The criminal case against Kaitlyn
Hunt is unusual because it involves two females, not an older male and a
younger female. But advocates say older high schoolers dating their younger
counterparts is an innocuous, everyday occurrence that is not prosecuted —
regardless of sexual orientation — and not a crime on par with predatory
sex offenses.
Hunt played on the basketball team with her younger girlfriend and
shared the same circle of friends, said Hunt's mother, Kelley
Hunt Smith. The two had a consenting relationship that began soon after
Kaitlyn Hunt turned 18, and Hunt Smith said she assumed the younger girl's
parents knew that.
But Hunt was kicked off the basketball team near the end of last
year after the coach learned of the relationship because players were not
allowed to date each other, her parents said. Then, in February, she was charged
with lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12 to 16. The day before she was
arrested, police and the younger girl's parents secretly recorded a phone
conversation in which the two girls discussed kissing in the school bathroom,
said Hunt's father, Steve
Hunt.
"It's horrible. For my daughter's sexual preferences, she's getting
two felony charges. It could possibly ruin her future," Steve Hunt told The
Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Gay-Fla-teen-charged-for-underage-girlfriend-4535661.php#ixzz2U08NlYllThere is a huge difference between a 14 year old, who is just coming from middle school to an 18 year who is about to graduate from high school. It is physical, intellectual, emotional and intimidating. A senior rules over a freshman and the freshman can be easily intimidated.
So, it sucks for the girl being charged, but she deserves to be charged. If it ruins her future, so be it, don't go after freshman. Guys can't do it, why should gay women?
I think, actually, that they were 14 and 17 when the relationship started, and 15 and 18 when the older girl was charged. I'm not sure this is as cut-and-dry as you make it out. I certainly knew seniors who dated freshmen and sophomores. My Dad was 19 when he got my 17-year-old mom preggers with me back in the 60s. Should he have gone to jail as a sex offender, even though they'd been dating since he was underage too?
ReplyDeleteActually, it depends upon the parents. My sister dated a 17-year-old boy when she was 14. At some point, he crossed the age of majority while she was still a minor. My parents didn't like it, but they didn't arrest him. They've been together since 1988, and married since 1997. My parents still don't like it though.
ReplyDeleteAs for your homophobic rant, stuff it.
"stuff it."
ReplyDeleteWow Greenlee! Your liberal tolerance knows no bounds!
I provided you two examples from my own experience where an underage romance continued past the point where one of the two people in the relationship turned 18. This happened to me as well, briefly, only the person I was dating was only 4 months younger. Should I have been charged for dating a 17-year-old the day I turned 18?
ReplyDeleteThis girl is not a rapist, is not a predator. Surely you can see that. A zero tolerance policy on any law is a really bad idea. To quote Jean-Luc Picard, "there can be no justice so long as laws are absolute. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions."
Oh, and your "tolerance" argument blows. You want me to tolerate your INTOLERANCE? Yeah, I'm sure you know lots of gay people, and are privy to their "dysfunctional" sexual relationships. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteJamie, many a guy has been charged with raping a girlfriend when he was a senior and she was a freshman.
ReplyDeleteMany a teacher has had their career's ruined because they went out with a 18 year old student.
There is a world of difference between freshman and seniors, not only physical but also emotional and mentally.
As far as your dad, that must have been quite a scandal.
And Jamie, having worked in high schools for almost 20 years, I can say for a fact that some recruitment does go on:
For whatever reason, a lot of cool girls are gay- they are looked at as being cool, not afraid to show they are gay (unlike most guys who are gay)and a lot of kids want to hag out with the cute, cool gay girl, even if they are not gay. Pretty soon, the gay girls in the crowd are kissing and hugging the kids who just wanted to hang out with the cool gay girl.
This doesn't happen with boys- girls exclusively.
Do I have stats bear this out, nope just my personal observation.
And this doesn't pertain to girls who are truly gay- this pertains to the kids who are on the edge.
Actually, no, it wasn't a scandal with Mom & Dad, other than being pregnant in high school. Nobody noticed the age thing.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think this is a situation of "spirit of the law" vs. "letter of the law." A high school girl who just turned 18 is NOT the same as a 50-year-old predator. There needs to be a "window" that spans 2 or 3 years, when you're dealing with similarly-aged people. Many states have this, it's called "Romeo & Juliet."
This girl doesn't deserved to be labeled a sex offender. It's overboard and ridiculous. It's just as wrong when it's an older boy.
Now, I'd dispute an equivalence with a teacher/student situation. That contains a power dynamic that distorts any meaning of "consent."
And no, I don't believe there is such a thing as "gay recruiting." If you're not gay, you can't be "turned." It doesn't work that way. But I have no issue with "experimentation," either. Kids are going to do that, they always have, and always will. Kids should be armed with the facts, and in ways to avoid pregnancy and disease.