Appearances

Vazquez waits to disclose the fact that Brian and Mickey were heterosexual victims of homophobic violence because she was aware of the fact that the reader would automatically assume that each was gay. In an article that is clearly about violence against the gay community, the reader would simply accept that the article would use examples of gays getting hurt for their sexual orientation. However, the fact that she discloses this fact makes the examples far more shocking. A straight reader would likely be less inclined to protest homophobic violence because it is outside of their little bubbles; it's the stuff that happens out there instead of right here. By informing the reader that Brian and Mickey were straight, Vazquez gives the gravity of her argument significantly more weight. She instills the idea that everyone is a victim, particularly if they happen to be gender deviants. Antigay violence is not only an issue of prejudice against a minority, but also is sets back all motions toward gender equality.

When heterosexuals can be victims of gay violence, it becomes clear that society is not yet prepared to accept "manly" women and "girly" men. It means that to an extent, the genders are expected to stay in the cultural spheres dictated by their sex. Women may as well all be housewives, vacuuming in their heels and house pearls while men go off to do manly jobs and earn manly pay checks. Expanding the horizon of antigay violence to straights makes the lack of equality for men and women, gays and straights, far more ominous.