Gay-bashing turns deadly, attacker slain

[kweerwolf]

"One of them punched him in the mouth," David Dawson said. "They knocked him to the ground. They kicked him. They stomped him. They called him faggot."

Dawson, 21, of Upsal Street near Magnolia, managed to get to his feet, and he pulled out a small pocket knife. He waved it at the crowd a few times, David Dawson said, trying to push them back.

<snip>

Gerald Knight, 17, allegedly followed and then reached out to grab Dawson, who still had the knife in his hand.

During the ensuing struggle, Dawson plunged the knife into Knight's chest.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/13109528.htm

Maybe more of us should start carrying weapons. At the ver least it would mean a few less sub-human bashers and fundies in the world.

And in the words of St. Martha: "That's a good thing."

[bigscott]

1. you mean

even we fags can fight back?? Novel Concept

[displacedtexan]

2. I hate that headline!

Here's a better one:

Moron dies while viciously attacking gay man

[William769]

3. Knight got what he deserved!

Night night, Knight.

This is one reason I am a firm believer in the 2nd amendment & being a Florida resident I do have a concealed weapons permit.

[ToolTex]

4. What a heartwarming, pre-holiday article. Thanks KWolf for posting.

n/t

[Occulus]

5. YES!!! Finally!

And this should have started happening a LONG time ago!

He should plead justifiable homicide, though.

[Guy Fawkes]

6. Let me be the first to point out that someone died.

It doesn't matter how bad the kid was- he was 17! To have his life ended at such a young age is a shame. Teens do stupid things- but they grow up. A lot of people who are 17 year old fundies today will become reasonable adult moderates or liberals later on.

I'm sorry, but I can't condone manslaughter.

[Occulus]

7. So what?

So bloody fucking what?

You expect us to feel remorse? This warms my heart!

We NEED to start killing them off when they attack us, especially when they attack us in groups. It is the only way we will ever get the point across.

The. Kid. DESERVED. To. Die.

Period. End of story.

edited to add: I would have done the same, and am in fact fully prepared to do so. I'm not going to go out LOOKING for someone to off, but if ANYONE- anyone at all- attacks me just because I'm gay, sorry, their life is forfeit.

[Guy Fawkes]

8. Deserved to die!?

That's what Hitler said of the Jews! That's what the freepers say of us!
Is this your new gay pride flag? (I refuse to link directly to the real image.)
http://www.fugly.com/media/download.php?cat=IMAGES&id=2754&sort=&order=&rating=&per_page=

[Occulus]

10. Four to one.

Four attackers. ONE defender with only a knife.

Yes, one of the attackers deserved to die for it. Absolutely yes.

I'd like to point out that gay people generally don't go out "hunting" straights. In fact, I've never ever once heard of that happening.

from the article:

"One of the other teens told him, "Now we're going to have to shoot you."

You apparently do not understand a fundamental truth: it has become flat-out deadly for gay people to go out in public. The need for us to defend ourselves, using deadly force if necessary (as it was in this case) apparently escapes you.

The need for doing so to be considered justified also apparently escapes you.

WE NEED TO START USING DEADLY FORCE TO DEFEND OURSELVES IN *ALL* GAYBASHING SITUATIONS. It will ONLY end when people who hate us start to realize that they could die trying to get their rocks off on beating us up.

[Guy Fawkes]

11. I assume you are familiar with Malcolm X.

The African-American rights activist who, at the end of his life, turned from his preaching a violent means of protest and instead remarked on the importance of peaceful protest and demonstrations. He was killed by one of his former followers.

Violence begets violence, and all that will come of us killing ("using deadly force to defend ourselves") will be more assaults on homosexuals.

[kweerwolf]

14. And if we are armed and prepared ...

... it mean a few less fundies, bigots and bashers in the world.

And there's a downside to that?

[Occulus]

16. Your example is backward.

We've already been trying those peaceful methods for decades, and things have in fact gotten worse instead of better.

People do these things to us specifically because they are preconditioned to thinking that gay people are limp-wristed violence-averred sissies who couldn't lift a fifty pound sack to save our lives. They think we can't defend ourselves; they feel immune because we're 'not men'.

They do this to us precisely because they see us as weaklings who are unable to defend ourselves.

I used to think if we used peaceful means and did it right people would accept us, but then my home state decided I couldn't get married. Before that, a gay kid was tied up on a fence, Christlike, and allowed to hang there to die a few days later. Recently, a man was brutally attacked by frat boys because they thought he was gay, even though he wasn't. And now this.

