03/18/2008
Brutal Hate Crime at Bar Near Rochester, New York
A Spencerport, New York man is recovering after a brutal hate attack in a Rochester-area bar on March 7:
"According to Ogden police, Lance Neve, 26, was with his partner, Osbert Maldonado, 28, of Rochester, and another friend at Snuggery's Bar in Spencerport the night of March 7. They allegedly were subjected to derogatory comments throughout the night from Jesse D. Parsons, 24, of Spencerport. About 1 a.m. on March 8, Parsons apparently asked to shake Neve's hand because he had never shaken a gay man's hand, said Ogden police Investigator Scott Okolowicz. Neve refused, and Parsons then allegedly grabbed Neve and beat him up. When police arrived, Neve was unconscious. He was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for a fractured skull, nose, left eye socket and upper jaw bone and blood on the brain, Okolowicz said."
Here's a news report of Neve talking about the attack.
Neve's attacker turned himself in to police on Sunday: "Jesse D. Parsons, 24, faces a designated hate crime second-degree assault charge. He was arraigned Sunday and remanded to the Monroe County Jail on $30,000 bond and $15,000 cash bail. If Parsons is convicted of a hate crime, he would face a more severe sentence."
Said Neve: "I'm actually kind of thankful that he turned himself in too. It's a relief on my part. Mentally, I've just been on a roller coaster. For me it was kind of scary just even walking through town wondering if he could be there. There ain't enough jail time in the world that will ever heal what he did to me."
Bar assault called hate crime [deomcrat & chronicle]
Spencerport man faces possible hate charge in alleged beating [democrat & chronicle]
Hate crime victim talks about the attack [whec]
Hate crime victim reacts to arrest [whec]
Posted 8:55 AM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, Gay Slurs, New York | Permalink
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OMG. I used to live 1/2 mile from that bar.
The Rochester area is a fairly progressive place; but this shows there is still a lot of work to do. And, that hate crimes legislation is needed nationally.
Posted by: but this | Mar 18, 2008 9:34:47 AM
Sad these type of occurrences are still happening. If I was there I would have brutally beaten Jesse Parson as he was trying to beat up Lance...to the point of handicapping or causing brain damage
Posted by: sad | Mar 18, 2008 10:21:20 AM
Uh what did the rest of the people in the bar do... watch, or did they just critique the clothes the attacker was wearing?
The more I hear stories like this, the more I'd like to take a self-defense course of some sort. That way, I could pound to shit any guy that decided to pound on me or someone else when I was around.
Posted by: Wade | Mar 18, 2008 11:55:52 AM
It makes me sad that 3 gay men (the victim, his partner and a friend) felt so helpless against a single attacker that one of them ended up in the hospital. Just once I would like to see someone pick on a gay guy and get his ass kicked.
Posted by: JJ | Mar 18, 2008 12:34:52 PM
Perhaps the news media is covering these attacks on gays more than in the past, but it seems as if attacks against gays are increasing and become much more violent.
I often wonder if "hate crime legislation" really works.
What do we do about the bile spewing from the mouths of "christian" leaders like Rod Parsely, John Hagee or James Dobson? They claim they are simply expressing their "deeply-held spiritual beliefs based on biblical principles".
If we denounce them, we are accused of "anti-christian bigotry" and they get a free pass to continue spreading their vile lies about gay people.
Are we past the point of thinking that educating people about the reality of gay and lesbian people and our lives is the best counterweight to the relentless, hateful propagandizing of the venal right-wing?
Surely, "hate crimes" legislation is needed. However, there is always Rod Parsley and John Hagee, et al, screaming at their congregations that "hate crimes" legislation is simply "radical gays" forcing "a gay agenda" on "god-fearing christians" to take away a christian's right to freedom of speech so they can criticize homosexuality as an "evil abomination".
As the economy worsens and America continues to slide into the economic abyss caused by eight years of Republican misrule, all those good christians who somehow have not been able to master the "prosperity gospel" and get on the "god gravy-train" are going to be looking for scape-goats.
You had better believe that gays and lesbians are going to be prime targets for blame. After all, if god promises you riches and success (according to these snake-oil salesmen's interpretations) and you ain't gettin' none, well, it ain't because you got no faith. It's because god has removed his blessing from America because America has tolerated homosexuals.
The next logical step in that thought process is to go out and either beat up or kill some queers for christ.
Posted by: mike | Mar 18, 2008 1:07:07 PM
@ Mike: I agree. They'll be looking for a scape goat and I don't plan on being here. I plan on getting my ass to a country that is gay friendly and prosecutes hate crimes nor allows hate speech. I'm still shopping around at this point, but I'm definitely leaving. I don't plan on being herded onto the cattle car wearing a pink triangle.
Posted by: Wheezy | Mar 18, 2008 1:15:31 PM
What are the odds that Parsons was A) Drunk and B) Questioning his own sexuality?
Posted by: anon | Mar 18, 2008 2:04:23 PM
What were the other two doing? If this were me or a friend of mine, I'd beat the shit out of that guy.
Posted by: JLS | Mar 18, 2008 4:11:23 PM
I live in Spencerport and have not seen much of this very disturbing crime in local media. Thanks to Andy for posting it.
Rochester has always been fairly progressive, but there obviously still is a lot of backwards thinking in these outer areas.
It will be interesting to see how this proceeds in court. Probably will be a drunken neanderthal defense...
Posted by: Bill | Mar 18, 2008 5:34:50 PM
I'm with you, Anon, Strike back and strike back hard. These random bashings need both exposure and a response. If it were my friend, I'd be raging on that thug. I wish the victim a speedy recovery.
Posted by: deanpaul1 | Mar 18, 2008 9:41:54 PM
Hate crimes often increase during periods of progress. The troglodytes and closet cases feel more threatened, so they strike out. It's similar to the right wing working so hard to create constitutional amendments on marriage--they're threatened by our progress. Crossing my fingers that the next election goes left, or we're out of here too.
Posted by: David R. | Mar 19, 2008 3:06:01 AM
I'd bet my gay ass Jesse D. Parsons is a closeted self-loathing homosexual. This type of person makes me sick! I hope he gets jail time so he can get raped, a lot!
Posted by: Jake | Mar 19, 2008 3:38:05 AM
Same here, Wheezy. I've been checking out exile also. Sad to think that any of us might have to abandon our land of birth just to survive, but it may get to that. Either that, or stay here and fight the bastards to the death.
Posted by: mike | Mar 19, 2008 12:33:32 PM
I urge everyone to rent (or buy!) the film "For the Bible tells me so" a superb video on the crazy religious folks and the many gay men and women who are saying 'enough of the church led hatred" Bishop John Shelby Spong also wrote a wonderful book that tells you what the bible REALLY says about all the crap the right wing spews when they quote bible verse. His book is called "Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism: a Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture" I'm not religious, but this is a SUPERB tool when talking to religious folk :)
Posted by: Ian in Toronto | Mar 23, 2008 10:59:59 PM
This is all a nightmare i still have visions of the morning i had to go see lance. i hope jesse gets the shit beat out of him. im glad that he is such a strong person.and soon jesse will get his!
Posted by: Sherbear | Mar 18, 2009 10:37:21 AM