Brothers beaten after attackers thought they were gay

[ccharles000]

http://www.365gay.com/news/brothers-beaten-after-attackers-thought-they-were-gay/

(New York City) Four attackers may have mistaken two brothers walking arm in arm as gay before using an aluminum baseball bat, a bottle and their feet to beat one of them into critical condition. He died Monday in a hospital in New York City, police said.

One of the attackers used an anti-gay slur when first confronting the brothers, Ecuadorean immigrants who were walking down a Brooklyn street early Sunday after a night of drinking. The assailants also used anti-Hispanic insults, city officials said at a news conference.

“We believe all of this happened simply because of who these individuals are and who these perpetrators perceived them to be,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “For some reason (they) didn’t like the two men they believed were gay … and felt so emboldened in their hatred that they acted it out in violence.”

The four attackers were described as riding in a burgundy sport utility vehicle. No one has been arrested.

Police said the attack occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday as the brothers neared their home on foot. One attacker jumped out of the SUV, used the anti-gay slur and smashed one of the brothers over the head with a bottle.

As the other brother ran away, three men exited the vehicle and joined the assault, police said. One hit the victim in the head with the bat while the others kicked him.

[peacebird]

1. sickening... absolutely sickening.

I cannot grasp how anyone can attack people this way... argh....

:grr:

[Lex]

2. which is one reason why homophobia is everyone's problem

and can potentially hurt anyone, not just gay people

[JAbuchan08]

28. been making that point for years

I spent 3 years of middle school being called "faggot" constantly.

[LisaL]

3. How horrible.

Hope the police catches whoever did it.

[mitchtv]

20. typically, they don't look too hard

for gay bashers

[surrealAmerican]

40. These aren't just "gay bashers", they're murderers.

The article says the victim died.

[mitchtv]

45. If the cops don't consider you as Human

you think they care?

[margotb822]

4. And Huckabee says gays haven't endured enough violence?!

Isn't one death too many? Why do we have to put a quota on this?!

This is terrible :cry:

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. :^( Where do people get off on doing this to others, for any reason?

[Bluebear]

6. But we don't need hate crime legislation, nooooo

[ZombieHorde]

49. Do you think that hate crime legislation would have prevented this murder?

[Dinger]

7. I Really Hope They Find These Assholes

and they are prosecuted to the FULLEST+ extent of the law! Makes me sick. Murderers! My heart goes out to the victims and their families:grouphug:

[slackmaster]

8. Just an aside - I thought aluminum baseball bats were banned in NYC

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/03/15/new-york-city-bans-aluminum-baseball-bats/

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

19. What's next? Knives?

Fucking ridiculous useless laws.

[awoke_in_2003]

47. When aluminum bats are outlawed...

only outlaws will have aluminum bats :)

[The Doctor.]

9. Who says we don't need hate crime legislation.

Life for all of them... and those bastards will be caught. Bigots and assholes are notoriously stupid.

[mitchtv]

21. Fat f'n chance

Most of the cops are not much better

[foxfeet]

10. This stuff was going on in Manhattan when I lived there in the late '70s.

More than one straight man was attacked (and at least one died) in my old neighborhood during one summer ('77 or '78, memory fails) because they were assumed to be gay.

[Nikki Stone1]

11. What the FUCK is wrong with straight males?

Tell me, why is males touching in public (and not even in a suggestive way) worthy of death?

[11 Bravo]

12. I will hope you realize that the vast majority of straight males ...

would love to see these vicious, homophobic bastards put UNDER the jail.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

56. The vast majority of straight males on DU maybe

But I wouldn't make the same prediction about the general populations.

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. Well at least you didn't use that broad brush against SUV owners. n/t

[RedCappedBandit]

22. I'm a straight male and I don't think it is.

Why would you make such an assumption?
The way I act around some of my fraternity brothers would probably lead some to question my sexuality as it is. Quite a broad brush you got there.

[Nikki Stone1]

26. It's straight males who do these things.

Your serve.

