Homophobia helps protect guys like Sandusky because

[Lex]

people 'can't believe' that a straight married guy would molest boys but instead often focus on gay men when in FACT studies have shown that most child molesters are straight-identifying married men like Sandusky.

Plus Sandusky was a jock so of course homophobic jerks are only concerned about guys they perceive aren't 'manly' or whatever to be not safe around boys, which isn't borne out by any statistics.

These are at least 2 ways that homophobic bullshit perpetuated over and over protect people like Sandusky by misdirecting their concern about who is most likely to molest boys.

/off my soapbox

[SoutherDem]

1. I think there may be another reason too

Some victims are afraid of admitting they were molested by a man for fear they will be though of as gay.

[Lex]

2. Yes, that's yet another way homophobia helps protect people like Sandusky.

It's sad.

[slackmaster]

3. Sandusky is NOT STRAIGHT. He's mentally ill. In common parlance he's a pervert.

In more technical terms he has some kind of paraphilia.

An adult who is sexually aroused by children is not straight.

[Lex]

4. He identifies as straight and has a wife. Yes and he's a pervert.

nt

[slackmaster]

5. I don't care how he self-identifies, because he is not psychologically normal.

He's not competent to identify himself as anything. His sexuality must be identified by his overt behavior.

Lots of people who are fucked up in the head and do weird shit have spouses and call themselves normal. That doesn't make them normal.

It's not like President Obama self-identifying as black even though he is half white. His doing so is perfectly legitimate because he's not all fucked up.

[nytemare]

19. He was very competent.

Competent enough to form a charity to look for victims. He knew the children were in some kind of need, and that his high position as a coach at PSU would attract more victims. He groomed these children, and then threatened the children so they wouldn't say anything of what happened. When things did come out, starting in 1998, he used his position to quell the suspicions. One of his adopted kids has even come out as a victim now. This guy knew what he wanted, knew how to get it, and knew how to cover it up. He has a personality disorder, not some form of chemical imbalance that rendered him unable to tell right from wrong. He knew it was wrong, or he wouldn't have threatened the children.

[pnwmom]

22. Who said he had a chemical imbalance? The prosecutor's expert said he likely had a psycho-sexual

disorder. I don't see this conflicting with what Slackmaster said. Slackmaster just meant that, if Sandusky identified as straight (he certainly used that as a cover, but no one knows how he really identified), then he wasn't correct. He was certainly competent in other aspects of his life, and is fully responsible for his actions, but it would be incorrect to say he was straight. He isn't gay or straight -- attracted to adult men or women -- he is a pedophile.

[pnwmom]

11. Lots of people pretend to be straight who aren't straight in reality.

He was a pedophile who pretended to be straight, but he never was. There isn't any evidence that he and his wife ever had a sexual relationship, since all their children were adopted.

In other words, he wasn't primarily attracted to women (as a straight man) or men (as a gay man). He was a pedophile.

[mzmolly]

6. I hestitate to call him mentally ill.

The fact that he's not, (IMHO) makes his crimes even more disturbing.

[slackmaster]

7. I don't see how someone who engages in that kind of horrid behavior could not be mentally ill

The fact that he's not, (IMHO) makes his crimes even more disturbing.

To me it makes no difference - I hold him accountable for his actions whether he's massively sick in the head or just evil (whatever that means.)

[Posteritatis]

14. While I see your point, the whole "criminality = mental illness" mindset leads to bad places. (nt)

[mzmolly]

24. I understand. I can't fathom that kind of behavior,

either. However the man was highly functional. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew he was harming children under the guise of helping them. He did not care. He is a sociopath.

[ann---]

16. absolutely

agree with you on this.

[closeupready]

18. oh, so now you are arguing straight people can't be perverts?

Gotta love this game of dodgeball so many of you play.

[slackmaster]

20. I have a very specific definition of what constitutes sexually straight orientation. Here it is:

Engages in sexual conduct exclusively with consenting adults of the opposite sex.

Have sex with people of the same gender? Not straight (but OK as long as it's consenting adults.)

