Rape rap fuels gay fight: Lesbian foster mom charged in assault

The Boston Herald ^ | 2 April 2004 | David R. Guarino

[Hemingway's Ghost]

A lesbian foster parent allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl in her custody twice last month, tearing apart a Fall River household and sparking a new firefight in the ongoing gay marriage fury.

Christina Machado, 26, was in the Bristol County lockup last night, charged with forcefully raping the teen - abuse allegedly witnessed by the woman's friends and reported by the girl's teachers.

Department of Social Services officials who spent two weeks investigating told the Herald the case was ``disturbing'' but said Machado had a near-spotless record in eight years as a foster parent.

But conservatives leaped on the case. ``It appears that children in homosexual relationships are not as safe,'' said Ron Crews of the Massachusetts Coalition for Marriage. ``Homosexual relationships are less safe.''

Gay rights advocates shot back that Crews' comments were plain false. ``That is one of the meanest and false stereotypes about gay people that has haunted us wrongly for decades,'' said Arline Isaacson of the Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. ``It is absolutely, factually, completely untrue.''

Machado was arrested Wednesday on two counts of rape and pleaded innocent at a Fall River District Court arraignment.

``Obviously she denied the charges,'' said Neal Steingold, a court-appointed defender.

Sources said a teacher at the girl's school made the report after she had been ``acting up.''

Sources familiar with the lengthy police report said the rapes allegedly occurred within five days of one another last month. The sources said a friend of Machado's ``witnessed the abuse and was instrumental in telling police what happened.''

DSS spokeswoman Denise Monteiro said the girl was ``immediately'' taken out of the house.

The girl had been in the care of Machado and another woman, who sources identified as her partner, since November 2003 after living in several other foster homes.

The girl was examined at a Fall River hospital by doctors who confirmed she had been raped, according to a source.

``Anytime there is an allegation of abuse with any of our foster kids, it's very disturbing,'' Monteiro said.

``(The kids) have already been through trauma to get into the system so anytime they are abused by a foster parent is very troubling, very disturbing.''

DSS records show one call to report abuse last year but Monteiro said it was ``unsupported.''

``We have no reason to believe this was not a good home in the past - there's been no red flags,'' she said.

Three other younger children are still in the Walnut Street home, including another foster child, a boy.

A woman who answered the door yesterday would say only that Machado ``doesn't live here anymore.''

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Throwing the lions some red meat. Whoa!

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Boink.

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[expatguy]

I can see how a lesbian could sexually assault someone, but "rape"...? I don't think so.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I can see how a lesbian could sexually assault someone, but "rape"...? I don't think so.

I'm thinking the mechanism of assault was by one rubber or silicone artificial phallus.

[OpusatFR]

"Three other younger children are still in the Walnut Street home, including another foster child, a boy."

Excuse me? The DSS left these children in the home. It doesn't matter if the lesbian is there or not. It matters that this case is not resolved and the children are at risk.

Apparently, some people have more rights than others.

[jscd3]

Department of Social Services officials who spent two weeks investigating told the Herald the case was ``disturbing'' but said Machado had a near-spotless record in eight years as a foster parent.

Yeah, other than that rape thingy, it would have been perfect.../SARCASM

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Is there an audience for the Herald in Boston? How did this story make the paper?

[Mr. Jeeves]

Sources said a teacher at the girl's school made the report after she had been ``acting up.''

Kids lie. A lot. Let's make sure this isn't another case of vengeful teenage behavior before jumping all over it as an example of typical gay parenting.

[davisfh]

I've done a little analysis and here's the problem as I see it.

"Lesbian foster mom"

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Is there an audience for the Herald in Boston? How did this story make the paper?

Yes, quite a large one, actually. The Globe is more of a suburbanite, subscription-based paper, while the Herald (a tabloid), is a point-of-sale, city paper. The Herald's columnists, especially Howie Carr, are several multipliers better than the Globe's, too.

[netmilsmom]

I would say that after a medical exam which concluded rape, a lesbian rape without semen, and a witness to the abuse, it is a good chance this is not a lie.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Kids lie. A lot. Let's make sure this isn't another case of vengeful teenage behavior before jumping all over it as an example of typical gay parenting.

True. I don't know what about lesbians would make them natural potential rapists as parents. Unless the child had made disparaging remarks about the Indigo Girls or something---I could see how that would set a diesel dyke off.

[FormerLib]

...before jumping all over it as an example of typical gay parenting.

By allowing avowed sexual deviants to serve as foster parents, the children are being subjected to a high degree of moral and psychological abuse. That's "typical gay parenting" (of other people's children) for you.

Whether or not this foster mom took that abuse to the next level is for a court to decide.

[T.Smith]

"Christina Machado, 26,...but said Machado had a near-spotless record in eight years as a foster parent."

She's been a foster parent since she was 18 years old?

[kenth]

Nah, I think I'll pile on. Especially in light of the medical evidence and the testimony of the witness.

``We have no reason to believe this was not a good home in the past - there's been no red flags,'' she said.

She should have asked us. We could have pointed out a few. If nothing else, most homosexuals have as much if not more emotional baggage than the foster kids.

[Lucky Dog]

But conservatives leaped on the case. ``It appears [emphasis mine] that children in homosexual relationships are not as safe,'' said Ron Crews of the Massachusetts Coalition for Marriage. ``Homosexual relationships are less safe.''

Gay rights advocates shot back that Crews' comments were plain false. … ``It is absolutely, factually [emphasis mine], completely untrue.''

The girl was examined at a Fall River hospital by doctors who confirmed she had been raped, according to a source.

Let’s see, exactly what part of “factually” don’t the “gay rights advocates” understand?

The girl was placed in a home with a homosexual relationship. The girl was raped. The condition of being raped is generally considered unsafe. Therefore, by the rules of logic, it was an “unsafe” environment.

``That is one of the meanest and false stereotypes [emphasis mine] about gay people that has haunted us wrongly for decades,'' said Arline Isaacson of the Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus.

Stereotypes are generalizations. For example, it is a stereotype to say that all successful athletes are physically fit. There are exceptions, as there are to all stereotypes. However, this particular stereotype is a generalization that is “factually” correct because the great majority of “facts” support it.

Let’s see… more than 1,300 documented cases of homosexual “priests” molesting children, more than 30% of all pedophilia cases committed by homosexuals who comprise less than 2% of the population… It would appear that the great majority of “facts” tend to support the “generalization.

Propaganda is a specific type of message presentation, aimed at serving an agenda. In a narrower and more common use of the term, propaganda refers to deliberately false or misleading information that supports a political cause…

I wonder how the statement by Arline Isaacson of the Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus should be classified?

[Kirkwood]

So from my understanding the friends of the lesbian witnessed this and didn't report it. It was a teacher who reported it? I can't help but wonder if this was some kind of group sex activity and if these lesbian friends should be charged with a crime as well. It raises a lot of questions.

[Bikers4Bush]

"Christina Machado, 26, was in the Bristol County lockup last night....." "Department of Social Services officials who spent two weeks investigating told the Herald the case was ``disturbing'' but said Machado had a near-spotless record in eight years as a foster parent."

Since when are 18 year olds permitted to be foster parents?

[John O]

Another example of homosexual recruitment in action.

Remember the first law of homosexuality:

'Homosexuals' don't reproduce, they recruit

And the third law:

Any exposure of children to homosexual behavior is child abuse