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itzdrk

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    Hate Crime Bill Passed

    in The Politics Forum

    Posted

    15 hours ago, alta-pete said:

    Hmm. It seems the failed family lawyer is a bully and Humza an unprincipled shitebag. Pass it on…

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/02/nicola-sturgeon-blocked-law-protect-jk-rowling-feminists/
     

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    Sturgeon ‘blocked changes’ to Scotland’s hate crime laws

    Former first minister accused of pressuring Humza Yousaf over legislation that prompted JK Rowling’s ‘arrest me’ challenge

    Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor2 April 2024 • 4:01pm

    Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of blocking changes to Scotland’s hate crime laws that would have protected feminists’ freedom of speech on trans issues.

    Feminist group For Women Scotland (FWS) say that as first minister, Ms Sturgeon forced Humza Yousaf, then her justice secretary, to withdraw amendments to the legislation during its final parliamentary stages in 2021.

    Susan Smith, one of the group’s directors, said these would have provided specific freedom of speech protections for feminists who argue that sex is a physical binary characteristic that cannot be changed.

    As the legislation came into force on Monday, JK Rowling posted pictures of 10 high-profile trans people and ridiculed their claims to be women. The Harry Potter author then dared Police Scotland to use the new laws to arrest her.

    JK Rowling mocked a number of trans people in her social media post and challenged police to arrest herCredit: JOHN PHILLIPS/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE

    Ms Smith said Mr Yousaf, who succeeded Ms Sturgeon as first minister, had broken a promise that she and a colleague would be involved in drawing up training materials for the police that would have dealt with situations like that.

    She told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour that this was because he thought that “it would upset the trans lobby if those examples were given in the guidance to the police”.

    In 2021, Mr Yousaf oversaw the passage of the hate crime legislation at Holyrood,  which was supported by nearly all SNP and Labour MSPs. However, it did not come into force until Monday, as Police Scotland said it needed time for training.

    The legislation creates a criminal offence of “stirring up of hatred”, expanding on a similar offence based on racist abuse that has been on the statute book for decades.

    It extends the offence to abuse on the basis of age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

    MSPs raised concerns about women’s exclusion

    But an amendment to add sex to the list of protected characteristics was voted down, despite cross-party MSPs raising concerns about why women were excluded.

    Ms Smith argued that those accused of hate crimes under the legislation face living under the cloud of a police investigation for two years, even if they are later cleared of any wrongdoing, “so the process very much becomes the punishment”.

    “And this could all have been avoided because right back at the beginning, during the last stages of the Bill, there was an attempt to put in free speech amendments,” she added.

    “There was an outcry on Twitter. Nicola Sturgeon directly intervened and made Humza Yousaf pull them.

    A protester labelled Nicola Sturgeon a destroyer of women's rights during a demonstration at Holyrood in 2021 Credit: IAIN MASTERTON/ALAMY

    “He then promised at committee, he promised me and Lucy Hunter Blackburn that we would be involved in drafting guidance and giving examples so the police would understand if somebody like JK Rowling made a thread like that on Twitter, for example.

    “We could have had real world examples for the police to use in training. But what happened was he broke those promises because ministers decided that it would upset the trans lobby if those examples were given in the guidance to the police.”

    In early 2021, Mr Yousaf tabled an amendment to the Bill aimed at addressing concerns that gender-critical feminists would be criminalised for arguing that trans women are men.

    This was later withdrawn, and he persuaded other parties to pull their amendments on the same issue, with a round table discussion on the issue held instead.

    The final Act contains a section stating that “behaviour or material is not to be taken to be threatening or abusive solely on the basis that it involves” discussion or criticism involving trans issues.

    However, this is weaker than the freedom of speech protection given to “discussion or criticism relating to, or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule or insult towards” religious beliefs and practices.

    A senior SNP MP said the final wording of the Act ignored the recommendations of an official review of hate crime by judge Lord Bracadale that a “protection of freedom of expression provision” be included.

    Women's rights groups protested outside a Glasgow sex shop designated as a reporting centre for hate crime as the new law came into force on MondayCredit: JAMES CHAPELAND

    Joanna Cherry KC, the Edinburgh South West MP and an ally of Rowling, tweeted: “His recommendations were not followed by the Scottish Parliament in relation to the offence of stirring up hatred on the grounds of transgender identity, but they were in respect of religion. Relevant amendments were voted down.”

