Alliance (GAA). The Stonewall Rebellion inspired gays to openly fight such vicious discrimination; nevertheless, there are far too many atrocities that currently result from homophobia. Although American society appears to be increasingly tolerant of homosexuality, there has been a marked rise in hate crimes against homosexuals in recent years. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reported a thirty-one percent increase in violence against homosexuals in the past year alone. David Huebner, member of the Board of Directors of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation believes that now more than ever, "anti-gay violence continues to be a widespread and profoundly destructive plague upon the nation" (Huebner interview). Attacks against gay men tend to be excessively violent and irrational. Motivated by extreme hatred, they are "vicious in scope and the intent is to kill and maim" (Winer 30). One striking feature of such hate-motivated homicides is their gruesome nature. Seldom is a homosexual victim simply shot; he "is more apt to be stabbed a dozen or more times, mutilated and strangled" (Miller 169). This apparent brutality suggests that the attackers are losing control of reality, and are therefore suffering some sort of temporary insanity or diminished capacity. The inability to maintain control is the premise for the homosexual panic defense. On its face, suffering from any type temporary insanity should warrant the use of an insanity defense. However, the societal implications in allowing this defense are too great. Proof of insanity would be far too hard to demonstrate; thus this claim has the potential to be severely abused (Hunter interview). While it may be that these attackers have lost their ability to think rationally, by allowing the homosexual panic defense to bear weight in a court of law, the justice system is not only allowing hate crimes to exist, but is also excusing these murders. The notion of homosexuality ma...
