Buger King Dethroned: NJ Employees Indicted in Brutal Gay Bashing

by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Boston Contributor
Tuesday Nov 6, 2007

A Union City, NJ, gay couple were allegedly beaten by Burger King employees after asking for a refund.

The jersey Journal reported on Nov. 3 about the crime and subsequent indictment of Angel Carabello and Christopher Soto, two Jersey City men who were working at the Burger King at the time and who faces charges of aggravated assault, along with a first degree hate crime charge.

The July 22 incident reportedly began with the couple, two men in their 40s, requesting that they be given a refund when an item they had ordered turned out not to be available.

As reported by the Jersey Journal, two employees then engaged in an exchange in which one asked the other who had requested the refund, and was answered with an anti-gay epithet evidently meant to indicate the gay couple.

<snip>

The press release also said that when the couple attempted to leave the restaurant, they were followed outside by a number of workers from the establishment and beaten "mercilessly." The release further said that the attackers uttered anti-gay epithets as the beating was in progress.



More:
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=52066

:cry:

assuch, rightwingers feel they have license to hate gays.

Can't disgruntled fast-food workers just spit in the food like they're supposed to?

I can understand someone not agreeing with the gay lifestyle. But I just can't fathom having such anger to beat someone over it. One of the perplexing things that I can't make sense of.

And "not agreeing" with homosexuality is like "not agreeing" with left-handedness...

Sorry for my imprecise usage of the word "lifestyle." What word would you prefer?

And to be clear, I didn't say I don't agree with homosexuality. I said I can understand someone else not agreeing to it, not liking it, whatever you want to say. I think we're debating semantics here really.

My point was -- what the heck motivates someone to beat the crap out of someone over their sexuality? I had a co-worker come on to me one time, which I said no to. My other co-workers kept asking wasn't I pissed off that he would have done something like that. No, I wasn't. I was flattered! LOL

What motivates someone to describe how they can empathize with homophobic bigots on a thread about a recent gay bashing?

and we're point it out. It's not really a debate.

The way I'm taking it is that while he understands that there are homophobes out there, he can't understand the need for violence displayed by some of them.

I don't think he's agreeing with the concept of homophobia, so much as understanding that there are homophobes.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

A person IS homosexual - "lifestyle" has nothing to do with it. And here is my point (absolutely not trying to start a fight), what does it mean that you "can understand" why someone "does not agree" the a person being gay? Do you mean, "I understand THAT some people are bigoted against gay people." or "I understand WHY some people are bigoted against gay people."? It makes a difference - just substitute the term "African American" for "gay" in the two sentences. I am not attacking you , in any way. I just think that everyone should pay attention to how they say things, because how things are said, with general acceptance, can display what the culture and society at large hold to be 'givens'. Thanks for your patience, I just needed to get it off my chest.

Your post was homophobic. End Transmission.

...it really doesn't help educate people who need it to call them an idiot (as was done in this thread) and denounce them as being homophobic. Not everyone is as up to speed on certain issues as they should be, and I think it's pretty clear that DangerDave's heart is in the right place. So instead of lashing out in this unproductive manner, next time try just telling people where they need to adjust their thinking a bit (as was also, fortunately, done in this thread). It would really work better.

And btw, I'm gay, so don't accuse me of sympathizing with 'homophobes'.

Don't lecture me. His post was homophobic. Maybe YOU'RE the one who needs to adjust your thinking.

Thanks for proving my point. Sheesh. I was only offering a suggestion, not a lecture.

How exactly was his post "homophobic" (i.e., displaying an irrational fear/hatred of homosexuals)? That has become one of the most mis-used terms in the English language. Insensitive? Yes. Ignorant? Yes, very. But homophobic? Pfft. The people who did the beating, those are the homophobes.

OK, so I'm an idiot and a homophobe. The things you learn about yourself! :)

I'm probably digging a deeper hole here, but here goes:

1. My primary point in this thread was I can't fathom how someone can hate another person so much based on sexuality to violently attack them. Got that? I am CONDEMNING attacking someone based on sexuality.

2. I understand THAT some people out there (including some relatives of mine) do not like, do not agree with, or are uncomfortable with homosexuality. I'm not saying that I agree with that thinking, but that I recognize it is out there. My own dad makes fun of "queers" and laughs at Bareback Mountain and such. So yes, I recognize that those sentiments are out there. But I can't understand where the urge to do violence comes from.

3. I apologize for the use of the word "lifestyle." Didn't know that was such an injurious term.

4. The spitting on food comment was obviously dark humor, which was apparently missed.

Friends now??

I just think a lot of well-intentioned people at DU are too quick to savage someone like you who maybe hasn't explored some of the finer points of this issue. I didn't think you were "empathizing" with the people who beat the two men, but just acknowledging that the attitude exists. But hopefully you do see why the references to "lifestyle" and "agreeing with homosexuality" are potentially offensive to those of who are. Guess I have a somewhat thicker skin.

