An ordinance to enforce homophobia-free zones throughout a traditionally gay neighborhood in Sydney is drawing criticism from local activists and editorial boards who say the crackdown on hate crimes is weak and little more than a stunt.
The new law comes in response to complaints from patrons of gay bars along Sydney's Oxford Street, who say they're sick of being the targets of homophobic slurs outside nightclubs, Reuters reports.
But a Sunday editorial in The Daily Telegraph notes that there is "nothing praiseworthy in the latest hare-brained scheme put forward by the City of Sydney," rejecting the idea of an ordinance that would draw distinctions such that "instances of homophobia are somehow more serious when they occur within a homophobia-free zone."
The Australian newspaper seconded the sentiment, calling the ordinance "a cheap public-relations stunt that may lead to more attacks on gays and lesbians."
Openly gay city council member Shayne Mallard opposed the ordinance, which passed by a 4-3 vote, saying that without increased police and security support, the "homophobia-free zones" will offer the LGBT community little protection and might even provoke increased violence. "The young men who come in from outer suburbs to drink alcohol and assault gay people are not going to be deterred by a sticker in a window," Mallard told The Australian. "Because they already have homophobic and violent tendencies, it's more likely to be a provocation. Lots of people in the gay and lesbian community fear it will provoke more violence ... we've had enough of these PR stunts." (The Advocate)
