Beat To Death For What?!

I've always thought that phrase "homo phobia" is an odd term. A phobia is anything that causes you to be fearful. Just because you choose to disagree with something it does not mean that you fear it. It has often been said that people fear that which they do not understand. But that is a rather monolithic approach to humanity. It is quite possible not to understand something without fearing it. You just make a choice not to be involved, or agree to disagree. But you never kill because of it.

James Dixon, 24, was charged Tuesday with manslaughter and assault for fatally beating 21-year-old transgender person Islan Nettles in New York City in August 2013.

According to the report, Nettles was walking with two other transgender friends in Harlem when Dixon and his friends saw them and began catcalling. But once Dixon and his friends realized that Nettles and her friends were transgender, the catcalls turned into “homophobic slurs” and quickly escalated to violence. Undoubtedly Dixon and his friends felt insecure and ashamed because of the fat that him and his first were attracted to what was actually a man. There in lies the issue with men who choose to brutalize, beat, and kill gay or transgender people. They don't fear homosexual's or transgender people per se. But they fear the emotions that these people stir within them. Many of these perpetrators struggle with their own sexuality, and by hurting gays or transgenders they are subconsciously beating down their own desires.

Manhattan prosecutor Nicholas Viorst explained what his office believes happened that night.

Dixon reportedly punched Nettles in the face, causing Nettles’ head to hit the pavement so hard that she incurred a serious brain injury that left her unconscious, Viorst said. Dixon allegedly continued to punch Nettles even while she lay on the ground motionless.

Nettles succumbed to her injuries days later. Dixon turned himself in a few days after the attack, after some confusion among his friends about who did what and who had actually struck Nettles.

One of Dixon’s friends had turned himself in first, saying that although he was too drunk to remember what happened, he might have committed the crime. He was discharged by prosecutors. The clothes Dixon wore fit the description of the perpetrator, so prosecutors felt confident moving forward with Dixon’s prosecution.

“Our office investigated this matter for a year and a half, judge, before we presented evidence [to a grand jury],” Viorst said in court, the Daily News notes.

  Dixon pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bail pending his next court date March 19.

Nettles’ mom, Delores Nettles, is happy that justice is being pursued in the killing of her daughter, saying, “I’m overwhelmed and my God is good.” She did have concerns about how long it took for the case to move forward, “ ... but at least now I can get a little closure,” she said.

Delores Nettles also thanked members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community for highlighting the case and providing support. Yesterday transgender actress Laverne Cox tweeted, “Finally an arrest for this senseless crime ... ”

PR