"We believe this to be a bias-motivated crime" - U.Va Dean of Students Allen Groves
“The event was prompted by the April 4 attack on an unidentified male student and a friend by five young men. Police allege the pair was jumped walking home from a friend's house around 3:30AM outside the university's Scott Stadium by five white males between the ages of 16 and 20. The men snatched a cell phone being used by one of the men to call for help and smashed it as they yelled anti-gay slurs. The two attempted to escape but the pack chased down the UVa student and hit him in the back of the head. The eighteen-year-old student was treated at the university's medical center for minor injuries. University leaders called the attack an instance of gay bashing. “Based upon the facts as we currently know them, we believe this to be a bias-motivated crime, in that the perceived sexual orientation of the two victims appears to have motivated the assault,” wrote UVa Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Allen W. Groves in a statement.” [On Top Mag]
"Several hundred people gathered at UVA’s amphitheater last night for the Stand Against Hatred. The vigil and public forum was in response to the April 4 attack on a UVA student that was apparently motivated by anti-gay bias. Addressing the crowd, Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Allen Groves said he’d received e-mails asking why an attack motivated by perceived sexual orientation should be considered differently than other assaults. “Any assault on a UVA student is one too many,” he began. Crimes of hate, however, “strike at the most cherished values of society. If I am assaulted solely because of who I am, then I come to fear I will never be safe, for how can I change who I am?”[Cville]
In 2007, violence based on sexual orientation bias was the third most commonly cited type of hate crime committed in the United States, behind race and religion. [1] Sexual Orientation is not included in Virginia's hate crimes laws. [1] Virginia needs to do more to protect gay Virginians and send a clear message that discrimination based on sexual orientation is not right! Click on the image below for ways that Virginia could improve its laws for gay Virginians!
Comments