A young Chicago man is accusing police of ignoring his pleas for help after a gay-bashing incident late last month that ended with his being criminally charged.
Benjamin Stephens, a 21-year-old North Sider, said he was out to dinner with a friend when three men lured him from the restaurant, beat him and called him "faggot." A stranger saw the incident and drove him to the police station, where he said officers refused to help find the men who'd attacked him.
Stephens said he became angry, and officers arrested him, hitting him and shoving him around.
He has an upcoming court date on charges stemming from his argument with police.
American Family Assoc. targets Girl Scouts
The Girl Scouts is coming under attack by the anti-gay American Family Association because of its refusal to ban lesbians and gays. In the mid-1990s the organization issued a non-discrimination statement that included sexual orientation, and its national president Connie Matsui has made favorable statements about That's a Family!, the documentary by lesbian filmmaker Debra Chasnoff.
The AFA has reportedly sent 10,000 letters of protest to the Matsui, demanding that she retract her statements or resign.
E-mail to cmatsui@girlscouts.org .