Four Arrested After Anti-Gay Assault at Flagstaff, Arizona Pride

[Ian David]

Four Arrested After Anti-Gay Assault at Flagstaff, Arizona Pride

Two men, one of whom was a worker for Equality Arizona, were assaulted outside a Pita Pit restaurant in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona following the city's "Pride in the Pines" festival. The attackers preceded their attack with anti-gay slurs, according to the Arizona Republic:

"Authorities found four suspects and took them into custody after interviewing them. The four suspects were: Travis Reiner, 24, of Flagstaff; Christopher Rose, 26, of Englewood, Colo.; Michael Van Roteyn, 24, of Flagstaff; and Mark Greinke, 25, of Sun City. The four suspects could face charges of aggravated assault, assault and disorderly conduct, and they could also be charged under hate crimes statutes, police said. According to a statement from Equality Arizona - an advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - one of the injured, Michel Brown, was unconscious and bleeding after the attack. At the time of the attack, the injured person waiting for a cab alongside staff and volunteers from Equality Arizona, the statement said."

Said Barbara McCullough-Jones, the Executive Director of Equality Arizona: "On a day when all of Flagstaff should have been celebrating and embracing diversity, this brutal attack has reminded us all that there is still much work to be done to prevent anti-gay bias from escalating into violence."

More:
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/06/four-arrested-a.html


“Hate crimes are a form of domestic terrorism. They send a message that some Americans deserve to be victimized because of who they are.”-- Sen. Ted Kennedy
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senators-add-hate-crimes-measure-to-defense-authorization-legislation-2007-09-26.html

[dbackjon]

1. Holy cow! I was up there for Pride in the Pines

Flagstaff is generally a VERY LIBERAL town

[closeupready]

5. And drop-dead gorgeous, too, which is why this story saddens me.

n/t

[Duncan Grant]

2. We should rec threads like this to the greatest page, imho.

Every tragic story like this needs the widest possible exposure, imho. Those who were attacked will re-live this moment over and over for years to come -- an even greater crime than the initial bashing.

This is an outrage and it's time for straight America to stop its violence against LGBT people. :grr:

[Mabus]

9. I agree

People need to be aware that these types of attacks happen every day. These attacks are unacceptable and they are, dare I say it, downright unAmerican. Everyone has the right to feel safe. And, you are right, the victims will have a fear that they haven't had before and which no one deserves to live with.

K&R

[mitchtv]

12. done

What lowlife creeps

[LeftHander]

3. Neo Nazis were at PrideFest in Milwaukee...

Might of been the same group....there was a national call by Neo Nazi's to protest/disrupt pride events.

[dbackjon]

4. Pics of the four here

http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/20080624_front_176276.txt

[closeupready]

6. Is it just me, or are their eyes bloodshot?

n/t

[dbackjon]

7. Probably drunk

[Lerkfish]

8. um, wow....looking at those pictures

I've always felt that bigotry was self-hatred directed outwards. Those look like total wastes of human flesh.

[pepperbear]

10. They look like gay porn stars. n/t

[Raster]

11. Correcton: they look like self-loating, self-hating, homophobic closet cases.

[Ian David]

13. They have almost identical haircuts. That mean anything? n/t