Texas sailor murdered for being gay.
The family of a sailor from Texas who was murdered at his sentry post at Camp Pendleton speaks out, saying he was murdered because he was gay. He was bound, shot and his guard shack set on fire, but the Navy is investigating it as a “possible” hate crime. Rucks Russell reports from Houston.
His pride in being gay didn’t lead to murder, but institutional homophobia may well have.
No actually if it was an anti-lgbt hat-crime he was murdered for being bisexual. That would be the “B” in LGBT.
That is how HE identified. That is what he had on is Facebook Page, that is how his family who was aware of his orientation says he identified. Come on people, must you be SO narrow that you can’t even give him his dignity and his right to be himself even in death?
Is it that much of an ego-deflation for gay men to actually refer to people as their own identities? He identified as bisexual, and by not recognizing that you are actively supporting bisexual invisibility. Shame on you!
He was not gay, he was bisexual. As bialogue said, on his Facebook he identifies as bisexual. It is really upsetting to see how quick people were to change who he was to fit their audience. Why not give the man some dignity in death?
The fact that MANY more gays out there protesting says a lot about our community and our own lack of support. It further shows why it’s so difficult to succeed in defeating many other anti-gay acts. It is clearly evident that many in our community do not want to fight for anything that does not affect them directly. Instead we’d rather argue back and forth about how he identified himself (read the other comments here).
Why is it that we feel the need to be reactive instead of proactive then sit around and bitch from the comfort of our own desk chairs about how badly we are mistreated? We almost deserve to be. Look at the few who are actually willing to get out there to be seen and heard? If 1/4, 1/2, or more of the people who are willing to show up for a pride event (claiming pride) would show up for more of these protests perhaps we may begin to be taken a little more seriously.
I, unfortunately, am unable to sit outside that base because work currently has me overseas but there is no doubt I would be there if I were home. I mean seriously people, what has to happen to really mobilize larger groups of us?
I suppose I understand. His murder doesn’t directly affect your rights or take no money out of your pockets it not worth the attention. My buddy just said to me that its because of his race, but I foolishly choose to believe otherwise. I just don’t get it. I am starting to have a greater why some people would rather stay in the closet than associate with us, though. What would they come out for? Support? Not likely.
Provost was in the Navy. The press conference didn’t especially look like the Navy defending its own. What does it tell you when you have a sailor standing guard duty at the West Coast center of Marine operations, and somehow there was nobody to see this sailor being bound and murdered? The standard of security is that poor?
I can’t help but wonder if this will get the same kind of attention and outcry that people had for Matthew Sheppard. If that happens, I will honestly be shocked, but I doubt it will happen unfortunately.
THIS KIND OF HATE GOES ON BECAUSE OBAMA IS A COWARD AND LIAR WHEN IT COMES TO ACTING ON HIS BIG LIES TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC….
Sad, He probably couldn’t report that he was being harassed because of DADT. Unfortunately, Obama hasn’t kept the promise he made to the LGBT community when he said he would end DADT
The don’t ask, don’t tell policy reinforces stereotypes and prejudices, which in turn leads to crimes such as this one. The PBS series, Carrier, last season included a segment about a sailor who could not set aside his racial prejudices. His captain called him into his quarters and asked him if there was any chance he could change, to which the bigoted sailor said, “No, Sir, that’s how I was brought up.” He was promptly sent packing. Why couldn’t the military do the same with homophobes? If a sailor (or member of any branch of the military) does his job well, shows commitment to service and subordination to superiors, why shouldn’t he serve as an openly gay or lesbian person? It makes no sense…and it leads to tragedies such as this one.
I totally agree with “J”!!!
We’re to damn sorry and lazy to get off our butts to help someone else.
Some want to say it happened because he was “black” or “gay”. In the end does it really matter what he was? He was another human being; his life is just as important as any and everyone else. He deserves to have members of his community on both sides come out in support and fight to get answers for his murder.
Kudos, to those who did go and support.
For those blaming Obama; blame yourselves. Did you really expect anything any different? Seriously! He’s a politician and he has his own agenda to push. He may want to try and keep the “gay vote” in his pocket and give us little glimmers of hope here and there that really amount to nothing. The problem is we fell for it. We have no one to blame but ourselves and we have to deal with the consequences.
What we need to do is make him accountable for his actions. If he fails us, join together and vote him out. The reality of what’s going to happen. We’re going to bitch about it and do nothing. Then bitch some more.
There is nothing so tragic as someone who is killed just for trying to do their job — whether that be in law enforcement, firefighting, military, etc. But to be murdered because of who you are or because of some group affiliation — that goes way beyond just the tragic circumstances of the case; it is an act of domestic terrorism meant to intimidate an entire class of people.
Some will say that this case illustrates why Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals should be able to serve openly. They will point out that if this sailor could have gone to someone in authority (without fear of being fired from the military) and reported the harassment he endured, then perhaps this would have not happened. Others will use this terrible crime as a warning of future conflicts which, being irresolvable in their way of thinking, will only lead to further violent encounters between straight men and gay/bi men.
I agree with the first assessment, but I reject the latter argument. When President Truman first desegregated the military in the late 1940s, there were similar situations between Black soldiers and White racist military men. But if situations like these are dealt with swiftly, and if the Pentagon provides professional leadership as well as demands professional conduct of all military men and women, then these problems can be overcome. They must be.
As it is, discrimination in all of it ugly manifestations (including homophobia) must not be left unaddressed. Equal treatment, without petty prejudicial restrictions, must be a priority in all branches of government as well as in society at large.
(C)Bud Evans 2009
1 down 12 million to go
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I don’t think there are 12 million people in the US Armed Forces. Whatever the case Puh, threatening to kill everyone in the US’s Armed Forces can get you into trouble with the law enforcement authorities.