WATCH: Memphis Woman Charged With Beating 'Feminine' Son

A Memphis, Tenn., woman has been charged with domestic assault, with police saying she beat her son because she thought he was too "feminine" and gay, a local TV station reports.

Jacqueline Alexander was arrested Tuesday night at her apartment, Memphis's WREG reports. Police say she punched her son in the face, and he had bruises when they arrived. Alexander is being held on $1,000 bond.

Whether or not the boy is gay, the assault underlines the need to overcome not only prejudices against LGBT people but also gender stereotypes, said Will Batts, executive director of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center.

"We live with these really strict rules about how people should act or dress or talk or behave, and life is so much more complicated than that," Batts told the station.

He also noted that young people are often abused by those closest to them. "We certainly have lots of kids and adults who come into the center who talk about being abused or hurt in some way by the people who are supposed to be the ones who care most about them," he said.

Watch the report below.