Hate Crimes

Have you ever been the victim of a Hate Crime? I don't mean the verbal sort (getting called a faggot). Sadly, this has happened to plenty of gay men. I'm talking about when your life is in danger - because several straight dudes have decided they want to physically bash a queer.

This happened to me when I was 23. I'd just left a gay bar, and all of a sudden I noticed six dudes (they were drinking in a vacant lot across the street) were following me. They started calling me a faggot, as they followed me to a bus stop I was headed towards. Suddenly a beer bottle was thrown at me, and since there was no bus in sight (it was close to 1 A.M.), I figured I'd better make a run for it.

They continued to throw bottles at me (and call me names), as they chased me for at least two blocks. One of the bottles struck my head, and blood began to drip all over the front of my shirt. I decided to run down an alley, and noticed an open back gate to somebody's house. I dashed into the yard, and hid under the porch. I could still hear the dudes in the distance, and I was certain I was going to die.

I was trembling and dizzy as hell, but managed to hide under the porch until dawn. I figured it was finally safe to come out, so I left the yard, walked to the bus stop I'd originally been headed towards, and sat on a bench. It took the bus ten minutes to arrive, and it seemed like the longest ten minutes of my life. But once I was on the bus, I felt like I just might survive. At least I was no longer alone. I did not report what had happened to me, and I still have a small scar as a reminder. I never went back to that bar again.

I wonder how often this sort of thing happens, and goes unreported? Since I never got a good look at any of the crazy dudes, I felt it would be pointless to go to the police. I was just grateful to have survived. But I suspect this kind of hate crime is more common than is known.

--QP

 

Why do they always hunt in packs?

 

Being very much of professional traveller for a very long time now, I have grown used to having a quick exit strategy for any place I am spending any time at. I always have some cash for the cab to take me out of the troubles zone and I know my bearings...

So far, nothing bad has ever happened. But, I have been very, very cautios...

KD

 

I empathize with the situation, I really do, but did you have to use that dumb term?


Now, onto your post. I think you overreacted to the situation a little bit, but I sure don't blame you.
Bullying and murder are a long ways away from each other.
Remember, these are pussy punks that are scared of you just because you are different, and that's why they act this way - don't give them so much credit.

You should notify the police. You said it yourself, you wonder how much stuff like this goes unreported; get it reported, let people know what's happened.
They most likely aren't going to catch anyone, however you would be raising the statistics for hate crimes, and helping people know what's going on, making people see the ugliness and stop turning their eyes from it.

 

While I have never been targeted for appearing gay, I know that feeling of fear, being hunted by predatory animals. It was for another prejudice.

My black wife and I were driving thru South Carolina on I-95 in a VW Bug when these rednecks in a pickup drove past us then slowed down forcing me to pass them. They did this a couple times and I knew we were being targeted. When I finally saw a well-lit service plaza I pulled off. They followed us but guess there were too many witnesses so the went on. We waited a while before proceeding, but I was shaking with fear because that could have been the end of our lives.

There have in the past year been similar incidences here ON SOUTH BEACH, once thought to be a bastion for gays.

 

What dumb term?

 

Hate crime.

 

It is what it is, so tell it like it is.

 

In a way. A drunken arsehole kicked off on my friend because he was a "fag". Thinking he was pissed hadn't seen me a i took the oppurtunity to kick the fucker in the spine without realizing all of his gay bashing friends were with him. Hate crime, but partly my fault :/

 

There's still different ways of saying the same thing with different inflections. I think "hate crime" happens to have a political connection that undermines violent crimes that aren't against minority groups. It's a propaganda word that should not be supported because of the harm it does to the greater good.
But I suppose I'll let it slide in this case, hell, I'm in yinses territory.

 

I agree with that. If the only reason someone is attacked or murdered is because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or anything like that, then I think that distinction should be made. If someone is attacked purely because they are black, that is classed as a racially motivated crime. Yet strangely most people who have problems with the term 'hate crime' don't mind it when it's used in that context. Only when it's used in relation to gay and trans people. When people are being physically abused or murdered purely for their sexuality, I think to gloss over that fact would be dangerous in the extreme. It definitely should be highlighted. And giving that type of crime a different name seems to be the only way of ensuring that. A hate crime is what it is, so thats exactly what it should be called.

 

I am not gay but I live near Buffalo, NY. On New Year's eve, two women were leaving a lesbian bar late at night when they were attacked by a group. One of the women was stabbed in the eye and it is questionable if she will ever recover full eyesight.

It is being prosecuted as a hate crime but the DA has said it is very hard to prove and he may have to reduce the charge. Unfortunately, local blogs although mostly sympathetic to the woman who was attacked, also include some vicious anti gay slurs, essentially blaming the victim for being lesbian. Guess it takes all kinds.

