Homophobic Hate Crimes

 Homophobic Hate Crimes

Introduction

During the last few years, three in five lesbian and gay individuals experience any kind of hate crime. It indicates the increasing rate of homophobic crime. Victims of homophobic hate crime have experienced the assault more than one time. The victims of harassment are likely to be repeat victims (Ahmed, 2006, pp. 15).

The association between the old perceptions of gender and homosexual relationships has been reflected in different studies (Herman 2000; Perry 2001). However, there are only a few studies that have studied the association between different cultural perspectives associated with the issue (Alexander and Knowles, 2005, pp. 90).

There has been an increased in the number of hate crimes. A number of those hate crimes are homophobic i.e. they are against lesbian and gay people includes harassment, insult, brutal murders, and others (Alexander et al, 2004, pp. 54). The increasing rate of these crimes has called for hate crime legislation for the protection of sexual orientation (Green 2000). There has been a little consensus regarding the legal interventions. The debate surrounding the issue centers on whether the legislation for hate crime comes under the category of protection for gay men and lesbian women or is it an unwarranted special protection (Button, Rienzo,and Wald 1997Jacobs 2002).

This research has adopted the case study approach to study homophobic hate crimes. The case study approach allows an in-depth exploration of a complex issue in the real case scenario (Allen, 2002, pp. 16). The importance of case study approach has been recognized in different research settings including social research, business research, and legal research.

Case Study Analysis

Hate crimes are also known as bias crimes. These kinds of crimes are those that are committed against an individuals or an organization, motivated by prejudice. Prejudice may be defined as possessing negative attitudes and beliefs that have an impact on the beliefs and emotions that influence behaviors towards individuals or groups (Azah, 2009, pp. 176). There are different sources of prejudice discrimination aginst people of a particular ethnicity, gender, and race (Bourne, 2002, pp. 81).

Homophobia can be defined as different prejudiced acts. These kinds of acts are motivated by the sexual orientation of people. According to the arguments of Griffin (1998), the term homophobia has certain limitations. In terms of a psychological construct, homophobia refers to the prejudice within an individual. This definition has not considered different social and historical dimensions of the issue. Prejudice can be defined in terms of perceptions of individuals, their evaluations, and their actions. According to Brown (2010), prejudice originates in group processes. The process further established through stereotypical perspectives. The term homonegativity can be suggested as a term that reflects the processes involved in hate crimes.

There are different sociological and psychological studies that have addressed the issues of homophobia, heterosexism, and support for gay civil rights (Frankli 1998). The studies conducted on the topic have identified different predictors of homophobia among different groups of people (Bauman, 2001, pp. 87). Research on homophobic hate crimes is ...