When is enough enough? Where, exactly, do you draw the line? It's you, and four attackers. You try to run, they pursue. You have a knife. There are FOUR of them.

Faggot! Sissy! And kick you in the stomach once you're down. Maybe they'll kick in the spine just right next, and paralyze you from the waist down. Maybe they'll stomp your jaw into the curb. Maybe they'll slit open your belly and spill your guts out onto the pavement.

One of you, and four of them. Hurry! You have less than three seconds to decide if you're GOING to live through this.

1...2...3. And now they're there. Four of them, all intent on doing you the most physical harm they can.

Just try to say killing one of them isn't appropriate. I'll laugh in your face.

edited: that goes for ANY such attack, not just a gaybashing.

[kevinbgoode]

23. Right...like the number of attacks has been dropping?

Like we should just remain the victim and utter our last breaths so grateful that we didn't try to protect ourselves?

[Jamastiene]

42. You are right.

There is no such thing as a "straight bashing." The guy was defending himself. I completely condone his bid for survival. What idiot would stand around and let the guys catch him again and beat him some more? That would be ridiculous.

[mitchtv]

19. when a gay man is attacked by punks

do whatever it takes to save yourself. If I were a young buck still going to the clubs at night you can be sure I would be armed. They are like vultures hanging around gay areas looking to hurt someone, sometimes driving for miles from their "crime free" suburbs to the city to prey on us. Good riddance to bad rubbish, tough shit.

[Jamastiene]

43. Bravo.

You know, I have a lot of rage built up inside of me. I mean being attacked years ago and still hearing people say they would condone something like that all around me in the real world has made me absolutely furious for so long that I feel like there is this rage simmering inside me. It wouldn't take much at this point to make it just boil over. I say fuck his attackers and fuck out legal system if they cannot see that his case is a clear case of self defense. I'm taking my right to defend myself, dammit. The legal system can kiss my ass. I'll make it to brutal and so gory, they'll have to give me a private cell. Hey, they'd have to give me medical coverage in prison. Not saying I wish for an attack, but I know if it happens again I'm letting go of the rage. And if we are going to be charged with manslaughter or murder for defending ourselves, then why not make it count. Damn, why can't they see it was self defense?

[William769]

21. And what would have happened if the Jewish people faught back?

According to what your saying they shouln't have either. :eyes:

[kweerwolf]

9. It's just too bad that only one of the little fuckers died.

Maybe if we started letting subhuman assholes who bash gays know that we aren't afraid to shed blood - especially their's - it might make them think twice (to the extent that their dim little reptillian brains are capable of thought).

[Rowdyboy]

12. And now the kid faces manslaughter charges and his parents are too poor

to make $30,000 bail.....

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/13112591.htm

I have no pity for the piece of trash thug who died. When you attack innocent people, you must expect they will be willing to fight back. Don't look to me for loving sympathy...

"One of them punched him in the mouth," David Dawson told the Philadelphia Daily News for a story Tuesday. "They knocked him to the ground. They kicked him. They stomped him. They called him faggot."

I echo your words, kwolf, "subhuman assholes".

[kweerwolf]

13. I wonder if there's a fund set up to help with his bail?

I would certainly donate to it.

[Rowdyboy]

15. I'd be happy to give anything I could.....What a sickening miscarriage of

justice. This just leaves me nauseas.

[kweerwolf]

17. I e-mailed the report who wrote the story in the Philly News

and asked him if he knew of a fund or if he could put me into contact with his parents about setting up a fund.

I'll post any info I get.

[Rowdyboy]

18. Thanks....Its past time to take a stand in this madness. If the little

I have can help, then consider it done. This could be ANY ONE OF US. When will people start to wake up?

[kevinbgoode]

25. I was wondering about this too.. . .

Is there anything...any gay group in Philly is doing to start something up to help this kid?

As for the others - if they are only 17, their butts needs to stay in their parents home and not be allowed to go anywhere without adult supervision.

[Ian David]

31. There was an interesting conversation on The Al Franken Show...

They were talking about how the right-wing were so upset by Franken's video of a fake/staged altercation at a book signing.

The thesis was that the righties are very uncomfortable when Liberals don't conform to their stereotype as passive wimps.

Remember they even tried to paint decorated war veteran John Kerry as a wimp? They even said his Purple Hearts were for papercuts and hangnails or something?

The righties do not like the idea of us daring to fight back.

We need to use that to our advantage.

