Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMay 8th, 2008
Deputy Public Defender William Quest is something else. Quest is the lawyer for 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, the teen accused of shooting Lawrence King point blank in the head at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California February 12. Last April, Quest blamed King’s death on King himself. Today, he’s decided that it’s the school system’s fault:
Educators should have moved aggressively to quell rising tensions between the two boys, which began when King openly flirted with McInerney, said Deputy Public Defender William Quest. Instead, administrators were so intent on nurturing King as he explored his sexuality, allowing him to come to school wearing feminine makeup and accessories, that they downplayed the turmoil that his behavior was causing on campus, Quest said.
Latest Posts
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
“Google” is a trademark of Google Inc.
© Box Turtle Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
Posts 
Posts via daily email:
Timothy Kincaid
May 8th, 2008
It sounds to me like he’s still blaming King:
In literally every statement that Quest made, every single sentence, he blames the murder on King and presents McInerney as the aggreived party. That may be smart, but it leaves me thinking that William Quest is an immoral and evil person.
KatieKat
May 8th, 2008
Ugh.
This reminds me of defense attorneys who claim that the rape victim was ‘asking for it’.
I have been having such a hard time with this whole case. He was clearly a very sweet boy who liked his high-heeled boots and blue eyeshadow. It’s sad that even in a progressive state like California, this kind of defense can be presented.
Timothy Kincaid
May 8th, 2008
Actually, the “blame the victim” defense is cannot be presented in California. Quest is dancing around that by blaming the school for not stopping the victim. I think he knows that the court will not allow that sort of nonsense and is just trying to poison the jury pool.
I’m pretty sure that I would not like Mr. Quest. He seems like a win-at-any-cost kinda guy and completely immoral and evil. But I don’t know him and that’s just based on what I read on this case.
Leo
May 8th, 2008
I don’t agree with Quest’s arguments, but let’s remember that he’s a public defender charged to do the best he can to defend his client.
What would have him do? He’s grabbing at what straws are available to him.
I wouldn’t trade places with him.
Yuki Choe
May 8th, 2008
“I don’t agree with Quest’s arguments, but let’s remember that he’s a public defender charged to do the best he can to defend his client.”
Yes Leo, I would agree to that but with such no-brainer defense from Quest, I do not think I would want him as my defense lawyer in any circumstance.
Joel
May 8th, 2008
“they downplayed the turmoil”
They always taught me at school that if you had problems(personal or with others) that you should seek help with the counselor, if you didnt want to tell your parents.
I guess if you wanted to kill someone that would be considered a problem.IMHO.
Still.. that does not abolish any justice that larry must serve jsut because he didnt know where he could seek the help.
Stefano
May 8th, 2008
Timothy Kincaid
KatieKat
Indeed!
The blame the victim line is exactly the line of argument prosecution is trying to build. The attempts to prey upon existing prejudices and fuel blame against the victim seems to be a common tack in such cases. That is what I find so frustratingly infuriating.
Buffy
May 9th, 2008
I just blogged about that myself. I’m utterly disgusted that Quest is actually pursuing this line of defense. Blame the victim and the school that merely upheld his rights. Yes, the killer had no recourse but to shoot him in the back of the head because the boy flirted with him and wore high heels. Bull!
Leave A Comment