fights

Ben Collings Got Beat Up at a College Drag Show. The Cops Say It’s His Fault

At a Saturday night drag show for Spectrum, the University of Miami at Ohio’s GSA, Ben Collings went to use the bathroom, where he overheard others using mean words for gays. A fight ensued, Collings ended up with a broken nose, broken cheek bones, and black eyes, and the police got involved. They also blamed Collings for the fight. He calls it a hate crime. Uh oh.

Ben Collings, a Miami University junior, attended the event with his boyfriend. He says when he was in the restroom, he overheard others using derogatory words for homosexuals. Collings pointed out the event was in the upstairs portion of the StadiUm bar, required a secondary cover charge to enter, and the second floor restrooms were not accessible to those who were on the first floor. He says he overheard some saying, “[Expletives] do not belong in society”. “Tensions escalate, I go to use the restroom, I get pushed, a fight breaks out in the restroom and it kinda filters outside, more people get involved,” said Collings.

Collings said his boyfriend ran across the street to the Oxford Police Department to alert them to the attack while he followed the individuals where a fight ensued. Collings suffered a broken cheek bone, broken nose and receive two black eyes. After the fight, he was taken to the hospital for treatment and underwent numerous tests. He says his injuries may require reconstructive surgery. Oxford Police say it was Collings who initiated the fight, and so far, they have not labeled the crime as a “hate incident” or “hate crime,” but they continue to investigate.

[WCPO]

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