Voicings 2008 reveals hate crimes in 'Licensed to Kill'

The darkened room at the Paramount was so silent Tuesday night that if a pin dropped, the sound would have echoed and bounced around the theatre like a super ball flying out of control.

The audience had just viewed Arthur Dong's 1997 award winning documentary, "Licensed to Kill," a film which explores seven separate stories of men who murdered gay men. The stories were told, at times hauntingly unapologetic, by the murderers themselves.

"It was disturbing," Ryan Schoenefeld said in the lobby after the film ended in the Paramount.

Schoenefeld said it was ridiculous that there are people in society who would murder people on the basis of their victims' sexual orientation."

I wonder how people become that crazy. Are they a product of their environment or are they naturally like that?" Schoenefeld said.

"It was interesting how some of the people felt bad for what they did," said Ashley Robertson, another audience member, referring to some of the film's interviewees admitting regret for their actions in the film.

Robertson also said she was disturbed by the other side of that coin; that some of the murderers had absolutely no remorse for their brutal actions.

The murderers interviewed hailed from all parts of the United States and all had various reasons for what they did. Some used religious excuses, others had political agendas, two claimed to have been molested as children and some did it out of pure hatred for gay and lesbian people.

As to how truthful the murderers were in their interviews, Dong said he just let them tell their side.

One man interviewed claimed his niece was raped by a group of gay men."

Every time I see that part I think 'I doubt that,'" Dong said chuckling a little bit after.

"You hear people say every day 'that's gay.' Kids say it a lot. How is that going to make a kid in a group who is a homosexual feel?" Dong said.

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