Sweden considers adding 'gender identity' to hate crime law

The Swedish government has recently announced that it is considering to amend its existing hate crime legislation to include "gender expression and identity" as criteria in protecting individuals against discrimination.

Sweden's hate crime law, known as incitement to hatred, currently applies to speech aimed at individuals based on sexual orientation, race and religious belief, according to Breitbart News. Swedish Justice Minister Morgan Johansson said that the existing law would be amended to cover gender identity and expression.

"This is a special vulnerable group, which has been exposed to hate for a long time," Johansson said.

The justice minister noted that the new measure would also make it illegal for anyone to discriminate against individuals based on their gender expression, adding that it was important "to highlight that the government is concerned about this type of harassment."

Since 2014, the Swedish government has looked into adding transgender as one of the criteria in the hate crime legislation, and the current administration had campaigned to amend the measure in the last election.

The government also proposed changing the law even further by dropping the word "race" by July of next year.

"We want to distance ourselves from the concept of race, which of course lacks any scientific evidence that we can divide mankind into races," Johansson contended.

The proposal came just weeks after the Canadian Senate passed a measure that makes it illegal to use the wrong gender pronouns.

The legislation, known as Bill C-16, adds gender identity and expression to Canada's Human Rights Code and to the Criminal Code's hate crime section.

The measure, which was passed by the Senate by a vote of 67–11, is now awaiting royal assent from the House of Commons to become law.

Critics have feared that the legislation would compel Canadians to use preferred pronouns under risk of fines and possible jail time.

One of the bill's fiercest critics was University of Toronto psychology professor Dr. Jordan Peterson, who condemned Bill C-16 in one of his videos, saying it "requires compelled speech."

Campaign Life Coalition, the political arm of Canada's pro-life movement, also denounced the passage of the legislation.

"This tyrannical bill is nothing but social engineering to the nth degree, all in the name of political correctness," said Campaign Life's Toronto vice president Jeff Gunnarson.

Jack Fonseca, the group's senior political strategist, expressed concern that the measure would be used against Christians.

"Mark my words, this law will not be used as some sort of 'shield' to defend vulnerable transsexuals, but rather as a weapon with which to bludgeon people of faith and free-thinking Canadians who refuse to deny truth," he said.