Hate Crime? Lesbians Beat Up Gay Man
Three women accused of beating up a gay man at a Boston train station say they should not be charged with a hate crime -- because they are lesbians.
The Daily Mail reports that 21-year-old Erika Stroud, her 18-year-old sister Felicia and Lydia Stafford, 20, beat the man last Sunday, punching and kicking him and breaking his nose.
Prosecutor Lindsey Weinstein said the attack was "motivated as a crime because of his sexual orientation" since the three women "called him insulting homophobic slurs."
However the attorney for Stafford said that is nonsense, pointing out that Stafford is "openly identified as a lesbian ... so any homophobic (conduct) is unwarranted." Helene Tomlinson also claimed that the victim was the aggressor and used racial slurs against them. "He provoked them," she said.
But district attorney spokesman Jake Wark said in this case, lesbians can indeed be charged with a hate crime.
"The defendants’ particular orientation or alleged orientations have no bearing on our ability to prosecute for allegedly targeting a person who they believe to be different from them," he told the Boston Herald.
The women face charges of assault and battery with intent to intimidate, which carries up to a 10-year prison sentence.
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Some lesbians have an irrational hatred of men. Sounds like a hate crime to me! If they were beating up another lesbian, they might have a case. Using homophobic slurs pretty much eliminates any credibility these women might have had.
Hate crime legislation doesn't make much sense. When an assailant kills a victim, there is malice. Does it matter whether the malice came from economic needs or racist hate?
Everything I do, I do it for you.
It speaks to motivations. If you assault someone because you have a personal disagreement, there is clear motivation. If you assault someone simply because of group membership, and you don't otherwise have a disagreement, then it is a hate crime.
Singling people out because of their group membership (race, religion, orientation, etc) is what hate crimes legislation is trying to stop.
So what you are saying is it's not as bad if you don't like them because they cut you off in traffic? BS! Assault is assault, murder is murder, and prejudice is prejudice. Why should someone who kills someone because their gay get a longer sentence than someone who kills a child? Pedophiles kill kids because their kids.,..is that a hate crime too?
Shouldn't make any difference - they beat up the guy, I don't care if it was because of his sexual orientation or because they didn't like the color of his shirt - they should be severely prosecuted either way! Think it'll make his nose heal any better if he finds out they didn't mind that he's gay???