A new bill in Florida would make accusations of Transphobia would be treated as defamation. The defendant could not “prove truth” by citing a plaintiff’s “scientific or religious beliefs.”
A new bill introduced in Florida, Senate Bill 1780, would make accusations of discrimination towards transgender people “defamation per se,” with accusers on the hook for a hefty $35,000 penalty. Critically, the bill states that if you are sued for defamation under the statutes, you cannot use the defendant’s scientific or religious beliefs or expression to prove that they are acting in a discriminatory fashion towards transgender people. These and other provisions would make it so that accusations of transphobic discrimination would be nearly impossible to prove, and would leave anyone making the accusation on the hook for damages.
The bill outlines several methods and protections for individuals accused of transphobic actions to sue their accusers. For example, one clause stipulates that a person cannot be deemed a public figure due to their association with “a video, image, or statement uploaded on the internet that has reached a large audience.” This implies that if someone is captured on video engaging in discriminatory behavior against transgender individuals, such as denying entry or using slurs, this viral content cannot establish their status as a “public figure.” Consequently, this makes it easier for them to initiate lawsuits against those who accuse them of transphobia, regardless of what the video shows.
Most importantly, the bill contains a section that would make allegations that someone is operating in a discriminatory fashion towards “race, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity” defamation per se, meaning accusations of racism, sexism, homophobia, or transphobia could result in hefty lawsuits. For homophobia and transphobia, there is an additional provision that would make lawsuits much more likely to succeed: defendants could not cite a plaintiff’s “constitutionally protected religious expression or beliefs” or a plaintiff’s “scientific beliefs” to prove the truth of their allegation of homophobia or transphobia.
just let them have florida i’d say. You’re all welcome here in Australia. Florida’s not winning any awards anyway
Half the state will be under water in 20 years anyway, it’ll work itself out.
FSM help me, but I’m about to defend Florida…
I just spent some time there, visiting a friend, and while yes, I encountered some of the worst humanity has to offer, the LGBTQ+ scene is pretty great in some places. Saw some of the best drag performers I’ve ever seen in Miami, at some of the warmest most inviting queer bars I’ve ever been to. It had the vibes of circling the wagons, but if you want in, you’re welcome and “we got you”.
Shit like this breaks my heart for them, but there are a lot of good people still fighting the good fight down there. Fuck Desantis and all the fascists.
I’ve never been, but I guess I just hear what the media says. Also, I’m not LGBT so I’m not really exposed to much of that stuff anyway.
So you might be right anyway
Just fucking nuke that entire shithole state to molten slag already
or call in Bugs Bunny
Sorry Trip, we need that space laser now…
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Or just wait for the next hurricane. Not like conservative policy is doing much to help the climate change that’s making them worse every year.
This is fantastic! We need moar bills like this. Make it federal FFS.
uhhh did you misread this or are you just a huge piece of shit?
Totally misread this. Wow I am dumb… thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt.
you’re not dumb, you just misunderstood something. it happens to everyone.
Have you perhaps misread the premise? Letting transphobes hide behind “defamation” and making it impossible to disprove the claim of defamation is bad enough, but then giving them the grounds to sue you for $35k in top of that is just impossibly stupid
I completely misread it. And I agree with you, this is horrible.
I figured it must have been a misunderstanding!
Jason Brodeur Is a transphobe. My friend told me that Jason Brodeur is the one who shits on the toilet seats of public restrooms. Anyways, Jason Brodeur once tried to kiss me on the way home from school. So he is totally gay now, and also shits on toilet seats, like a poorly trained dog. How much is 35,000 Floridian Meth Money in USD?
So basically a “you can’t sue or I’m rubber and your glue” bill to go with the “don’t say gay bill”. Imagine needing to put this much time into bills like this because you can’t stop your hate from getting you in trouble and you would rather attack marginalized groups than do any actual governing.
Imagine putting time into bills like this instead of solving Florida’s insurance crisis.
What does Israel have to do with Florida?
The rubber and glue rule. It almost kinda rhymes.
Seriously tho wtf are they doing
If you say I’m scared one more time, I’m gonna call the cops!!!
Defamation is so difficult to convict on in the US because of 1st amendment protections. This new statute is DOA once a non-shitass court looks at it.
The problem here is that it will be quite some time before the Supreme Court is non-shitass.
Yup. Defamation case law has set an incredibly high bar in the United States. There’s no way this is going to stand up in court, assuming it even passes.
transphobes don’t necessarily need to be called transphobes. they just need to be shot.
Weird how hexbears act pro lgbtq while at the same time are defensive of some of the most trans and homophobic dictatorships on earth
Protected hate is a very conservative thing nowadays. It’s because they’re all cowards.
Breaking news: Florida passes law that outlaws life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
At first I saw this picture and headline and thought, “Who the fuck is Florida Bill?”
Florida Man’s cousin and brother-in-law
How to guarantee you will destroy your state’s economy in one move:
Truth is an absolute defense against libel.
No matter how hard you go “nuh-uh.”
Thought these guys were big on free speech. This sounds like abridging expression to me.
Don’t we already have crimes like slander and libel that cover when people do this and it’s not true? Thus, this law would widen that to include saying it when it is true?
You’re putting way too much thought into it.
It’s so the chuds can tell their hooting crowds they’re making it illegal for somebody to call them transphobic just because they said and did transphobic stuff.
Pretty sure that’s the start and end of their strategy.
This bill is transphobic simply for existing lmao
