I am writing in response to Zach Calef’s article about “Double standard in reactions to rape” in Thursday’s issue of the Daily. Basically, it sounded like he was condoning the “violent reaction” (namely, the hate crime murder) that the two men had after realizing they had been duped into having sex with another man. I have a few issues with this sort of reasoning, Mr. Calef.

Besides the fact that most people are normally aware of the sex of the person they are having intercourse with (unless you’re drunk, in which case you probably should not be trying that anyway), I myself have had what I see as a similar experience.

I once had a boyfriend whom I respected very much. I slept with this particular man numerous times, throughout months, only to find out in the end that he never really liked me. In fact, to make a long story short, he was extremely sexist, and it made me feel really stupid to find out I had let him fool me into thinking he was someone he definitely wasn’t.

I was pissed off, extremely embarrassed and I felt violated to the core of my being. Since I was also duped into sleeping with someone who wasn’t all that he seemed, I am curious to see if this situation would fit your definition of rape, Mr. Calef.

If so, would I have been entitled to react violently, perhaps by murdering this man for humiliating me, and still have your sympathy and understanding?

I didn’t think so.

The murder of Eddie Araujo was clearly a hate crime. I am sad to see that here in Ames some people cannot understand that the exclusion of gays and lesbians from the realm of “normal people” creates inherent homophobia and motivates, even sanctions, crime against them. Without question, the murder would have instantly been a hate crime if they had murdered the woman who they had intercourse with because they found out she was really black instead of white.

There is not and never will be an excuse for any violence committed on the basis of personal prejudice, and I hope that this heinous act will be recognized for what it is and punished accordingly … no thanks to you, Mr. Calef.

Alicia Ebaugh

Freshman

Pre-journalism and mass communication