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News & ArtsMonday, March 2, 2009
City Bashing Back
Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 4:24 PM
On Saturday night, about 300 people—'mos and the people who don't think 'mos should be beaten for being 'mos—took to the streets of Capitol Hill to protest an apparent rise in gay bashings. (More info about the most recent attack is over here.) As marchers carrying candles walked passed the Egyptian Theater, a showing of Milk let out. "About 20 people joined us," says Eli Steffen, 24, an organizer of the Queer Ally Coalition.
"We were not proposing this march is the solution to hate crimes, but a time to come together and find a solution," says Steffen. "I think the march starts a conversation that there is a really big problem with violence in our community and we need to respond to it." Here's some video:
Several gay leaders in Seattle have voiced support for the return of Q-Patrol, a volunteer safety squad that would keep an eye on Capitol Hill to deter gay bashings, which dissolved several years ago. "We would all love to see that group of enthusiastic young people but ... it was huge undertaking," says Louise Chernin, executive director of the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), a gay business chamber. "I don’t think we have resources for those kind of volunteer organizations going on a seven-day-a-week basis."
In lieu of a volunteer response, some are looking to local law enforcement to establish a greater presence on Capitol Hill. But the Seattle Police Department's LGBTQ Advisory Council, which meets one a month, hasn't yet had a chance to address the specific issue of the recent gay bashings (although the council has worked to encourage victims to report hate crimes).
"I think that increased police visibility is always helpful at deterring crime, especially if we are talking about the Pike-Pine corridor," says Mike Hogan, the senior deputy prosecutor for King County. "I know that the challenge for us and police is that this is budget-cut time; they have fewer officers than they previously did, and our office's budget is down 10 percent."
Put a gay or a tranny on a corner seemingly alone. When the stunt gay or tranny starts to get fucked with have a bunch of gays appear outta nowhere and beat the shit outta the guys that wanted to start something.
I hope those were beeswax candles ...
Travel in groups. If you aren't in a group, carry a weapon and learn how to use it. If you are gun averse, there are alternatives such as tasers or mace. Take self-defense classes in case your weapon fails to stop the attacker.
In an ideal world, none of this would be necessary. But the sad reality is that if you are not prepared, you are a sitting duck.
We would all love to see that group of enthusiastic young people but ... it was huge undertaking.
At least initially, Q Patrol did not rely on the support of gay, moneyed organizations like the GSBA. It was a spontaneous reaction, similar to and loosely assocated with Queer Nation, to the early 90s wave of gay-bashing going on on the Hill. Incredibly tenacious, Q Patrol quckly figured out who might be available to train them (Home Alive I think), where they might get funding, and they went for it. They had very little support from the police or anyone else.
I call on the new generation of "enthusiastic young people" to step up and form their own band of queer protectors. Make us proud, kids! Kick some ass!
That's actually not that many, especially if some people volunteer multiple nights or Q Patrol 2K9 is only on weekends(?) or less-populated off nights(?).
Can someone who was involved give us some details?
And people used to encourage them by buying them beers after they finished patrolling too.
a stroll about the town with your best beau.
let's make it a weekly thing!
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime…
Sweetie, don't you know that the GSBA exists solely for the purpose of the enrichment of its membership? That, and throwing big ole see-and-be-seen parties wringing donations (to what, I'm not sure) from gullible wannabes?
But the GSBA statement was ignorant. We don't need the Q-Patroll 7 days a week right now, we need it, at least to begin with Thurs-Fri-Sat and maybe Sunday nights. And then from probably 10pm until 2 or 3am.
I think to many of our "gay leaders", and who the hell appointed them anyway?, think that everything has to be huge and expensive when that isn't always the case.
I'd suggest organizing something on Slog but that would take work and effort. And it is just easier to bitch whine and bellyache and do little protest marches which litterally make us look like we are begging not to have the shit kicked out of us again.
Yeah, the candle light vigil was weak and made us look like pussies. If you want to be defended FIGHT BACK!!
I stood listening to over 10 speakers over 45 minutes before I blew out the fucking candle and left. It pisses me off to no end at all that so much valuable time was wasted so that self-absorbed people could preach to the choir...and do it in such a boring way it actually sucked energy out of the crowd.
IF ANY OF YOU ORGANIZERS ARE LISTENING. STOP FUCKING TALKING, STOP INVITING EVERYONE WHO WISHES THEY WERE SOMEONE TO TALK. THE PEOPLE ARE THERE. GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO.
We were there to do something- to make a difference. We weren't there to hear 3 SCSM members get up and tell us how they work with the mayor to BLAH BLAH BLAH. Or to hear randon extremely quiet-voiced singer whisper out Amazing Grace. Or to have the friggin Hans Moleman deliver a dry lecture about getting how to be a successfull protestor.
I am still angry at all the gay bashings- and I would still love to be part of a group that goes to the str8 bars where these people hangout and be in their faces all night. Let them know we are here and there are a fuck load of us and so on...but I am sick of these bullshit events that sap the energy out of everyone.
Oh wait....
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