By Alex Robinson
BRISBANE — Activists picketed the Law Courts here on October 25 about homophobia in the legal system after two men convicted of bombing the Townsville Aids Council office were sentenced to only nine months in prison.
Joanne Ball, an activist in the newly formed Queer Action Collective that organised the protest, said, "While it is unclear what an appropriate sentence should have been, there are many non-violent crimes that carry sentences far greater than what has been handed down. Both men carried previous offences."
The defence asserted, and the prosecution agreed, that there was no intention to harm or damage, even though the bombing occurred in a central business district during office hours. According to Ball, the only motivation offered in court, taken from a statement by one of the accused, was "just cause they're faggots".
To expose the hypocrisy of the sentences, the protest featured a large fake bomb, and placards which read "Would we get only nine months if we bombed your office?".
The group did not demand heavier sentences for the men, aged just 17, but wanted to highlight the fact that violent crimes are not taken as seriously if they are motivated by homophobia. Protesters were concerned that lenient sentences would encourage hate crimes and discourage homosexual people from reporting perpetrators.