Persecution of homosexuals

The persecution of homosexuals and transgendered individuals (gay-bashing) is the practice of persecuting a person, usually through physical attack, because they are or are perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. Although gay-bashing is often thought of relating to gay men, all Queer groups - including gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people - can be targeted. The term "gay-bashing" can be modified into dyke-bashing, trans-bashing, queer-bashing, or simply bashing.

Bashing can include uttering threats, physical assault and battery, sexual assault and rape, torture, attempted murder, and murder. In some districts, bashing may be treated legally as a hate crime.

Term use

The term "gay-bashing" is often taken to include, in addition to random assaults, attacks on gay people who made sexual overtures to attackers, with the argument being that such a disproportionate response must be occasioned by homophobia on the part of the assaulter. The term is often used in the metaphorical sense of denigrating homosexual people or opposing homosexual practices.

See also: gay panic defense, hate speech

Instances

Some notable victims of hate-related assaults include:

• Harvey Milk, gay politician (1930 - 1978)
• Brandon Teena, transsexual man (1972 - 1993)
• Matthew Shepard, gay student (1976 - 1998)
• Bertrand Delanoë, gay politician (stabbed nonfatally in 2002)
• Gwen Araujo, transsexual woman (1985 - 2002)

A unique example of gay-bashing occurred on September 22, 2001. Ronald Gay entered a gay bar in Roanoke, Virginia, opened fire on the patrons, killing Danny Overstreet and injuring six others. Ronald said he was angry over what his name now meant, and deeply upset that three of his sons had changed their surname. He claimed that he had been told by God to find and kill homosexuals, describing himself as a "Christian Soldier working for my Lord".

Gay-bashing is occasionally committed against heterosexuals who are only perceived to be gay. Two prominent incidents include:

• Actor and comedian Norm MacDonald (of Saturday Night Live) was attacked by two men in New York City. They thought he was homosexual because he was well dressed, with styled hair, and lanky; he was walking through Greenwich Village, an area popular amongst homosexuals. He suffered a concussion.
• A man was shot to death in an Iowa bar because he was standing quietly in a corner holding a purse. He was perceived as an unwelcome homosexual; in actuality, he was holding the purse for his wife, who was in the restroom.