Gay Panic

[cboy4]

<snip>

Thursday, prosecutors and law enforcement officials from across the nation will gather in San Francisco to discuss strategies to counter the "gay panic" or "transgender panic" defenses used in courtrooms to gain acquittals or reduced punishments for violent crimes.

Prosecutors and legal experts define gay or transgender panic as when a person is provoked to violent action against another person after learning the other person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Such provocation is used as an argument for justification of the action or for lessening the punishment for the action.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/19/BAGT6K1JKF1.DTL

It's unbelievable that this behavior has been excused for so long!

[ccpup]

1. So,

if I clock a Freeper and he/she/it hits the ground, I can claim Freeper Panic and get away with a slap on the wrist and a stern wagging of the finger? Hmmmmm ... what's good for the goose, you know ...

[Freedom_from_Chains]

2. What can you say, having to come face to face with the prospect

that you might enjoy a gay encounter can make "real men" become uncontrollable violent. :sarcasm:

[Meeker Morgan]

3. Matt Shepherd's killer used "gay panic" ...

... and were convicted.

What did the prosecutor do right in that case that is not being done in other cases?

[dsc]

4. actually the judge banned gay panic in that case

they were going to try to use it in the sentencing but Matt's family agreed to life in prison.

[dsc]

5. This is such a crock

Just imagine that a lesbian could pull this. Some guy hits on her in a bar and she kills him out of heterosexual panic. Sure that would work.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. The very best way to counter it...

...would be to have a bunch of "straight panic" cases where a woman or man kills or assaults someone who hits on them.

If there is a such thing as mitigating circumstances because someone of the wrong gender hits on you, then it should work both ways (and would show just how idiotic that "gay panic" crap really is).

[jeffseadot]

7. Is this a pun? I don't know...

Phhht. Gay panic? All you have to do if approached by a homosexual is bang some pots together and make a lot of noise. They're more afraid of you than you are of them... at least the bears are, anyway.

[cboy4]

9. WRONG.

:eyes:

[Misunderestimator]

10. Whoaaaaaa.... That's an odd thing to say.

Are you gay?

[arwalden]

11. Hmmm.

[Misunderestimator]

12. Boo!

[sui generis]

16. speaking of hetero panic

Wasn't it in Austin some years ago that some drunken ass tried to tell a petite little lesbian that she had stolen his parking spot on 6th street, took a shove at her and found himself picking his teeth out of the brick parking lot wall? As I recall he tried to sue her or something and got laughed out of court . . .

[L A Woman]

17. something similar happened in Columbus, Ohio in the early 90s

there was a "guy in a brown van," as he came to be known, who stalked and verbally harrassed and threatened gay men and lesbians. One day, he followed a gay guy to a grocery store (the gay guy had identifying stickers on his car). He got out of the car and the gay guy turned around and beat the shit out of him. Witness all supported the gay guy, who was not charged. The guy in the brown van was arrested. Ha.

[swimboy]

20. Thanks for taking care of THAT problem!

:LOVEYA:

UH-OH ALLCAPS!

[meegbear]

13. GRRRRRRRRRR!!

[sui generis]

15. well to quote Eddy Murphy

"it's some embarrassin' shit to get your ass beat by a fag."

so when approached by a "homosexual" the best thing you could do is probably run. Like a girl. Because we mostly like men. On the other hand you may find yourself being chased by straight men who like girls . . . in which case the term "straight panic" would be much more apt.

But I promise you one thing, if you bang my Calphalon pots together I'll be having your mountain oysters for h'ordeurvres, sauteed with shallot and a lovely port wine reduction, and I won't skin OR shave them first.


(sorry ladies, you know my intent :hi:)

[xchrom]

18. or my mauviel copper pots.

NOW who's gay?

[swimboy]

21. thank you, thank you

for the attention you have paid me


I do not think I'm worthy.

:loveya:

[NMMNG]

8. There is no such thing as gay/transgender panic

It's bigotry, pure and simple.

[sui generis]

14. happens to me all the time

1. get to a fabulous sale and realize you've left your wallet at home and there are fifty other gays circling the racks. I know, there is no excuse for driving that way, but if I ever run over a nun in a walker I will definitely claim gay panic.

2. You're talking to a gorgeous guy who is genuinely flirting with you (in front of SO) trying to make you laugh and you realize you have a HUGE PIECE OF SPINACH THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND caught in your teeth - and you can't surreptitiously get it out. He thinks you have a closed head injury from a collapsed hair do with involuntary facial spasms or else you've had too many red bulls.

3. There is the "I love that shirt. That's not new is it? Weren't you wearing it the last time I saw you out? It's so retro, is it an original?"

4. There is also silent panic: you're walking down the grocery aisle minding your own business and everyone is staring at your shapely ass as they should be, when you look down and see a long piece of toilet paper trailing off the end of your sandals. You look up, and here comes your bitter ex with his snooty new B friend (as soon as he grows a personality I'll send him the other two letters, O and Y) and they have spotted you and are on a clear trajectory certain to intercept you before you can engage in evasive tactical maneuvers, create a diversion by setting the back to school display on fire and dive to safety through the cheerios.

Man, I have done some crazy shit in the thrall of mindless gay panic, but I've never had to go to court as a result.

edited to add

5. You've just been given a personal introduction to the candidate at a political fundraiser and some "space" to talk, when some dreadful drunken old queen you don't recognize pushes to the front of the line and addresses you by a different name. You realize that name was your dick dancer alias from another era, and that the martini you just "accidentally" spilled on him at forty miles an hour is not having any effect at all on his ability to speak.

[xchrom]

19. there was that time at a nieman marcus close-out sale

when my evil as hell ex boy friend was headed straight for the small pile of sweaters that i was looking at -- desperately trying to find a sweater and size that fit me -- and i bought them all to spite his ass.

hit a parked car looking at a boys ass{when i was in high school} and my mother was in the passenger seat and afterward she asks ''did you know that boy?''

and you know too much about me to tell you the other story here...

[swimboy]

23. I was driving through our local university

and rear-ended someone while I was craning MY neck. I had to walk to my blind date that weekend. He gave me a ride back to my house. I kissed him good night and the rest is history.

I believe you can trust me with the other story.

:loveya:

[swimboy]

22. You were my first DU crush

and you prove your worthiness again and again.

:loveya:

[sui generis]

24. you mean you've had others!?!

now I'm jealous.

:P

thanks swimboy - very flattered. Don't tell anyone I'm nice though, I have a reputation to uphold. :hi:

[Jamastiene]

26. They shouldn't even be allowed to try using that

as an excuse for the bigotry either.

[DarkTirade]

25. Yes, and yet if I bludgeoned a homophobe to death with the excuse of

'jackass panic', I would go to jail.