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By: ADRIAN BRUNE COMMENTS
 
Fairfax County Police last week launched an extensive search for two men
who allegedly assaulted a gay man after using an Internet chat room to lure
him to a local park.
Police have not yet made any arrests, but are planning to release a sketch
shortly of one of the attackers. Officials subpoenaed www.gaypersonals.com,
the chat room’s host Web site, for account information of one of the attackers.
They also identified the suspects as a Hispanic man with a medium build and
a slender white counterpart, based on information from the victim.
Virginia’s hate crimes statute does not cover sexual orientation, but police
officials have classified the incident as a bias crime. A spokesperson said
detectives have given this case high priority due to the element of coercion.
“I hate to use adjectives, but this was a horrendous assault. We will be pursuing
this to the max,” said officer Bud Walker, the police spokesperson. “The point
that concerns us — beyond the assault — is the fact that one of the perpetrators
enticed his victim, then beat him.
“That is obviously premeditated and very evil,” Walker said.
The 20-year-old victim, whose name police declined to disclose, met his attackers
in the early morning hours of July 23 through www.gaypersonals.com, which bills
itself as an interactive dating community with 1.5 million users.
After exchanging several messages, he agreed to meet the suspects at 2 a.m.
in Jefferson Village Park, just outside of Falls Church, according to the police
report.
At the park, the two men confirmed that the victim was gay, then started to
beat him extensively, Walker said without disclosing details of the assault.
The injured man managed to dial 911 on his cell phone, and the two suspects
fled shortly before police and paramedics arrived.
Officers called to the scene could not locate either suspect in the vicinity
of the park, but questioned the victim as paramedics treated his wounds on
site. Walker said to protect the victim, he could not say whether paramedics
transported the young man to a nearby hospital for follow-up care.
Walker said he is unfamiliar of similar crimes in the area, involving premeditation
and using the Internet as a mechanism of enticing a gay victim. He did say
however, that the police have reason to believe the primary suspect attempted
to carry out similar attacks on other gay men, though they went either unfulfilled
or unrecorded.
Many gay men and lesbians may believe that their visibility equals
their acceptance and safety. Not so, according to the National
Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.
In fact, the total number of anti-LGBT incidents reported
to the NCAVP, increased 8 percent last year, from 1,903 incidents
in 2002 to 2,051 incidents in 2003. The number of offenders
also rose 18 percent, from 2,793 to 3,282.
This could indicate an increase in awareness and reporting,
but with two anti-gay hate crimes occurring in two mid-Atlantic
states this past week, it also means gay people must still
exercise caution in their daily lives.
Here are some tips on how to recognize a potential hate crime
and handle the threatening situation:
- Learn neighborhood danger zones and avoid them: dark parking
lots, alleys, walkways along tall shrubs, walls and fences.
- Move
away from unsafe situations.
- Run! Scream no! Call 9-1-1
- Carry a whistle.
- Be extra aware when leaving lesbian,
gay and transgender bars, restaurants, organizations and
hangouts. Avoid walking
alone when leaving late.
- Know before you go: If
you go home with someone you don’t
know, first introduce him or her to friends, bartenders or
others you do know. On an Internet chat site, investigate
their profile and always meet in a public space for the
first few
times.
- Always exchange names and phone numbers.
- Know your rights: Virginia and Maryland may not designate sexual orientation
and gender identity as protected categories
under their hate crimes law. Both states do officially recognize
bias crimes, however. Delaware includes sexual orientation,
but not gender identity. The District of Columbia protects
all sexual minorities.
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Police said the man specifically opened the account on gaypersonals.com to
engage in gay bashing since it was not active either before or after the night
of the crime.
“He is dumping this account in ...
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