Beaten for being gay

PORTAGE, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A Portage teen has a skull fracture and other injuries after he was attacked and beaten up last week.



He says he was beaten because he's gay.



15-year-old Steven Harmon was hanging out with a friend when he says two 17-year-olds attacked him in the parking lot at Walnut Trail Apartments.



Harmon's friend helped fight off the attackers.

















http://www.wwmt.com/articles/mich-1365900-0in-newschannel.html

this is right near me

the need for Hate Crimes laws.

This must be a very rural area...i'm guessing.

altho kalamazoo is right next to portage mi...and has a lot of progressive people in it...

that's damn nearly murder. You have to hit someone pretty freaking hard to fracture their skull. A punch in the fact can fracture the cheekbone (the zygomatic process, which qualified as skull) but even so, when you swing at someone's head, you're swinging at their brain. They should be charged with attempted murder.

The sad part is it's the fear of their own weakness (when being gay is perceived as being weak) that the older boys thought they were attacking - and all that crap is handed down from the parents, from the church, and from FOX news.

I hope so. Stay strong, Steven!

:kick:



ETA, from HRC:

Michigan Hate Crimes Law
Gender identity protected? No
No provision of Michigan hate crime law explicitly addresses gender-motivated violence. MCL § 28.257a (2002); MCL § 750.147b (2002).

Sexual orientation protected? No
Under Michigan law there is no separate cause of action for victims of sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes. Michigan requires that the chief of police of each city, village, county, or township and the sheriff of each county must report information related to crimes motivated by prejudice or bias based on sexual orientation. MCL § 28.257a (2002). The ethnic intimidation penalty enhancement law extends to "race, color, religion, gender or national origin." MCL § 750.147b (2002).
http://www.hrc.org/your_community/1082.htm

Hope Michigan can get this changed. :hi:

Good ol, all American boys just bein' boys an all. Puke.

:kick: