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Pride and Prejudice

By Walter G. Meyer

August 14, 2006

San Diego--The immediate and ovewhelming response by the entire city to the attacks that followed gay pride shows just how far the city has come. The fierce determination with which the mayor, police chief, city attorney, and numerous elected officials, set out to find the perpetrators made it clear that eradicating this sort of hate from our city was a priority.

While getting rid of all hate may not be possible, discouraging the outward manifestations of it through swift and severe prosecution might make the next group of punks think twice.

Plaque memorializing the last fatal gay bashing in San Diego

The suspects are claiming that it wasn’t a hate crime, just a robbery, although witnesses and victims heard them yelling “faggot.” If it were indeed a robbery, you’d think that the victims would have quickly offered up their wallets to the three guys wielding bats and knives in order to avoid any violence. It’s worth noting here that the attackers also seem to have forgotten to rob their victims.

One of the six men injured in the attacks remains hospitalized.

The Rally Against Hate at the LGBT Center on Centre Street the Friday after Pride drew a much bigger crowd than the organizers anticipated, but that was a good problem to have. The crowd overflowed the un-air conditioned auditorium, overflowed the library and spilled into the street, so far that people at the back of the crowd couldn’t even hear the loudspeakers which had been set up.

The more than 1000 people present responded enthusiastically when police Chief William Lansdowne said that two of his officers had worked 40 hours straight to catch the first of the alleged assailants.

Still, the turn out was less than one percent of the crowd that came to Pride. The difference, one attendee quipped, was that they weren’t serving alcohol at the rally.

About a dozen civic leaders took the stage in the crowded auditorium to preach to the choir.

City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez announced that a reward fund had been established for the arrest and conviction of any future perpetrators of hate crimes. Although the bounty has been posted by gay bar owners and gay community leaders, it is not restricted to crimes against LGBT people. The reward will stand for any crime against any group.

The other thing that came out of this sad incident is that next year the American Veterans for Equal Rights, in conjunction with SDPD, will have safety patrols around gay pride to prevent further incidents. Murray-Ramirez also said that hate crimes will continue as long as people like Mel Gibson are allowed to froth intolerance and not face consequences.

City Attorney Mike Aguirre drew laughs when, after a long list of speakers, his turn came and he said, “Although everything has been said, not everyone has said it.” The outspoken Aguirre joked that he liked marching in the gay pride parade because he’s somewhat controversial and feels at home with people who stir things up a little.

Aguirre said that while the DA’s office, and not the City Attorney’s office, will be prosecuting the suspects, his office is conducting an investigation into why the event occurred. He said that the suspects will be charged with, among other things, attempted murder, which with the hate crimes enhancement could lead to them spending the rest of their days behind bars.

Many of the speakers noted that assaults have been increasing around the Hillcrest and Mission Hills areas, although most have not been classed as hate crimes. The anti-tolerant rhetoric that flows down from the highest levels of government, as well as anti-gay backlash, seems to be at least partly to blame.

City Councilmember Toni Atkins then led most of the crowd on a march to the sidewalk in front of the Obelisk book store, the spot of the last fatal gay-bashing in San Diego. The candlelight march was accompanied by dozens of police officers who stopped traffic to let the walkers cross streets and proceed down University Avenue.

Many were struck by the symbolism of this. In recent memory there was a time when the police would have been harassing gay people, not joining with them in a stand against hate.

The crowd assembled around the site where on December 13, 1991, 17-year old John Wear was attacked. Wear was walking with some friends when they were accosted by a group of men shouting anti-gay slurs. Although Wear wasn’t gay, he was stabbed to death. Atkins said that when Wear was murdered the community vowed they would not forget the incident, and would not let it happen again.

She said that although it was difficult to be somber through a bullhorn she wanted John to know that we had not forgotten him. More than one of the attendees wiped away tears as Atkins invoked his memory.

The firm response of the community, political leaders, police and prosecutors may make any more plaques to match Wear’s unnecessary.

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