01/02/2007
Masked Gunmen Shoot Six at Chicago "Gay House" Party
Masked gunmen stormed a house on Chicago's south side and shot six men at a party early Sunday morning. The house is known to neighbors as the "gay house" because it has been rented since April by two gay men who reportedly have "raucous parties almost every weekend and many times on other nights of the week" and "flamboyant" visitors.
Police are trying to determine whether or not the shooting can be considered a hate crime, a difficult task as the gunmen were unidentified and did not say anything upon entering.
One neighbor told the Sun-Times: "We always be seeing them, and they always be looking at people. They give you that gay look, like you're a female or something. That ain't cute. People be ready to fight . . . I knew something was going to happen to that house."
Six victims were wounded, two critically, and all were between the ages of 19 and 35. There were approximately 100 people at the party. The gunmen are still at large.
Keith Boykin makes note of the Chicago Woodlawn neighborhood's history. In the early part of the 20th century, white residents were adamant about black residents not moving in until the father of Raisin in the Sun playwright Lorraine Hansberry fought them in court, and won. Boykin laments the current neighborhood's intolerance of its gay and lesbian residents: "What a tragic irony that 50 years after Hansberry and her family fought for the right of blacks to live in that neighborhood that new black residents would challenge the right of black gays and lesbians to continue living there."
6 Gay Black Men Shot at Chicago New Year's Party [rod 2.0]
Six Men Shot at Black Gay House Party [keith boykin]
Posted 10:26 AM EST by Andy in Chicago, Crime, News | Permalink
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fascinating thing i noticed. the trib article mentions NOTHING about the gay aspect of this case or it's investigation as a possible hate crime, whereas it's emphasized in the sun-times article. just drives home the point that you have to know the source of your information (conservative trib vs liberal sun-times).
Posted by: cuiremk | Jan 2, 2007 10:38:28 AM
I be sad to read this happened. I be hoping da police find the killers.
Posted by: Becks07 | Jan 2, 2007 11:20:12 AM
Disgusting. Yet another reason for the Pink Pistols. Seriously, people. Start shooting back.
Posted by: Tread | Jan 2, 2007 11:39:02 AM
You know, it's interesting, I live in San Francisco and people here are always talking about how overtly and covertly racist the predominantly white gay Castro neighborhood is. In fact, a couple years ago, the gay white owner of a very popular bar in the Castro was publicly accused of racially profiling bar patrons by requesting additional forms of ID of Black patrons and ejecting without reason Black patrons inside his bar.
Every time things like this happen, the mostly white activists in the gay community condemn their fellow gay white people for our racism and encourage us to attend community meetings at which we can raise our consciousness about such things and take actions that will protect Black people from racist actions in the future.
We are also asked by our mostly white gay political leaders to support a wide variety of non-gay causes that are important to our "allies" in the Black civil rights movement, including Affirmative Action.
Yet when straight Black people harass and intimidate gay people (including Black gay people) I don't see a similar hue and cry and outpouring of action from their fellow straight African-American civil rights leaders, encouraging their straight Black brethren to acknowledge their homophobia and take community action to prevent such things from happening in the future.
Oh sure, there has been a scattering of straight Black civil rights leaders over the years who have acknowledged gay civil rights: Corretta Scott King most prominently and Jesse Jackson occasionally.
But where are our supposed straight "allies" in the Black civil rights movement when shit goes down like what happened in Chicago in this news article?
Why are white gays and lesbians exhorted to be good "allies" for non-gay issues important to Black people, yet we rarely if even see any reciprocation among the mostly straight African-American leadership of the Black civil rights movement for supporting gay civil rights issues and combating homophobia more generally, both in society in general and within the Black community specifically?
Posted by: LightningLad | Jan 2, 2007 11:59:59 AM
Beck: No one died, thankfully... critically injured doesn't mean "dead".
I grew up in Chicago and the Southside is nothing to fool around with... and gay people know that. Yes, you have a right to live the life you want to live... but when does that infringe on other people's rights... why incite stupid people to violence... and loud queens partying at 5am would get on my nerves, truth be told. Especially the ballroom crowd... they over exaggerate everything... it's all about being seen and noticed. Now, before someone rips me up, let me be clear: NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO INFLICT VIOLENCE ON ANOTHER! It was wrong... but the one thing I learned growing up around the rough and tough boys (black, white, latin or whatever) is don't fuck with them... and they won't mess with you. But Chicago queens can be courageous--bless their souls--but the price may be too high. I lived on the North Side, where the gay ghetto is, and never had a problem. 79th and Woodlawn, where it happened, is no joke... it's straight-up jungle-like at times. We have to be careful, still...
