The Gay Panic Defense
From Feministe via Sara Speaking, the story of a chillingly brutal murder qua homophobic hate crime in Indiana.
The Bloomington Alternative has an interesting analysis, interesting because the two men accused of the murder are using the so-called gay panic defense to justify their actions. The men claim that the victim hit on them, thereby inciting (and justifying) their murderous response. Of course the beating/murder appears to have taken place over several hours.
It's not actually clear if the victim was gay, but it's disturbing nonetheless that mounting such a defense is a plausible tactic. This is precisely why hate crime legislation is required in the first place: crimes against groups who are discriminated against don't appear to be crimes at all. "He wanted to have sex with me, so I killed him."
By the way, Indiana is one of 5 states in the nation that doesn't have hate crime legislation on the books. This can't be a coincidence.