DU member: "I'm an open homophobe"...THIS is what you are associating with

[Bluebear]

"If you think I'm disgusting, I can handle it. I doubt I'll lose much sleep."

For those of you sellouts who make or defend this kind of statement, (made earlier this evening at DU) and make lame "free speech" arguments in support of it, and make "thought police" arguments in opposition to hate crimes bills which will include GLBT citizens which our Democratic representatives are planning to enact... GO TO HELL, and I don't care if this IS the "ORIGINAL THREAD" to discuss it in.... the blood of Andrew Anthos may as well be on YOUR hands if you fit into any of the above categories and fucking SHAME ON YOU.



Andrew Anthos


Michigan state Sen. Hansen Clarke, who knew the slain Andrew Anthos through his efforts to light the Capitol dome, said Tuesday he will reintroduce a bill in coming days to include sexual orientation in Michigan's hate crimes law.

"He lived in my district and he was murdered in my district," Clarke told Gay.com on Tuesday.

"Because Andrew was such a patriot, because he loved this country so much and the state of Michigan so much, his death can have some impact."

Anthos, a 72-year-old gay man whose great dream was to light the Michigan State Capitol dome in red, white and blue each Fourth of July, was helping a wheelchair-bound friend through the snow when a fellow bus rider irked with his singing, spouting gay slurs, bludgeoned him from behind with a metal pipe. Anthos lingered, paralyzed from the neck down, for 10 days before dying.

A big crowd is expected at Tuesday's visitation and Wednesday's funeral in Center Line, Mich., which is being funded by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 at the Ford Funeral Home, 26560 Van Dyke, Center Line, Mich. 48015. Condolences to Anthos' family, care of his niece, Athena Fedenis, can be sent to the same address.

[blonndee]

1. So very sad.

Homophobia has very real consequences for real people.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

10. yes.

my best friend in the whole world is a petite lesbian. on one hand, she's tough as nails . . . but i'm starting to fear for her, living in a country that is as crazy and polarized as this.

i've seen one instance of mob behavior in teenagers, a nasty fight--i live two blocks from a high school. the whole mood seems to be ugly right now.

[Bonobo]

2. Bluebear, we are with you! We stand beside you! We support your rights!

There are 100,000 people on this site. ONE PERSON said this. Get your perspective a little straightened out.

I understand how you can get upset when you read something on-line that upsets you. Those lines on a screen start to look awfully monolothic after a while.

I myself, have totally flown off the handle when I read Japan-bashing (my hot button issue).

But you can't let ONE PERSON on DU get to you that bad! Come on! You are among friends. Relax.

[MadMaddie]

3. Attacking a 72 year old straight or gayman because he was singing

this is a pathetic crime.

RIP Mr. Andrew Anthos

[marmar]

4. As a Michiganian and, well, a human, this story is just so extra upsetting...

And it starts with those gay jokes in school. When it goes unchecked, this is what it can ultimately lead to.
And in some states, elected officials don't even think LGBTQ residents aren't even deserving of hate crimes protection: In other words, it's open season.
I cannot believe I live in a country where this kind of bullshit still happens, and even more tragically, is still legally tolerated.

[EST]

13. Worse yet-at least for a while, it's going to get even worse.

The rabid right wing and their homophobic oral diarrhea have laid claim to everything in sight as their own special purview will start getting panicky when someone claims their own rights.

Humans are sometimes such amazing, disgusting creatures.

[kiahzero]

5. Caring about the Constitution makes one a murderer?

Hate crimes statutes are fine, as intent is already something that's regulated (anyone who disagrees simply needs to look up the term "mens rea"), but hate speech laws are unconstitutional content-based discrimination.

It sucks, but the alternative sucks more. :shrug:

[Bluebear]

9. You think the murderer was only guilty of hate speech?

And DU members who proclaim that they are proud homophobes should be embraced here? Hell no.

[kiahzero]

14. You said those who care about free speech have blood on our hands.

The murderer, by definition, was guilty of, well, murder. I agree that the law should be changed to make such crimes have harsher penalties via a hate crimes statute.

However, I strongly reject the claim that defenders of free speech have "blood on our hands."

[walldude]

15. Well this person was not a victim of Hate Speech, he was murdered

and if you are talking about regulating speech on DU well then you need to remember that DU is a PRIVATE WEB SITE, and is not bound by the constitution to allow hate speech. Also if you think "mens rea" is actually followed then why aren't Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin and Pat Robertson who have all advocated the murder of people (not to mention actually convinced a guy to mail fake anthrax to Olberman and John Stewart) in jail right now?

[JackBeck]

17. How would you define burning a cross on an African American's front lawn?

Beyond trespassing and arson? Isn't that a hate crime?

No one is prosecuting thought processes.

[JackBeck]

6. Thank you, Bluebear.

Your persistent activism is always an inspiration.

[Colobo]

7. RIP

What a terrible HATE crime... we can only hope justice is served...

[salin]

8. I have read many stories about Anthos...

nice to see his pic. Strikes my heart deeply that it is only in his death that so many folks (myself included) have been introduced to him and come to his support. Far too late. :cry:

[Bluebear]

11. A lovely tribute page:

http://www.danielpwilliford.com/2007/02/andrew-anthos.html

[shadowknows69]

12. I'm behind you 100%

there is no excuse for the hate.

[Horse with no Name]

16. It was appalling

I didn't even venture into the replies once I read the OP.

[Fenris]

18. Locking.

This post is calling out several members with whom you (and the vast majority of this website) disagree with. The story itself is very powerful, and if you want, you can repost it again without the call-out.