Abstract
Since the late 1980s, there have been claims of a marked increase in yiolence directed against lesbians and gay men in various nations including Australia (Herek & Derrill 1992; Mason 1993). This has led to some conjecture about the possible links between this violence and recent episodes of moral panic regarding the spread of HlV/ AIDS. Public fears of disease and contagion have been linked to documented cases of discrimination in employment, housing and health service delivery, and some gay victims of assault have been directly denigrated as "AIDS carriers" by their attackers (NSW AntiDiscrimination Board 1992). But a direct causal link to this form of violence is difficult to demonstrate. Furthermore, because these attacks have only very recently become a focus of police attention or researchers' interest there can only be speculation about their real level of increase. It seems instead that an increased concern with this violence may be a result of the efforts of activists themselves. It may be that their own actions - community research, protest rallies and other publicity - have provided the catalyst for homophobic violence to become a public issue. This change has reflected the growing political strength and organisation of this particular group. Especially in NSW,the lesbian and gay community now has an increased and often open representation in party politics and parts of the State bureaucracy. Official concerns about assaults and harassment in NSW formed the political backdrop for the 1993 enactment of legislation against sexual vilification. This bill was introduced by Clover Moore, an independent MP representing a "gay" district of inner Sydney, and passed with the critical support of Ted Pickering, a former Police Minister in the current Liberal government (Sydney Morning Herald 20 November 1993). A heightened media interest and political concern about this form crime has also begun to be reproduced in other parts of Australia. From the vantage point of criminologists, we are currently witnessing the formation of another new victim group demanding further responsiveness from the police and equal treatment in the criminal justice system.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Criminology Australia |
Publication status | Published - 1994 |
Keywords
- Australia
- criminal law
- evidence
- hate crimes
- homosexuality
- murder
- sex role
- trials
- violence