[dionysus]

31. sexist much? disgusting.

:puke:

[Nikki Stone1]

34. Gay males don't go beating up straights. Lesbians don't go beating up people.

Your serve.
(But clean that self righteous vomit off first.)

[11 Bravo]

36. In college I witnessed 3 lesbian women beating the absolute shit out of ...

another woman. Unlike you, I possessed enough sense not to tar ALL lesbians with the same broad brush.

[dionysus]

39. the niavete and hypocrisy are astounding...

yup, only straight dudes have ever commited violence...

[dionysus]

38. if you think gay or lesbian people have never kicked anyone's ass then you are far beyond naive.

set. match.

[awoke_in_2003]

48. Yeah, really...

i don't know how many times I have heard the news report that two gay guys beat a straight guy to death :sarcasm:

[lukasahero]

60. I think the point is

gays don't routinely beat the crap out of straights just for being straight.

set. match.

[dionysus]

70. straight males don't routinely beat people up either.

in fact, people in general don't routinely beat up people.

[lukasahero]

71. What part of the bolded text did you miss?

"just for being straight."

[dionysus]

72. i'm not missing anything. The poster insinuates quite clearly that only straight males are capable

of violence. It's a broad brush bullshit smear.

i am responding to the post that said "What the FUCK is wrong with straight males?"

see, thats kinda painting all straight males with the same brush.


of course there are knuckle-dragging homophomes who would beat or kill someone for being gay.

extrapolating that to straight males in general is disingenuous horse shit.

thats like saying because jeffrey dahmer was a gay serial killer, all serial killers are gay. it's stupid.

[mrs_p]

44. um...

domestic violence is seen in all types of relationships. thus, i'm sure there is at least one lesbian out there who has hit another woman.

[Terran]

46. I'm gay, and you are totally out of bounds to make that assertion

Yeah, gay bashers are straight males, but your broader meaning is bullshit.

[Prophet 451]

67. "could" and "do" are two different things

I used to teach self defence. When I started, it was mainly college girls but a fair few gay men and women came in to learn as well. All of them learned the basics and a fair few turned out to be good fighters. Interestingly though, never had a problem with them being aggressive, they seemed to understand Rule 1 a lot better than most straight people (Rule 1 = "Talk them down if you can; put them down if you have to").

[mainegreen]

29. Evidently the same thing that is wrong with you.

[mondo joe]

64. Very uncool. The supermajority of straight men wouldn't do such a thing. NT

[malaise]

13. Good fugging grief

These barbarians have to be stopped.

[ccharles000]

16. I agree

[Nightflurry]

14. And people wonder

People actually wonder why myself and a lot of other gays I know choose to arm ourselves. This kind of stuff has gone on for a long time, and will for a long time. Never know if it might happen to me or someone I know.

[awoke_in_2003]

50. You are smart to arm yourself...

I live in Texas (FSM help me). My biggest concern when my sister came out was that she would be targetted by these types of asshats. Now she is a cop, so I worry less for her.

on edit: welcome to DU :hi:

[Duncan Grant]

17. Bludgeoned and kicked to death for the perception of being gay.

Let that sink in -- if you dare.

K&R

[tnlefty]

61. It's very difficult for me to let it sink in,

or to contemplate. Years ago I wrote to my POS rep., Zach Wamp, about hate crimes legislation, and his basic response was that he didn't care if it was GLBTs, minorities, or women state laws should cover that.

I'm sad and embarrassed that we can't get him voted out of office.

[StreetKnowledge]

18. Slimebags

Fucking retards. It's been said, but this is why we need hate crime legislation. Shit like this is exactly why we need it. :mad:

[ZombieHorde]

59. Do you think that hate crime legislation would have prevented this murder?

[foxfeet]

63. Certainly not all such crimes, but as these are not crimes of passion

committed in an immediate, overwhelming emotional state, such legislation would help reduce the number of these assaults. And harsher hate crime sentencing would keep these thugs off the streets longer. It's a better use of prison space than jailing pot smokers.

