When Healing From Crisis, Solidarity Defines Community
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“A community begins to become serious and exist in the real world when it starts to take care of its own whenever they meet crisis and disaster. Until then, it is a fair-weather association, at best,” writes Sprinkle, an ordained Baptist minister and openly gay professor at Fort Worth's Brite Divinity School. He is also the author of Unfinished Lives: Reviving the Memories of LGBTQ Hate Crimes Victims. Since Sprinkle’s letter, more funders have slowly begun to contribute to Dean’s campaign.
Recently, a jury unanimously voted to convict Dean's assailant. Speaking on his surprise regarding the unanimous decision, Dean said the verdict gives him 'faith in people' and said the days are gone when criminals received a lesser sentence because the victim is gay. "This sets a precedence for anything like this that happens," Dean said. "Maybe this will set a standard for anybody, no matter what your sexual orientation is, a violent crime is a violent crime."
Vandalism at Jackie Robinson Statue Highlights Long-Term Struggle
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Mark Reese, son of Pee-Wee Reese, recounted the differing opinions on the possibility of racial progress held by his father and Jackie Robinson. “I remember my father telling me of a conversation he had with Jackie several years ago. It was Pee Wee who first posed the question, ‘Do you think the day will come when people can live in harmony?’ Robinson’s reply was an emphatic yes — the day would come. Then Jackie, in his boundless wisdom, posed the same to Pee Wee. Dad's reply: ‘It’ll never happen.’”
With more than $40,000 being offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator, there seems to be a majority united against the hateful actions of a single individual. The incident has even inspired mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson to include hate crime prevention in his campaign promises, calling for increased surveillance around targeted spaces such as religious buildings, and more tolerance education in public schools.
New York Senator Eric Adams added, “The vandalism of the statue of civil rights icon and hero Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier in the borough we are proud to call home, is a sad reminder that those who hate, hate indiscriminately. We cannot – and will not – be intimidated by such vile individuals. Everything that is great about Brooklyn, and New York City, comes from its diversity.”
Victims of NYC Anti-Gay Attack Speak Out
“We were 1 of 7 high-profile attacks during the month of May. I know there were more. We were just the ones who reported it,” said Porto.
“From what I understand not many people come forward when these things happen. I had no idea what the protocol was, so I posted it on Facebook.” He adds that the strangest response he received was from another gay New Yorker who told him to “get over it, that this happens all the time.”
The month of May was a stark contrast between the legal victories of DOMA and Proposition 8, and the oppressive realities that LGBTQ people continue to face in the streets. “The fight’s not over,” Porto said. “We can get married, but we’re still not being treated equal.”
Still, community solidarity vastly outnumbered individual attackers in the end. Queer Rising, a non-profit that organized a “take back the night” rally in response to the hate crimes against Porto, Atkins, and others, issued this statement:
“We here in NYC witnessed some incredible highs and frightening lows in the passed months. The spree of anti-gay hate crimes shook us all to the core, but we did not creep back into the closet with fear. We stood up and fought back, with demands for increased NYPD, media awareness, self-defense classes, and rallies. Then, a mighty victory on the eve of Pride: a historic double-win in the Supreme Court granted LGBTQ married couples federal equality, and the standing repeal of Prop 8 — an accomplishment some thought they'd never live to see, and a monumental leap forward for the future of our queer youth.”
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