And yeah, I got that the spitting comment was humor. Best to use the sarcasm tag on stuff like that. There are a lot of humorless people at DU who will label you as a freeper troll in a heartbeat for something you thought was funny.

I'm sorry that I was grumpy. I overreacted.

:hi:

...it's easy to see why tempers flare. I agree that DD's heart is in the right place, and that his post was not meant to offend. However, it WAS offensive. As you pointed out, the correct thing to do would be to politely explain to DD WHY it was offensive, so he would:

A: refrain from making the same mistakes again.
B: gain a little insight into the gay community.
C: not come off like an insensitive dickwad.

But lots of us are just plain TIRED of having to explain what we feel should be painfully obvious to everybody. Does this make us right? No. It makes us lazy. But it's understandable.

DD, by the power vested in me by the gay mafia, I hereby pronounce you edumacated on gay stuff. Go and sin no more. Next time, there'll be no excuse!

but I for one do appreciate the "edumacation." It wasn't too many years ago that I would have thoughtlessly spoken of sexual "choice," and it was from reading thoughtful posts here at DU that showed me why that incorrect terminology helped prejudice thrive. So please, keep educating; some of us are trying to do better.

It's easy for us gay people to forget that there are people who use offensive terminology and espouse offensive ideals not because they're evil, homophobic asshats, but because they flat out don't know any better. These are people who are just a word or two from changing their world view, but if that word is "homophobe"! or "bigot"!, they'll be less inclined to make the effort. If we meet people halfway, we'll do far more good for ourselves (not to mention the rest of the world) than if we're constantly looking for new homophobes to ream out.

Some users wait all day for someone to post something they can vilify. Then it becomes a witch hunt. Burn him/her! He/She's a bigot! Sexist! Racist! Homophobe! BUUUUURRRRNNN HIIIIM/HEEEER!!! We caught one!!! Burn!!! Then everyone comes to chime in with 100 posts saying "well I'm not a bigot/racist/homophobe/sexist!"

If people need to be educated on the matter, help them to learn and grow. Chastising them is just going to make that person resent you and your opinion.

:grouphug:

piercings that metal detectors go off a mile away or something as mild as wearing nothing but bowling shirts.

Homosexuality is not a "lifestyle" choice, it's part of our genetic make up.

Like my buddy Steve once told me, "hell, when I was young, you think I didn't want to be straight? The bullying and the fights got really old. Why would anyone in their right mind knowingly choose to be gay when knowing it would result in daily ridicule and beatings?"

Do you have a link?

Either...

You live on a mountain in Nepal and don't have access to 25 years worth of information...

or...

You deliberately avoid reading any of it so you can pretend it doesn't exist, and then come to troll on the internets.:eyes:

www.freerepublic.com

It's like walking in the forest and coming across a rock, and saying "I don't agree with rocks." It's just stupid.:hi:

If you can't fathom that level of hatred, think about your own words. "I can understand someone not agreeing with the gay lifestyle..." encourages people to hate others, and some of the haters inevitably become violent.

not.

It's not a lifestyle, dude.

Will they have time to appear at a fundraiser?

I hope they rot in HELL!

You don't get it.

sometimes I don't get his humor but I know him and this comment is not a slam on the couple involved. To be sure I will ask him wtf he meant when he get's home tonight(I'm sure it has somthing to do with the GOP stance and private actions when it comes to gay rights). Having a daughter who was attacked for who she is, and the attacker not prosecuted makes us get it every day. Here is a vid lame made for me. Hope it makes you smile.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9ucqDoP2FZw

patty lame's wife

yes this was not the place for dark humor or to point out the the difference between the GOP's public stance and their private actions when it comes to gay rights. I will ask lame wtf tonight but don't judge by a single comment that you did not understand was sarcasm meant for the lawmakers. I hope he is around for a long time he supported me and my daughter during a very very bad time, when the authorities didn't.
patty lame's wife

I'll try to take some pictures.

It was over before it began. More like a press conference. Channels 2 and 9 were there as far as I could see.

not to in any way condone a brutal attack, but it's not fair to implicate Burger King for the actions of fuckwad employees.

while the employees are at work.

This would have nothing to do with Burger King if these employees had assaulted the person someplace else. The fact that they assaulted a customer while they were at work does bring the employer into the situation.

Damn, they deserve whatever punishment they get.

Sid

If there weren't hate crime bills on the books, this would have been a simple assault and battery case. And it is much more than that...

:rofl:

God, what a sickening story. That gay people manage to negotiate this homophobic society so well is absolutely amazing.

I hope the 2 men who were attacked receive justice. That they were traumatized in this way *is* criminal. :grr:

just in case anyone is interested...just sayin'

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1194505750137620.xml&coll=3

"Oh you're a lttle bitch..." and hitting a woman? No sane person would stay and pay for food where they don't want to be. I bet there's a Wendy's across the street. They're obviously lying to save their asses.

Of course you might think that gay people are not sane, which in that case...hmmm.

I guess we'll find out when this goes to trial.