"Being offensive is an offence"

[hallouminatus]

AIBU to find this image offensive?

So just to clarify, next time I'm out running and some male twat leans out of his car window and requests that I display my breasts for him (not in quite such a charming way), can I expect the police to hunt him down and do something about it? Or is misogyny still fine and dandy?

If you are a transwoman you're covered and he's fucked. If you're an actual woman, he's grand to carry on and you're fucked.

We're all fucked.

Bigger that rainbow flag is almost literally a red flag which indicated where the priority lies.

Google Harry the Owl if you genuinely want to understand concerns.

But yes, while this nonsense goes on but it's ok for twats to cat our daughters in their school uniform, and diddly is done about it, you definitely will not please everyone all of the time.

A more effective campaign would be highlighting the increase in DV and child neglect/abuse. But the groups lobbying for that wouldn't be as powerful.

Most police billboard campaigns where I am are highlighting DV at the minute. Some are about driving. There have been a couple of LGBT hate crime ones, but not often, and usually during Pride or in the aftermath of a spate of asaults.

Why does that policeman have a big stick?

It looks like a walking stick, so he probably needs it.

@Joeblack066

Are you thereby -a homophobe -a racist -a transphobe -a Tory -a Karen/ Gammon/ Pearl clutcher All of the above, or some other kind of bigot?

Oh look, the name calling misogynist has turned up, and they've forgotten what irony is again.

@TooTiredToCoo

Why does that policeman have a big stick?

You've seen a walking stick before?

No one has the right not to be offended. And neither should they have such a right.

It wouldn’t stand up in a court of law.

@BobbitWormNightmares

Happy to be enlightened, but I just take this as, verbal or other such attacks against anyone in the LGBTQI+ community is a hate crime and illegal - the police will support victims, and I can't see it as anything other than positive?

The problem is, we can't agree on the definition of 'verbal or other such attacks'. We have a situation nowadays where simply stating biological truth is seen by some as a 'verbal attack', and therefore according to that sign, should be an offence.

'Hate crime' is now being used by some activists as a way to silence anybody who doesn't agree with them. Me stating that I don't believe biological men can become women, is seen by some as a hate crime - do you think that is a reasonable response to a sincerely held belief?

I agree with the previous poster who used religious belief as a comparison - people should absolutely be allowed to believe in their chosen religion, and not discriminated against for that. However I should also be allowed to state openly that I don't believe in ANY god, and that should not be taken as offensive to a religious person.

Why does that policeman have a big stick?

Apparently, this is called a "signalling stick"

Merseyside police are unique in that they still issue Sergeants with a signalling stick. It is a tradition that goes back to formation of the Liverpool Constabulary Force. The stick is a Wooden Victorian walking cane; it measures over 3 foot long with a metal ferrel on one end. This stick is a badge of office of the rank. Many of the old Sergeants, who had worked the docks would ask the dock board carpenters if they would make a stick from lignum-vitae. This is the same material that dock gates are made of. It is an extremely hard wood.
police.community/topic/355427-police-signalling-stick/

I suspect "signalling" may be a euphemism

YANBU

@NiceGerbil

They also randomly decided to bung 'sex workers' in at the beginning of their list of groups covered by hate crime law

When did it become a thing to just say the law says what you feel like thinking it says? And this from the police!

Of course sex is not protected under hate crime law- a notable difference from the protected characteristics list. Presumably because if women were able to report everyone who harassed them etc due to them being female, the police would not have time to do anything else at all.

Although they have the time and money to put up incorrect notices like this surrounded by unfriendly looking coppers so,...

My thoughts exactly.

Everything about this campaign is wrong. The law is misrepresented, the EA is misrepresented and it’s a menacing image. I struggle to understand how this helps anyone. They need to sack their legal advisors and get the services of someone who actually understands the law.

Except the woman in the picture. Her body language is really interesting.

I’d missed this and to go back for another look, who positioning in the picture and body language does sum it up quite well, actually.

Do police out and about tend to continue in that role if they need a walking stick? I had assumed there were fitness tests and what not.

Anyway turns out it's a 'signalling' stick. The signal presumably being don't mate I've got this big heavy stick

I thought with this sort of thing they made themselves look friendly and approachable usually.

Very strange all round.

(Not really - message received and understood).

Oh look a rainbow flag what a surprise.

Absolutely nowt to do with gay pride anymore.

Exist as a woman and dare to call an adult human with a penis and testicles 'he' and it is off to the gulag for you, you absolute hateful piece of work.

Strangle your wife to death because she said something that pissed you off, well, you can't help that you just 'snapped' you poor thing, and you have told us that you wouldn't hurt a fly, so have 5 years in prison, out in 3.

Aaarrrggghhhhhh!!!

@NiceGerbil

Do police out and about tend to continue in that role if they need a walking stick? I had assumed there were fitness tests and what not.

Anyway turns out it's a 'signalling' stick. The signal presumably being don't mate I've got this big heavy stick

In which case you should speak softly.

And women who get cat called and harassed will just have to put up with it, because it's not really offensive is it, if anything its a compliment

"Men are afraid women will laugh at them.......

Just 5 years for strangling your wife when you're a bit stressed."

This is horrifyingly astute. Being offensive is an offence. Killing your wife is fine.

I cannot believe a police comms team saw that and let that fly. It's misleading, mangled English and having to clarify it after the fact is just embarrassing for them.

BEING OFFENSIVE IS AN OFFENCE
Merseyside Police stand with and support
the LGBTQI+ community, we will not
tolerate Hate Crime on any level

Merseyside have forgotten the A in LGBTQIA+ according to this afternoon's latest tweet from Stonewall.

Potentially someone should tell them they're probably causing offence...

How can the police not know the law?
Who designed this, signed off on it, staffed it, paid for it?
How much did they pay?
I find this so chilling.
A hate crime is a crime with a hate element, its not and never should include saying things that people dont like.
Have there been no actual crimes commited in birkenhead that those officers could be more usefully deployed to attend to?
Its mind boggling.

Merseyside have forgotten the A in LGBTQIA+ according to this afternoon's latest tweet from Stonewall

What is the A for? And, my teen told me that the + is used to signify all of the gender identities and sexual orientations that are not specifically covered by the other five initials. So that's like....everyone? Literally every single human?
Such utter nonsense.

YANBU. I’m sick of the police behaving this way.

It’s all to hide the fact that for years they were appalling homophobes who didn’t give a damn when gay men and lesbians were being fired from their jobs or beaten up for being gay.

The Govt needs to tell them to pack it in. It is not their place to have these ludicrous political opinions.

@Pinkdelight3

"Men are afraid women will laugh at them.......

Just 5 years for strangling your wife when you're a bit stressed."

This is horrifyingly astute. Being offensive is an offence. Killing your wife is fine.

Just wait until "she was being offensive" is used as a domestic violence defence.

She was asking for it - but it's progressive now.

@hatedbytheDailyMail

Merseyside have forgotten the A in LGBTQIA+ according to this afternoon's latest tweet from Stonewall

What is the A for? And, my teen told me that the + is used to signify all of the gender identities and sexual orientations that are not specifically covered by the other five initials. So that's like....everyone? Literally every single human?
Such utter nonsense.

twitter.com/stonewalluk/status/1363843446616719363

Apparently it's Aromantic.

Stonewall are providing tips on how to be an ally though so don't worry that you didn't know before.