A 28-year-old Michigan woman was assaulted by homophobic thugs near her home this week after being recognized as one of many couples who were featured on a news segment after Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban was overturned last month.
The Ypsilanti Township resident, who now prefers to remain anonymous, told police she was walking through an apartment building parking lot when two men approached her and yelled “Hey bitch, are you that faggot from the news?”
The woman was punched in the face and fell to the ground unconscious. “She had obvious visual injuries,” said Washtenaw County Sgt. Geoffrey Fox. “She had injuries to her eye and around her eye. It was swollen, and she had fresh injuries on her arms and on her torso. We’re calling it an assault for now, but…there could be additional charges regarding the hate-crime aspect of it.”
The victim is reportedly one of several hundred couples who were married last month when four counties in Michigan opened county clerk’s offices over the weekend to marry same-sex couples following a ruling that found the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Some of the initial marriage ceremonies took place on live television.
A stay has since been placed on the ruling, and Gov. Rick Snyder has announced the state will not recognize those marriages as valid, even though the federal government will. Stay cool, Michigan!
DonW
I hate myself for thinking this, but I sure hope this reported assault isn’t another hoax.
Merv
@DonW: Yes, this one sounds more plausible than most, but I’m going to reserve judgment until it’s corroborated.
sonofabee
@DonW: I was thinking the same thing, unfortunately.
Sansacro
Well how about some facts: In 2011, “Law enforcement agencies reported 1,508 hate crime offenses based on sexual-orientation bias in 2011, compared to 1,470 offenses in 2010 — the total accounts for 20.8 of the hate crimes reported” (FBI hate crime 2011; http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/december/annual-hate-crimes-report-released/annual-hate-crimes-report-released).
And those are only the gay hate crimes that are reported.
In my city: “Last year, the New York Police Department investigated 54 hate crimes against gays. But so far this year, there have already been 68 anti-gay incidents, which means the city is on track to see double the number of attacks on gays by the end of 2013, the New York Daily News reports” (http://rt.com/usa/anti-gay-crimes-double-691/)
And, here are a list of Huffpost articles of recent bashings: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/gay-hate-crime/
The few fakers get the press and are the ones people remember because violence (not just the kind that lands you in the hospital) against LGBT people isn’t news, it’s just another day in the life for many.
manjoguy
@Sansacro: “Huffpost?” Are you referring to the Huffington Post? Not exactly an unbiased, always accurate pillar of journalistic excellence IMHO.
DonW
@Sansacro: I’m not disputing the reality of anti-LGBT violence. But, as you say, “the few fakers get the press,” and the gay media (as well as many mainstream outlets) are too quick to run splashy coverage based solely on one person’s say-so, which ends up backfiring, and hurts our cause, if it turns out to be false.
A few “allegedly”s and “reportedly”s would be a good addition to Queerty’s future coverage of these incidents until all the facts are in.