University sociologist highlights racial, LGBTQ+ injustices
The Department of Diversity Initiatives recently hosted “Queering Race and Crime,” which gave an intersectional look at how the criminal justice system affects people of color who are also LGBTQ+.
The event, presented by Dr. Melencia Johnson, spotlighted several issues related to the queer experience in the criminal justice system and highlighted how societal attitudes about homophobia affect the lives of queer people, and in particular, queer people of color.
The term “queer” has been traditionally used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many LGBTQ+ people. Some members of the community use the term to describe their gender or sexual identity. Queer is an umbrella term that is inclusive of sexual or gender identities which are not reflected in the dominant culture.
The event began with a history of the criminalization of queer identities, which is long and brutal. This includes immigration laws. which barred homosexuals from immigrating to America, along with sodomy laws that prescribed the death penalty for committing oral or anal sex. More recently, the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military policy prevented queer people from openly serving until it was repealed in 2010.
Today, there are 15 states, including South Carolina, which have laws criminalizing certain types of consensual sex. Additionally, queer people and people of color are over-policed.
“There are trans women in jail right now for having condoms in their purse,” said Johnson soberly.
This is on top of the legal system’s trend toward victim-blaming, profiling and minimizing the experiences of queer victims of color, according to Johnson.
These mistreatments at the hand of America’s legal system have led to general fear and distrust of the police among marginalized groups, including queer people and people of color. Police departments across the country have been undergoing sensitivity training related to queer issues in recent years, but much room remains for improvement and reform.
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