The Volokh Conspiracy - French Politician Fined for Anti-Homosexuality Speech:

BrusselsJournal reports:

Stating that "homosexual behaviour endangers the survival of humanity" and that "heterosexuality is morally superior to homosexuality" can cost you dearly in France. Exactly these opinions, expressed by the French politician Christian Vanneste last year, led to him being sentenced on Tuesday to payment of a heavy fine.

A court in Lille ... ruled that Mr Vanneste has to pay a fine of 3,000 euro plus 3,000 euro in damages to each of the three gay organisations that had taken him to court. The politician, a member of the French National Assembly for the governing UMP, also has to pay for the verdict to be published in the leftist Parisian newspaper Le Monde, the regional Lille daily La Voix du Nord, and the weekly magazine L'Express....

Tuesday's verdict is the first conviction on the basis of the French anti-homophobia bill of 30 December 2004 ....

I couldn't find any English-language reports about this in other media, so I'm relying on the BrusselsJournal piece, which is an opinion article that is critical of the verdict. I have no reason to doubt its accuracy, but if there are errors here, or some necessary clarifications or elaborations, please do let me know.

	[Eugene Volokh, January 27, 2006 at 1:02pm] Trackbacks French Politician Fined for Anti-Homosexuality Speech: BrusselsJournal reports: Stating that "homosexual behaviour endangers the survival of humanity" and that "heterosexuality is morally superior to homosexuality" can cost you dearly in France. Exactly these opinions, expressed by the French politician Christian Vanneste last year, led to him being sentenced on Tuesday to payment of a heavy fine. A court in Lille ... ruled that Mr Vanneste has to pay a fine of 3,000 euro plus 3,000 euro in damages to each of the three gay organisations that had taken him to court. The politician, a member of the French National Assembly for the governing UMP, also has to pay for the verdict to be published in the leftist Parisian newspaper Le Monde, the regional Lille daily La Voix du Nord, and the weekly magazine L'Express.... Tuesday's verdict is the first conviction on the basis of the French anti-homophobia bill of 30 December 2004 .... I couldn't find any English-language reports about this in other media, so I'm relying on the BrusselsJournal piece, which is an opinion article that is critical of the verdict. I have no reason to doubt its accuracy, but if there are errors here, or some necessary clarifications or elaborations, please do let me know.