Speak Compassion

A College Point, NY man was brutally gay bashed this past Friday night in Queens.  Jack Price, 49 years old was beaten while anti-gay slurs were screamed at him.  He is now in a coma with everyone one of his ribs broken, two collapsed lungs, spleen and liver damage.   It is believed the two assailants followed him into a deli calling him “faggot” then followed him outside where he was beaten.  His chances of survival are being evaluated on an hour by hour basis.

This makes me sick to my stomach because I value safety. What makes me more sick is the passive violence that fuels this active violence that we barely acknowledge. This violence won’t stop until we change the climate of speech that makes GLBT folks the “bad” guys out to “destroy” marriage or “indoctrinate” children. As long as we have hate speech, we will have more crimes like these.   As long as anti-gay activist are ready and willing to dehumanize and demean our lives, our history and our loves, there will be a ready army of others ready to give action to their words.

I also will look to the anti-gay groups to take a public stand and condemn this act of violence. I would request that Americans for Truth, Concerned Women for America, American Family Association, etc…issue press releases denouncing this act of violence against GLBT folks.  If they are really about the love for GLBT folks they say they are, I would like them to put their words to action.