Gender is part of the hate crime here. Araujo’s gender identity could be considered male-to-female transgendered. She believed that he was born the wrong gender. The fact that these men claim they were “temporarily insane” while they were beating her to a pulp is as stupid as Matthew Shepard’s attackers claiming they had a “gay panic.” This is simply a case of a man being upset that he didn’t take the time to find out who he was having sex with because he was drunk. Mr. Calef, assuming that just because she didn’t reveal his gender identity gives the other men the right to attack her is insane. It would be like a “straight” man waking up next to another man he vaguely remembers talking to and then beating his head in with the lamp because he is shocked that he slept with the man. Murder in this case could not be accepted as a self-defense were not in danger of losing their lives. This was a hate crime against Gwen.

Morgan McChurch

Senior

Public Relations