Hollywood Hate Crime Leaves Gay Man Injured, Stirs Community

http://laist.com/2012/03/19/police_are_investigating_an_alleged.php

Police are investigating an alleged hate crime that occurred early Sunday morning in Hollywood.

Sgt. Sal Ogaz of the LAPD's Hollywood Division told L.A. Now a man was approached by three male aggressors around 1:30am near the intersection of Cahuenga Boulevard and Yucca Street. One of the assailants asked the man if he was gay, and when he said he was, the trio attacked him.

Luckily, a witness intervened, and the suspects fled. The victim took a cab to a nearby hospital and was listed in stable condition.

This sounds awfully familiar, doesn't it, L.A.? In October, three homosexuals were beaten in West Hollywood. The attacks occurred within four days of one another, yet Mayor John Duran was never convinced the attacks were actually targeting gays. Prior to last year's rash of attacks, hate crimes were on the decline in the area.

"It's really sad. These attacks happen way too often in our society," Jake Finney of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center told KABC. "We just had a few attacks last year. There's no signs of hate violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people going away."