By Rusty Pugh and Jody Brown
December 5, 2002

(AgapePress) - A Pennsylvania pro-family advocate says the free-speech rights of those who do not agree with the homosexual lifestyle were taken away by the stroke of the governor's pen.

Pennsylvania has become the fifth state in the union to include "gender identity" in a hate-crimes bill. In the case of the Keystone State, H.B. 1493 -- signed by Governor Mark Schweiker on Tuesday -- amends the Ethnic Intimidation law to include the phrase: "ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity." [See Earlier Article]

Diane Gramley, director of the American Family Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania, says the pro-homosexual law makes it a crime to simply voice opposition to the lifestyle, using the Bible as a standard. She says supporters of the new law really want to outlaw the Bible.

"Their ultimate goal is to silence anyone who opposes them," Gramley says. "Through Governor Schweiker signing this bill, he took one giant step towards doing that."

Evidently, even some homosexual activists agree with Gramley's assertion that the new law provides unfair protection under the law. In a press release, she quotes one columnist for a pro-homosexual website in Canada who honestly admits the real purpose behind hate-crimes legislation is to silence the opposition -- and for that reason, columnist Eleanor Brown opposes such measures.

"The religious right says we are trying to outlaw the Bible -- and they are right," Gramley quotes Brown as saying. "Hate speech can lead to violence, but hate speech does not necessarily lead to violence. Speech should not be banned [and] thought cannot be censored."

Brian Fahling is an attorney with the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy. He says this is a dangerous law for ministers.

"I think that the Pennsylvania statute certainly could be applied in a way that would reach Christian proclamations of God's Word regarding homosexuality -- and that's very problematic," Fahling says. "I think clearly the design here is to ultimately create an environment where Christians cannot articulate their faith regarding homosexuality and its sinfulness."

Fahling says the measure clearly gives momentum to the forces that would make biblical opposition to homosexuality a crime.

© 2002 AgapePress all rights reserved.

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