(07-02-2015 09:52 PM)UConn-SMU Wrote:  

(07-02-2015 09:46 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(07-02-2015 06:52 PM)BEARCATDALE Wrote:  

(07-01-2015 10:15 AM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  Sure, the guy who lynched Shepard was Mormon, but that was the only violent outburst (admittedly spectacularly outrageous) I can remember from them.

Doesn't mean that bias crimes don't exist in the IM West (actually I was attacked in Colorado years ago - I fought them off) but this case didn't seem to fit the profile of this type of crime.

Are you referring to Matthew Shepard? From what I recall, that story was misrepresented as well. ABC news story and The Book of Matt present alternative views.

Also, not trying to bring up past pain for you, but how did you fight them off in your instance? Concealed carry? Strong words? Others with you? Just curious so others can also stop this from happening.

It wasn't a meth deal. What happened to Shepard was accurately portrayed as the mainstream media reported it.

Physical force. I'm small but in shape and stronger than I look. My dad taught me how to fight. While my family was prominent, my dad did take civil rights cases, which could cause problems for the kids growing up in Alabama in the 70's. Not from polite society, but every once in a while, there'd be some trash from The Odore or North Mobile County that would come after us. He and I both know how to use guns but both really don't like being around them. Mine wasn't a Shepard case, but rather the case of some local morons looking to get their rocks off by rolling some queers.

I'm sorry you went through that. I've always been against gay marriage, but it never even occurred to me to go "roll some queers". Why would anyone do that? That's a mental disorder, and I'm not using hyperbole.

To be honest, the scarring from that wasn't really that bad for me. I was more embarrassed that I didn't go to the cops because I was legitimately afraid that I would lose my job if I did press charges and my employer at the time found out I was gay. This was before the Oncale decision. It did have a good outcome. I printed up some resumes and marched up Smith Street on a couple lunch breaks and got a much better job with a much less anti-Gay company. Never worked for an anti-Gay company again. I realized that I was lucky to have the education I did. And that others probably had a lot less ability to deal with BS than I did. My God, that first company I worked for was awful. 80 hour weeks. Overt homophobic taunting over corporate emails. And the worst thing was...I wasn't even "out", but simply not hiding.