Ā
Joining the shameful list of gay-bashings weāve seen in the past two weeks is the assault on Kristen Cooper, a student at the University of Texas San Antonio, who says she was beaten by two men because she is a lesbian.
The men grabbed Cooper and dragged her into their truck while she was waiting for a ride outside a Halloween party. Once inside the truck, they began punching her and shouting anti-gay slurs.
Cooper told San Antonioās KENS5, āIt was bad, it hurt really bad, it was like full fist and I tried to fight them off, but I couldnāt.ā Doctors have told Cooper she has a concussion, contusion and whiplash, in addition to the bruises covering her body.Ā āIām just still in shock and Iām trying really hard not to cry,ā she says. āBut nothing like this should happen to anybody.ā
Well, maybe to the guys who did this. Isnāt that what Texas justice is all about?
tookietookie
Texas is like the child I would like to put out of the house and make go live with its crazy uncle named Mexico.
scribe31
Two men attacking a woman… What the hell is wrong with people? I hope they catch the guys and something bad happens to them in jail. I just want to wrap my arms around the young woman and give her a hug
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Isn’t it a strange coincidence that as Republican presidential hopefuls ratchet up their anti-gay rhetoric, the more gay bashings we’re seeing?
Christine McQueen
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: No. I don’t think it’s a coincidence at all. Which is why every time I hear, especially a political or otherwise well know person make derogatory statements about gays, lesbians or homosexuality in general, I just want to shake them and tell them to pull their heads out of their asses and LEARN something.
Dallas David
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Not really.
Actually, it’s a bit like 1930’s Germany. The Nazis upped the anti-semitic rhetoric, and their abuse increased.
Ugh.
Nazis did it in the name of racial purity, Fundamentalist Christians do it in the name of religious purity.
the crustybastard
Why did both shitbird reporters feel compelled to say the victim “CLAIMED,” as if they had some reason to doubt the truth of her statement?
The victim SAID, or the victim THINKS she was a victim of a hate crime because she’s gay.
That is both accurate and neutral.
JayKay
So two random guys just happen to be driving down the street, spot this woman, somehow know she’s a lesbian (ESP perhaps?), and decide to attack her without provocation…
A likely story indeed.
CBRad
@Mr. Enemabag Jones: Well, when Bush was in power, everybody blaimed him any time there was a gaybashing. Funny how no one ever blames Obama (not that EITHER should have been blamed, but…people put the blame on whatever fits their own agendas).
CBRad
@JayKay: Well, we don’t know the full story yet. I’ll have to assume it’s true, for now. But it’s never totally unwise to have healthy skepticism about everything, since we’ve seen so many fraudulent claims of gaybashing too. We’ll see.
scribe31
@JayKay: DIDNT THE STORY SAY THE MEN WERE AT THE PARTY WITH HER? THERE IS NO REASON FOR MEN TO PUT THERE HANDS ON A WOMAN
shannon
I WISH SHE HAD A GUN IN HER PURSE!!!!!!!! SHE COULD BLOWN THEIR ASSES THE HELL AWAY!!
Wesley
@JayKay: Actually I go to this school and she was at a Halloween party with random people and the perpetrators only knew the fact that she was a lesbian.
ke
@shannon: That’s what needs to start happening. That’s what absolutely needs to start happening. Gay people need to start getting violent.
CBRad
@ke: They already ARE violent…sometimes, anyway. Texas had the first U.S. case of a gay male serial robber and rapist targetting straight men, remember that one?
Phil
In Texas, all you have to do to obtain a concealed handgun permit is to pass a proficiency test, fill out a form and wait about two months to half a year. As of this time, Texas has yet to allow concealed handguns on a school campus, but Texas is considering it. Ms. Cooper was not on school grounds at the time.
I really, really hoping that gay men and women start equipping themselves to deal with gay bashers. You can take self-defense classes or start arming yourself. I would suggest getting that firearm. It’s more practical, in my view. It would definitely make people think twice before initiating a gay bashing, even if they outnumber their target (and they always seem to have to outnumber the people they’re assaulting).
ke
@CBRad: Good. More please.
Mav
@ke: I agree.
Getting a freaking gun, people – learn to use it, and CARRY it.
I want to see the headline: “Assaulted Utah College Student Kills Would-be Gay Bashers – Pleas Self Defense.”
samthor
Guns are not the answer. Education is.
The LGBT community needs to learn self- defense. Learn to be aware of the situation around you, learn to think defensive, learn to act. There are non-lethal means of protecting yourself. You have every right to protect yourself. And we all need to stop homophobia so these attacks do not happen.
ewe
Gee i was raised to never ever hit a girl. It was ingrained into me by society and family.
Mav
@samthor: Yeah, but lethal means make for a much stronger statement.
And that statement is, “Attacking innocent gay people on the street can get you shot in the face.”
ke
I agree iwth you, but when peace and education fail; violence is the answer.
ke
@samthor: I apologize, this was a reply to you. Sorry.
CBRad
@ke: You are actually saying you agree with what Keith Hill did to innocent people?? Daniel Villareal, are you reading this? Because you know some homophobes certainly are.
ke
@CBRad: Any gay guy handling homophobic assholes how he sees fit is alright in my book. Sorry. š
ke
@CBRad: and, if their innocent, guilty by association. You’re not going to change my mind on this. You are a do-nothing gay guy. You’re part of the problem.
ke
@Mav: I agree.
ke
Gay men need to arm themselves against gay bashers.
Lunatic Fringe
Wait… how is there question as to whether it’s a hate crime or not?
Unfortunately this sort of thing often goes unreported. As does ‘corrective rape’.
I notice that many people are advocating the use of guns. Let’s see how that flies on college campuses. Also, remember that carrying a gun that one does not know how to use is useless! Guns actually take upkeep, they are not pepper spray!
Queer Supremacist
@samthor: I am calling right here and right now for every gay man, woman and child to rise up in violent, armed revolt against the Christo-Islamo-heterosexual Axis of Evil. You know who else was anti-gun? Hitler.
Fuck Godwin’s “law” and fuck you.
And fuck Utah. And fuck Mormonism.
@CBRad: That’s a step in the right direction. By the way, I take offense of your using the word “straight” to refer to heterosexuals. That’s no less offensive than one of those breeder pieces of shit calling me a faggot. It implies that that disgusting lifestyle is normal and our superior homosexuality is abnormal.
jfc
@Queer Supremacist: Well by that terrible non-Godwin non-logic, you know who else is anti-guns and anti-violence? The Canadian public. And same-sex marriage is legal in Canada, and we have one of the lowest gay-bashing rates in the world. So you might want to re-think your “my way of bloody revolt is the only way” stance.