I'm not saying we need to follow the example of what's going on in France right now. I just mean they have to be made to understand that the only reason we aren't beating the shit out of them (yet) is because we are not knuckle-dragging penis-obsessed troglodytes.

[William769]

20. So it is safe to say you wanted this boy

To roll up in a fetal position & get the hell beaten out of him (which very well may have cost him his life?).

I am not a violent person, but when attacked I will defend myself (the jewish people learned that lesson).

[kevinbgoode]

24. And one of those "stupid" things

was to participate in terrorizing and physically attacking someone...who, by the way, HE could have killed. What assurance do you have when four people attack you that they just want to rough the "faggot" up a little? You know...all in good, clean macho fun?

[Obamarama]

32. Oh, give it a fucking rest, will ya?

What was the kid being attacked SUPPOSED to do...become the next Matthew Shepard? The last thing we need is another dead poster child to highlight the sad consequences of anti-gay violence.

The dead kid more than likely learned this behavior/attitude at home. Let those cretins cry over the spilt blood of THEIR spawn for a change and see how it feels.

As for me, I'll be checking back to see if there are any updates regarding a legal defense fund.

[spancks]

39. Guess what?

Self-defense is not manslaughter.

[Jamastiene]

41. So, you think he should have let the guys beat him some more?

I don't understand. He was defending himself. Life or death situations call for a life or death struggle to survive. I think he should bring up the self defense argument. It's a clear case of self defense.

[kevinbgoode]

22. This is just sickening. . .

and I'm more concerned about that poor kid being stuck in jail because his parents can't raise $30k for his bail. . .what kind of justice is this? The poor little teen gang members, who thought they'd bully someone and scare the little gay guy to death, got a surprise?

Their butts should be hauled into the middle of the gay neighborhood and given an opportunity to get a few little jabs themselves. I'm sick and tired of this crap. Either we get organized enough to protect each other and ourselves, or these kinds of attacks are going to continue. And we should NOT be afraid to let these little gangbanger wannabes (and their parents) know that we shoot to kill - period.

I keep thinking about what I would do if that happened to me...and yes, if I had a knife and was trying to get away and one of them grabbed me, I'd damn well be scared enough to defend myself in utter desperation.

[kweerwolf]

26. I'm still waiting to hear back from the reporter re: bail funds

I also e-mailed the editor of the Philadelphia Gay News, but have not heard back from her either.

If anyone knows of any gay organizations in Philadelphia they could contact, please leave a post.

I hate to leave everyone hanging, but as yet no one has got back to me about whether any funds have been set up for donations to the young man's bail.

[kevinbgoode]

27. Thank you for staying on this. . .

for godsakes...the guy was auditioning to be on American Idol...not exactly the street murdering type, which is one reason I believe his stepfather's story.

And it is high time we ALL stood up and demanded that we not be punished for saving our own lives. That young man must have been petrified and tried to avoid and run from these thugs, and now he is probably even more petrified in jail wondering how this all happened.

[Meldread]

28. This is just sickening.

Thank God he killed the bastard. That's all I can say, the punk deserved what he got and it is only a shame that his friends didn't join him in hell.

However, the poor kid. He's in jail now for... defending himself?! What type of sick perverted justice is that? His parents are too poor to raise the $30,000 dollars needed for bail?! Isn't there a fund somewhere that can be setup to help this kid? He shouldn't be punished for defending himself, he should be lifted up as a hero for ridding the world of trash!

I do not even feel sorry for the parents who lost their kid. Bigotry is LEARNED and it is obvious that they didn't teach their child it was wrong. Maybe if he has siblings they will learn from their brother's mistakes, but somehow, I highly doubt it.

I hope he is burning in hell. He got what was coming to him. No mercy for folks like that, it's folks like him that keep me in support of the Death Penalty and the Second Amendment.

[Ian David]

29. Agreed. Armed gays don't get bashed

http://www.pinkpistols.org/

[Dolomite]

30. If you’re not curious about what the gun nuts are saying about this case

Then don't click on this link:

http://ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=406856&page=1

[Meldread]

36. I may not agree with them on everything...

...but it is nice to see that the majority of those folks believe it is WRONG to attack another person based on their sexual orientation. It is even better to see that they support us fighting back.

I agree with them. I wish he had a gun, then he could have taken them all out. I also have to question why the other two bastards aren't in jail right now, too?!

If more gay bashers ended up dead when they attacked us, then it'd make others think twice before bashing us. Not to mention it would make the world a better place, one gay bashing corpse at a time.

