A Homophobe On the Bench

Bias on the Bench: More than three decades ago, Gregory Dickens and his teenaged lover Travis Amaral were tried for the shooting and murder of a couple outside of Yuma, Arizona. Amaral, who executed the couple traveling to California for school, received a life sentence for the crime.

But Gregory Dickens, who didn't kill anyone and wasn't even around when the shooting happened, received the death penalty.

It's a consequence of Arizona's "felony murder" rule, which says that anyone associated with a murder in any form can be guilty of the first degree felony that carries the death penalty. (Dickens and Amaral pulled over at the rest stop where the couple was killed, the two argued, and Amaral left Dickens's vehicle before shooting the couple. Dickens saw Amaral on the side of the road and picked him up, later on, and was designated the "getaway driver.")

But according to Dickens's lawyers in appeal, along with hundreds of pages of court documents reviewed by LOOKOUT, the judge overseeing Dickens's case had a long and violent history of homophobia, which may have played into the sentencing decision.

LOOKOUT'S TAKE: Queer people are ensnared in the criminal justice system more often than their straight counterparts on a variety of issues, from criminal trespassing to illegal sex work.

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonpartisan think tank and research organization on prisons and jails, a few examples include how LGBTQ+ people are overrepresented in juvenile justice—20% of imprisoned youth identify as part of the community—or how lesbians and bisexuals are more often imprisoned for their crimes in comparison to straight people.

There's a lot to understand about why LGBTQ+ people are overrepresented; we can point to social issues, financial hardships, and the link between homelessness and queer people being forced into the streets.

But in Gregory Dickens's case, the situation appears to be straightforward: a judge who had a history of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments (which is putting it lightly when a grown man calls his son a slur and tells him to die) oversaw a case and had the final decision in how long another gay man should be imprisoned for his crime.

🌵 LOCAL NEWS

• BAD FAITH BILL: (opinion) Senate Bill 1511 passed through both chambers and it's headed toward the Governor's desk. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Janae Shamp (R-Surprise), says its meant to simply address medical care for those who want to detransition, but she has long been at the center of anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Arizona Capitol Times
• SPORTSBALL: Arizona's gay sporting leagues are growing and helping LGBTQ+ folk find community alongside some healthy competition. Copper Courier
• PRIDE ANNOUNCEMENT: Phoenix Pride announced the headliners and grand marshals of the 2024 parade, which is happening in October (Arizona's designated Pride month). AZCentral
• ITS A DRY HATE: Arizona is home to an alarming number of hate groups, including five that are specifically anti-LGBTQ+. AZ Mirror
• BUSINESS ADVOCACY: Arizona ranks 25th in the nation for businesses providing affirmative and safe spaces to members of the community, according to Out Leadership's Business Climate Index. INTO

🇺🇸 NATIONAL NEWS

• READING IS POWER: Amelie Maurice-Jones spent a year reading LGBTQ+ books. It helped affirm her sexuality and battled her own internalized homophobia. LGBTQ Nation
• QUEERS FOR GAZA: Protesters in New York organized by ACTUP and the Audrey Lorde Project gathered outside the Outright International Gala. Washington Blade
• "BRITISH CIGARETTE": North Carolina's Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has a long history of using anti-LGBTQ+ slurs online. The Advocate
• 200 FLAGS: After 200 LGBTQ+ flags were removed from a town hall in Massachusetts, the town's residents came together to replace them with new ones. them