Hatred, murder and male honour: anti-homosexual homicides in New South Wales, 1980-2000

Based on evidence from a study of 74 anti homosexual homicides with male victims that occurred in New South Wales between 1980 and 2000, this report analyses the social characteristics of victims and perpetrators and the situational factors involved, as well as case studies outlining specific homicide scenarios. The study also examines the links between such killings and commonplace issues of male identity. The link to various aspects of masculinity, including heterosexism and male honour, that have community support leads to a critical scrutiny of the legal issues involved, including the homosexual advance defence and the idea of homosexual panic as a legal defence. The purpose of this report, presenting findings from 2001, is to provide drug use information on people detained and brought to police stations in the four sites. DUMA provides a reasonable and independent indicator of drug-related crime within these specific areas. As an ongoing monitoring system, it enables law enforcement to track long-term changes in drugs and crime. The 2001 report expands on the 2000 report with an additional section that summarises the key overall trends from the first three-year pilot collection