Do Black Lesbians Have a Right to Self-Defense?

[ellenrr]

"If you're a black woman, do you have the right to defend yourself when attacked? What if you're a black lesbian? What if you're a black, gender non-conforming lesbian and your attacker is a heterosexual man? Do you still have that right?

Out in the Night challenges us to consider these questions. The documentary follows the case of Venice Brown, Terrain Dandridge, Renata Hill and Patreese Johnson, four women who became known as the New Jersey Four after defending themselves against attack."

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/24278-do-black-lesbians-have-a-right-to-self-defense

[Heather MC]

1. There is a thing called "excessive force"

I am not familar with this story, so I don't know the details. But 9 people wailing on one person no matter that person's offense can easily turn into excessive force.

That doesn't excuse Buckley's behavior, or the media handling of this case. But lawfully if they got CHARGED with excessive force, I can understand why this case went to trial.

[Lunacee_2013]

2. Rec.

Wasn't there another case in or around N.Y.C. (iirc) in which a group of young female, gay black teens were sexually harassed and assaulted by a group of men and they (the girls) were charged and punished? Or is this the same case? Because the way I heard it, it was the boys who started it and they physically attacked the girls first, who in turn, were just defending themselves.

If that's how it went down, then the girls should face no punishment AT ALL. I don't care how badly they beat their attackers. Just because someone's gay or female or black doesn't give anyone else the right to even verbally harass them and I'm tired of seeing women and girls of all types getting sexually degraded just for walking outside. It's bullshit, complete bullshit and good for them for standing up for themselves.

After reading the whole article, there were two different attacks and one girl even died. WTF is happening to our society? Even as a girly-looking white chick, I get shit thrown at me during some of my walks. I've also had men threaten to run me down when I ignored their cat-calls. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior and it almost always comes from younger males (think ages 15-35) who are usually in groups of 2-5. Why do some of them think its ok to dehumanize women/girls like that? What are we, as a whole, doing wrong and what can we do to fix it?

Sometimes I wonder if its even worth exercising so I can stay healthy and live longer...

[AverageJoe90]

3. None of these women ever should have been charged in the first place.

Dwayne Buckle instigated the whole thing from start to finish.....not that it mattered in the end, it seems. Shameful, shameful indictment of not just social conservatism, but corruption in the legal system as well.

[SophieKoko]

6. Is this a rhetorical question?

Of course they have a right to self-defense as does any cross-sectional American!

[dark forest]

7. EVERYBODY,

everybody, has a right to self-defense