(no subject)

[bubosquared]

This was just forwarded to me by Linz:

Lesbian teen slashed with razor blades in Denver

A 17-year-old girl in Denver is recovering from an attack Tuesday by four men who used razor blades to carve gay slurs into her arms and abdomen, Denver's KMGH Channel 7 reports. The word dyke was cut into April Mora's forearm, and the initials R.I.P. were cut into her abdomen. Mora said the four men, all of whom she described as being about 18 years old, started to harass her as she was walking down the street on Tuesday. "I was looking at [their car], and they said, 'Look at that dyke.' And I guess I looked at them in the wrong way," Mora said. "[They were] calling me a dyke and [saying], 'Why were you looking at me like this?' and I was lucky that they didn't rape me." Mora said she believes she was attacked because of her sexual orientation. "I don't look like a girl," she said. Police have no suspects in the attack. Colorado is one of 20 states that do not include sexual orientation as a protected category in their hate-crimes statutes.

Remind me why I insist on thinking the best of humanity?

Comments

[gal-montag.livejournal.com]

Colorado is notorious for such lack of protection. Ever hear of Amendment 2?

I should know, I live there.

However, in the interest of the ever slowly grinding gears of the just-us system. That particular crime is still being investigated and there are some questions about whether it was an attack or not because the victim has apparently changed her story several times.

Not to say, though, that if they're going to bother with hate crime legislation (which I think is overkill, if you kill, or beat, or rape someone it isn't because you like them. All violent crime is a hate crime. They should just institute harsher penalites rather than adding another level to the law.) it's an all or nothing endeavor.

Re:

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

That's actueally a good point. I'm not sure how I feel about the principle of hate crimes , but if you're (generic you) going to have that principle, it should apply to *all* hate crimes, not just the ones based on race, and not on sexuality, or vice versa.