Besides, from a purely political stand point situations like this could help spread understanding for us among people who would never interact with us otherwise.

[Lazpash]

38. Exactly!

Your last statement, "Besides, from a purely political stand point situations like this could help spread understanding for us among people who would never interact with us otherwise."

Is EXACTLY why stuck with the Central Ohio Pink Pistols, after seeing to it they had a decent foothold in Columbus. And why I helped see Cleveland get started as well. (And why I'm looking at getting one active in Cincinnati).

FIRST meeting I went to, it was me, 2 gay guys I had never met, about 20-30 "rednecks" my str8 friend Charlie and his dad. The "main" $$ guy was borderline hostile, but not so much it made me UNCOMFORTABLE, just enough that it made me cautious. 2nd meeting the main hostile guy, Charlie and I were there, then there were about 2-3 more "rednecks" that weren't at the 1st meeting. He was still a tad "rough" but was a LOT more relaxed....

By the 3rd meeting I was cracking jokes, they were laughing and relaxed and treating me very much NOT hostile.... that was gone, I was now "one of the guys" - but a girl...who liked other girls. so 5+ rednecks, no longer hostile toward gays, my effort: about 6 hours... that's a "fair trade" any day. I've also seen them interact w/other GLBT folks... no hostilities, not even an "uncomfortable".

It's a KILLER good group to be with. I need to do more to have us interact besides just hanging at the range... it's just my plate is full w/personal stuff (trying to work w/BVR to get off of SS Disability. +++).

[kweerwolf]

UPDATE ... well, sort of

I still haven't heard back from the reporter of the Philly Gay News; however, I noticed that the story I originally posted has been updated. In the updated version it mentions that friends of the family have been making donations to raise bail ...

BUT ... it also says the following:

One of the other teens told him, "Now we're going to have to shoot you."

Lisa Dawson said that even if the charges are dropped, she fears for her son's safety.

"I don't feel like he can come back home," she said. "There are three people out there who already made a threat."

It's possible the family feels he is safer in jail than he would be at home since the three other little future Repugnantcans are still on the loose and threatened him.

Oh well ... I'll keep trying to see if there's a fund set up and will report back with what I find.

[kevinbgoode]

34. That threat itself should have the teen arrested

After all, they already attacked this man. No, he isn't safer in jail. . .the teens parents/guardians/selves need to be apprehended and informed that THEY will be the ones safer in jail, because we have no intention of letting murdering thugs walk the streets again.
Their own families need to be prepared to send these thugs away for a very, very long time.

[kweerwolf]

33. UPDATE ... well, sort of

I still haven't heard back from the reporter of the Philly Gay News; however, I noticed that the story I originally posted has been updated. In the updated version it mentions that friends of the family have been making donations to raise bail ...

BUT ... it also says the following:

One of the other teens told him, "Now we're going to have to shoot you."

Lisa Dawson said that even if the charges are dropped, she fears for her son's safety.

"I don't feel like he can come back home," she said. "There are three people out there who already made a threat."

It's possible the family feels he is safer in jail than he would be at home since the three other little future Repugnantcans are still on the loose and threatened him.

Oh well ... I'll keep trying to see if there's a fund set up and will report back with what I find.

[kevinbgoode]

35. If he can't come home, surely some gay organization

can find someone who will take him in elsewhere for a few months. The police can protect him.

And the parents of those attackers need to understand one thing at this point - their children are going to jail. And if they ever get out, there are a million gay Americans who will remember their names.

[Lazpash]

37. Ouch!

35. If he can't come home, surely some gay organization
can find someone who will take him in elsewhere for a few months. The police can protect him.

And the parents of those attackers need to understand one thing at this point - their children are going to jail. And if they ever get out, there are a million gay Americans who will remember their names.

Not to mention we have LOOONNNNGGGG memories. What's the carry age in Philly? If it's 18, then I'm sure he could hang at someone's home until he's legal to carry - then the police wouldn't HAVE to "protect" him. <;)>

[Jamastiene]

40. Whatever happened to self defense?

This guy shouldn't be charged with anything. What was he supposed to do? Stand there and let them beat him to death.

I've been attacked before and I took it. Nothing was ever done about it. I have always said that if it happens again, I'm taking that right they say I shouldn't have. I promise if I can, it will be a brutal counter attack. I have got a lot of rage built up inside of me. Self defense is our right. We should find a way to make them give us the basic right to defend ourselves. Charging this guy is ridiculous.