Hate Crimes: July 2005 Archives

Paul Day and Christopher Robertson knew life as gay men in Polk County could be rough. They had been called names and taunted by neighborhood teens before.

Day, 25, said he even had a mailbox riddled with shotgun pellets once when living near the Green Swamp in the north part of the county.

The couple never thought it would get so bad as Monday, when they returned home from errands to find their house in Kings Manor Mobile Home Park in Lakeland torched and the words “Die Fag” spray-painted on the front steps.

Statewide, though, there is an upward swing in the amount of violence reported toward people because of their sexual orientation. In the latest state report, for instance, hate crimes based on orientation accounted for a higher percentage of all hate crimes than ever before. [...]

Day and Robertson have called Polk County home for most of their lives. As early as high school, Day said he knew he was gay and identified himself openly. Problems with other people, though, have plagued him. He said he called the authorities three times for such incidents as rocks thrown at his home and a shot-riddled mailbox when living in north Polk County.

“Between Tampa and Orlando, it’s just a void,” Day said of the Lakeland area. “It’s a different world. Very behind the times.”

Added Robertson, 23: “For the past six months, I’ve been saying, ’I want to move; I want to move.’ I don’t want to be here anymore. It’s stressing me out.” (source)

Referenced in photo album Crimes of Hate

Update
10-13-2005 - Hate Crime and Arson Found to be a Hoax
08-23-2005 - Gay Arson Victims Hit Again

Photos

A fire at a church that also was vandalized with anti-gay graffiti was arson, federal investigators said Monday.

The graffiti included a message that members of St. John’s Reformed United Church of Christ were sinners. On July 4, the denomination passed a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage.

The fire Saturday burned a stack of hymnals and damaged a portion of the choir loft and a pew. The church had smoke damage, but there were no injuries.

“It’s an arson. We’re confident on that,” said Bart McEntire, agent in charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for southwest Virginia. (source)

Gee..... and the African American community are always saying that the struggles of gay people are not like those they suffered in the 1960’s. This sounds a lot like the black churches that were burned by whites. This after the United Church of Christ made an endorsement last week for gay marriage. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the hatred that “Christians” hold for our community. This is not news, but it’s important to recognize it for what it is. We should expect more of this.

I would bet a fair amount of money that the person who started this fire was a conservative Christian. Behind all the rhetoric about how they “hate the sin but love the sinner“, it’s all crap. Behind all of that, this is what they are.

To the conservative Christians out there who don't agree with me, here’s my challenge; prove me wrong. Reach out to me with Christian acceptance and love. You think you are up to the task? That’s the only thing that will change my mind about your agenda.

Other News Sources on this Story
wvec.com (Virginia)
newsleader.com