08/04/2006
Young, Evil in New Mexico: Scaring a Gay Man Straight
More on the gay bashing that took place over the weekend in New Mexico.
Three men who kidnapped and beat a gay man and his female friend for hours last weekend following a party at a mobile home reportedly told police they were "going to scare him straight."
After being harassed about his sexuality at the party, the young man, whose name has not been released at the family's request, tried to leave the party. They were stopped and taken to the trailer where the gay man was tied up and beaten until sunrise.
KRQE Albuquerque reports that "when others left the party and one of the suspects fell asleep is when the victim says he was able to get a phone and call his mother. His mother came and picked him up and took him to the hospital."
Said an ACLU spokeswoman: "They were so hostile and so angry at the fact he was gay that they decided that beating this man almost to death was justified, which is crazy."
Police have arrested 21-year-old William York (left) and are still searching for Leroy Segura (right). Another minor has been arrested as well. The minor's mother told police that her son couldn't have beaten him because he was gay since they have "gay people in the family."
And whose family has received threats since the attacks? The victim's family.
Sickening.
Police: Three beat gay man to 'scare him straight' [kobtv]
Night of Beatings Labeled Hate Crime [krqe]
Previously
Gay Man Tortured, Beaten for Hours in New Mexico [tr]
Posted 8:55 AM EST by Andy in Crime, New Mexico, News | Permalink
Comments
wow, seems the progressive southwest is not so progressive anymore (q.v. san diego stories)
Posted by: CriticlRN | Aug 4, 2006 9:21:22 AM
This is the result of an outmoded yet persistent ideology that gay people are somehow separate from the rest of society, and therefore should be punished or, in this case, corrected. Gay rights oponents argue that homosexuality is a destructive and hostile force that threatens to destabilize and destroy their way of life. How many gays do you see beating the shit out of them? How many hate crimes a year do gays commit against straight people? And we're the hostile ones. We're the threat. Unbelievable.
Posted by: Ben | Aug 4, 2006 9:58:38 AM
Thank you, George Bush and Log Cabin Republikkkans for teaching stupid children that gay people are second-class citizens and threats to America.
Thank you, Republikkkans, for demonizing gay people.
Posted by: bambambam | Aug 4, 2006 10:03:33 AM
Those freakishly big ears on Segura make him look a little bit like a French bulldog, only not nearly as cute. They will also come in handy for the other inmates to hang on to when they're orally raping him.
Posted by: Brian | Aug 4, 2006 10:15:45 AM
Brian-hilarious.
I'm sorry, but I only hope that he gets only a mouthfull. I'm thinking another orifice is more welcoming in his case.
These guys are scum (period).
Posted by: Andrew | Aug 4, 2006 10:19:59 AM
They look like poster children for in-breeding.
Posted by: ams | Aug 4, 2006 10:26:29 AM
I have many wonderful latino friends.
BUT, expect more of this with the influx of illegal latino imigrants. Latinos are catholic (not somewhat more progressive though still backwards american catholic...but dark ages no birth control etc catholic). they also are coming from countries which are notoriously homophobic.
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Aug 4, 2006 10:39:24 AM
PS. at least on of the San diego bashers is also Latino
Expect more bashing with the influx of dark ages catholic very homophobic latinos
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Aug 4, 2006 10:42:53 AM
God Bless the USA. Home of ignorant trash, freedom fries, Republikkkan neo-Nazi's, gas-guzzling SUV's, fat red-necks and Bible thumping zealots. Living with ignorant trash makes me, Cory, proud to be an American... I'm moving to Canada...
Posted by: Cory | Aug 4, 2006 10:43:14 AM
When these types of violent bashings are reported I read lots of opinions blaming the system, the current administration, the religious right. I think all of those factors are relevent. But when young men express such anger and rage and revulsion, I have to think that more is going on internally with these kids than just "messages" from society. My own personal view is that they are fucked up closet cases. But another possibility is that these young men were sexually abused. It is more frequent than is generally known and would explain (not excuse) the rage factor.
Posted by: mark | Aug 4, 2006 10:45:21 AM
Jimmy Boyd:
Thanks for telling us who have wonderful latino friends. Any other friends you want to gove a shout out to?
Posted by: James | Aug 4, 2006 10:59:25 AM
gove=give
Posted by: James | Aug 4, 2006 11:16:05 AM
I'm sorry-as much as these cases have horrified me (and believe me, they have)-should we really be writing here that we can't wait for them to be raped in prison and we wish someone would beat the shit out of them. Should be be stereotyping a race (latinos)?
