How the criminalization of the queer community affects us all

In 2005, when Danny was 17 years old, he began dating a 16-year-old boy. Like many teenage romances, this one did not end well -- but not for the reasons you might expect. When the 16-year-old's parents found out about the relationship, they blamed Danny for "turning their son gay," and, incensed, called the police to report the age difference. Danny ended up sentenced to jail for statutory rape. While incarcerated, he discovered that his boyfriend had taken his own life; the trauma of Danny's conviction and the public fallout of his parents' intervention proved too much for him. Once released three years later, Danny had to register yearly as a sex offender on a public online registry. His parole officer, who was intolerant of gay parolees, imposed arbitrary restrictions. These included limits on travel and Internet use, causing Danny to feel socially isolated and cut off from peers and support systems. Today, due to the challenges of finding work as a registrant, Danny lives with his parents. They too are exposed to the social stigma and harassment caused by their son's registry status.

Danny's tale is shocking, but by no means singular. It is just one of countless stories of queers who find themselves at the mercy of unreasonable and homophobic/transphobic sex laws...

source: Article 'The Center for Sexual Justice: How the Criminalization of the Queer Community Affects Us All' by Andrew Extein (Social worker, psychotherapist and advocate); www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-extein-msw/the-center-for-sexual-jus_b_5466111.html; Huffington Post - Gay Voices; 9 June 2014