Freedom of Speech on the decline in the United Kingdom?

Recently it has been reported new legislation h... (more)
Added: January 20, 2008
Recently it has been reported new legislation has passed in the United Kingdom. It outlaws "hate speech" towards gays. Thus making gays a protected class in the UK, and limiting the free speech of others. It is also reported similar legislation passed in Canada and Australia. While in the United States of America (USA), no such legislation has passed in Congress. There is no need to because political correctness has taken care of that. The following devotees of political correctness (suppression of speech and independent thought): Hollywood, academia, public schools, news media (including the printed press), and the bureaucracy have all forced the same ban in America without bothering with the debate involved in getting legislation passed.

To our good friends in the UK, please tell us it isn't so.