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Friday, Jul 04, 2008
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How you can combat Gay-bashings in Seattle |
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| How you can combat Gay-bashings in Seattle | ||
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Readers, experts offer advice about Gay-bashings by Robert Raketty - SGN Staff Writer Seven Gay-bashings have occurred in the last months, leaving some to wonder just how safe "liberal" Seattle really is for the city's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Jason Mancillas suffered lacerations and bruises to his face and body, a black eye and a wound to his head after being brutally beaten by a group of as many as six men during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 10. He was walking home with his boyfriend from a Capitol Hill Gay bar when the attack occurred. Before the attack began, he heard a stranger behind him say, "I'm sick of these fucking faggots." The men remain at large. On June 20, Michael Volkman, Alberto Medrano and Troy Maravilla, were threatened by two men identified as Brian Kenneth Bell, 21-years-old, and Benjamin Thomas-Winfred Davis, 22, while waiting in the Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru at 100 Broadway Ave. E. on Capitol Hill. Bell, while brandishing a knife, asked, "Are you guys Queer? Do you suck dick?" At 1:37 a.m. on Sunday, July 22, Michael Sullivan was standing in front of a club in the 150 block of S. Washington St. in Pioneer Square with his friend Amanda Hubbert. A person, who has never been identified, punched Sullivan in the back of the head. Moments later, a male unknown to the victim or his friend, later identified as Monny (a.k.a. Monnypanareay) Sue, approached Sullivan and asked him "Are you Gay?" After Sullivan replied, "Yes," he was immediately punched in the face. Sullivan fell to the ground unconscious. Just before midnight on Saturday, August 4, a Gay-bashing occurred in the 2200 block of First Avenue in Belltown that left Michael Wrenn with a bloody nose and cuts to his chin and forearm. He also developed two black eyes and bruises on his body as a result of the violence. His friend, Aaron Hudy, who was standing beside Wrenn at the time of the Gay-bashing also suffered a bruise on his arm. The male attacker asked the men, "What, are you guys fags?" before beginning his attack. Christopher Petty was standing in line inside the Shell Food Mart at 1500 Broadway on Capitol Hill on Sunday, August 12, at about 2:05 a.m. He was wearing a shirt with the word "Queer," printed on the front and back. The man in front of him, later identified in court documents as Cerril Deonvandaz Turner, a 33-year-old African American man, announced in a loud voice, "I hate fucking faggots." The suspect then turned to Petty and asked, "Are you a fucking faggot?" Turner also spit on Petty and his friend and, then, threw a punch at Petty. The punch only grazed Petty but hit his friend. Twenty-six year-old Seattle resident Andrew Geske was walking home with a male friend at about 2:30 a.m. on Monday, September 3, when he was attacked by the driver of a black BMW and later dragged several blocks by the speeding BMW as a passenger held his arm. Despite the vicious nature of the crime, Geske was fortunate to suffer only sprained fingers and scrapes on his back, elbows, and knee. Marcus E. Wilson, 34 years-old, and Victoria Liss, 24 years-old, told police that their lives were threatened and were called anti-Gay slurs by two men, Matthew Henry Oly, 26 years-old, and Bryan Michael Krieger, 27 years-old, during a Capitol Hill Gay-bashing in the early morning hours of Saturday, September 22.Wilson was called a "faggot" several times and threatened with death. Liss, who came to Wilson's aid, and was also verbally and physically threatened. She alleges Krieger attempted to assault her with his bicycle. The Hate Crime Awareness Project of the Seattle LBGT Community Center released a study last year of bias-motivated incidents documented by Seattle Police Department incident reports from 2000 through 2005. According to the report, 120 of the bias motivated attacks that occurred during the five year period were based on sexual orientation. "The take-home lesson is that we LGBT folks live, work and play throughout the city, and so do those who hate us," said Ken Molsberry, the study's primary researcher and author. "Bias-motivated attacks - whether for race, religion, sexual orientation, what have you - happen in every Seattle neighborhood. And those that specifically target LGBT people likewise happen throughout the city. "Incident reports from Seattle Police Department for the years 2000 to 2005 recorded 120 attacks in the city, based on sexual orientation. But only a third of those were in the Capitol Hill, First Hill, Eastlake area. The next biggest concentration was the International and Central District areas, but even both of those taken together accounted for only another 15 percent. That leaves more than half of the attacks happening throughout the rest of the city. The Downtown, Belltown, Pioneer Square area, for instance, had 13 attacks. West Seattle had six. And even supposedly 'safe' neighborhoods like Ballard, where I