Because if that's the case-what makes us any better than them?
I am not saying I know the answer, but I don't think more violence is it.
Posted by: Jeni | Aug 4, 2006 11:47:52 AM
Please don't make me go on the prison rape rant again. Just reference the comment section connected to the story about the bald man arrested for the San Diego bashing. That will save me time, aggravation and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 4, 2006 12:19:38 PM
Jimmy:
Leroy Segura may have a latino surname but his behavior is about as American as chop suey. Gaybashing comes in all colors, nationalities, and body odors.
As Zeke explained to me yesterday, it takes a strong, thinking person to understand that rehabilitation is more important than punishment. I must be a weak ass bitch 'cause I want these two savages punished.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Aug 4, 2006 12:20:55 PM
Jimmyboyo,
Your comments were just plain stupid.
Posted by: Ric | Aug 4, 2006 1:07:30 PM
I agree with Ric.
Posted by: Chad | Aug 4, 2006 1:28:31 PM
Zeke: See the goofy comments above by BamBam and Cory and you'll see what I was talking about.
Posted by: Joe T. | Aug 4, 2006 2:40:03 PM
"Thank you, George Bush and Log Cabin Republikkkans for teaching stupid children that gay people are second-class citizens and threats to America."
And Exodus International for propagating the myth that gays can change.
Posted by: Anonymous | Aug 4, 2006 2:45:14 PM
Instead of you all jumping on Jimmy Boyd, why don't you argue with him reasonably? Maybe he's right. Just because he's politically incorrect doesn't mean he might not be speaking statistical fact.
Posted by: Joe T. | Aug 4, 2006 2:47:12 PM
Hey anonymous- Was Bush the president when Matthew Shepard was beaten?
Posted by: Joe T. | Aug 4, 2006 2:48:42 PM
JoeT. said, "Zeke: See the goofy comments above by BamBam and Cory and you'll see what I was talking about".
Dammit, I knew this was coming. What pisses me off about this is, all I can say in response to Joe is, “Touché”. Some people make inappropriately broad claims without offering specifics, like I did yesterday, to back up their theory. I acknowledge that. It doesn’t mean that their premise is necessarily 100% inaccurate; it just means that they haven’t backed up their claims with facts. But in this particular case Joe, I’ll give you this one. But don’t expect me to make this a habit! ;)
Derrick, my friend, let me clarify what I said yesterday. I never said that these guys shouldn’t be punished. Quite to the contrary; I said that they SHOULD be punished to the full extent of the LAW. However, prison rape, while it may seem just in exacting revenge, is not lawful and is not effective in criminal rehabilitation, which should be the primary goal and purpose of all punishment. Remember, regardless of their sentence and regardless of what happens to them in prison, they will be released back into the public someday. I would personally prefer a rehabilitated and educated ex-con to an even more angry, more homophobic ex-con who feels an even greater desperation to establish and prove his masculinity, manhood and heterosexuality.
My other point was to state the fact that perpetrators of violence on the streets are most often the perpetrators of violence within the prison system. These guys are more likely to victimize other young, weak, gay, petty criminals than they are likely to be victims themselves.
The greatest test of a person’s (or society’s) civility, as opposed to their animal instincts, is found in how they treat their most heinous criminals.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 4, 2006 3:20:07 PM
When I said, "like I did yesterday" I was referring to how I attempted to back up my claims of a correlation between certain acts of violence and political/religious rhetoric. I intentionally offered no exclusion to which political party's rhetoric or which religion's or denomination's rhetoric was influenced such behavior because I believe that you could find examples of anti-gay, inciteful rhetoric among ALL them. However, it seems clear to me that certain political and religious groups, more than others, have made this rhetoric, part and parcel of their platform, dogma and doctrine. I don’t think any reasonable person could deny that.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 4, 2006 3:29:47 PM
condemn me if you want
But a simple fact is that Latin countries are horridly and notoriously homophobic. Staunch back waters dark ages catholic. You take people from those countries flooding across our borders and what do you get?
Call me names if you want, but common sense dictates that a rise in bashing will occur because of the growing latino community within america.
Is that the only cause? NO. Nothing is ever 1 thing.
Is it a large cause? YES
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Aug 4, 2006 4:46:12 PM
PS Just look at the pics of the guys in the article. Both LATINO
open your eyes
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Aug 4, 2006 4:47:28 PM
Zeke: Of course you are absolutely right, and in the long run your view is right for any "civilized" society. But sometimes I wonder if there are some human creatures who are simply evil. How they got that way is important, but the results of their actions are catastrophic, you know that. The damage they do to other human beings, the ending of lives, the physical and psychological mutilations, the anguish and feeling of helplessness for those lives they've devastated. Can they ever really understand what harm they done?
