then drop the charges once they’re back at the station

    Same thing in California. It’s a way to calm the peace for a bit. In California it’s a 415 disturbing the peace.

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• wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee ⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  R1. Racist language

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