 

If anyone is attacked for any reason it's a hate crime. It's a pathetic attempt by a government that doesn't give a shit what happens to gays or other minorities to look like it does.

If a crime is committed then that's all it is, a crime. I see no reason for us to give ourselves special privileges. equality much?

 

Wrong. If someone is attacked in an act of random violence, that can happen to anyone. People in minority groups who are attacked ONLY because they are in a minority group, then that is different. Those attacks cant happen to anyone, only to people in minority groups, so it is different. It is a hate crime, because the motivation for the crime is bigotry and hatred. People in minority groups are statistically more likely to be victims of violent crime than people who arent. Id hardly see that as a 'special priviledge'.

Anyway, in a lot of ways, gays still aren't equals in society compared to straight people. And trans people most definitely aren't treated equally by general society. Putting on the illusion of equality doesn't mean it's actually there. As long as minorities are being victimized purely for that reason, I think to ignore the fact that goes on, or to pretend it doesn't happen, would be very foolhardy, and actually very dangerous. Bigotry should be highlighted, not swept under the carpet like it doesnt exist. Turning a blind eye to bigotry and hatred is just as bad as condoning it. And if that is the only reason why a person has been attacked, why shouldn't it be highlighted?

 

In our system of jurisprudence we have always had a differentiation of murder, but the bottom line is, someone ends up dead, usually violently so.

So, you get more prison time if you think it out and kill someone with premeditation and that's called first degree.

If two of you just hate each other and go at each other with clubs or knives or guns and one is killed, they consider it was a crime of passion and it is second degree.

And if you just "accidentally" run over a bicyclist while driving drunk (despite my opinion) you get very little jail time becuase it is third degree or manslaughter.

If you attack a person because they are gay or some other religious or racial group and they are not in any other way antagonizing you that seems to me to come under premeditation.

Classing it as a hate crime is supposed to bring a stiffer sentence, moving it from second degree closer to first degree.

 

It's not different whatsoever. The crime is still the same at the end of the day. They should be treated differently because of their gender, nationality or colour?

People will victimize people for any reason. Making a big song and dance about it when it happens to people in the political spotlight of the day is pathetic. Bigotry should be destroyed, not highlighted.

Shale that's my point, we already had a relativley thought out approach to murder and attack classification. Now the fact that people are committing hate crime,, even though all crimes of this nature are hate crimes. Savage political point grabbing hypocrisy? I certainly think so.

 

Because they are cowards. Big time. Most of these dudes would never actually hunt/hurt somebody on their own. But combine alcohol and/or drugs, and the support of other like-minded dudes - and they literally become a hate group.

--QP

 

What? I first had a problem with it when I heard it being used in that context.
A violent crime is a violent crime, they shouldn't have politically motivated sentencing. Violent crime = bad. Making murder worse if there's discrimination involved = also bad. There should just be a separate count of a separate crime added on if anything.
But again, I wasn't trying to get into this debate I just suck at keeping my mouth closed when I should (what? I'm orally fixated =P)
Sorry, OP I know I'm terrible.

PM for further discussion on the topic please =)

Shit, this is all everyone is talking about, I'm really sorry OP.

I think that's important to keep in mind. Don't put yourself in danger - but don't let them shake you inside either. Easier said than done, I know - I've been in bullying sorta situations before and I've been harassed for being white. I dunno, I always just sorta didn't act scared and ignored them and they usually left me alone.
I know that's hard to do when beer bottles are being thrown, just sorta musing and reaching in my bag for anything.

 

You are a wise man, KD. Very wise. I've never been one to plan ahead, so I guess I paid the price. However, I will confess that I no longer go to gay bars. And most folks (in public) assume I am straight. I only tell folks I am queer - if I am asked. But this has not stopped me from publishing my queer poetry. And I never lie about myself - when someone asks me about my sexuality. I just don't walk about with a T-shirt stating: I am a queer, so get over it! Although I much admire those braver than myself.

--QP

 

I don't know your feelings on violence and protection but I have generalized anxiety disorder and most of my peeps live in a crack neighborhood (but it's starting to clean up) so I would always carry a small knife on me and keep it accessible.
And there was one time me and my girl were walking and these punks said something to us (I heard it but thought they were talking to each other, she told me otherwise) and she wanted me to avoid walking back that way - I wasn't going to do that because it's the only quick way, so I grabbed this chunk of concrete and put it in my hoodie.

The no longer going to gay bars thing, personally , I don't like - but if this is something that happens quite a bit in your area or something, then probably just the smart move...