I guess there are a lot of liberals and leftists who consider ourselves compassionate on every issue, except when it comes to perpetrators of violent crime. Is that what they call a "Charles Schumer Democrat"?
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Aug 4, 2006 4:51:14 PM
Joe T.,
Statistically, many latinos are raised catholic, not homophobic or ignorant. Jimmy Boyd's comments seemed more ignorant and generalized than statistical. Latinos are not the only people with homophobic tendencies. A person shouldn't really preface a racist post with a statement like "I have many Latino friends BUT"... Do those friends know how you feel about them? I'm saying he should check his facts before saying something stupid. Is that reasonable enough?
Posted by: Ric | Aug 4, 2006 4:53:30 PM
jimmy, yeah I'm sure you have "a lot of latino friends". you're an idiot.
Posted by: Ric | Aug 4, 2006 4:55:14 PM
PC
If we had an influx of arab immigrants flooding across our borders i would say the same thing about them.
You take a staunch dark ages religion and notorious homphobia. (GO to a latin country and try to be out and proud you numb nut, and see what happens.)and that is what you get.
It has nothing to do with latino race being homophobic. It has to do with religion and culture. The same would be true if arabs were flooding across our borders. Or even africans from the more catholic african nations.
Take your head out of your ass.
Use your brain
1+1=2
1 staunch backwaters catholic (make american catholics look liberal)
1 notorious homophobia in said countries (again i state. Go try and be out and proud in a latin america country)
= with large amounts flooding across the borders you are going to get their more homophobic view and the bashing that comes with it
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Aug 4, 2006 4:58:26 PM
1+1=2
use your brains
You will see more and more latino faces in these reports of bashing.
You will see more and more bashers turning out to be latino.
It will take time to change this. A generation or 2 to indoctrinate them. Co-opt them into a more liberal catholic view point and a less homophobic world view.
We have it easy in america.
Don't believe me then take your PC butt to a latin american country and try to be out and proud.
Numb nut
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Aug 4, 2006 5:01:04 PM
yawn... oh sorry, don't give a shit anymore. thanks anyway. go be a dummy somewhere else.
Posted by: Ric | Aug 4, 2006 5:03:24 PM
Are you seriously asking me to argue against a point that claims because of the influx of illegal latino immigrants, gay bashing is going to be on the uprise and because they MIGHT be Catholic?
Are you stating that there are white and black Catholics lying in wait to bash us and we just don't know it?
Matthew Shepard's killers were neither Latino nor religious.
None of Kevin Aviance's attackers were Latino.
While there have been gay bashing in California, such as the incident in Riverside, we have a huge latin community in California.
I just don't see the logic here.
Where does it state that these attackers were illegal immigrants? Did I miss something?
Posted by: Chad | Aug 4, 2006 5:06:35 PM
Oh please, who is to blame for this? - the attackers period. Even with all sorts of influenece, they (must likely) are the ones who committed this horrible act.
Now, if they get community service like the other a**holes who beat up 2 guys in N.M because they were gay and white, you in N.M. better stand up for yourselves this time and make sure your voices are heard throughout the world!!!
Posted by: Mike | Aug 4, 2006 5:46:36 PM
Jimmy,
You really need to get over your self. Go have this conversation with your Latino friends.
Posted by: James | Aug 4, 2006 6:39:57 PM
Jimmmy Boyd : Why do people think you wouldn't have a lot of Latino friends yet still think Latinos aren't more homophobic than the average Caucasian? For all they know: Maybe you learned from those Latino friends, from the stories they told you about homophobia where they came from, in their own countries and communities. Anyway, I'm not saying I agree with all your points, I'm just supporting your right to suggest what you see as a possibility without having to have all these guys attacking you with hostility (which you're still going to get from a certain segment of gay activists who think they're supposed to be aligned with every other "minority" community).
