Abstract
Hate crime legislation is meant to address discrimination at a community level. The hate crime categorization involves the justice system and the media – who play a key role in the community's understanding of the act. In 2008 in Washington, DC, two separate attacks on gay men – one White, one African-American – were categorized differently. One was a hate crime; the other was not. This paper looks at the social scripts employed within the media and police statements that contextualize these events in terms of neighbourhood as well as the race, gender and sexuality of the victims and perpetrators.
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Notes on contributors
Andrew R. Spieldenner
Andrew R. Spieldenner is Assistant Professor in the Department of Rhetoric at Hofstra University. His examines issues of culture and the body in three primary areas: HIV/AIDS, gay men, and health.
Cerise L. Glenn
Cerise L. Glenn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research interests center on social constructions of difference and diversity, particularly identity negotiation and representations of underrepresented groups in organizational, intercultural, and popular media contexts.