Kaitlyn Hunt Rejects Plea Deal

From Think Progress: 

Florida teen Kaitlyn Hunt, who has been charged with a felony for having a sexual relationship with her younger girlfriend, has rejected a plea deal that would have included two years of house arrest and having to register as a sex offender. A statement released by her lawyers argued that she is being selectively prosecuted for having been in a same-sex relationship when she turned 18:

Our client is a courageous teenager who is choosing not to accept the current plea offer by the State of Florida. 

This is a situation of two teenagers who happen to be of the same sex involved in a relationship. If this case involved a boy and girl, there would be no media attention to this case. [...] 

If this incident occurred 108 days earlier when she was 17, we wouldn’t even be here. [...] 

Along with Kaitlyn and her family, we are going to fight to have the law changed so no other teenager finds themselves in this same position created by the State of Florida and prosecuted unfairly.

Kaitlyn’s father, Steven Hunt Jr.,  explained this week that the charges seem to stem entirely from the parents of her girlfriend, who knew of the relationship, but waited until Kaitlyn turned 18 to object. According to Hunt, “Kate has offered to permanently cease contact and leave the state if charges are dropped, but that offer has been rejected by the prosecutor and the girlfriend’s parents.”

I am no expert on Florida law, but I think that given what the law in Florida is, the Hunts are looking at an uphill battle. Even though it is clear that the parents of the younger girl only brought this case forward before the courts because of their own anti-gay animus (notice how even though this story has gone viral, those parents have made no public statements), this constitutes a technical violation of the law. This case epitomizes the darkness of the hearts of some and the depths to which they will go in regards to homophobia. I am hoping for the best for the Hunts. It is a damned shame that two people have taken it upon themselves to destroy this girl because of their own prejudices.