look at this photograph. what do you see? a person. as you try to identify her/him, what clues can you find? first of all i see the rainbow logo on the cap with the slogan 'pride'. next i see the glasses that look protective, rather than ocular. earphones that muffle sound? perhaps someone at a shooting range? i cannot see the eyes, this person is a cypher.
the daily mail published this photograph today with the caption "Ann Sanderson, who was shot by police in Sevenoaks, had a history of mental illness". call me paranoid, but however unintentionally it may have been, i see this as perpetuating negative associations with the g/l/b/t community.
sanderson is the first woman to be shot dead by police in britain. the mail suggests that in her madness, sanderson may have been consciously seeking death. of course, this is the daily mail speaking. i just wonder if it is not possible for trained police marksmen/women to shoot to maim, rather than kill?
It's no coincidence that the Nazis used a black triangle for both lesbians and people with mental health problems. It's not an association that's going away in a hurry.
ReplyDeleteThe killing of LGBT people and the killing of anyone who isn't neurotypical seem to have many similarities. Blaming the victim and letting the perpetrator off seems common threads. if you have time have a look at:
http://www.geocities.com/growingjoel/murder.html
and
http://www.rememberingourdead.org