ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a few relevant aspects of group violence before describing general features of antigay violence and group rape. It examines the Long Island case as an example of the almost interchangeable nature of victims in youthful male group violence in the service of masculine identity development. The chapter posits that the commonplace nature of antigay violence and group rape in modern Western societies is because both are ideal ways for young men to visibly demonstrate their masculinity, which includes heterosexuality as a central element. The emergence of the homosexual as a distinct social category created a new symbol for men to contrast themselves against. Homosexuality was perceived primarily as deviant gender identity, as opposed to sexual attraction, and thus was shorthand for effeminate men and masculine women who rejected socially proscribed sex roles. Despite its prevalence, group rape is rarely examined as a distinct phenomenon; indeed, it has been called the most understudied of all serious criminal offenses.