Posted by: CaliNexus | Jan 2, 2007 12:11:12 PM
Short of saying "shoot me," nobody "incites" violence, no matter how loud their parties are. Why even bring that up? The shooters, a missing link in evolution, apparently equates an unfriendly glance with execution. And that animalistic logic will continue as long as black America supports overt homophobia.
Posted by: 000000 | Jan 2, 2007 12:46:26 PM
Lightninglad:
Read this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012101164.html
and this:
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:NbbLXNG0_N4J:rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/al_sharpton/index.html+al+sharpton+gay+rights&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=8&client=firefox-a
(scroll down to January 20 2006)
All I had to do was Google "Al Sharpton gay rights" and found a whole bunch of links that show that the "allies" do exist and are trying to start the change from within the community. And they are targeting the churches since that is where most of the homophobia in the Black community begins. You have to realize that people are working on it, but it IS NOT BEING REPORTED. That's why you don't hear about it. Only when an incident occurs is when you will catch a brief mention of civil rights leaders outrage and work to change things.
But unfortunately honey, you are gonna have to dig for your info. Cause you sure ain't gonna read about it in your morning paper!
Posted by: soulbrotha | Jan 2, 2007 12:59:01 PM
aaahhh... and eloquent comment from obviously very intelligent neighbors.
Posted by: M@ | Jan 2, 2007 2:15:41 PM
Lightningglad, you aren't going to see straight allies condemning the homophobia, because you aren't looking for it. YOu have already came the to the conclusion that it doesn't exist, and nothing will change your mind on the subject.
Besides the names already mentioned, I would like to add Julian Bond, Michael Eric Dyson, and Leonard Pitts Jr. to the role. All have spoken out against homophobia, but you wouldn't know that because it is more important for you to play the game of which race is more homophobic.
Posted by: Cadence | Jan 2, 2007 2:59:34 PM
Chicago is still probably the most segregated city in the U.S.
Do those neighbors sound homophobic?? Duh.
Did all those years on the wrong end of the stick teach the blacks anything about tolerance??
Posted by: damendog | Jan 2, 2007 5:56:14 PM
Mmmm-hmmmm...I know dat's right.
Posted by: Becks07 | Jan 2, 2007 7:43:07 PM
Damendog, all we have to do is look at the rampant racism in the White gay community to see that just because a group is discriminated against that doesn't mean that they will not turn around and discriminate against others.
Posted by: Cadence | Jan 2, 2007 8:36:55 PM
"yet we rarely if even see any reciprocation among the mostly straight African-American leadership of the Black civil rights movement for supporting..."
Hmmm... Perhaps you're looking in the wrong places - The Rev. Joseph Lowery, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference notes that right-wing intolerance leads not only to black church burnings but to gay-bashings as well.
Jesse Jackson should not be so easily dismissed the post civil rights movement may have passed but still he trudges on. As did Mrs King and now her daughter, Yolanda as well as the daughters of Malcom X and Betty Shabazz. Al Sharpton and his cronies have made an all out attack on homophobia in the church as Cornell West and Michael Dyson have in their books.
There are probably as many pro gay civic leaders of color as there are white - you just have to want to see/hear them though it should be said that all people have to travel the same road of enlightenment when it comes to sexuality (and race for that matter) - no one is born fully evolved.
As for San Francisco I would imagine it was in fact the gays of color that began the protest and then others, horrified by the idea of racial selection, (in a gay bar no less) rightfully joined in. You either want to live in a fair and just society with equal opportunties for all or you don't. If you do then you must first be the change you seek to find in the world.
Posted by: Giovanni | Jan 2, 2007 9:11:26 PM
Andy, not to nitpick, but this didn't take place in Woodlawn. keith actually says it's not in Woodlawn in his post. But he needs to make his argument about Hansberry, so he hedges with "nearby".
It's in Grand Crossing. Totally different neighborhood. Woodlawn is at least ten blocks north. Like confusing Chelsea with the West Village. Totally different places.
Posted by: ChicagoPride | Jan 2, 2007 9:39:45 PM
Straighties be living next to me. I always be seeing them, and they always be looking at people. They give you that straight look. That ain't cute.
Posted by: Daniel | Jan 3, 2007 12:13:58 AM
"Police iz trying ta determine whether or not da shooting can be considered uh hate crime, uh difficult task as da gunmen wuz unidentified an' didn say anythin' when hittin' the salad tosserz crib." What the fuck sup now?
Shows how weak hate crime laws iz. Salad tosserz should gots guns. what 'chew thinking man?
Posted by: Dogg | Jan 3, 2007 1:33:03 AM
This is ridiculous. More proof that no matter your race or socio-economic standing, ignorance, intolerance, and hatred make a lethal combination.
