End of Equality?

Misogynism as a concept rears its ugly head yet again. Michelle Donelan, the latest Culture Secretary, is understood to believe the Online Safety Bill has possesses the tools to stop online attacks on women .

Baroness Morgan, herself a former culture secretary, is leading Tory peers who are pushing to extend the law to include a legally-enforced code of practice, in the UK at least, requiring social media giants to protect women and girls. What she plans to do about the other 194 countries in the world that are not subject to the UK government’s creeping authoritarianism is unsure.

In 2022, ministers thankfully rejected calls to include misogyny in the divisive realms of hate crime. Mostly, this was because it would have promoted what is known as the fairer sex against the 49% of the population that is male. The Government compromised, as so often, by creating a yet another new offence of public sexual harassment as per recommendations from the Law Commission.

Further measures require big social media platforms to provide users with optional online tools that would allow women to screen out misogynistic abuse. As with all hate crimes, this creates a two-tier legal framework which is strongly opposed by the Libertarian Party.

The craziness continues as Tom Jones’ Delilah is banned as it depicts violence to a woman. We await the delisting of Bob Marley “I shot the sheriff” and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody: “Mama, just killed a man…” Holding one’s breath is not advised.

The Libertarian Party opposes any discrimination whether religious, gender based-driven or based on sexual preference. It does not matter whether hatred is directed at 51% of the population that is female, the 3.5% that are openly gay (according to a US survey) or the 0.3% that is trans (same survey), one group of people should NEVER have any sort of priority under the law.

If a crime is committed, the victim and the miscreant must be treated equally.

Martin Day - Party Secretary