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From: sdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: Re: hustlers and tragedy
Message-ID: <212@bbncc5.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Dec-85 22:37:15 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncc5.212
Posted: Tue Dec  3 22:37:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 15:45:31 EST
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Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA
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> 	I've noticed in the last year or two an increase in a particular
> pattern of crime. The victim is a single man aged 35-55, and he is found
> murdered in his apartment, usually nude, usually tied up, and probably
> either knifed or brutally beaten to death. The murderer, when found, is
> a teenaged trick brought home for the night who overwhelms the older
> man and kills and robs him. This is a terrible tragedy and should never
> happen to anyone, but it does.
> 	I'm female and more or less straight, so I am lacking a perspective
> on this, yet nonetheless, this type of behavior (bringing home total
> strangers, etc) doesn't seem in any way sensible to me. It's a situation
> to which I would urge people to give some thought, since it is one in
> which the nice people, the trusting and open ones, end up the saddest
> victims. I hope some regular readers will contribute discussion on this.

Of course it doesn't make any sense at all!  I would add that it's probably
a bit unfair to the truly nice, trusting and open people (whoever they are)
to assume that all these corpses were one of their crowd.  There's a
certain subclass of gay man, usually in the age group you mention, who
really gets off on tough teenagers, the tougher, and more straight
appearing, the better.  These people have traded their common sense for
their infatuation a long time ago, and no amount of warning, electronic or
otherwise, will stray them from their appointed rounds.  The lucky ones are
still around playing with the odds.  The actual psychology of such people
is beyond any layperson's understanding, including my own.  I should add
the standard disclaimer that probably not all victims fit this pattern, but
as little as I've been around, I've met this type many, many times.

This may sound a rather cynical response, and it is.  But I can't get too
worked up about people who deliberately put themselves into potentially
dangerous situations (and often this sense of danger or risk is part of
the thrill.)  Anybody with common sense doesn't bring home complete
strangers, ESPECIALLY if they're in a position to be exploited by the
other (through greater physical strength, gross economic inequality, etc.)
And my opinion, I believe, isn't a case of "blaming the victim."  We can
argue all day about how societally entrenched homophobia engenders both
the behavior of the gay man and the teenage hustler, but when it comes
down to it, that realization doesn't make much difference when you suddenly
find that you're on the receiving end of a knife, fist or gun shot.  The
only sure protection is NOT to place yourself in this kind of situation:
in other words, DON'T DO STUPID THINGS.  For some of us, this is obvious.
For others, it takes a cold, hard experience to shake them out of their
complacency, and for others, they learned too late.
-- 
/Steve Dyer
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