Report: Anti-gay violence on rise

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs said on Aug. 5 that the number of violent crimes against LGBT people is up significantly in 2008. The coalition supports local LGBT organizations in their work to end violence. Since the February murder of 15 year-old Lawrence King and the brutal beating of Duanna Johnson, there have been at least 13 brutal and violent LGBT hate crimes throughout the country. The organization added that the reported crimes only may be a small number of the total, since many LGBT people are reluctant to go to police, and many of the attacks that are reported are not listed by authorities as hate crimes. The NCAVP said that the growing hate crimes may indicate a frightening trend of increases in both the number and severity of anti-LGBT violence. "This is extremely disturbing and saddening. We are witnessing what appears to be an increase in both the occurrence and severity of violence motivated by racism, homophobia, and transphobia," said Sharon Stapel, Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Many of the incidents occurred in late June and July, when LGBT visibility is high during gay pride celebrations. The report documents the following reported incidents: - June 18, Memphis, Tenn. Police security camera footage is obtained and released by the attorney for a transgender woman, Duanna Johnson. The video shows Memphis Police officers beating Duanna Johnson in the booking area of a local jail. The beating took place in February after Johnson refused to respond when officers called her "faggot" and "he-she." One officer punched her with handcuffs wrapped around his knuckles, splitting her skull open. He then maced her. - June 28, New York City. A gay man is harassed on a subway platform and beaten on the subway after boarding at Christopher Street. - July 1, Memphis, Tenn. The body of a transgender, African-American woman, Ms. Whitaker, is found near a daycare center. - July 2, Greeley Colo. Police sergeant Kell Hulsey and his son Dan Hulsey are accused of attacking a man they perceived to be gay, beating him bloody with a bottle. A witness to the attack said: "I heard him say 'I'm a Greeley cop and I'm a mean (expletive),' and then he hit him." Kell Hulsey then allegedly fled the scene. He was put on administrative leave but as of July 9, no charges had been filed. - July 7, Queens, NY. Father Braxton is beaten while protecting a group of LGBT youth living at Carmen's Place, a shelter for homeless youth that he coordinates. - July 12, Central New York. A man who is a self-described neo-Nazi is arrested for allegedly breaking into the home of 65 a year-old gay man at midnight while he slept. The victim was able to flee his home before it was torched and completely destroyed by the assailant. - July 17, Greeley, Colo. The body of Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old Latina transgender woman is found. She was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher. 31-year-old suspect Allen Andrade was arrested on July 31 and charged with first degree murder as a hate crime. - July 17, Dallas Tex. Jimmy Lee Dean is beaten in an anti-gay assault by two men not far from his home. His injuries were so severe that he was in intensive care and could not be interviewed or identified until July 22. The suspect is not currently being charged with a hate crime. - July 25, Upstate New York. A man from out-of-state was visiting family and was severely beaten by two men who shouted anti-gay slurs while kicking him, breaking 10 bones in his face. - July 27, Knoxville, Tenn. Two people killed and seven wounded in a shooting that took place at a Unitarian church. The shooting appears to be at least partially anti-gay motivated. - July 29, Staten Island, NY. A large group of men verbally and physically assaulted and then stabbed a man they perceived to be gay.