Singer Ricky Martin is outraged over
Puerto Rican lawmakers' plans to remove gays from hate crimes laws.
The 39-year-old Martin said the
proposed change made him “sad” and chided lawmakers to do their
homework.
“I'm very sad about the turn the
discussion on Criminal Law is taking in Puerto Rico that proposes the
elimination of aggravating factors in cases where crimes are
committed out of prejudice toward the victim,” the Puerto Rican
native said in a post
on his website.
The Puerto Rico Senate has already
approved the bill that would eliminate sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, ethnicity and religion from the current
statute. The House is expected to take up the issue during an
upcoming special legislative session.
Martin said some lawmakers are
“promoting inequality and hate.”
“They ought to do their homework and
review a little the Universal Declaration of Human Rights … which
says 'Everyone (the citizens) are equal before the law and have,
without distinction, the right to EQUAL protection under the law.'”