ABSTRACT
This chapter spotlights the media coverage surrounding the New Jersey Four (NJ4)—a case involving seven young Black lesbian women who, while out for the night, crossed paths with a man who sexually harassed and violently threatened them as they passed by him. In defending themselves, one of the women used a knife to wound the man. Despite these facts, the mainstream media characterized the women as a “Gang of Killer Lesbians,” ultimately showcasing how race, gender, and sexuality are portrayed in biased media coverage and how it can lead to negative outcomes. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an examination of the intersections and criminalization of race, gender, and sexuality, as portrayed in the media and the criminal legal system, as well as showcase how local and national media coverage can shape the narrative surrounding a true crime event. The NJ4 case serves as a foundational backdrop to contextualize and highlight the social injustices at play—the criminalization of Black people, the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights, and the threat that biased media coverage poses to citizens’ due process rights. A review of the relevant literature surrounding the victim–offender overlap among LGBTQ individuals is presented, as well as a discussion of how the NJ4 case parallels with other relevant contemporary cases.
