Early Saturday morning (late Friday night), singer Kevin Aviance was attacked by six or seven men outside the Phoenix bar in the East Village of Manhattan. He is scheduled to perform during New York Pride, but may not be able to as his jaw is currently wired shut.
When we heard about this story yesterday, we were shocked and saddened that not just a violent crime, but a gay-bashing could happen in what we always considered a safe neighborhood, and we were frightened that it happened right outside one of our favorite New York hang-outs.
The attack occurred around 1 am, and reports say that passersby did nothing to stop the assault from happening even though there were âpedestrians everywhere.â We ask one simple question: where were all the smokers? On Friday night at the Phoenix, there had to have been at least ten gays smoking outside at any given time. We need to stick together better than this.
Fourth Man Is Arrested After Attack on a Dance Recording Artist in the East Village [NY Times]
3 Arrested in Attack on Singer on East Side [NY Times]
How about we take this to the next level?
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James
Hopefully Kevin will recover quickly and our outrage will last longer than a day.
peace
DJ Joey
One of our own has fallen. This can not be overlooked or placed at the way side. We must stand strong aginst this hatred. I use to live in Syracuse. One night some hicks came in on their pick-up truck to have some “fun”. A wise patron outside the bar ran back inside after witnessing another being gay bashed. Hmm, lets see 85 to 4… Yeah, they woke up in the hospital. I’m not advocating violence but defense. Our thoughts are surely with Kevin!
kizmet
All the best to Kevin for a quick recovery. This kind of incident is becoming all too common in NY recently. Or maybe it’s just getting more press. Either way, it’s a disgrace.
rod
Just a note that Kevin had left Phoenix and was actually on East 14th Street, near the corner of first. I too had heard/posted that this had happened outside the bar, as was reported on NY1, but further reports this morning have clarified the location.
(Although this reads as a defense of smokers, it’s just a clarification of the locale.)
Scott
Thanks for posting this, Frank.
I saw Kevin at Roxy just 9 days ago. He provided some flair to an otherwise mundane Saturday night by channeling Sabrina Johnston in a performance to “(Oh Lord) What Hope Have I” — dressed in black heels, a thong, and a white sort-of dress-type thing emblazoned with gold crosses and messages of Christian inspiration. Loved it.
Junior Vasquez Music assembled a (fitting) tribute to Kevin in their music player. The 4th and final track (sung by Vernessa Mitchell) is clearly a message to the stupid fucks who did this.
http://www.juniorvasquezmusic.com/forum/index.php
WWH
A Taxi driver who almost hit me proceeded to throw a full bottle of water at me while yelling Faggot. On the same street, another cab driver who was waiting outside of a gay bar would not take a drunken patron. When the patron walked away, the driver went from a standstill to fast and hit the patron with his left bumper and sped off. The man flew through the air. Two patrons took off on foot after the cab. I called 911 and reported a hit and run. The police showed up to this gay “strip” sirenless and lightless TEN minutes later with no ambulance, after the injured man was taken away in another cab. All this while Bloomberg is sending undercover spies into every gay bar in the city so as to sock the bars with multiple violations and make us behave like straight people. You do the math.
Davis Scott
There is a simple reason why no one helped. Black people don’t matter in gay society. Lets not ignore the obvious please, and yes Im black.
daniel
i wish him a quick recovery. still cant believe this has happened even in todays century, as a teen from australia im honestly shocked to hear this news. all the best from down under đ