Law & Order: Special Jamie Unit

[wisteria_]

I'll get the fandom stuff out of the way first. Many of you have probably already heard that Jamie will play one of the detectives in Law & Order: London. Hey, I actually like the L&O shows, so I'm pretty happy. And bamberrific just found video of his interview with Kristen. The first question is semi-spoilery for the finale, so just hit the

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[thisficklemob]

Newsweek danced around, but never stated outright, the fact that men who commit hate crimes against gay men are often feeling threatened in their own sexuality. The gay men don't actually have to have done anything; if they did, it can be nothing anyone would ever blame a straight man for doing.

Since his attentions were persistent and unwanted, Larry's behavior could well have been sexual harassment. On the other hand, any one action: flirting, or asking Brandon to be his Valentine; doesn't qualify. There's this underlying sense that there's something worse about an unrequited crush from a boy if you are a boy; but trust me, a girl can be horrified by such a thing. Girls just don't tend to bring guns to school.

Larry's sartorial flamboyance also seemed to be perceived as something he was doing to others, but really, the problem was everyone else's reactions. The dress code against disruptive clothing could be fairly applied to revealing clothing, but not cross-dressing. If he was gay or genderqueer, it was legitimate self-expression, and if it was attention-seeking, wouldn't the right answer be not to make a fuss? For me, the red flag on this was the vilification of the lesbian vice principal. Sure, she might have had a political agenda, but she may simply have been trying to protect a student.

The article did, fairly, point out no one would have objected to her mentioning a husband, but at the same time, it didn't seem to draw the line between self-expression and harassment. There is a line, and it sounds like Larry crossed it, but they (or maybe their interviewees) made it sound like all part and parcel of the same thing. And that's pernicious. Queer people living their lives openly and honestly isn't an assault on anyone.

But... yeah. What would you do?

P.S.

[thisficklemob]

All that said, I'm not sure Brandon should be tried as an adult. This has nothing to do with the heinousness of Larry's murder, or any pathetic defense the might try to mount, and everything to do with what I've read about brain development during adolescence and young adulthood. Young teenagers simply do not comprehend consequences as adults do, nor do they perceive their actions' effects on others as adults do. As a flistee of mine once put it, children can't think like adults, "not won't, can't."

I don't particularly want him loosed on the world at 18 (I wish there were some sort of intermediate level between juvenile and adult in the justice system for heinous crimes), and I think it would send a horrible message not to prosecute this crime strenuously... and yet. He's fourteen. He's a cold-blooded killer, but he's fourteen. Can you hold him fully accountable when his brain hasn't fully developed? Is there a potential for him to learn empathy as his brain matures? (If there is, is there any chance that will happen in juvie?) I don't know the answers.