Lesbians Unjustly Convicted For Self Defense, or... More Likely For The West Village's Gentrification Program

Venice Brown (19), Terrain Dandridge (20), Patreese Johnson (20) and Renata Hill (24)—received sentences ranging from three-and-a-half to 11 years in prison. None of them had previous criminal records. Two of them are parents of small children.

Their crime? Defending themselves from a physical attack by a man who held them down and choked them, ripped hair from their scalps, spat on them, and threatened to sexually assault them—all because they are lesbians [editors note: I think saying it’s just because they’re lesbians is a simplification].
The mere fact that any victim of a bigoted attack would be arrested, jailed and then convicted for self-defense is an outrage.
-Imani Henry


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