A North Carolina woman is accused of instructing her 12-year-old son to “beat the gay” out of his 15-year-old brother.
Mary Gowans, of Whiteville, NC, was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor after police were called to her home to investigate a disturbance.
According to the police report, the 15-year-old told police his mother forced him to strip down to his underwear, then she instructed his 12-year-old brother to beat him with a belt repeatedly. The older boy said he was not allowed to fight back, according to CBS affiliate WNEM.com.
The police report documented a large abrasion on the teenager’s back.
Gowans denied the allegations. She said her 15-year-old son was intoxicated when he talked to police.
According to Gowans, the older boy hit the 12-year-old first. So she instructed the younger boy to hit his brother back. She said, although she doesn’t agree with the gay lifestyle, she would not harm her sons.
Gowans said her oldest son, whom she referred to as “gay in some way,” had been visiting a gay man, who she believes molested the boy. She said she reported the gay man to the police, but nothing was done about him.
Gowans admitted beating her son with a belt to stop him from visiting the man. She said she was simply a mother trying to protect her son.
Last year, a pastor in Fayetteville, N.C. instructed his parishioners to beat the gay out of their children if the parents suspected the children suffered from homosexuality. After the resulting uproar, the pastor denied making the statement, but he did say he believed in reinforcing traditional gender roles in children.
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