Many suffered from anti-gay violence in 2008

[canis_lupus]

From the Associated Press:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - From a series of street bashings in Seattle to the baseball bat murder of an Ecuadorean immigrant in New York, episodes of anti-gay violence punctuated a year now ending with police investigating the alleged gang rape of a lesbian near San Francisco.

Advocates said Tuesday they do not know whether the threats, beatings and murders reflect a true rise in attacks or increased reporting of hate-based crimes that persist even as gays gain greater visibility and legal protections.

"When you are talking about hate crimes, people think someone is likely to report it, but in some communities the message is not always clear that our society has accepted LGBT folks," said Sarah Tofte, a researcher at New York-based Human Rights Watch, referring to the acronym for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

In Richmond, the crime-ravaged Bay Area city where the 28-year-old lesbian reported being assaulted by four men 10 days ago, police on Tuesday received so many calls from community members wanting to help that they asked the local rape crisis center to set up a fund to aid her.

FBI statistics show there were 1,265 hate crimes based on sexual orientation in 2007, up from 1,017 two years earlier and 1,239 in 2003. That compares to 3,820 racially motivated incidents in 2007 and 1,400 in which the victim's religion was a factor.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=5157054

[David__77]

1. My friend was brutally assaulted near Hollywood last night.

I'm still in some disbelief. He was with a couple other gay guys, and a group of assholes started harassing them. One of them punched my friend in the face, busting his eye up, then the others joined in. They broke a bottle over his head. He's pretty messed up and now he's coming back to Sacramento to be with his family. It was clearly an anti-gay attack. This shit is so infuriating. I'm buying everyone tasers and crow bars, to say nothing of handguns.

[gaspee]

2. I think people fail to see

the real world effect people like Rick Warren preaching to his followers has on our health and safety. They enable their followers to act out and commit hate crimes.

[canis_lupus]

4. So very true, gaspee

There is very strong correlation between times when GLBT issues are featured in the media and increased anti-gay attacks. Traditionally, June is the month when most attacks on GLBTs happened because of media coverage of pride celebrations. But when other issues arise - such as during campaigns on "marriage amendments" or the current Rick Warren controversy - there is a spike in gay bashings.

The sad thing is that people like Warren and other leaders of the "Rapture Right" get up and make statements about "we don't hate gay people, we just don't want them to get married" or "we hate the sin, but we love the sinner" or other such claptrap, they provide the ammunition the fuels the hatred of bashers.

[laconicsax]

7. They don't just enable it, they encourage it.

[bluedawg12]

11. Warren and the other repig pukes - I saw it coming

stirring up the crows of red neck mo fo's at those Plain and out fo control mcLame rallies.

now, our own party gives voice to guys like Pukester rick. WTF?

[Chovexani]

3. Oh my god, I'm so sorry to hear that

My thoughts are with your friend and I hope he can pull through this. Even after the physical scars heal, this kind of trauma does a number on you emotionally.

I am always preaching self-defense training of some kind...not to say that this is our fault, but we need to know how to protect ourselves, especially now because these motherfuckers are getting bolder and bolder.

[yardwork]

5. That is horrible. I'm so sorry.

[ThomCat]

6. I hope he recovers fully.

I'm so very sorry he's going throught his.

:hug:

[bluedawg12]

10. I am so sorry about your friend - this violence is so ugly.

[xchrom]

8. recommend

[Creideiki]

9. 3rd largest motivation for hate crimes

And still, 5-10% of the population--much smaller than ethnic minorities and religious minorities. And orientation isn't even reported throughout the country.