The newest Netflix tv series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story broke the record for biggest series debut on Netflix with the most streams yet. The storyline follows the notorious Milwaukee serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed a total of seventeen males ages fourteen to thirty three. The show begins with how Dahmer ultimately got caught and works backwards to fill in the questions about his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in an attempt to answer why he was such a monster. I will warn, this blog post contains spoilers and content that may be disturbing for readers, especially people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. I aim to unpack how this documentary exposes the disturbing truth about how society and law enforcement views the needs and rights of marginalized groups. 

While there are many examples within the documentary of both homophobia and racism, there is one case that struck me the most and has haunted me since. 14 year old Konerak Sinthasomphone, whose brother Dahmer was currently on probation for molesting, was taken home by Jeffrey Dahmer with the promise of receiving $100 if he could take pictures of him.  Jeffrey Dahmer then convinced Konerak to drink alcohol, which unbeknownst to the boy, had been drugged. Once the boy was severely intoxicated, Dahmer left to go get more alcohol, as he usually killed in a state of severe inebriation. At that time, the young boy managed to escape outside of the apartment building where he was found by Glenda Cleveland, Dahmer’s neighbor who had already filed many complaints about him. She called the police and two white officers arrived to find the boy highly intoxicated and unable to keep conscious or speak. However, when the only other white man in the situation arrived, Jeffrey Dahmer, and claimed that it was his boyfriend, they listened. He told the police that the boy was his 19 years old boyfriend who lived with him and simply had too much to drink. Instead of listening to Glenda, a woman of color, and her continuous pleas to check the identification of the boy who appeared much younger than 19, they decided to follow Dahmer to his apartment. The officers ultimately did not search around because Dahmer claimed that there was “gay stuff” that they would find. However, if they had entered the bedroom they would have found evidence of multiple gruesome murders commited by Dahmer right where they were standing. The idea that homophobia benefited a serial killer is disturbing, but not the only reason Dahmer escaped the scrutiny of the police. The police ask him what a man like him, meaning a white man, is doing living in that neighborhood for crack addicts. This question immediately demonstrates why Dahmer was able to easily convince them there was nothing of concern and why Glenda failed to be heard by law enforcement. Racism and homophobia enabled Dahmer. It allowed for that Laos boy to be returned and killed moments after the police left. The prejudice ingrained in our systems killed that boy and now the Sinthasomphone family, and many others, will never see their baby boy ever again.

What would you do if your gut was telling you there is something seriously wrong with your next door neighbor, but everyone ignores you? What about if multiple people in your community were going missing, but still little to no action has taken place? And if it all ended with the same person having been killing and eating all seventeen of those people? The disgusting reality of Jeffrey Dahmer’s case is that the killer is not the only one to blame. 

There continue to be examples of groups, such as people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, being not only targeted with hate crimes, but also lacking the same legal response and repercussions that straight, white, cisgender men receive as victims. I believe the story of Jeffrey Dahmer calls into question whether we, as a society, need more physical, obvious proof to accuse white men? Or do we just not exhibit the same level of concern for people of marginalized groups who appear to be in danger? I believe both to be true, and Jeffrey Dahmer is only one example, but ultimately an ideal display of how members of society benefit from the prejudice exhibited toward those who are oppressed. 

In conclusion, this documentary perfectly exemplifies both homophobia and racism within our society. Jeffrey Dahmer a notorious serial killer who was able to get away with killing 17 boys and young men simply on the grounds that he targeted mainly gay men of color, who the police underpatrolled and law enforcement failed to represent. Jeffrey Dahmer would not have been able to escape for as long as he did if he himself was a member of a racial minority. He would not have been afforded the same graces that he was, and hopefully, would have been caught early on before he could brutally murder several innocent males. The repeatedly ignored signs of problematic behavior that Dahmer presented show something that in our society has not changed, as many serial killers tend to be white men. Due to their race and gender, these heinous killers commit multiple murders before getting caught, just as Dahmer did. 

This is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed by our society. Crime should not know a color of skin or gender identity. Marginalized groups should not be targeted while cis white men get away with murder, especially those within our own law enforcement. Jeffrey Dahmer’s case may be over thirty years old, but it sheds light on an issue that still exists today. It is time to take action and ensure justice is served for all members of society equally, it is their human right.