Fatal stabbing shakes city's gays (Boston)

[bicentennial_baby]

-snip-

Snyder said he always felt comfortable being himself and walking hand in hand with his boyfriend around Boston, a city he described as much more tolerant of gays and lesbians than his hometown in rural Pennsylvania.

But the stabbing death of his friend, 20-year-old Daniel Yakovleff, a gay hairstylist from Roxbury, has caused Snyder to question how safe he is.

Police say Yakovleff's Jan. 17 death is under investigation, and they have released no information about motive or suspects. But his death has sent a chill through the city's gay community.

Many gays say that in recent years they have felt more vulnerable to harassment, name calling, and assaults, particularly since the same-sex marriage amendment debate in 2004 that put a spotlight on the community and unleashed anger from gay marriage opponents.

"We don't know what caused his death," said Snyder, who is founder of QueerToday, a Boston nonprofit that combats discrimination. "I know that for me and my friends, it was a huge wake-up call that we're a small community and we're brothers and sisters and we need to look out for each other. You never know which one of us may be a victim."

More: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/01/26/fatal_stabbing_shakes_citys_gays/

x(

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[msongs]

2. soundtrack by donnie mcclurkin and his proud christian supporters nt

[AndyA]

3. And thanks to Barack Obama for giving people like Donnie

a platform to preach from.

Spreading misinformation, hatred, and bigotry: just what I want from the next President. Not. :eyes:

[sniffa]

8. What a stupid fucking post for this thread.

Seriously, why post this shit here? Is GDP not enough for you?

[saltpoint]

4. I think at a very human level it is impossible to understand why a public

display of affection prompts the most base, violent response.

Heterosexuals generally enjoy sanction for public displays of affection -- hand-holding, a smooch on the cheek, etc.

Why are violence and bigotry triggered just because the hands or cheeks are not straight?

And why don't more therapists go public with their condemnation of this particular kind of hate crime?

I'm an Edwards voter but respect Sen. Clinton's remarks this past week on who should be valued in a given community. She said what she said from the heart, IMO, and she said it in the days preceding a primary election in a very conservative state. Good for her.

[Chovexani]

5. You're not really safe anywhere

That's the really scary part.

[bicentennial_baby]

6. Exactly...

I mean, Dorcester/Roxbury are incredibly violent places to begin with, but this...This isn't the first hate crime we've had around here in recent years...Check this story out:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/02/03/attack_at_gay_bar_leaves_3_injured/

:(

[Chovexani]

7. Fucking scumbags

Similar crap has gone on for years in NY. You get these asshole guido teens/frat boy types from Long Island and NJ that come into the Village on Saturday night to go faghunting. :puke:

[DarkTirade]

9. And yet if the tables were ever turned

and the bashers ended up getting their asses kicked, I wonder what kind of media attention THAT would get... :\

[Chovexani]

10. It'd go something like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rzkypahxcc

The first "victim" O'Rly mentioned got his ass kicked by a bunch of babydykes after he hit on them and was crude and disgusting toward them.

[DarkTirade]

11. And that's exactly the case I was thinking of.

Only if I recall correctly, he wasn't JUST crude and disgusting towards them... they didn't hit him until he laid a hand on one of them.

[girl gone mad]

13. heartbreaking.

And you're right. I often hear people deluding themselves into believing that bigotry doesn't exist in their liberal haven. It exists everywhere and is often most dangerous in the places where it is hidden.

[cboy4]

12. If this isn't bad enough, I can only imagine those

motherfuckers from Westboro Baptist will be polluting Boston with their presence at his funeral.

So sad.

[Jella]

14. Of course there would

never be a law against protesting at a gay man funeral.

[terrya]

15. My heart always breaks reading about these deaths

And....this sentence leapt out at me:

"Many gays say that in recent years they have felt more vulnerable to harassment, name calling, and assaults, particularly since the same-sex marriage amendment debate in 2004 that put a spotlight on the community and unleashed anger from gay marriage opponents."

Exactly right. These bigots...whether they are shameless opportunists like Mitt Romney or hostile to GLBT people...need to remember that their bigotry has consequences.


My condolences to Daniel Yakovleff and his boyfriend and family.