On Friday July 25th, Michael Causer was murdered in a Homophobic attack which happened on Tarbuck Road in Huyton,Liverpool, two teenagers have been charged with his murder and another with witness intimidation.
His murder was reported in the Liverpool Echo and on BBC’s web site’s but only received limited national press coverage and Time Out’s Paul Burston was so outraged because of the lack of National interest in the story that he wrote to the BBC asking for an explanation. Their response was to explain that it was impossible to report every story and more important events had occurred at the time of going to press which deserved priority over Michael’s story.
Burston thinks that maybe a more sinister explanation of “institutionalised homophobia” may be a more accurate explanation for the lack of interest,stories of gay interest are considered target specific material and often relegated to brief reports. But Gay times columnist Terry Sanderson was more understanding regarding the issue and feels that maybe [the media] regards a gay relate murder is no more important than any other.
Whatever your views about the lack of press coverage and my personal opinion is that in the current climate where there are weekly stabbings and murders, the only one which hasn’t been given the rightful position in the media is homosexual in content . Michael Causer should have been given the respect from the media because his life was equally important as [sanderson] suggests” other people”.
“Michael Causer rest in peace.”
Michael’s facebook memorial page
Update 27/02/09 pinkpaper.com
“A jury at Liverpool Crown Court has found 19-year-old student, Gavin Alker, not guilty of the murder of gay teen, Michael Causer, in a shock verdict.
However, Alker denied all charges, always maintaining that he hit Michael Causer in self defence. Alker blamed the attack on his friend, James O’Connor.
The jury took 13 hours to clear Alker of murder and manslaughter. Members of Michael Causer’s family wept and ran from the court as the verdict was delivered

James O’ Connor of Runcorn last month pleaded guilty to the murder of Causer, but the basis of his plea was that it was not motivated by homophobia.”
Alker will walk free, while O’Connor and Binsteed will be sentenced at a later date.
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