Naturalizing the Unnatural: The Social Construction of the Pathologically Criminal Female

• In Event: 20201 - Laws and Criminalization

Abstract

Gay women are disproportionately convicted of felonies and capital crimes. Over the last five decades, there have been approximately 186 women sentenced to death in the United States. Alarmingly, reports suggest gay women represent 33% to 50% of death row and at least 22% of women executed despite only accounting for 1% to 3.4% of the population. Little is known about how homophobic bias impacts death sentence outcomes for women convicted of a capital crime. Court transcripts prior to the early 2000s demonstrate prosecutors used the women’s sexuality and perceptions of masculinity as justification for a capital sentence. It is reasonable to suggest this discriminatory narrative is a direct result of the existing anti-lesbian cultural discourse; however, little is also known about how this narrative impacts the daily lives of individuals within this demographic who have not committed a crime. Further examination is required to understand this phenomenon.

Author

• Chris Irlam, University of Idaho