When It Happens to Men, It's ”Hate„ and ”A Crime„

Abstract

This paper analyzes hate crimes policies from a feminist perspective informed by field work in the gay and lesbian anti-violence movement. Hate crimes policies supported by the gay anti-violence movement often fail to recognize hate-motivated acts of misogyny, despite the fact that many feminist lesbians participate as staff members in gay anti-violence projects. The paper argues that feminist commitments to ending violence motivate women's participation in gay anti-violence work, although misogynist violence is often ignored in policy and women anti-violence workers are often positioned to do the maternal ”emotion work„ of caring for victimized men in anti-violence organizations. By ignoring violence against women as a hate crime, and by failing to interpret anti-gay violence as gender-motivated, many hate crimes policies promote the end of heterosexism without challenging male domination.