By CYRIL JOSH BARKER
Shock is still being felt across the city as the saga of a heinous anti-gay crime in the Bronx continues to unfold.
On Tuesday, a 10th man was arrested in connection with the alleged attack against four men in the Bronx. The suspect, Jose Dominguez, 22, turned himself in.
Dominguez is just one of several men arrested and accused of being involved in an attack on the gay men in the Morrisania section of the Bronx on Sunday. Police say the attackers were members of the Latin King Goonies gang and discovered that a gang initiate was gay.
The alleged incident took place in an abandoned house where the suspects allegedly sodomized and beat the 17-year-old recruit. The suspects also beat and sodomized another 17-year-old boy because he was gay as well as a 30-year-old gay man. The suspects beat the 30-year-old victim, then stole money and a television from his brother’s apartment.
Details of the alleged torturing are even more startling due to the fact that a small bat and plunger handle were used to sodomize the victims. Reports indicate that one of the younger victims was forced to burn the 30-year-old man with a cigarette.
News of the attack sent shockwaves across the city because of a recent surge in anti-gay-related incidents. Last week, a gay man was beaten at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar famed for being the location where the gay rights movement started.
Additionally, two gay men were recently attacked on Ninth Avenue and 25th Street after they were seen kissing.
The incidents have even bled over into the political realm. New York gubernatorial candidate and Republican and Tea Party darling Carl Paladino made offensive comments about homosexuals during a meeting with members of the Hasidic Jewish community. He called the gay lifestyle unacceptable but later apologized for his remarks.
“Let me be clear, these incidents are completely unacceptable,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said this week. “They’re intolerable in a city in which tolerance is what defines us. They’re unacceptable in a city in which embracing our differences is what makes us strong.”
Openly gay City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has made repeated statements about the anti-gay crimes, which appear to be a trend in the city. She has also noted the recent suicides among gay youth across the nation due to bullying.
“The recent deaths across the country that have happened as a result of anti-LGBT bullying are truly heartbreaking,” said Quinn. “As the loss of these innocent young lives reminds us, we must remain diligent in our efforts to combat bullying and promote tolerance. Just as children can learn bigotry and intolerance, so too can they learn to value diversity and acceptance.”
On Tuesday, a 10th man was arrested in connection with the alleged attack against four men in the Bronx. The suspect, Jose Dominguez, 22, turned himself in.
Dominguez is just one of several men arrested and accused of being involved in an attack on the gay men in the Morrisania section of the Bronx on Sunday. Police say the attackers were members of the Latin King Goonies gang and discovered that a gang initiate was gay.
The alleged incident took place in an abandoned house where the suspects allegedly sodomized and beat the 17-year-old recruit. The suspects also beat and sodomized another 17-year-old boy because he was gay as well as a 30-year-old gay man. The suspects beat the 30-year-old victim, then stole money and a television from his brother’s apartment.
Details of the alleged torturing are even more startling due to the fact that a small bat and plunger handle were used to sodomize the victims. Reports indicate that one of the younger victims was forced to burn the 30-year-old man with a cigarette.
News of the attack sent shockwaves across the city because of a recent surge in anti-gay-related incidents. Last week, a gay man was beaten at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar famed for being the location where the gay rights movement started.
Additionally, two gay men were recently attacked on Ninth Avenue and 25th Street after they were seen kissing.
The incidents have even bled over into the political realm. New York gubernatorial candidate and Republican and Tea Party darling Carl Paladino made offensive comments about homosexuals during a meeting with members of the Hasidic Jewish community. He called the gay lifestyle unacceptable but later apologized for his remarks.
“Let me be clear, these incidents are completely unacceptable,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said this week. “They’re intolerable in a city in which tolerance is what defines us. They’re unacceptable in a city in which embracing our differences is what makes us strong.”
Openly gay City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has made repeated statements about the anti-gay crimes, which appear to be a trend in the city. She has also noted the recent suicides among gay youth across the nation due to bullying.
“The recent deaths across the country that have happened as a result of anti-LGBT bullying are truly heartbreaking,” said Quinn. “As the loss of these innocent young lives reminds us, we must remain diligent in our efforts to combat bullying and promote tolerance. Just as children can learn bigotry and intolerance, so too can they learn to value diversity and acceptance.”
No comments:
Post a Comment