Have sex with underage people of either sex? Not straight. Sick.

Forces an unwilling person of any age or gender into sex against his or her will? Not straight. Sick.

Gotta love this game of dodgeball so many of you play.

What do you mean by "you?"

[closeupready]

23. Your definition of "straight" doesn't matter. And

I love how bisexual journalists waved a magic wand and made that Canadian cannibal killer 'gay' even though all the evidence out there indicated he was, is and always will be bisexual.

[slackmaster]

27. I don't consider "straight-identifying" to be the same thing as factually straight

Just to be clear, I don't consider Sandusky to be straight or gay.

[closeupready]

28. Ok. Understood.

nt

[KurtNYC]

8. So: Gay = child molester / rapist ?!

That's what you seem to be saying -- that others didn't view the serial child rapist as gay so therefore then didn't think he was a child rapist?

How 1950s.

You are also equating consensual sex between adults with authority figures raping children.

A poor understanding of who is a typical child rapist was part of the equation but labeling Sandusky as "gay" just feeds this crisis.

[etherealtruth]

12. Reread the OP

... the OP isn't asserting anything that you are accusing him/her of ...

The OP is pointing out that HOMOPHOBIA (the bigoted ignorant beliefs that make one homophobic) lend cover to actual pedophiles (cover based on beliefs that have no basis in reality)

[pnwmom]

13. self-delete

I misunderstood who the poster was responding to.

[Lex]

21. Woosh. Not even close. nt

[KurtNYC]

29. I re-read your post

I am sorry. I was up half of last night with food poisoning and I misunderstood your post in my low blood sugar haze. I apologize.

[libodem]

9. Great PSA

Thanks for helping to correct that old ignorant mythology.

[Yavin4]

10. Your Theory Applies to the Catholic Church

No one would ever suspect an institution whose hierarchy adopts celibacy of such things, and they are protected by religion.

[KharmaTrain]

15. Having Lots Of Power & Influence Doesn't Hurt Either...

I agree with the sentiment that Sandusky was mentally ill...his sexuality was abnormal and not right to be defined as gay or straight. This is not normal behavior of any hetero or gay person...and rightly that it is ostracized and criminalized. The one thing Sandusky had that allowed him to keep his predation going for so many years was his postion of power. He was second in command in one of the most reknown college football programs in the country (not counting its massive affect on the state of Pennsylvania) and also the head of a very public and popular charity. He used his power to intimidate his victims and then it was that same power that was used to cover up his activities.

This sorrid scandal can't be concluded until there's a thorough investigation of those within the Penn State athletic department that enabled Sandunsky (intimidated by his power) Now that it's gone we see the shell of a human...but also a convenient scapegoat for others who were complicit in what was a long term conspiracy.

[GaYellowDawg]

26. I should have just seconded this instead of replying.

Nice post.

[closeupready]

17. Correct, but light years beyond where most people are,

in terms of thoughtfulness and consideration.

[GaYellowDawg]

25. I agree with the general idea here, BUT...

If your post read "people 'can't believe' that someone presenting as a straight married guy would molest boys", etc. then I would feel much more comfortable with it.

Frankly, I would hesitate to call a pedophile either straight or gay. In my mind, "straight" and "gay" are terms that denote orientation to adults of a particular gender. Someone who targets children is just a sick monster - and normal orientations, either straight or gay, don't deserve to be mentioned in the same context.

Now, as to the point where we agree: it's true that homosexuality gets lumped in and associated with pedophilia as a type of sexual deviance by a lot of ignorant, biased people. I agree that it's wrong.

I do disagree about the whole "manly" thing. I think the inaction about Sandusky is more attributable to athlete worship in our society than him being "manly." If he'd been a "manly" construction worker, then he would have come under suspicion and convicted a whole lot sooner. The biggest problem here, in my opinion, is that Sandusky ran wild because he was under the aegis of Joe Paterno's power and influence (that influence reaching far beyond campus into the community). Justice is far from equal in this country, and this is another manifestation of that.