Behind the wave of anti-gay hate crimes

[dcsmart]

LBGT PEOPLE and their supporters, who have turned out in large numbers to protest the narrow passage of the anti-gay Proposition 8 in California, are turning their attention to increasing incidents of horrifying hate crimes.

On December 13, in the Bay Area city of Richmond, a lesbian woman was gang-raped by four men who used homophobic epithets as they violently assaulted her for almost an hour, before leaving her naked in the street.

The vicious attack began when four men jumped her after she got out of her car, which had a rainbow sticker on it, clubbed her with a blunt object, disrobed her and began raping her. When a passerby almost stumbled on them during the rape, they bundled the woman into her car and took her to an abandoned building, where the sexual attack continued, until the men finally left her naked, and badly injured.

Despite nearly zero national news coverage, some 200 people came out to a candlelight vigil December 27 to show their solidarity with the woman and her partner. Public outrage and community pressure on Richmond law enforcement resulted in arrests for those responsible for this heinous attack.

Activists note that anti-gay hate crimes are on the rise nationally. According to FBI statistics, hate crimes directed at people because of their sexual orientation have risen over the past two years--1,017 were reported in 2005, 1,195 in 2006 and 1,265 in 2007.

Because not all states allow attacks motivated by anti-gay bias to be charged as hate crimes and because some victims are reluctant to reveal their sexual orientations to police, gay and transgender rights advocates suspect the numbers are much higher.
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FULL ARTICLE
http://socialistworker.org/2009/01/19/anti-gay-hate-crimes

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Is it really a wave? I am quite serious when I ask that

The crimes are horrific but are they really on the upswing? What are the current trends, the FBI stats are several years old. Could increased reporting and more hate crime laws be impacting the numbers. Is our society getting worse or not?

[FreeState]

2. From my own experiance it's getting worse

Since the passage of prop 8 I have twice been called a "fucking faggot" while in public - once sitting in my car at an intersection in Palm Springs and then again just last Friday while walking my dog in Hillcrest (the gay area of San Diego). This is new to me, I can't remember ever being called that in public before.

[tbyg52]

3. I don't doubt prop 8 has emboldened some jerks.

Sorry to hear about your experiences, but, no, I am not surprised.

[readmoreoften]

4. Imagine that! Legal discrimination emboldening violence!

:sarcasm:

Note that the sarcasm isn't directed at you tbyg52... It just amazes me that so many fail to see the consequences of their rhetoric against LGBT people.

[defendandprotect]

5. Agree -- are there going to be any lawsuits by those already married?

18,000 couples could make an impressive class action suit ...??

And, with California in financial difficulties already, what are the costs

involved in carrying out Prop 8? Any discussion of this?

[tbyg52]

6. Jerry Brown is fighting it tooth and nail, is he not? nt

[defendandprotect]

8. Love Jerry Brown --

but I think it will take more.

I gather Governor didn't try to stop it?

This Prop adds up to a speedy and inexpensive way to create intolerance and

hatred for a minority and making it look like government sanctioned action!

Supreme Court should knock this over.

[tbyg52]

7. I didn't think it was - I'm paranoid and thin-skinned,

but not *that* paranoid and thin skinned.... ;) :hi: