LGBT News harrowing history of hate crimes in my city

This is not NEW news - but people are FINALLY starting to talk about this history - and this is the most in-depth article I've read on this.
I was a school kid at this time and these events were talked about in the school yard - usually in terms of praising the perpetrators of these attacks.
It makes me so sad and angry that the majority of people STILL don't care enough about these victims to come forward with information to find the culprits.
This whole era was really dark and terrifying to me as a questioning kid with no one to talk to.
The homophobia that had always existed was stirred into a Salem witch-trial style mass hysteria by the fear and confusion of the AIDS epidemic .
We also had a very high profile and gruesome series of murders in our state at this time and the murderer unfortunately turned out to be gay (with rumored gay accomplices - which has never been proven) - so gay men were doubly (or triply!) demonized and targeted with "revenge" attacks.
It's a very depressing topic and a depressing read so definitely don't read if you're feeling fragile - but it's one of those topics like the Holocaust that is important to acknowledge and more definitely needs to be done to bring these issues into the light - and hopefully uncover the criminals who were allowed to get away with it...

https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/feature/out-sight-untold-story-adelaides-gay-hate-murders

 

It's depressing but I'm glad people are taking these events seriously now (even if it's too little too late!) by at least researching the history and in some cases prosecuting people...

 

Thanks, I'll check that book out, I've applied for full membership now, cheers!

 

Totally. What I find heartbreaking is that LGBTQ+ people are STILL forced into risky behaviours because of these things - it still IS dangerous to try to pick up a guy in a bar - I mean a gay bar is safer but in a regular bar you could still get into big trouble.
South Australia only repealed the "gay panic defence" law in 2020! A straight person could be acquitted of physically attacking or murdering a gay person for appearing to make an "unwanted sexual advance" - i.e. looking at someone the wrong way...!

 

Yes Australia has some great things going for it but the stereotypes are also still there - there's a large element of "blokiness" which people often see as jokey or laid back but it's quite toxic, and very xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic etc...
It's definitely a fragile, defensive sort of masculinity!
And of course there are lovely, wonderful people like there are everywhere! It is a lot BETTER than it was but it's also pretty slow to change...