Posted by: Joe T. | Aug 4, 2006 6:52:20 PM
Folks..their are many reasons for this incident and the one in SD and so many more. Yesterday the N.M. guy was blamed because he didn't live in a sophisticated city like NYC (never mind that at 18 and living in poverty being 'Fabulous' like Amanda Lepour might not be an option). Today it's because the attackers are Latin (because that fits with someones anti-immigration rant). Also, today, the internalized self-hatred of hoping for prison rape is the solution. Some of the un PC points are true...we all know that. Poor people tend to victimize violently. Poverty is the likely point of blame. So is the ongoing self-induced shame of being 'gay'. Maybe instead of spending 'our' money on Republican friends like Mary Bono (see...everyone has an axe to grind..and she and the HRC's endorsement is mine) the HRC could lead the fight in trying to educate ALL of us. Instead of fighting amongst ourselves, maybe it's time we start acting like a community and stop accepting shit like this. I've been vocal lately bitching about this site's lack of seriousness. Well....I thank god and Andy for this site now. This is the only place I've read about these incidents, and to my way of thinking that's almost the biggest crime (obviously not counting the horror to those individuals). Who's written to their local papers or to the other news agencies? Who's written to the HRC asking where the press coverage is? Who's contacted their congressmen, senators, governors et al saying THIS is what you get when you pander to the right? Nobody here is 'wrong' because of an opinion....well....personally I think advocating rape (no matter who or what the crime) is pretty damn close...but what do we expect? What really are we doing about it. Towleroad has done an amazing service to us. It's now our turn, as individuals. Anything less makes us complicit. Simple as that. If we do nothing more than read this and continue on as if that's enough..well, then who needs latinos or white trash or Santorum to skapegoat.
Posted by: psmike | Aug 4, 2006 8:11:53 PM
Joe T,
I can tell you why I doubt Mr. Jimmy Boyd. He resorted to the tired cliche of "some of my best friends are Latino." Why did he feel a need to share that line? If he wanted to make a comment about homophobia in the Latino community (which by the way is a rather diverse group: ask the Cuban-Americans in Miami if Domincan-Americans are their brothers and sisters?), he could have done so, offered some proof, and moved on. Instead he offers nothing in terms of proof! Here is what the Pew Research says about Latinos and gay marriage:
"By comparison, seculars, white Catholics, white mainline Protestants, and Hispanics have become increasingly open to the idea of legalized gay and lesbian marriage. Opposition to gay marriage among white mainline Protestants dropped from 63% seven years ago to 44% today. White Catholic opposition also dropped 19 points (from 60% to 41%) over this same time period. Even among seculars, who were more supportive of gay marriage than most other groups in 1996, there is less opposition today: 46% opposed gay marriage in 1996, compared with only 30% who do so now. And while most Hispanics (54%) oppose gay marriage, this is somewhat lower than in 1996 (64%)."
Here is the link: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=725
So since the mid 1990's more Latinos are in favor of gay marriage. Yeah there is more work to do, but why doesn't Jimmy include any of this complexity in his rant?
peace
Posted by: James | Aug 4, 2006 10:46:24 PM
You know, I'm just not in the mood when I read this story to think about why these little violent creeps did their dirty work. I suppose that might make for interesting discourse, but it seems to me that our concern should be for that young 18 year old man who was tortured all night simply because he was gay. THAT is our community's first responsibility.
Frankly, I'd much prefer doing the same thing to those three assholes right now - and they deserve it...they earned it. In the meantime, just what are we supposed to do with a young gay man who was terrorized within an inch of his life over and over and over again? Can any of us even imagine the kinds of thoughts that went through his mind during that whole long ordeal? The kind of numbing fear that must have gripped him that this might be the end of his life?
And then to read about HIS family getting threatening phone calls? What kind of crap is that...should we just order up some nice therapy for the phone callers here? I'm sorry - but when something gets to a point where your very life is in danger, you don't respond with pleasant conversation about how to best protect the perpetraters. If they get their asses thrown in prison and find out that others might just bully them back - well geez - didn't they choose that little path for themselves?
I would much rather concentrate on trying to find out if there is anything we can do for the victim and his family. Anything to make them feel a little less afraid, a little less isolated, a little less afraid to go to sleep at night and remember that horrific nightmare. I just can't fathom what that young man went through - nor the young woman with him - but this is a rather life-changing event, don't you think? I'd rather wonder if there is some way we could take up a small collection...send him flowers through the police department...somehow make him know that there are others out here who are thinking about what happened to him.
How easy would it have been for this to end up just like Matt Shepard? How much more would this have taken for these three to have tied him out to some fencepost and left to die? I would like to think that we think of him first.
Then we need to watch the court system like a hawk during this trial - and demand the maximum punishment for this crime. And let this judicial system know that we are ALL going to watch to make sure that happens.
Posted by: Kevin | Aug 5, 2006 12:52:03 AM
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