France fines three Twitter users for ‘burn the gays’ hashtag
By Josh Haggis
France has fined three people for using anti-gay language on Twitter.
Following the French Government’s decision to legalise same-sex marriage in 2013, some people showed their anger with the law change by making “#burnthegayson” and “#gaysmustdiebecause” trend on Twitter.
In response to the vile anti-gay tweets, LGBT charity Comité IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia) brought a case against three unnamed users of the social media site.
Now the three users – who all tweeted the “#burnthegayson” hashtag – have been fined between €300 (£230) and €500 (£383) for “inciting hatred and violence” on the basis of sexual orientation, reports The Local.
“It’s a significant victory,” Alexandre Marcel, President of the Comité IDAHO. “But it’s a small amount to pay for calling for the death of homosexuals.”
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