Violence toward gays, lesbians escalates in the UK

[Quetzal]

Violence toward gays, lesbians escalates in the UK

LONDON -- In the early morning hours of Oct. 31, David Morley, a 37-year-old gay bartender, was walking home along London's South Bank with a male friend when he was allegedly beaten to death by several teenagers. Morley suffered 40 bruises, his ribs were smashed, his spleen ruptured.

Five years earlier, he had survived one of London's most infamous antigay hate crimes: a nail bomb that killed three at the Admiral Duncan, the gay pub where Morley worked.

The Metropolitan police say that Morley is the fourth man to die in London in an antigay assault in the past six months. Only days after Morley's murder, a 25-year-old gay man was stabbed four times while riding a London bus with his male partner. He survived.

"There is clearly a problem -- a very, very serious problem -- with hate crime in this country," said Tris Reid-Smith, editor of the British gay publication Pink Paper.

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Violence toward gays, lesbians escalates in the UK

[AutumnMist]

I Grew Up In Bakersfield

My best friend and I used to hang out at the very small gay bars in town. He had a not so great boyfriend at the time and I was the straight girl, loving called "fag hag" by my best friend. A group of football players showed up one weekend with baseball bats. They weren't there to dance. The owner of the bar bolted the doors shut and the bouncers went out to handle the boys with the bats. My best friend and I went out with the bouncers. His boyfriend stayed behind. One of the football players asked me "Why are YOU here?". The ignorance of all of them made me so angry. We all went toe to toe that night. I stood by my best friend in defiance of all of that bullshit and I now stand by my brother who came out of the closet (thank god!) when he turned 21. He is now 23. So many want to point fingers or point blame. I just want to say....love your neighbors. Love your family. You may not understand them. But holy shit....don't leave/hurt/beat them because you think you dont agree. Ignorance is like being blind. Who is to say that you are right??????? Beating is not right, killing is not right, torture is not right. For any reason. Thats the end of my rant now. :)

[AutumnMist]

1. I Grew Up In Bakersfield

My best friend and I used to hang out at the very small gay bars in town. He had a not so great boyfriend at the time and I was the straight girl, loving called "fag hag" by my best friend. A group of football players showed up one weekend with baseball bats. They weren't there to dance. The owner of the bar bolted the doors shut and the bouncers went out to handle the boys with the bats. My best friend and I went out with the bouncers. His boyfriend stayed behind. One of the football players asked me "Why are YOU here?". The ignorance of all of them made me so angry. We all went toe to toe that night. I stood by my best friend in defiance of all of that bullshit and I now stand by my brother who came out of the closet (thank god!) when he turned 21. He is now 23. So many want to point fingers or point blame. I just want to say....love your neighbors. Love your family. You may not understand them. But holy shit....don't leave/hurt/beat them because you think you dont agree. Ignorance is like being blind. Who is to say that you are right??????? Beating is not right, killing is not right, torture is not right. For any reason. Thats the end of my rant now. :)

[Jackie97]

2. You mean it's not just a problem here and in the Middle East?

You mean the so called more enlightened countries also have serious problems? Wow.

[Deja Q]

3. I call those acts terrorism. It's not even a 'hate crime'. Not anymore.