DISCLAIMER: I wrote this earlier today and have been torn as to whether or not to publish it. I know one or two friends who may be upset by it. That said, I feel it more important to share the truth "as I understand it". The gay community, in my lifetime, has made great strides. People are more educated, tolerant, accepting than before. While gay bashing does unfortunately still exist, the occurrences have, thankfully, declined over the past 20-25 years.
As always, feel free to comment. If you'd rather, feel free to email me @ michaelcmetzger@gmail.com
And now, my blog.......
Gay bashing, in the 21st century, should be a thing of the past. I'm old enough to remember when it was a daily threat in the gay community. Time marches on, however, and thanks to education, tolerance and acceptance, these sorts of atrocities are few and far between these days...especially in Pittsburgh, which for its size boasts at least 8 or 9 gay bars.
As many of you may already know, there was an alleged incident of gay bashing in front of the Pleasure Bar in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh on the night of Thursday April 29. According to the stories, "Veruca La Pirhana", a popular local drag performer was walking down the street with friends and was accosted and then physically assaulted by three drunk men in front of the Pleasure Bar.
Veruca's side of the story can be read here: http://thomascwaters.com/2010/04/30/bloomingfield-bashing/
But new information has been coming to light regarding this incident. According to a "very reliable source" who was at the scene, it appears that Veruca may have instigated the altercation. There was mention of Veruca throwing objects at her detractors and essentially, showing off for her friends.
In the thomascwaters.com story, Veruca mentions not wanting the police to be involved due to her being "frightened" of/and distrustful of the police. The story mentions a previous incident at a diner where Veruca was "attacked" and later treated as more of suspect than a victim in that incident. Veruca has also been arrested previously on drug charges.
In a perfect world, a person's past indiscretions should not pertain to new circumstances. If this is an actual case of gay bashing, which at least in my book is a hate crime, the police should be involved. If gay bashing is indeed what happened, the young men responsible should be held accountable for their actions. To not pursue this is to condone this type of behavior and run the risk of turning back the clock to a more dangerous time for all.
Why then was there no police involvement? Why didn't the manager of the Pleasure Bar insist on it, if for no other reason than to appear to want to maintain a peaceful neighborhood presence, not to mention avoiding the risk of being labeled a "nuisance bar".
The day after the incident, a friend who works in another Bloomfield night spot informed me of the incident and also informed me of a rally to show support for Veruca and the entire gay community, to be held in front of the Pleasure Bar. I, for one, notified as many people as possible in the short span of time I was given. From what I can ascertain, the rally was well attended by a large and well-behaved crowd.
I'm still wondering what if any involvement the police plan to offer in light of this event. At the very least, an assault did occur and it should be investigated. Bloomfield is by and large a very nice and safe city neighborhood. In the 20 years that I've lived here, I've never personally experienced anything out of the ordinary there.
Remember kids, violence is BAD, regardless of who is involved. In this modern world, we are all blessed to encounter people from all walks of life. Some we may find "different" or possibly even "offensive" but those people, at least in the US, have the same rights as anyone else and should be treated with the same respect every individual should enjoy.
I know that by publishing this piece, I run the risk of offending some people and may even run the risk of damaging some friendships but I feel, as always, that truth and honesty are of the utmost importance in this day and age. Too many people consider it "ok" to spin a story to meet their own designs. I'm merely trying to state the facts as I understand them. If you feel that I am incorrect, please feel free to comment and post your own facts regarding this incident. To reiterate, gay bashing is, in my humble opinion, a hate crime and should not be tolerated at all.
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