[Occulus]

68. Do you understand why we have hate crime legislation in the first place? n/t

[ZombieHorde]

69. To do nothing but still feel like we are helping?

[RedCappedBandit]

23. This is terrible

I can't imagine losing my brother to such despicable excuses for human beings.

[MrSlayer]

24. Sick and sad.

These guys need to be caught and executed. There is no place in society for "people" like that. Also bothering me is how someone runs away when his brother is being attacked.

[surrealAmerican]

42. The brother running away bothered me too, but then ...

... he may have been running for help, or he may just have been so scared he couldn't think. Kind of hard to blame him, given the circumstances.

[awoke_in_2003]

51. fear does different things to different people...

the whole "fight or flight" thing. It is hard to judge people put in these situations.

[Aristus]

25. Sick. Absolutely sick. We really need to look out for one another.

Still one of the proudest moments of my life:

Some Army buddies of mine and I were having a late-night snack at the Denny's in Louisville's St. Matthew's district. We had caught the floor show of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Vogue, and some of the cast members were sitting at tables nearby. We'd been to the show several times, and "Frankie" knew us by sight. He came over to our table and asked us very quietly if we could walk them out to their cars. Some muscle-bound thugs had been making anti-gay remarks to them and issuing threats as they entered the restaurant. I said: "Sure, no problem." And it wasn't. We walked them out, making sure they got into their cars okay, and wished them good night. A simple act, but it made me so proud. I had never been a protector before. Those guys became some of my best friends after that. I even took a role in the RHPS Floor Show. I was like a novelty to them, a gay-friendly Army soldier.

[awoke_in_2003]

52. you should be proud. nt

[Deja Q]

58. "We really need to look out for one another."

If only people did. :(

They don't. And for too many incidents involving some bastard beating another person senseless (regardless of circumstance, there is no reason for such thuggery just as there is no reason for infidelity).

People just don't care. And to get accurate reasons, each person needs to be asked directly.

[southernyankeebelle]

27. What idiots

Alot of europeans walk down the street arm and arm. Gosh americans can be so stupid. Why don't they get out and see the world.

[awoke_in_2003]

53. Because they might learn something...

americans hate that. Welcome to DU.

[LisaL]

62. Very true.

People in other contries walk holding hands, but here in US others might think you are gay if you do that.

[dionysus]

30. monsters.

[lukasahero]

32. WTF is wrong with people?

There is something seriously wrong with the human race.

[BoneDaddy]

33. Lock em up

and throw away the key.

[olegramps]

35. Every Religious minister that preaches that homosexuality is evil:

Everyone of these sanctimonious bastards is guilty of the death of this innocent man. Their message is a message of hatred.

[Azooz]

37. They were holding hands

It's how brothers should walk.

[Prophet 451]

65. It's as much cultural as familial

In large parts of Africa and Asia, it's entirely normal for hetero men to walk holding hands as a gesture of brotherhood and mutual reliance.

You know that thing husband and wife do at weddings where they link arms and drink? In Germany, it's usual for close male friends to do so as a symbol of abiding friendship (do not try this when already drunk).

[Joanne98]

41. If the police can't find them they're not looking. Maybe someone should put up a reward!

They were probably COPS!

[awoke_in_2003]

54. They have a poor record...

of finding murderers of prostitutes, too.

[mrs_p]

43. makes me sick

prayers to the family

[ZombieHorde]

55. Outright scary and depressing news.

[Deja Q]

57. Despicable.

1. Instigating brutal violence against another is a hate crime.
2. People do not need to be in a sexual relationship to hold hands or hug.
3. The victims' ignorance of America should not be held against them, but when I travel to other countries, scoping out their general social patterns has helped to avoid these sorts of incidents. Doesn't make the crime right and the attackers are vermin of the lowest order.

[and-justice-for-all]

66. Battery and man-slaughter...

perhaps even attempted murder...they should go directly to jail for at least 10 years.