http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/02/24/gay_bashing_in_the_central_dis Comments On: Gay Bashing in the Central District by Dominic Holden en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss i do agree that something needs to be done about it, but guns are a bit too far.

i'd rather not join an argument between angry adults but i thought i should have my say too. >
Posted by x-JZP-x]]> Tue, 19 May 2009 04:59:31 -0700 The Stranger Posted by not a gun toter]]> Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:38:18 -0800 The Stranger Posted by fedup dike]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2009 11:37:56 -0800 The Stranger
Violence is not the answer, though in theory it sounds good. If you have to lower yourself to their violent level and start "packing", well, then you've lost as well. A vigil is not really to force change as well, as we all know the only people that pay attention to these are the people that don't need to change. This is really for those that need support and need to heal, and this is very necessary for a lot of folks to move on after something this horrible, so don't demean this process as it is helping in it's own way.

The answer is actually fairly easy. END THE VIOLENCE. It has to become humanly unacceptable for another human being to act violently toward another. Now, getting my head out of my "PollyAnna" world, I realize we're far from ever having that. That being said I will make an even more outrageous proposition that if we could ever pull this off would make life a hell of a lot more enjoyable for those in the LGBT community and friends and family thereof.

LET'S MAKE QUEER STRIKE A REALITY!!! And not just for a day, but for good. It's not just LGBT community members but thousands of good hard working people that are fed up with all the violence and living their lives in constant fear. This would take extreme organization but I for one am willing to start it if I felt enough support would make it happen. If this country full of hateful ignorant people feel they can do without us, then fine, let's leave them. Can you imagine if thousands of us got together and organized our own community or town (kind of like PTown already is). We had our own little businesses and entertainment and housing, and the community was developed with security to keep non members out. I know there are plenty of wealthy people in Hollywood circles and Technology and Medical circles that if they became part of this movement and take a risk it would seriously work.

Imagine that, a great place to live where members that have proved themselves can live in peace! I know it's a bit out there, and the obvious better option would be for the rest of the world to just stop hating so we can all live in peace together, but I don't see that as much more of a reality than this idea. Rosie O'Donnell has basically figured this one out, have you seen her compound? Keeping everyone together in numbers and just accepting that you don't have to be able to live every single place to actually have freedom. I for one would give up having the entire US as a place to live if I could pick just one that I knew was filled with non violent tolerant people all trying to just build a better life. (Europeans figured this out centuries ago and it's still working today, go visit any of their thousands of tiny villages and see how they all stay local and work together, and seem very happy and peaceful). Imagine not having to spend 75% of your day entering passwords, security codes, keys and every other security measure we perform every day, simply because we can't trust each other.

Let the hate mongers live without us. Soon they will have no movies, no theatre, no airlines, no nurses, no designers, no Bravo, No HGTV, no Dynasty Rerun Parties, and no major theme parks. Eventually their world will turn to crap or they will realize how valuable we all are and change their attitudes. In the meantime it would sure be nice to live and work in peace, and actually have to time to truly care about each other.

I know a lot of people will look at this as total fluff, but until an idea like this is taken seriously I just don't see the change happening that is needed. Until there are actual severe consequences people like this won't change. Violence is never the answer as a sever consequence, but denying them our presence and valuableness is a great answer.
Posted by DJ Disco Vinnie]]> Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:32:02 -0800 The Stranger Posted by I'm Just Askin'...]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:02:06 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Scott]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:03:42 -0800 The Stranger
I am definately w/ Tired Fag on this comment. It is about time we start looking out for OUR selves.
Posted by lorenzo238]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:20:33 -0800 The Stranger Gay bashing makes me feel sick and sad. This has become a real problem in society especialy in schools. I wish I could help do something about it. I'm bisexual and comming out to my friends and family was so hard. Some of my friends ignored me and some people i didn't even know very well verbaly and physicaly abused me. I'm only 14 and all i want to do right now is help people who are comming out and help prevent gay bashing. If someone could tell me how i'd really appreciate it. My e-mail is sinful.eve@hotmail.com
Posted by Genevieve;;;PuNk_piNCesS]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:14:51 -0800 The Stranger
I think this increase in violence is due to the steadily degenerating economic system. As the situation worsens, we will see more hate crimes directed at the more vulnerable members of society (gays, women, the elderly) as well as more muggings/assaults.

