Hate Crime No Hate Crime

Via Big Gay News:

A 15-year-old from Portage Michigan was beaten by two other teenagers for being gay. According to a Chicago Tribune article, the two boys were charged as juveniles with aggravated assault and one of them has pleaded guilty. From the Tribune:

Although the victim's mother calls it a hate crime, officials say the closest thing under state statute -- an ethnic-intimidation law -- requires attacks to be motivated by race, color, religion, gender or national origin but not sexual orientation.

Lynette Rocha said Friday she will campaign to get the law changed following the attack on her son, Steven Harmon.

"I don't care what it takes or where I have to go," Rocha said, fighting back tears.

The boy said the teens who attacked him used gay slurs as they beat him, giving him a fractured cheek bone, two black eyes and other injuries on his head, face, and neck. The 15 and 16-year old attackers won't be charged with a hate crime because Michigan doesn't have hate-crime laws to protect LGBT people.

And some people are still arguing that hate crimes laws would infringe on their free practice of religion. No, hate crimes laws are not there to stop preachers from spewing hate from their pulpits. Hate crimes laws are there to stop our children from being terrorized like this kid was.

Three Dead in Tel Aviv

Via Big Gay News:

According to an article on Huffington Post, a gunman entered a Tel Aviv club for gay teens and opened fire, killing 3 and injuring at least 11 others. From The Huffington Post:

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said it was "most likely a criminal attack and not a terror attack." Tel Aviv has been a target for Palestinian militants in the past.

He said the gunman burst into the basement of the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association and opened fire on a support group for gay teenagers.

Police are searching the area for the gunman, who fled the scene, he said. Roadblocks were set up.

At this point no one seems to know what exactly motivated the attack. But the impression seems to be that it was hate:

"This was a hate crime, a premeditated attack," witness Yaniv Weisman told Channel 10 TV. He said Cafe Noir, the basement club, was popular with youth.

"Those hurt were very young," he said.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

Stay Tuned for an Important Message

Via Joe. My. God.:

Ten years after Matthew Shepard's grisly murder his mother joined with HRC to create an video in support of federal hate crimes legislation.