MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman is charged with beating her own son, all because she thinks he’s gay.
Jacqueline Alexander is charged with domestic assault.
Police said she punched her son in the face because she thinks he’s “too feminine” and gay.
They said it happened in their apartment on the 5900 block of Mt. Moriah Tuesday night.
The boy had bruises on his face when police arrived arrived.
It’s a thought that sickens leaders in the Memphis LGBT community, but Will Batts with LGBT Community Center said it happens all too often.
“We certainly have lots of kids and adults who come into the center who talk about being abused or hurt in some way by the people who are supposed to be the ones who care most about them,” he said.
Batts wants to see a change in how people think, an acceptance of all, regardless of their sexual orientation, and to break the barriers of gender stereotypes.
“We live with these really strict rules about how people should act or dress or talk or behave, and life is so much more complicated than that,” he said.
Alexander’s bond is set at $1,000.