2nd anti-gay attack spurs new call for change

The beating death of an 80-year-old Elmore County man who allegedly made sexual advances on a 20-year-old man has added momentum to a call for sexual orientation to be made a protected category under Alabama's hate crime law.

James Oliver Bailey's death at his Lake Jordan home Nov. 26 was the second violent assault in six weeks in which the victim allegedly made sexual advances — the first victim, in Montgomery, is still comatose.

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Gay rights groups in Alabama are confident that the two cases, plus another last year in Baldwin County, will prompt the Legislature to pass an amendment to the state's hate crime law that would include sexual orientation as a protected category — an effort that has failed during the last two regular sessions.

"I think it's a matter of time," said Norma Mitchell, president of the Montgomery Gay and Lesbian Association. "I think this year we have a very good chance because the recent occurrences since 2004 show how much hatred is there."

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/051206/attack.shtml

If you'd just said that an 80 year old man was beaten to death in his home, no one would give the perp any sympathy. I'd hate to think that this perp or the other one would use their homophobia as an excuse for their violence.

the poor, innocent 20-year-old murderer was so TERRIFIED, so OUTRAGED, so HUMILIATED by the "advances" of the 80 year old victim that he just completely lost control and killed him in a fit of rage and confusion. Right.....

is that there are people who think this is a completely reasonable response. They're the ones who say "I don't care if you're gay, just don't hit on me!" As if every gay person hits on everyone they see on the street. What a shame- that poor old man.

perhaps to retaliate against anti-gay laws.

At the very least, I bet if it was framed in terms such as, "Now that we're passing laws against gay marriage, we'd better include 'sexual orientation' in hate crimes laws in case the homosexuals decide to start attacking straight people out of anger. Folks don't like having their rights taken away, and they might not take to it very well. Remember what happened right here in Alabama with the Negroes?"


http://www.pinkpistols.org/

in this country...do we need to just send someone before the damned Alabama legislature and ask the stupid pigs if we ALL need to come down to Alabama and beat the crap outa every damned straight person until they get the message?

Or maybe we should just declare that we are gonna make Alabama the new GLBT home state...and all of us move there. The legislature will change very quickly.

...On a white woman, by whistling.

The similarities between this case and the Emmett Till murder are very interesting.

... and welcome to DU, insleeforprez ... :hi: