Brutal Hate Crime in California
A member of our community was brutally gang raped on Saturday in Richmond, a suburb of San Fransisco. The 28 year old lesbian was apparently targeted by the rainbow pride sticker on her car, attacked by four men, verbally assaulted for being a lesbian, raped repeatedly and then left naked outside of an abandoned building.
There is a $ 10,000 award being offered for information leading to the arrest of the men. But of course, no number of arrests or sentences can ever undo that kind of emotional trauma. This is a horrific reminder of the hate that exists in the world, and amidst our cries for civil rights and marriage equality, it is important to remember that our basic human rights and dignity remain in jeopardy. This was just one of many hate crimes perpetrated against LGBT's this year. Last year there were 1,265 hate crimes based on sexual orientation and the vast majority of the cirmes are committed by young men in groups.
A local group in Richmond, Community Violence Solutions, has set up a support fund for the victim. To contribute send a check made out to Community Violence Solutions to 2101 Van Ness St., San Pablo, Calif., 94806.
Donors should write "Richmond Jane Doe" on the check in the memo space.
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The police need to launch a
The police need to launch a hate-crime investigation against George W. Bush.
On balance, George W. Bush is a hate-crime criminal.
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
"Rape, in this context, is a
"Rape, in this context, is a weapon of war. The purpose of its use is to humiliate, control through fear, punish, and destroy women at the deepest possible level. "
CMW, I couldn't agree with you more, or said this any better. As a survivor of both rape and incest, I completely understand this. People who engage in these acts do this to intimidate and keep their victims "in their place". In our case, it is to keep us from fighting for our equal rights. In a way, in my opinion, this kind of assault is akin to the lynchings of African-Americans during the better part of the first half of the 20th century. Both are brutal attacks against a minority group based on bigoted views and hatred towards the minority group designed to keep that group "in their place".
These reports scare me. But they make me more angry than scared. I have never really been much of an activist. I am beginning to realize that we, as a collective group need to focus on the bigger picture...we just deserve the same rights everyone else has. And just like the African-American community in the 1960's, we need to come together and fight an organized fight to get what we should have already. How many more of these assaults is it going to take for us?
I kind of think all rape
I kind of think all rape should be classed as a hate crime.
Whether they rape a straight woman or a lesbian or trans - they're not doing it out of love for us.
*feeling like an angry lesbian feminist*
same to me
same to me
-Do not follow me, I'M LOST-
My heart is hurt....... T
My heart is hurt.......
T
Twitter Time @kdhales
I caught this story off the
I caught this story off the AP wire the other day. That story, and everything I've learned since, leads me to believe this was a deliberate, premeditated attack by persons who knew the victim and were lying in wait, and persons that the victim had previously no reason to fear.
I said it in another thread, and I'll say it here. This is how those who hate us think. They are patient, and wait until you let your guard down. They may be someone you know, or maybe just someone familiar to the area. Maybe it's someone you reach out to to establish some sort of understanding (you reading this Melissa?). They are highly motivated, and believe they are in the right. After all, don't their political and religious leaders tell them that? This sort sees kindness as a weakness, and opportunity, a chance to turn you and I into victims.
California is home to 80 organized and publicly known hate groups (2007) according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, more than any other state. Most of the churches that preach intolerance and hatred towards the LGBT population are not part of that list, but they should be.
Despite LGBT adults representing only 4% of the California population, we account for 16% of the victims of single-bias (in this case, sexuality) crimes (all other groups classified have percentages below their population rate). and almost 19% for violence against persons crimes. Of these, 23 were specific towards transgender persons, but listed as sexuality because that was the motivation of the attacker. (2007 FBI statistics, preliminary)
Rape, in this context, is a weapon of war. The purpose of its use is to humiliate, control through fear, punish, and destroy women at the deepest possible level. The effects of rape last far beyond the physical damage done, usually for the rest of the woman's life. This is not just a crime against one woman, it is a crime against all women, and against humanity itself. Whether this crime is committed in Darfur, Rwanda, Bosinia, or right here in the United States, rape as used in this incident and tens of thousands of others like it around the world is a brutal act of warfare, and a war crime. It is a weapon that destroys a human being on many levels and far more deeply than any bullet or bomb.
This is why I refuse to offer an olive branch to the likes of Rick Warren, while they use words like a sword, stringing together their lies to incite this sort of violence against us.
Thanks for posting that Erin.
Thanks for posting that Erin. The cop is great.
really dreadful story,
really dreadful story, details & impassioned video here (the cop is great)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/21/BAQT14SAK1.D...
Unbelievably awful.
Unbelievably awful. Apparently no place is immune to hate crimes, and I hope the sickos who did this are brought to justice post haste.
I'm so shocked with the
I'm so shocked with the news... This is plain unacceptable!
Hatred and bigotry can only lead to violence and death. As promoters and ideologists of terrorists attacks face criminal charges, all those promoting hatred and violence against our community should be put in jail.
All my love and support to victims of hate crimes!
Cris
First they put the basic
First they put the basic civil rights of our community up for a popular vote. Now this (I cannot in good conscience say our) nation has legitimized Rick Warren. Its just one more advertisement on the national billboard promoting hate. Buckle up. ladies; This is going to be a long nasty ride.
Je-sus-Christ. This is
Je-sus-Christ. This is abominable. And just a couple of weeks ago, one of two (straight) brothers who were walking arm in arm at 3 in the morning was beaten to death in Brooklyn. Where is this anger coming from?