59. Poster boy: When is homophobia a hate crime?

In 1998 Matthew Shepard, becomes the victim of radical homophobia in Wyoming. Two suspects, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson are almost immediately taken into custody and charged. The “gay panic” defense is used in court. But, does it work?

Shepard becomes the poster boy for the horrific consequences of anti-gay hate, and his case helps to re-define hate crimes in the US. Celebrities get involved, marches are held, and a decade later, in 2009, the United States Congress passes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

In this episode Sofie Hagen and Dr Julia Shaw discuss research on the seven shades of homophobia, what defines a hate crime, and explain the flawed logic behind the “gay panic” defense, also called the LGBTQ+ panic defense.

Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and homophobia, including homophobic slurs.

CREDITS Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Caroline Steel Assistant Producer: Simona Rata Music: Matt Chandler Editor: Rami Tzabar Academic Consultants for The Open University: Lara Frumkin and James Munro #BadPeople_BBC Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins

Bad People is produced in partnership with The Open University and is a BBC Audio Science Production for BBC Sounds.