Hate Speech

Organization or Publication

American Library Association

Hate speech is any form of expression through which speakers intend to vilify, humiliate, or incite hatred against a group or a class of persons on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, or national origin.

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/hate

Source Type: Web article

Country: USA

Tags: Advocacy | Nonprofit

British Columbia Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC)

Hate speech comes in many forms. It can include hatred rooted in racism (including anti-Black, anti-Asian and anti-Indigenous racism), misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia and white supremacy… Hate speech uses extreme language to describe the targeted group that is likely to expose them to detestation and vilification… Hate speech is not limited to the types of negative words in these examples. But these examples show how disgusting and extreme speech must be to be considered hate speech under the law. B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner recognizes that there is a lot of speech that is hurtful and offensive that is not captured under hate speech laws. Hate speech is more than offensive or hurtful; It is harmful to those who are targeted and to society at large. Hate speech tries to delegitimize and dehumanize the people who are targeted in the eyes of society. People who are victims of hate speech can often feel traumatized, excluded, unsafe, angry or sad. It may make them uncomfortable and unwelcome in their communities.

Source Title: “Hate speech and the law in British Columbia”

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://bchumanrights.ca/resources/hate-speech-qa/#hate-speech-and-the-law-1-what-is-hate-speech

Source Type: Web article

Country: Canada

Tags: Educational | Governmental

Cambridge Dictionary

Public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence toward a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/hate-speech

Source Type: Reference

Country: UK

Tags: Educational

Cato Institute

Having no specific legal definition, “hate speech” is a vague term. It is generally understood to mean speech that expresses hateful or bigoted views about certain groups that historically have been subject to discrimination. Concerned by the impact of hate speech on vulnerable populations, social justice advocates see sense in restricting this type of speech.

Individual Author(s): Samples, John

Source Title: “‘Hate Speech’ Laws Undermine Free Speech and Equality”

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.cato.org/blog/hate-speech-laws-undermine-free-speech-equality

Source Type: Web article

Country: USA

Year: 2018

Tags: Advocacy | Nonprofit

Meta

We define hateful conduct as direct attacks against people — rather than concepts or institutions — on the basis of what we call protected characteristics (PCs): race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, and serious disease. Additionally, we consider age a protected characteristic when referenced along with another protected characteristic. We also protect refugees, migrants, immigrants, and asylum seekers from the most severe attacks (Tier 1 below), though we do allow commentary on and criticism of immigration policies. Similarly, we provide some protections for non- protected characteristics, such as occupation, when they are referenced along with a protected characteristic. Sometimes, based on local nuance, we consider certain words or phrases as frequently used proxies for protected characteristics.

Source Title: “Hateful Conduct”

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/hateful-conduct/

Source Type: Web article

Country: USA

Year: 2025

Tags: Corporate

United Nations

In common language, “hate speech” refers to offensive discourse targeting a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics (such as race, religion or gender) and that may threaten social peace. Hate speech can be conveyed through any form of expression, including images, cartoons, memes, objects, gestures and symbols and it can be disseminated offline or online. Hate speech is “discriminatory” (biased, bigoted or intolerant) or “pejorative” (prejudiced, contemptuous or demeaning) of an individual or group. Hate speech calls out real or perceived “identity factors” of an individual or a group, including: “religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender,” but also characteristics such as language, economic or social origin, disability, health status, or sexual orientation, among many others. It’s important to note that hate speech can only be directed at individuals or groups of individuals. It does not include communication about States and their offices, symbols or public officials, nor about religious leaders or tenets of faith.

Source Title: “Understanding hate speech”

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.un.org/en/hate-speech/understanding-hate-speech/what-is-hate-speech

Source Type: Web article

Country: International

Year: 2025

Tags:

Educational | Advocacy | Governmental

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Hate speech can be described as any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour that attacks or discriminates against a person or group’s identity, such as religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, disability, age, gender or sexual orientation. Hate speech can also include other “identity factors”, like language, economic or social origin, or health status. Hate speech isn’t just words. It can happen in person and online and can be expressed in many ways, including images, cartoons, games, videos, objects, gestures and symbols. It aims to provoke an emotional response like fear, distress, isolation or intimidation in its target, to spread hatred in society, even inciting abuse and violence. It is often aimed at historically vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Source Title: “How to talk to your children about hate speech”

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.unicef.org/parenting/how-talk-your-children-about-hate-speech

Source Type: Web article

Country: International

Tags: Educational | Advocacy | Governmental

Washington State University

Hate speech also refers to speech, conduct, or expression that offensively targets individuals or groups based on characteristics. Hate speech may rise to the level of discriminatory harassment or criminal harassment in some cases, but it may also be considered protected speech where the conduct does not constitute discriminatory or criminal harassment, or fall into some other category that is not protected. Protecting some forms of hate speech is an attempt to balance first amendment rights with the prevention of harm and the protection of marginalized groups.

Source Title: “Hate speech and harassment”

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://freespeech.wsu.edu/hate-speech-and-harassment/

Source Type: Statement / Policy

Country: USA

Tags: Educational

Republic of South Africa

Offence of hate speech

(a) Any person who intentionally publishes, propagates, advocates, makes available, or communicates anything to one or more persons in a manner that could reasonably be construed to demonstrate a clear intention to
- (i) be harmful or to incite harm; and
- (ii) promote or propagate hatred, based on one or more of the grounds, is guilty of the offence of hate speech.
(b) Any person who intentionally distributes or makes available an electronic communication which that person knows constitutes hate speech as contemplated in paragraph (a), through an electronic communications system which is—
- (i) accessible by any member of the public; or
- (ii) accessible by, or directed at, a specific person who can be considered to be a victim of hate speech, is guilty of an offence.

The provisions of subsection

does not apply in respect of anything done as contemplated in subsection
if it is done in good faith in the course of engagement in any bona fide
- (a) artistic creativity, performance or expression;
- (b) academic or scientific inquiry;
- (c) fair and accurate reporting in the public interest or the publication of any information, commentary, advertisement or notice; or
- (d) interpretation and proselytizing or espousing of any religious conviction, tenet, belief, teaching, doctrine or writings, that does not advocate hatred that constitutes incitement to cause harm, based on one or more of the grounds.

Source Title: Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act

DOI / ISBN / Link: https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202405/50652preventionandcombatingofhatecrimesandhatespeech162023.pdf

Source Type: Legislation

Country: South Africa

Year: 2023

Tags: Governmental

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