If we want to stop crime we need to improve society, increase the police presence, and protect ourselves -- whether that's Q Patrol, driving friends home, or (not my favorite option) packing heat.
Posted by Jigae]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:18:05 -0800 The Stranger
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2009/…
Posted by Judkins represent]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:26:23 -0800 The Stranger
It's a hell of a lot tougher trying to do your job and maintain your dignity with a half dozen straight guys looking at you funny for 8 hours a day.
Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:09:27 -0800 The Stranger
So don't you DARE say I haven't been doing anything, bitch.

Fuck you and the rainbow you rode in on. I don't need it.
Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:43:09 -0800 The Stranger
Chris down in The Couv
Geni
tired fag

Make yourselves relevant. Seriously. Put down the bong and become a part of changing the world. No cynicism, no pathetic bitchiness, no self-loathsome attacks on the efforts of others when you're not doing anything yourselves. Yeah, I know it's really hard to act like a productive adult and work to build solutions to problems, but sometimes it's time to grow up and actually do something.

I also challenge you to stand on the sidewalks as we march past. Look around at the people beside you and ask them how they feel seeing people stand up for their rights. The bars have responded very positively. I guess only a very small irrelevant minority thinks otherwise.
Posted by Armchair activists suck my ass]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:06:37 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Lonnie]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:56:47 -0800 The Stranger
http://socialistworker.org/2009/01/19/an…
National [1]

Behind the wave of anti-gay hate crimes

Jessica Hansen-Weaver reports on an increase in anti-gay hate crimes, and the connections to bigoted political initiatives like California's Proposition 8.

January 19, 2009

LBGT PEOPLE and their supporters, who have turned out in large numbers to protest the narrow passage of the anti-gay Proposition 8 in California, are turning their attention to increasing incidents of horrifying hate crimes.

On December 13, in the Bay Area city of Richmond, a lesbian woman was gang-raped by four men who used homophobic epithets as they violently assaulted her for almost an hour, before leaving her naked in the street.

The vicious attack began when four men jumped her after she got out of her car, which had a rainbow sticker on it, clubbed her with a blunt object, disrobed her and began raping her. When a passerby almost stumbled on them during the rape, they bundled the woman into her car and took her to an abandoned building, where the sexual attack continued, until the men finally left her naked, and badly injured.

Despite nearly zero national news coverage, some 200 people came out to a candlelight vigil December 27 to show their solidarity with the woman and her partner. Public outrage and community pressure on Richmond law enforcement resulted in arrests for those responsible for this heinous attack.

Activists note that anti-gay hate crimes are on the rise nationally. According to FBI statistics, hate crimes directed at people because of their sexual orientation have risen over the past two years--1,017 were reported in 2005, 1,195 in 2006 and 1,265 in 2007.

Because not all states allow attacks motivated by anti-gay bias to be charged as hate crimes and because some victims are reluctant to reveal their sexual orientations to police, gay and transgender rights advocates suspect the numbers are much higher.

Avy Skolnik, a coordinator with the New York-based National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, noted, "Anytime there is an anti-LGBT initiative, we tend to see spikes both in the numbers and the severity of attacks. People feel this extra entitlement to act out their prejudice."

In 2008 alone, there was a spike in violent crime against LGBT people. Overall, the FBI reported a 1 percent decline in hate crimes in the U.S. last year--but a 6 percent increase in hate crimes against gay, lesbian and transgender people.

In the past few months, shocking murders were reported across the country--from Brooklyn in New York City, to Memphis, Tenn., and other cities.

In December, in Brooklyn, a 31-year-old Ecuadorian immigrant, Jose Sucuzhanay, was beaten with a baseball bat and kicked by three men, who jumped out of a car yelling anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs.

Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman in Greeley, Colo., was found dead in her apartment on July 17. She had been beaten with fists and a fire extinguisher, after her assailant discovered she was biologically male.

On December 23, Leeneshia Edwards became the third transgender shooting victim in Memphis over the past six months--she remains in critical condition. Her shooting followed the murders of Duanna Johnson and Ebony Whitaker, transgender women who also worked as prostitutes.

A video of Johnson being beaten and taunted by police in June was widely circulated on the Internet before she was murdered in November. As transgender activist Casey Lanham points out, many transgender people turn to prostitution because of discriminatory hiring practices against them.