live, and Magnolia-Interbay, had four attacks each." In recent weeks, the Seattle Gay News has received a diverse sampling of opinions on the topic of bias motivated crimes in our "Letter's to the Editor" section. These people, some experts on the topic of hate crimes, offer their advice to our readers. George S. Ellington or Seattle wrote (SGN, Sept. 7, 2007) that Seattle is not immune to hate crimes and that the Seattle Police Department should do more to protect its LGBT citizens. "The city of Seattle has turned into a city of hate! I have lived in Seattle for four years now and, in that time, there have been four Gay bashings, three within a 6 month period! Luckily, no one has lost their life yet but, sadly, in time this is destined to happen and then and only then will our police department take notice and do more to protect the citizens of the city of Seattle," he said. "The Seattle Police Department does not care about the Gay community in this city because, if they did, more would be done to keep these attacks from happening; instead of acting put out because they are asked to protect and serve, which is what they are paid to do! Hatred against the Gay community has been going on way too long and we should not be forced to put up with it anymore!" Ellington suggested that the reader's of the SGN flood the telephones of the mayor and the chief of police; walk in groups; and attend city council meetings to assure their voices were heard. Jim Allbaugh, a martial arts instructor at Two Cranes Aikido in Seattle, encouraged our readers (SGN, Sept. 28, 2007) to learn to defend themselves against acts of hate related violence. "I think we must be reminded that it is our birthright to defend ourselves. As Queer folk, it is our responsibility to take ownership of this right. Unfortunately, the current political climate dictates this necessity," he said. "This is not a call for a clandestine group of drag queens to patrol the streets with baseball bats. Granted, that would be a lovely sight! Instead, it is a reminder that we have options individually and collectively to confront acts of violence perpetuated on the LGBT community." Julie Nelson, acting director of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, also weighed in. In the Sept. 21, 2007, edition of the SGN, she reminded our readers that hate crimes don't just happen in other places--they occur right here in Seattle. "Most Seattle residents are proud of the diversity in our city and our inclusiveness, but that pride should not blind us to what is going on in our midst. We cannot eliminate hate crimes altogether but we can fight back," she said. She suggested victims take the necissary steps to assist police and persecutors: o Call 911 immediately. Tell the operator that you are reporting malicious harassment as defined by RCW 9A.36.080. o Write down everything that happened; note the physical descriptions of the perpetrator, license numbers, what was said, etc. o File a police report. Tell the responding officer that you were a victim of malicious harassment. Describe in detail the hate or prejudice that the perpetrator expressed. Get the incident number from the officer, as well as the officer's badge number. Nelson also suggested the community work together to prevent hate crimes by getting involved if they witness an attack, identify themselves to the victim and to the police; stay involved by contacting the media and other community leaders to let them know of hate-based attacks; and to apply pressure to ensure that hate crimes are taken and tracked seriously. This week, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michael Hogan, a 23-year veteran of the King County Prosecutor's Office, offered his own advice to victims of Gay-bashings. He has been working on hate crime cases since the late 1980's. "A number of Hate Crimes have been perpetrated against Gay and Lesbian patrons in the Pike/Pine corridor in the last several months," he said. "While there is no indication that the crimes are part of a larger conspiracy, the presence of any hate crimes in our neighborhood is too many, and cause for concern. I offer some advice to patrons of the Pike/Pine district to help combat Hate Crimes. "1. Don't leave clubs or coffee shops alone. Most of the crimes have occurred near bar closing time, when many people may be intoxicated. Most offenders have been extremely intoxicated, and often act with companions. There may be enhanced safety in numbers. Walking with companions in well lighted areas may help reduce the likelihood that you might be targeted. "2. If you encounter a bully, do not engage them. Most of the offenders are looking for a fight. Avoiding them may help de-escalate what might otherwise be a more serious encounter, and reduce the potential for injuries. "3. Call 911. The police receive training on responding to hate crimes. Tell the officers and 911 operator of any biased words which have been used. The East Precinct of the Seattle Police Dept. is located within the district, at 12th and Pine. Let the police handle the offender rather than try to do so yourself. Hate crimes can occur even without injuries if the offender's actions exceed free speech and become threatening." |
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