Gay Austin Teen’s Horrific Murder Highlights Hidden Problem Of LGBT Domestic Violence

[TexasTowelie]

On Sunday, we told you about the horrific murder of Stephen Sylvester (above), an 18-year-old Austin resident who was allegedly beaten to death by his 20-year-old boyfriend.

Since then, new details have emerged in the case, including that Sylvester’s boyfriend, Bryan Canchola (right), was extremely intoxicated and angry that Sylvester had apparently cheated on him.

Also, Canchola allegedly continued to attack Sylvester even after he was bleeding profusely from the head and as their roommate was leaving with him for the hospital. And after Sylvester left the hospital without seeing a doctor and returned to the apartment, Canchola reportedly cleaned Sylvester’s body and changed his own clothes. Canchola even attempted to choke Sylvester’s Yorkshire Terrier during their fight.

The New York Daily News reports:

“I can’t imagine why somebody would try to hurt him or his dog,” Sylvester’s ex-boyfriend, Taylor Shirley, told the Daily News.

Sylvester and Canchola had not been dating long before Friday’s fatal assault, Shirley said.

“Stephen was a very big hearted and trusting person and so whenever he met people, he trusted them way too easily and I think this was just one of those things. He trusted the wrong person and it cost him his life,” Shirley added.

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2015/07/gay-austin-teens-horrific-murder-highlights-hidden-problem-lgbt-domestic-violence-video/

Cross-posted in the Texas Group.

[Hydra]

1. This is part of why allowing everyone into open society is necessary

Daylight helps end this sort of thing. I've always thought the RW wanted so much darkness simply so abuse could happen more easily and be harder to hold people accountable for.

[shenmue]

2. ...

[Behind the Aegis]

3. There are a number of problems in our community which many do not/will not discuss.

Domestic violence (as well as sexual violence) is one such issue. However, drug and alcohol abuse is, IMO, the biggest issue facing our community. There are also issues of mental health which range from depression and suicide, to body image issues. Of course, there are also social ills, such as racism, sexism, anti-Semitism (yes, it is true), and ageism, that one being a real big issue. Looking at all of these problems one might get the fool idea we are actually facing the same issues the non-gays face, the issue is silence! Our community doesn't want these "ills" to be the "face" of the community/movement, so they desperately sweep them under the rug, so much so to the detriment of our community as a whole. I think of it this way: our family has many problems and we don't want the neighbors gossiping so we do whatever is needed to hide it from them, but in doing so, we place our heads in the sand about the issues in the family and act as if it is normal to a degree and ignore it.

[closeupready]

4. Yes, there is some truth to this.

Part of the problem, too, is that even though many of us are openly gay, we don't have as many peers who can or will help us deal with such problems. We are often quite on our own.

Who do you turn to with such problems? Friends only want to party, family holds you at arm's length when they are feeling charitable, ...?