A Charlotte couple claims they were beaten for being gay but their attackers, if caught, won’t be tried for a hate crime. In North Carolina, sexual orientation is not covered under the hate crimes law.
Mark Little and Dustin Martin were visiting Asheville a few weekends ago. While walking down the street, the couple say some people in a passing car started to harass them. When they asked the people to stop, one of the passengers got out of the car and attacked them.
Little is worried that the police are not treating the crime seriously.
“I feel like when the cop first came on the scene, he just felt like it was just an ordinary crime,” Little told WBTV. “But what had happened was we were hit just because we were gay.”
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Dumdum
This is a clear indication of how the current political climate of hate and intolerance fostered by the religious right is infecting our country. I wonder what the outcome would have been if the attack had been racially motivated as opposed to sexual orientation? Would the police have been so complacent?
Tony G
Here’s a more detailed link.
http://www.wlos.com/shared/news/top-stories/stories/wlos_gay-bashing-asheville-9126.shtml
Noktomezo
If it was Asheville, I’d think the police would try since they are one of the most gay friendly areas in the state.
Charli Girl
Really? I bet Barney Fife would’ve been a little concerned if they were attacked bc of their RELIGIOUS beliefs!!!!
Oh NOM nuts would be all over this like white on rice!!!
But hey it’s ok to assault a loving couple!!
MUTHA #^*%}~}!!!!S
Reality101
I lived in North Carolina and absolutely believe and can relate to this couple. My boyfriend at the time couldn’t even walk in parts of that state alone without being assualted or called names…I mean, we literally would have a girl friend with us in parts of that state when out in public, so to avoid harassing. Some people have NO clue how homophobic parts of our country are. No clue. We talk about discrimination others face…gay people can’t so much as be suspected as being gay in some regions without fear of being attacked. For what? for minding our own business and walking with the person we love. I got out of that state, but it can and does happen everywhere.
We as a community owe it to ourselves to make society more aware of the mistreatment we face. Heteros truly DON’T get it. Most sincerely aren’t even aware of what we endure…but it’s our job to respectfully explain to them why our cause means so much to us, and it’s because of daily stories like these.
niles
Welcome to the future of America.
Charli Girl
Long story short: I had to go to NC to RETRIEVE my wife n kids bc my inlaws KIDKNAPPED her!! Bc she was with a woman and they felt it was their RIGHT to govern whom she loved!!
I literally was chased by her redneck family in pickups with shotguns and had to hide in bushes and behind old
cars to get to them . And the ” so called” cops there were SCARED of all of them and were VERY little help!!
But I prevailed !! You don’t mess with my wife and kids!!!
That was in 1999 and they have not progressed in 13 years! Sad little rednecks!
krazy
Yes (sigh) this is NC. I left there as soon as I could 30 years ago. My family is still there however and I visit about every 6 months. It is far worse than when I left, in fact, I don’t think it could get any worse. Don’t be fooled when people say it’s a state with pockets of tolerance because those places are surrounded by extreme religious haters.
I decided after falling out with family for years to try to get along with them. They treat me very nicely and yet taunt me. I never talk about my life and the focus is always on them. They never ask one, not one question about my life. I gave up trying to talk about myself and decided it was best to say nothing to keep the peace.
I’m very afraid for my safety when I go down there. In fact a couple from my hometown had their house burned down while on vacation. They left slurs on their car.
I’m not super obvious and yet I am not redneck enough to pass, I could wear a potato sack and they would know. In restaurants people stare and glare at me. Some of what I endured last time was hearing about how active their church was and 89 percent of my county voted for the marriage ban. They talked about taking my nephews to Chick-Fil-A. My mother talked about how some people have the wrong impression about gays, she was talking about herself and being sarcastic.
Anyway, it’s a horrible backward state and this does not surprise me one bit. Do not go if you are gay, in fact do not go to the South at all.
Charli Girl
@krazy:
Yes that is very sad that your OWN family treats you that way!
My heart goes out to you, I guess I just handle things differently.
I wouldn’t and DON’T tolerate crap from anyone, and that includes
my family AND my wife’s family!!
But I think feminine ” looking” women just have an easier time with bigots
than effeminate males do. It’s sad that its that way but so far that’s the way it is thus far.
But every opportunity I get I ” educate ” them on that subject!!! I never back away from bigotry.
I wish I could love in the NE but unfortunately I’m stuck in the South.
BayAreaHomo
I’m sure the proximity of these sorts of violent assaults around anti-gay hatefest political campaigns is only a coincidence.
That’s why I moved all of my accounts out of NC banks and stopped shopping or doing business with any NC-based business.
Charli Girl
Live not love.. iPhone writes what it wants too sometimes ..
Jill Hill
My cousin is from NC, and when she finally noticed on fb that I’m openly queer, she asked, I admitted it, and she hit the roof. Warned me that AIDS kills homos and that her right-thinking children’s children will soon populate the earth while the queers die out (because straight parents only have straight children, of course).
What’s amazing about all this is that a member of her church had noticed my admission and congratulated me publicly for being courageous enough to live in truth. That man belongs to a pentecostal church, and he said that nice thing.
He gives me hope, for NC and everywhere. Someday, the haters may indeed be small in number, left to blow dust and ashes from the side of the road while the rest of us walk in peace.