Rally in Bucks County Hears Emotional Statement from Gay-Bashing Victims
There was a “Love Over Hate” rally held at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown on Wednesday. The event drew around 200 supporters who were there to lend support to the two gay men who were beaten in Center City on September 11th, and offer a platform for gay high school and middle school students to talk openly about the bullying they face at school.
The emotions didn’t stop there. At one point someone read a statement written by the 26- and 28-year old victims of the Center City attacks. It’s one of the first times we’ve heard from the victims, who continue to protect their identity. According to slgdn.com, the statement read as follows:
Photo by HughE Dillon
“Everyone keeps saying that they are sorry this happened to us. But the truth is, we’re sorry. We feel sorry for our attackers—people who believed it was OK, cool, maybe even funny, to use two innocent individuals as their punching bags and not even have the decency to apologize. Words are powerful. A simple, I’m sorry, would’ve went a long way with us …
“You butchered my boyfriend’s beautiful face. You violated our rights. You jeopardized our health and safety in a city that we love and during a time where so much progress around human rights has been made. … We are also determined to do everything in our power to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else again.”
The men said they haven’t released their identity because the story is not about them, but everyone who lives in fear. They called for passage of a hate crime bill in Pennsylvania. “It stops here. It stops today. It stops now.”
This is one of the first times we’ve heard from the victims since the attack happened. On December 16th, they will join their attackers and witnesses at a preliminary hearing at City Hall to determine if the case will actually go to trial. Stay tuned to G Philly for updates.
