"Get Off Me Bro!": A Discussion of the Gay Panic Defense, it's Place in the Courtroom, and it's Intersections with Hegemonic Masculinity
Buell, Katie
Buell, Katie
Abstract
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Gay panic is a strategy used alongside legal defenses by heterosexual men accused of assaulting and/or murdering homosexual men to explain their violent actions. The strategy is based on the premise that the romantic or sexual advances of a gay man on a straight man disgust or outrage said straight man so severely they react with violence that is often fatal. This presentation will not only discuss the history of what is referred to as the "gay panic defense," but also its use in modern courtrooms and the societal implications of allowing a strategy that is based in prejudice to be used by the accused. There will also be an examination of the influence of hegemonic masculinity on violence against gay men, as well as a discussion of the research on how to proceed in the future when cases involving gay panic arise, both legally and culturally.
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University of Wyoming Libraries