Hate speech is defined as "abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation" and yet there is still a significant amount of it.

One form of this that I hear a great amount of on a regular, at times daily, basis is r*ape jokes. They may be called "Harmless" or "Just a joke" but they are more then that, they are demeaning, refer to someone as being inferior and unworthy of being treated with basic human rights and make people who they are directed towards feel unsafe, they incite and encourage violence against a person and yet this is okay as it is "Just a joke".

It is a small move, but it would be significant in allowing people to feel like a valued and important member of society, especially if this is enforced as hate speech. Of course, all hate speech should be properly and enforced as what it is, but this is something that is heard far too often, usually against women yet it could be against anyone, and it isn't right. Not at all and it is unacceptable. Yet as nothing is particularly done to deter it, so what's to stop anyone from continuing this action, and dehumanising either a person, or a group of people?