No cause for panic

Angie Zapata's killer claims that he simply "snapped" when he learned the woman he had begun to date was transgender. Thirty-six hours after the revelation, Zapata was dead, the victim of a brutal blunt-force beating with a fire extinguisher. She was 18 years old. The killer never disputed his culpability in the murder itself. The wealth of DNA and other evidence made an innocent plea impossible. Instead, his defense attorneys requested a reduced sentence on the ground that Zapata's gender was, in itself, a "provocation." This legal strategy, often referred to as "gay panic" or, in the case of Angie Zapata, "trans panic," is still depressingly common in American courtrooms. One part temporary insanity and two parts institutionalized bigotry, its very existence precludes the family members, friends and loved ones of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) murder victims the legal remedies others take for granted. Society's attitudes on LGBT equality have changed, and it is time for the law to catch up. The legal profession must resolve to kill the gay panic legal strategy once and for all.

[Daniel P from Long Island]

I agree. States should outlaw this defense.

[rdg1234]

Hold the presses.

So how come this is magically somehow acceptable, but killing a Jew or a black person isn't?

[Brandy]

"GAY PANIC" is the absolute most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of for a defense... If that's a legal defense... why not "Male Panic" , "I caught my spouse cheating panic", "I didn't take my MIDOL Panic" , etc etc as stupid as those sound.. that's how stupid "Gay Panic" sounds! It's about time for the USA "Land of the Free" to catch up with the rest of the world.

[Cate]

What an ignorant clod. Killing someone over being transgender? What a f***ing douche. It takes a lot of balls being true to who you are.

[tomas]

Sad, but many straight men are becoming totally disfunctional. Women have left them behind, and they are angry all the time--lashing out at sexual minorities, mainly. I suspect they are encouraged in this junvenile behavior by the faith-based organizations they support.

[Peron]

Pastor Phelps is right.

[rdg1234]

tomas wrote:

Sad, but many straight men are becoming totally disfunctional. Women have left them behind, and they are angry all the time--lashing out at sexual minorities, mainly. I suspect they are encouraged in this junvenile behavior by the faith-based organizations they support.

I am fascinated by this theory. It hits me that I have seen a lot of straight male "rage" that seems to be growing; absolutely. Because they place the barometer of their own value upon "how many women they can get" or upon "having a hot girlfriend" or even WITHOUT the word "hot," -- in other words, the value coming *NOT* from within, but from an external person -- they seem constantly like children who act up. They seem to carry on all the time, indeed.

I am glad you said this. I hadn't been able to put my finger on it. But yeah, the *greatly significant* thing is that they lash out at *sexual minorities*, since those males see all intimacy and achievement *IN TERMS OF SEX*.