Pride events are meant to be times of celebration for the slow but continuous progress that is made in the LGBT community. However, an incident that happened at the Detroit Motor City Pride event serves as a reminder that there is still a long way to go.
Christin Howard, a 20-year-old gay man, was attacked and beaten Sunday near the gay pride event in what can only be categorized as a hate crime. Furthermore, it was caught on video.
?The video shows 20-year-old Christin Howard, a gay man, fighting off attackers Sunday along Detroit’s Riverwalk as the gay pride festival happened in nearby Hart Plaza.?
The attack happened unprovoked while Howard was having his picture taken. It began with verbal abuse but quickly escalated into what Howard said made him fear for his life. He said that they men called him homophobic?slurs and threatened him. He was attacked by five to eight men. There was also a threat of gun violence though no gun was seen.
Howard:
?Then somebody said they had a gun.?
He not only suffered physical injuries but also emotional and mental injury too. He has a broken finger and a bloody eye.
?Christin, who is a stylist, can no longer cut hair until his hand heals. He says he is emotionally damaged and hasn’t slept since the Sunday attack.?
Though proud, the question remains if he will return for the next pride event.
Howard:
?Will I go back to pride? I’m kind of iffy about it right now, because I don’t want that incident to happen again, what if the same guys are there??
This is the first time in the Motor City Pride event’s history that a violent attack has happened.
The police will be investigating this as a hate crime, but no one has been arrested as of yet. They are attempting to track the men in the video down.
Although we can be proud and even congratulate ourselves on the major strides that have been made in the fight for equality, there is still very much more ground to gain. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinions no matter how hateful they are unfortunately. However, no one is entitled to hurt another human being for any reason whatsoever. I can only hope the Detroit police will find the men involved in this brutal, hateful, and senseless attack. Please let us know your thoughts at the Liberal America Facebook page!
Check out the news broadcast video below. Also, it may be graphic as it contains footage from the attack which has been aired by WXYZ in hopes of identifying the men involved. They have asked if you recognize them to please call police right away.
Watch the video below:
h/t to The Raw Story
Liz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. She is also considered a tool of the devil for writing for liberals, and she’s okay with that. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to see what issue she is tackling.
