A Possible Hate Crime?

Over the summer, four young people, three men and a woman, in their teens and twenties were shot in Newark, New Jersey. The three young men died; the young woman survived.

Yesterday, a Newark based GLBT advocacy group wrote a letter to the mayor of Newark demanding that the shootings be investigated as a possible hate crime committed out of an anti-gay bias.

Until now, robbery and gang connections have been suggested as possible motives, and the fact that at least one of the victims was gay has not been discussed.

Hate crimes are a terrifying reality for GLBT people of all ages. If this was indeed an anti-gay hate crime, it is important to call it what it is. Among other things, doing so can help other victims of hate crimes come forward.

If you are the victim of violence because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, you might want to check out The New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project.