A white gay man in his 30s was attacked by four white men at the corner of Elaine Place and Roscoe, part of a pattern of attacks that occur on the side streets between Halsted and Broadway and Halsted and Clark.
This incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28. The man asked to remain anonymous.
'This was a complete gay bashing from the get-go,' said Officer Lori Cooper, civil-rights investigator and the citywide liaison to the gay community for the Chicago Police Department.
Cooper said the man was kicked repeatedly as his attackers called him a 'fucking faggot.' One attacker got on top of him, holding him down, as the others kicked him. He had multiple broken ribs and his head was split open in the back.
The man went home, but several days later he took himself to a hospital, where authorities reported the attack to police.
Since the attack, the man said other friends have come forward and told their own stories of being attacked.
'People say 'this happens all the time,'' Cooper said. 'But if you want the police to do something, you have to report it.'
Cooper explained that if the police can document trends for crimes, they can request additional officers and resources.
Usually, crime in Lakeview does decrease during winter months because there are fewer people walking the streets. However, with the unusually dry and warm winter thus far, more people are out and targets for crime, Cooper said.
'This crime reminds people to be careful, especially on the side streets off Halsted,' said Mayor's GLBT Liaison Bill Greaves.
