Late last weekend, an unidentified 28-year-old trans woman and her gay friend were walking in Bushwick, a neighborhood in Brooklyn adjacent to Williamsburg. The two were approached by several men, and what started as harassment turned into brutal violence when they discovered she was trans.
The woman, a client of New Alternatives for Homeless LGBT Youth, was repeatedly called “faggot” and beaten with a 2×4.
The victim’s friend was able to escape the scene unharmed, and the attack is now under investigation by NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force.
Kate Barnhart, New Alternatives’ executive director, told local press:
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“She is listed in stable condition, but it is not clear if she will have permanent brain damage.
It is outrageous that transgender people are still not safe in what is supposed to be the safest LGBT city in the world.”
It is even more outrageous that this attack is the second violent crime committed against an LGBT person in Bushwick in just weeks.
On September 27, a 22-year-old self identifying gay man dressed in feminine clothing was shot in the buttocks and called “faggot” and “tranny” while walking with friends.
In that case, police charged 21-year-old Matthew Smith with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing, all as hate crimes. Cody Sigue, 22, and Tavon Johnson, 17, were charged with menacing and aggravated harassment, both as hate crimes.
via Gay City News
Tackle
This is just sickening. Not blaming the victims, but one must always keep their guard up in whatever neighborhood you’re in.
Don’t always assume that gay neighborhoods means safety.
I remember 10-15 yrs ago when West Hollywood was really gay,
there were numerous incidents of trouble makers going there looking for victims.
Stache99
I wonder what it is that drives these thugs. That’s extreme hatred and it won’t be the last time.
discreetserpent
The sad reality is that hate crimes like these happen all over the world. Just recently, a transgender woman was murdered and left at a hotel room, with her head inside the toilet. It is unclear if the crime was committed because of her gender identity or because of something else. http://bit.ly/1se0eBx
Bob LaBlah
Not that I am advocating violence but why is it that places like Miami (or Florida in general) Missouri and several other states that have concealed weapons laws don’t have anywhere near as many gay hate crimes as NYC?
Bauhaus
See what a difference having hate crime laws makes?
If Pennsylvania had had hate crime laws, the thugs arrested for the Philadelphia gay bashing would be facing real charges with real penalties.
What kind of men are capable of beating a woman with a 2×4, possibly to brain death?
Catch those monsters!
Bob LaBlah
@Bauhaus: “Catch those monsters!”
And do what with them? Let me tell you a story about two criminals in NYC who were not only caught but more or less got away with murder.
A few years back there was a black guy named Michael Sandy. Sandy goes cruising online and agrees to meet up with a guy at a well known beach pickup/cruising area in Brooklyn. He gets there and meets the guy. They light up a joint and suddenly the guy halls off and punches Sandy in the face. Another guy, it turns out, was there to help rob Sandy. Sandy got so scared he ran into traffic on a very busy highway trying to escape his attackers. Sandy got hit by a car. Killed instantly. I hope you have a strong stomach to read what happened next.
These two bastards DRAG him back onto the grass and rifle thru his pockets. I say again, they drug his body off the busy freeway, with cars barely missing both of them, onto the grass and searched him for money. Fuck the fact that he HAD to have been bleeding and at LEAST appeared dead. That obviously didn’t matter.
Both of these bastards are caught, tried, convicted. The attorney’s for both were chastised by the public and the judge for their obvious lack of interest in the case but still these two WHITE assholes will be getting out before 2020. What does THAT tell you about killing and justice when it comes to gay victims/murderers? Do yourself a favor, people, and accept that gay marriage be damned we are NOT protected by laws fairly when it comes to violence. If you cant carry a gun at least learn to defend your self with a few well placed kicks to the assailant’s family jewels.
The transcripts of the trial show that Michael Sandy had asked the guy online if he “blazed”, meaning if he smoked pot. The guy said yes. His attorney could have used the “blsck guy was drug-crazed” defense, but he didn’t. Hence came the remarks from all corners about just how interested the defense attorneys were in the trial and the mediocre sentence at best handed out.
As I stated before, these types of cases seemed to not be as frequent in states where they know the possibility their “victim” is armed, though a few do happen every year. But no where near the scale they happen in NYC, where the “trustworthy” police are practically the only ones allowed to carry/own a firearm.
enfilmigult
@Bob LaBlah: Because they have smaller populations, of course. Or was it rates you were talking about.
Bauhaus
@Bob LaBlah:
Well, I can think of plenty to do with them.
Gay marriage has given us legal and social recognition, protection, and benefits. Hate crime laws give us some added protection in court.
I agree that we need to protect ourselves and each other, physically. Be it walking in large groups, martial arts, carrying mace, or being armed at home and concealed carry.
Stache99
@Bob LaBlah: I hear what your saying. I know people like to think we’ve come so far with everything but don’t think for a second you’re ever going to get a fair trial. Juries will always side with the side they identify with and it’s not going to be YOU.
I was involved in a murder trial and the perps walked away with no punishment at all. The “Gay Panic defense” still gets used because it’s just too easy. Some members of the jury were saying how the murderer was the real victim when I happened to know that he was psychopath.
If you don’t know how to fight and you live in place like NYC then you better arm yourself.
Stache99
One more thing. This happened in the bay area. Right next to SF so don’t think it was some conservative backwoods kind of place.
Bob LaBlah
@Stache99: What made the situation with Michael Sandy’s killers even more unbelievable was during the trial one of the bastards, the younger one, tried to claim it couldn’t be a hate crime because he himself was gay. Never mind the fact he took a few swings at the kid, helped drag the now dead body off of the roadway and onto the grass, went thru his pockets AND car looking for money, drugs, cell phone……..oh no, now he wanted to claim “I’m gay too, so how could this be a hate crime”, and the damn jury and judge obviously agreed with by not charging hate crime and that mediocre sentence.
Our last emperor, that infamous closeted queen/mayor christened Michael Bloomburg, saw to it while he was in office that anyone caught with an unregistered handgun in NYC would pay a hefty price and he saw to it my the mandatory sentencing law, race be damned. We all knew just what race he was targeting but I must say the murder (by gun) rate fell dramatically in NYC. If based on population NYC now has a lower murder rate than Saint Louis.
I would strongly recommend ALL gay men take some sort of self defense class or at least ask themselves what would they do if a pack of wolves/apes set upon them and there was no one willing to help. Many people, in a panic, will run into a crowd/store/subway thinking they will be safe only to find out NYC is still NYC, as in “it ain’t my problem” and keep on walking. It is sad we live in a society where people have no problem pulling out their cell phones, capture it, go home and put it on youtube but won’t call the police because they don’t/didn’t get involved. Don’t believe me? If you have a moment go to youtube.com and put in “fights in NYC subway” or better yet “fights in NYC McDonalds” and see for yourself just how callas people actually are. Also try gay fights (I kid you not). Many of those fights are bloody. People are getting knocked out cold and the only words you will hear in most cases are cheers/jeers for both the loser and victor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaJjWPQx2X8
Just to warn you, this particular fight is so spectacular youtube requires you to confirm your age before watching it by signing in.
Just remember, one day that COULD be you either laying there or being the victor. This is a crazy world we live in but many find this entertaining. And many of those people are gay themselves who find this “entertaining”.