Scripting Hate Crimes: Victim, Space and Perpetrator Defining Hate

Hate crime legislation is meant to address discrimination at a community level. The hate crime categorization involves the justice system and the media - who play a key role in the community's understanding of the act. In 2008 in Washington, DC, two separate attacks on gay men - one White, one African-American - were categorized differently. One was a hate crime; the other was not. This paper looks at the social scripts employed within the media and police statements that contextualize these events in terms of neighbourhood as well as the race, gender and sexuality of the victims and perpetrators.