Diversity

Gay Men, Lesbians, and Criminal Justice

My section of this report deals with issues facing gay men and lesbians in current issues late 1980's to present.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is an organization used to gather data on hate crimes. Our books states this organization acts as a clearinghouse for information on anti gay violence.

1. Anti-Gay Mythology: Over the past 30 years, there have been public officials who have spoken out on their views against gays.

Former Oklahoma City Representative Graves states gays are held for three sins: Aids, ungodliness, and pedophilia.

In February 2002, Alabama former chief Justice Roy Moore denied lesbian mother custody of her child based on the states sodomy law.

March 2002 judge Connie Glen Wilkerson supported institutionalization of gays and lesbians stating " gays and lesbians should be put in some type of a mental institution.

2. Gays and Lesbians as offenders: Gays and lesbians have not enjoyed the same freedoms as their homosexual counterparts when it comes to relationships, restrictions on sexuality, and civil rights.

As of 1992, only 20 states and the District of Columbia have legislation against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Only 11 states recognize any form of same-sex marriage.

In 2003 there was a Supreme Court decision overturning states' sodomy legislation.

Prior to this, Bowers vs Hardwick upheld Georgia's sodomy statute.

3. Anti-Gay Victimization: The federal Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990 measure data on victims of violence.

Attacks on gays can be some of the most brutal, involving severe beatings, torture, sexual assault and even death.

Beginning in the Mid-80's with the emergence of AIDS, negative attention has been drawn to the gay community. Though AIDS not only affects gays, it is often associated as the Gay men's disease and violence against people with AIDS has increased.

Gays often time feel they are not treated fairly in court. Some accused of gay violence have been using the homosexual panic defense in recent years blaming their violent crimes on a homosexual advance.

4. The number of gays in law enforcement has increased in recent years. Some large cities are now recruiting gay and lesbian officers. The SOLO (Society of Law Officers) and the GOAL (Gay Officers Action League) are a few of the recent groups formed.