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Witnessed Homophobia at Westwood today 11-3

Started 1 year ago by ToddinWestwood
Latest reply from MarySheely

ToddinWestwood
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I dont even know how to fathom what I witnessed this afternoon, at 4pm, between the Rite-Aid and the QFC.
Pulling out I heard someone yelling something to two men walking hand in hand. I looked over and saw two young men in a burgundy Chevy S-10 pickup. They were waiting for me to drive forward. I waited and held them up until they started calling me names and telling me to move. I hope I gave the people on their cell phones anough time to get the plate number and description of these two late teens, early twenty losers.
Yes, I did want to yell back at you after you called me a "bitch" I could have called you "white trash" "inbred hillbillys" I got a whole bunch of 'em.
If anyone needs my help in identifying these dip Sh!ts, let me know.
To the boys in the truck, You have ruined the day of everyone who witnessed your hatred. I hope the police find you. I hope the men you were taunting have a better day and not look down on West Seattle. We are better than that.

Posted 1 year ago #
angelescrest
Member Profile

Todd,
Brave and valient act! Wow! You stood up against these bullies and never sank to their fetid level. I think it will encourage others to do the same.
Thank you!

Posted 1 year ago #
Flyonthewall
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My partner and I have been harassed several times in the Westwood parking lot with homophobic name calling. The worst ones are the older white guys in their newer SUVs and F150s - seems like if they don't like the way we look it's fair game to call us names.

Welcome to the reality for most gays and lesbians in this country (and the world). And you wonder why people stay in the closet?

Posted 1 year ago #
guidosmom
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That is horrible! Thank you for doing that. I will keep an eye out for these horrible people. I have never experienced anything like that. Yuck.

Posted 1 year ago #
datamuse
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Burgundy Chevy S-10, eh? Thanks for the heads up.

Posted 1 year ago #
miws
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Good on ya Todd!

Mike

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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Todd...

thanks for reminding punks that if they are going to share our streets..
we expect them to mind their manners.

i don't much like them either..
but am not likely to yell and call them names.

Posted 1 year ago #
DOC
Member Profile

So not exactly West Seattle Material, but I hope that this link will make you feel a bit better about the subject in this text. Found it on Fark.com today. I have got to say, this is one awesome mom!

http://nerdyapplebottom.com/2010/11/02/my-son-is-gay/

Posted 1 year ago #
angelescrest
Member Profile

I don't think it's as simple as "minding manners".
It's a hate crime to me.
Anti-gay, anti-whatever race, anti-whatever religion. It's bullying and harrassing. It's harrowing, dangerous, leads to violence and sometimes--as we have seen more recently--to suicide on the part of the victim.

Can you imagine being subjected to such harrassment en route to friggin' Target? Nor can I.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

angelcrest...

i certainly didn't mean to minimize this.

but yes, yelling at people you don't like..
whatever your reason for not liking them
is very bad manners.

public shaming may not stop hate..
but it often does stop bullying behavior.

it's past time we all said shame on you when witnessing bullying of any kind.

Posted 1 year ago #
dhg
Member Profile

I would have been really surprised by this a couple of weeks ago. But then, a nearby neighbor called me a faggot. It was a minor "dispute" over the length of space cars are allowed near the corner. I was not angry BEFORE he used the word. I was just explaining that painting a curb red does not make it a no parking zone. But that was his response. I was stunned. I thought WS was better than that. I thought it was 2010.

Posted 1 year ago #
waterworld
Member Profile

Angelcrest (and JoB): hateful, harassing, harrowing? Yes. Hate crime? No. RCW 9A.36.080(1)(c).

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
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waterworld..

I believe that shaming people who behave like that now prevents hate crimes...
at least i sincerely hope it does.

Posted 1 year ago #
waterworld
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I'm with you 100%. In fact, public shaming is probably far more effective than criminal punishment for this kind of behavior. I just wanted to clarify that it's immoral and cruel, but not a crime in the legal sense.

Posted 1 year ago #
angelescrest
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That's why I said, "It's a hate crime to me", but it needed the clarification. Thanks, WW.

Posted 1 year ago #
BigPhil
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homophone, lol.. homophobe

Posted 1 year ago #
redblack
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so, bigphil, you'd be shot for stopping a bully from ridiculing someone else, or stopping that bully from beating someone?

whatever happened to "live and let live?"

Posted 1 year ago #
BigPhil
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for defending 'the gays' and their 'gay agenda'

Posted 1 year ago #
dhg
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I think a homophone would be the opposite of homophobe. Colorado Springs? Home of "Focus on the Family", a national organization that activey promotes bullying in schools. To do otherwise, they argue, would be to accept gay as normal. And that's a slippery slope to damnation. Welcome to sanity, Big Phil.

Posted 1 year ago #
moxilot
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1. I think what BigPhil is saying is that you would be putting yourself in danger if you stuck up for gays in Colorado. He's surprised folks here are even having a public conversation about how awful it is to degrade, humiliate, and bully someone based on their perceived sexual preference.
Welcome to West Seattle, Phil.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

this is why i focus on manners.

I feel very strongly about gay rights..
but challenging someone's belief systems can get ugly really really quickly... especially if they are the kind who thinks it is their right to express those opinions publicly.

however.. so far...
the worst i have endured lecturing on manners is being called an interfering old bitch...

probably an accurate description..
tho not for that offense:)

Posted 1 year ago #
BigPhil
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indeed, and home of the now infamous ted haggard, who engendered outrage there not for the hypocrisy of preaching about the evils of homosexuality while doing meth and having sex with male escorts in his personal time, but for the graver offensive of actually doing the gay sex thing those pesky gays do

Posted 1 year ago #
redblack
Member Profile

and yet, jared polis, one of only a couple openly gay reps, won reelection with around 60% of the vote - in the district next to colorado springs.

i like what willie nelson had to say on the subject:

"cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other."

or something to that effect.

Posted 1 year ago #
JoB
Member Profile

i think your experience of place is often limited to the circles you travel in.

Manitou Springs which nestles up to Colorado Springs has a definite "artistic" flair.

i think there are some places where you just have to get out of town a lot.

Posted 1 year ago #
MarySheely
Member Profile

We had a gay mayor for years in Cincinnati (though she was not officially out it was well known)who got re-elected and was very popular. But just the same living in Seattle now is light years more accepting than living in Cincinnati. I don't think I ever saw a same-sex couple holding hands on the street in all the years I lived there. Thanks Todd for having the guts to do what I hope I'd have the guts to do, too.

Posted 1 year ago #