Posted by: Dex | Jan 3, 2007 3:53:23 AM
Back in the day a Gay Bash meant homosexuals were somewhere partying like it was 1999. Today it translates into a hate crime. Homosexuals are being targeted, attacked, physically or sexually assaulted, and sometimes even killed often in the name of Christ. Criminals should not be tolerated to use the Prince of Peace as a scapegoat.
What type of person would attack or murder another human being for being (gay) or simply put, being themselves? We're to the point now where we (homosexuals) need a Right to Life task force. Is there nothing the black mega church can do? Hell, we would even settle for a store front church at this point. Where have all the Negroes and whites gone who marched for equal rights and nonviolence? Who will save the gay?
When hate turns to murder everyone should agree we have a huge problem. We walk around everyday with a false sense of security because of alleged homophobes. The term phobia is not ambiguous it means fear of. I do everything in my power to avoid the things or people I fear. I don't hang out around garbage cans late at night waiting for a rat to rear its ugly head then attempt to pounce on it or annihilate it. I move very quickly in the opposite direction when I see a rat. It appears as though I'm running. I've never heard of people who have a fear of flying caught outside shooting down birds, kites, & airplanes.
Therefore, I suggest we stop using the term homophobia; it gives heterosexuals a perceived "escape route" and a justification for the heinous crimes they comment. These are hate crimes, not fear crimes. Lets call these perpetrators what they truly are: cold-blooded killers who are plagued by their own homosexual tendencies and fear being objectified. They don't have the gonads to take their own lives so they take someone else's. Since they don't have the wherewithal to seek professional counseling, they develop a fatal attraction to homosexuals.
Men who kill their wives are not called wifophobic and women who kill their children are not called kidophobic. They are called murderers! We are the ones with the legitimate fear and we are not even graced with the term heterophobic as part of the vernacular to describe how many of us honestly feel. If we wish to attach a label to these hatemongers, then I submit that we replace homophobic with phobichomo (fear of your gay self).
No the men, women, boys and girls who have been murdered are not rappers, but there is no rhyme or reason for the innocent to continually be brutalized and slain. People in this country value and love sports more than they value human life. The life and death of these countless victims will not be in vain.
I'm Benn Setfrey a former (South Side) Chicago Public School teacher and the author of the new controversial advice manual for gay men and the people who hate them "DON'T SHOOT! I'm Coming Out ~ How to Man-Up & Set Heterosexuals Straight."
Posted by: Benn Setfrey | Jan 3, 2007 9:09:49 AM
Hate crime is carried out by ingnorant people. Education is needed on these matters so that people grow up with healthy attitudes.
I live in UK and brought up in a family that was very anti Catholic. At school we had informal chats about religious tolerance and I would guess that has been the main reason to improve matters. Here there are schools that arrange for discussion on gay tolerance.........as and when the matter arises. That is the healthy and most natural way to do it. You americans should be pressing for that freedom for teachers as well as getting rid of the guns and making gun ownership a rare thing. Who the hell needs guns in this life?
Posted by: Charles | Jan 3, 2007 10:36:09 AM
Ooooo, lawdy. I's gwine to go get me a stick and whup some h8'r over da hayd if theys come intuh my house. Mmm-hmmm.
Posted by: Po'kChop | Jan 3, 2007 11:52:13 AM
The racist dialect is not funny. Please stop.
Posted by: soulbrotha | Jan 3, 2007 2:31:20 PM
Did all those years on the wrong end of the stick teach the blacks anything about tolerance??
One could say the same thing about the stupid gay white people on this board . God, look at the racism here. I was wondering how many comments it would take for the fake ebonics to come out. Men are dead and it's a joke to people. It's disgusting.
Posted by: Why? | Jan 4, 2007 8:29:25 AM
Why you sayin i's got to change my way o writin? You a H8R!!!! Damn...
Posted by: Po'KChop | Jan 4, 2007 12:13:57 PM
Fuck you, Porkchop.
Posted by: Why? | Jan 5, 2007 5:35:29 PM
Why is it when a segment of the African-American population butchers common english language white people are not supposed to notice it or heaven forbid make a comment about it? Somehow I don't think when Dr. King fought for equal education in the early 60's he did so for people to use "be" as a verb!
As far as this incident is concerned, if you take sexuality and skin color out of the situation you have a house full of obnoxious people bothering the neighborhood with their all-night antics. Someone finally couldn't put up with it anymore and took it upon themselves to nip it in the bud. Since the house is located in a rough
neigborhood, what would you expect? It's too bad people were shot, maybe next time they'll be more considerate of their neighbors.
Posted by: Greg S. | Jan 8, 2007 12:23:36 AM
Yo, don't be h8in! Mmm-hmmm, ah know dat's right!
Posted by: Wutupdawg | Feb 16, 2007 3:27:21 PM