    She added: “For these reasons, many of us have legitimate concerns about this aspect of the legislation, being weaponised against women, who do not believe in gender identity theory, and wish to exercise their right to explain why. As JK Rowling has done.”

    On Tuesday, Rowling went on social media to hit back at claims she would be remembered by history as a “bigoted children’s book author”.

    She said: “Again with the legacy guff... if your friend History thinks women don’t deserve sex-based rights, healthy kids should be medicalised, and free speech needs stamping out, I’m not interested in being his buddy. He sounds a massive dick.”

    Ms Sturgeon’s spokeswoman referred a request for a comment to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government was approached for comment.

     

    What's the issue here? 

    Should hate groups like FWS be taken seriously?

    0

    The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

    in Scottish Championship General Chatter

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

    Think if Caley beat them then it’ll be a 12 point gap with 4 games to play so it’ll be all but done. We’ll just be making it mathematically impossible for them to come back. 
     

    Just a shame it’s not Dick Campbell in the dugout. 

    I'll take Killie b*****d Dim Jim McIntyre 

    maxresdefault (2).jpg

    0

    The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

    in Scottish Championship General Chatter

    Posted

    Feel like we are in a good place with Brown, he's done a decent job with a pretty hefty injury list.  I was looking at points gained Vs Bullen coming in.

    I think the circumstances are not too dissimilar, this squad is a little better than what Bullen was working with but the injury crisis probably evens it out enough.  

    First 9 games - Bullen 11 | Brown 15

    Game 15 - Bullen 15 | Brown TBC but at least 15

    Bullen then has an extra game Brown won't get and got to 18 points.  

    I'd be surprised if that 18 point haul isn't surpassed.  It was seen as very good and the club were shouting about ending on mid table form that off-season.  Currently we are top of the form table over 10 games (1 of those belongs to Davie White) and third over 5 games.  Again, this has all been with at least 4 starting first team players injured in almost every game.  

    I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of squad he puts together next season.  

    13

    The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

    in Scottish Championship General Chatter

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Rb123 said:

    On a serious note without @diegomarahenry turning into a drunken slevering mess this time over it

    Why have we changed ends for playing and warming up??

    Does anyone know??

    Since Brown came in we have scored 3 goals into the Somerset Road end Vs 5 goals into the Railway end.  The 3 goals scored into Somerset Road were all in the one game.  

    We have conceded 5 at each end.  

    Slight advantage shooting towards the Railway end second half.  

    1

    Sportsound Watch

    in Scottish Premiership General Chatter

    Posted

    5 hours ago, kingjoey said:

    Listening yesterday coming back from the match and I did enjoy the Aberdeen fan, Darren, cutting Michael Stewart's three picks for Aberdeen manager to shreds. Neil Lennon, Jack Ross and Malky Mackay was the bold Mr Stewart's recommendations to the Aberdeen board. 

    To be fair to Stewart he was specifically asked for three names who have managed in Scotland before and said he didn't think Aberdeen fans would be happy with any of them before he eventually gave up the names.  

    It felt like pre-arranged 'drama'. 

    0

    The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

    in Scottish Championship General Chatter

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, callum-ayr said:

    Mental to think that Ancelotti had asked Ferguson to go to Madrid with him, instead he turned that chance down and is on the brink of taking “The Caley” down to League 1. Must be killing him. 

    Duncan Ferguson has 11 wins from 50 matches in management.  

    He has only managed to beat one team more than once.   Yes, Lee 'Bully' Bullen's Ayr United :lol:. 

    2c38ee84-ef67-11ed-8168-0210609a3fe2.png

    1

    The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

    in Scottish Championship General Chatter

    Posted

    10 minutes ago, Superhursty7 said:

    Having a lovely bank holiday weekend untill the news that Falkirk have officially been promoted popped up, can't wait for threads full of crowdwanking next season, well it was a nice 5 years of peace and quiet.

    Losing two good away days at Arbroath and Dundee and replacing them with trips to Falkirk and Livingston :lol:

    0

    The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

    in Scottish Championship General Chatter

    Posted

    Coming into a funny spell now over the next fortnight. 

    We have Raith (A), Morton (H) & Arbroath (H)

    Inverness have Arbroath (H) &  Queens Park (A)

    Queens Park have Dundee United (H) & Inverness (H)

    We need to take at least 4 points out of that due to how tough our final 3 games are.  The 4 points should be enough because Inverness just aren't getting 10 points out of 15 after 1 win in 9.  

    5
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