Anti-Gay Violence
Hate Crimes
CJ 3315
Spring 2000

By:
Mark Ferriera
Ranjit Takhar
Joshua Bass
Khai Do

    Cal Civ Code Section 51.7 (2000), Freedom from Violence:
                            "All persons within the jurisdiction of this state have the right to be
                            free from any violence, or intimidation by threat of violence, committed
                            against their persons or property because of their race, color, religion,
                            ancestry, national orgin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age,
                            disability, or position in a labor dispute, or because another person
                            perceives them to have one or more of those characteristics."

Court Cases:
Bowers v. Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (1986).
Romer v. Evans (1996):
    http://www.hli.org/issues/homosexuality/court/romer.html

Virginia v. Northington:
    -39 year old gay man was beheaded, and his head was carried a mile to a footbridge common for gay cruising.
    http://www.nzco.co.nz/queer/out/news/1999_03/178.html

Rage on Victims:
     - Mattew Shepard - Perhaps the poster child of the violent rage felt by many perpetrators was the brutal death of Matthew Shepard.  Shepard was lured from a bar by two men who claimed to be gay on October 7, 1998.  Shepard, a gay student, was severally beten, pistol-whipped and tied to a fence post in near freezing temperatures.  He died four days later after being found by a cyclist who initially mistook him for a scarecrow.
    http://www.geocites.com/westhollywood/stonewall/2878/index.html

    - Billy Jack Gaither - A gay man, who was beaten by two men who hit him over the head with an ax-handle, slashed his throat and burned his body on kerosene-soaked tires.
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/1

Reasons Behind Gay Bashing:
    - Gays have been prohibited since the Old Testament.  In Leviticus 20:13, it clearly states, "If a man lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.  They must be put to death; their blood will be on their heads."  In a sense, many use the Bible to justify their acts as jury, judge and executioner.
    -Study by Dr. Henry Adams from University of Georgia - Largely underscored are males who "need to repress homosexual tendencies."  Males, more than females, attempt to assert their own masculinity, or lack there of, by anit-gay violence or comments.  Adams conducted a test by hooking males up to a machine to measure sexual arousal while observing "homosexual erotic stimuli."  Adams concluded that males who scored high on the homophobia scale demonstrated significant sexual excitement to "homosexual erotic stimuli."
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/roots/
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/roots/frued.html

Other Links:
http://cjwww.csustan.edu/cj/cjhome.html
http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/psych/glbt/myths.htm
http://www.adl/org/hate-patrol/homophobia/html

References:
Berrill, Kevin.  (1992).  Anti-gay violence and vicitmization in the United States:  An overview.  In Hate Crimes, Newbury Park:  Sage.