On January 6, 11 gay bars in Seattle received letters addressed to the "Owner/Manager" that warned, "Your establishment has been targeted. I have in my possession approximately 67 grams of ricin with which I will indiscriminately target at least five of your clients." A 12th letter was sent to the alternative weekly, The Stranger, warning that the paper should be "prepared to announce the deaths of approximately 55 individuals."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SO WHY has there been such a spike in in violent crimes against LGBT people?

Society at large has moved in the direction of supporting LGBT rights, as ideas around sexuality have moved to the left in the past decade. One example of this is the fact that in 2004, the anti-gay Prop 22 in California won by a 14 point margin as opposed to the 4 percent margin of Prop 8.

However, as the trend of tolerance and acceptance has been increasing, so has the growth of right-wing religious organizations that have focused on getting anti-gay legislation passed across the U.S.

To make matters worse, these backward ideas about gender and sexuality aren't being opposed in the way they should by the Democratic Party, which has failed to support the right to equal marriage today and, in the past, worked against it, as with the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) during the Clinton administration.

Prop 8 and similar legislation not only deny civil rights to gays and lesbians, but they give a green light to violent attacks against LGBT people. Anti-gay legislation gives credence to the idea that LGBT people are "immoral," "unequal" and don't deserve protection from hate. And the silence of politicians like Barack Obama on repealing DOMA gives a free pass to the homophobia expressed in legislation like Prop 8.

And when Obama asks someone like Rick Warren--who has compared gay and lesbian people to pedophiles and perpetrators of incest--to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, he's giving an international platform to a hate-monger.

No person who identifies as LGBT should live in fear of violent crime. As long as LGBT people are relegated to second-class citizenship, some people will feel justified in treating them abusively. They are shaped by a society that continues to teach that it is permissible to exclude and hate anyone who does not conform to traditional gender stereotypes.

These horrifying stories of hate crimes magnify the importance of why an organized response to both legislative and physical attacks is the way forward. It will take a struggle to fight back against homophobia wherever it raises its ugly head--and to demand nothing less than full civil rights for all. The flurry of protest that took place in cities around the country after Prop 8 passed shows what is possible.

Posted by Lonnie]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:52:38 -0800 The Stranger

Posted by Real Life, Not Online, Fag]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:47:27 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:38:24 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:35:56 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:31:46 -0800 The Stranger
Seriously, a .22 is useless unless you're defending yourself against a rodent. If you shoot someone with something that small and they're all hopped up on anger and hate, they may not even notice. And forget about hitting someone in the kneecap. Even at close range, no one's aim is that good under stress.

Get a minimum of a .38 special in a revolver, or a 9mm or .40 cal in a semi-auto.
Posted by PatrickPatrick]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:00:53 -0800 The Stranger
We enable our own victimization. How many dead and beaten faggots is enough?
Posted by Mad John]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:43:49 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:02:49 -0800 The Stranger
Realistically, the legal system isn't able to create much of a disincentive for a potential basher to bash. It's just like with any other crime, really: increasing prosecution and penalties for, say, child molestation hasn't made it a less common crime, has it?

On the other hand, having a gun pointed at you is going to make you think twice when your bud calls up and says, "Hey, let's go down to Capitol Hill and beat up some fags!"
Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:54:28 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Geni]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:48:35 -0800 The Stranger
I am not helpless. If I wanted to, I can buy a .22 and get solid handgun training (maybe from the good folks at Pink Pistols, a GLBT gun owners group). No need for anything bigger, no need to splatter any brains, a .22 slug in the kneecap will immobilize most anyone, and will mess your knee up for a LONG TIME. And if I lived on the other side of the river in OR, I can get a concealed handgun permit.

I know, I know, invoking the spectre of guns gets the peace-and-flowers crowd (who are on our side, BTW) all freaked out. But we're not talking "Death Wish" here, just the legal right to defend oneself. You'd probably never have to fire the thing, anyway, just pull it out and point it at the first shout of "Faggot!" Even for a brain-dead gay basher, it's basic human instinct to walk the other way when someone's pointing a gun at you.

That's what I call self-empowerment.
Posted by Chris down in The Couv]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:42:55 -0800 The Stranger