Hate Crimes Against Gays Essay - 905 Words

In October of 1998, America finally became aware of how deadly discrimination can be. In Laramie, Wyoming, 21-year old college student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten by two men and tied to a fence, left for dead. Matthews murderers set out only to rob him, but ended up beating him so severely that he never regained consciousness before he died. Why did this happen in the first place? Simply because Matthew was gay. Matthews death became a national symbol of violence against homosexuals, prompting prayer vigils and calls for state and federally supported hate crime laws. Today, America prides itself on being a tolerant country. Through laws and legislation, including affirmative action, anti hate-crime laws, and†¦show more content†¦It is true that some of the first cases of HIV and AIDS in America were found in gay males. However, once the disease was more widely researched, it was discovered that people other than gays could become infected with the virus, including children, women, and recipients of blood transfusions. Promiscuity among homosexuals is no more common than among straight people (Sexual Behaviors Text 2). While having multiple partners and sharing needles through drug use are common causes of AIDS, these things are not exclusive to the gay community. Many people also believe in a so-called Gay Agenda. Among other things, gays are supposedly trying to convert heterosexuals, especially young children, to the other side. Homosexuals are allegedly attempting to spread their disease throughout America. The idea that homosexuals recruit children is based falsely on the idea that a persons sexual orientation is a choice, not a natural state. Children cannot be turned gay merely by contact with a member of the gay community (About the Religious Right). According to the American Psychological Association, research suggests that the homosexual orientation is in place very early in the life cycle, possibly even before birth. It is found in about ten percent of the population, a figure which is surprisingly constant across cultures, irrespective of the different moral valuesShow MoreRelatedEssay on Hate Crimes Against Gays and Lesbians1379 Words   |  6 PagesHate Crimes Against Gays and Lesbians LaReese Nixon Kaplan University CJ490: Research Methods in Criminal Justice Prof: Deborah Barrett August 7, 2012 Abstract Introduction Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons frequently face violence motivated by their sexuality or gender identity. Violence may be executed by the state, as in laws prescribing corporal punishment for homosexual acts, or by individuals engaging in intimidation, mobbing, assault, or lynching. Violence targetedRead MoreHate Crimes Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Individuals1197 Words   |  5 Pages Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals people make up more than ten percent of the population; that means if you are sitting in a classroom of thirty, then more than three of those people are LGBT individuals. However, this overwhelmingly large minority group continues to be one of the least protected by the government as well as most heavily targeted by discrimination and hate crimes. Regardless of the powerful shift in public opinion concerning LGBT individuals during theRead MoreEssay on The Issue of LGBT Hate Crimes1018 Words   |  5 PagesHate Crimes: crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or religion(Federal officials, 2011). Hate crimes have been around for centuries. A hate crime is considered any malicious crime that is derived from hatred towards a certain group of people. African Americans are still victim to hate crimes, even after the Civil Rights movement. James Byrd Jr. suf fered a prime example of a gruesome hate crime in 1998, because of his African AmericanRead MoreSocial Injustice : The Interplay Of The Lgbt Community, Hate Crimes And The Us1482 Words   |  6 Pages Social Injustice: the interplay of the LGBT community, hate crimes and the US On June 4, 2011, Cece Mcdonald lost the freedom to securely be herself. Cece Mcdonald was a young trans-woman who was walking with her friends past a tavern in Minneapolis when suddenly, a group of people started to barrage them with insults. One man insulted Cece directly by saying, â€Å"look at that boy dressed like a girl tucking her dick in.† The group of friends attempted to walk away, but before they got awayRead MoreLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender1675 Words   |  7 PagesThe Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community because they face multiple levels of victimization, and it is hard for this group to adjust to society once they have identified themselves as being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. In 2013, law enforcement agencies had reported 5,928 hate crime incidents, 20.8 percent were motivated by sexual orientation, and 60.6 percent were identified as gay male-targeted bias. Gay males is one of the main targets to a hate crime, on ly becauseRead MoreHate Crime Protection for Gays and Lesbians685 Words   |  3 PagesIn this Gays and lesbians deserve equal protection against the hate crimes that happen in the world. Arent we told as young children and also throughout life to treat others as we would want to be treated? So why are some decimated against based on sexual preference? The statistics show the percentages of the hate discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community. The violence that they are pitted against, due to peoples discrimination against them, in life. And I willRead MoreWhat Makes Russia so Homophobic?1756 Words   |  7 Pagesways but it almost always results in harm to LGBT people. Homophobia has become a huge issue in Russia and in 2013 there were 25 hate crimes 2 of which resulted in murder (Spotlight on Russian Homophobia on Eve of Sochi Olympics). Homophobia in Russia has become so extreme that LGBT people can no longer feel safe in their own country. In Ru ssia LGBT people face hate crimes and unjust laws. This has been going on for a long time but the problem has become much mere severe in the last 20 years. The intenseRead MoreGetting Away with Murder Aaron1464 Words   |  6 Pagesbrought back a traumatic childhood experience which triggered five minutes of emotional rage and chaos (Cart Rests 1). The claim invoked, which was ultimately rejected by the judge presiding over the case, is known as the homosexual-panic or gay-panic defense. According to the Harvard Law Review, this defense, a manifestation of the temporary insanity plea, is premised on the theory that a person with latent homosexual tendencies will have an extreme and uncontrollably violent reaction whenRead MoreThe Laramie And Laramie Project1226 Words   |  5 PagesThe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported, â€Å"60.6% [out of] 1,402 hate crimes . . . based on sexual orientation [are] classified as anti-gay (male) bias† (Latest Hate Crime Stati stics Report Released). Crimes against homosexuals have been reported nationwide, but a hate crime in Laramie, Wyoming has changed the gay community. October 12, 1998, twenty-one year old Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and murdered by two young Laramie citizens because of Shepard’s sexual orientation. InRead MoreThe Reasons behind Homosexual Discrimination1214 Words   |  5 Pageswhat you feel, because those who mind dont matter and those who matter dont mind. Essentially, this advice is applicable to any given individual, yet it seems that it is most suitable for homosexuals, and therefore why it lies within the heart of gay rights. It is inevitable, that as a minority group, homosexuals will find that they will encounter more people who â€Å"mind† than heterosexuals. This particular discrimination has been occurring for decades all across the globe; however it became prominent