Violence against LGBT youth of color is on the rise in Chicago. That was the focus of a community meeting Dec. 11 at at 1525 East 55th organized by the Coalition for Justice and Respect ( CJR ) .
"This is not a new problem," said CJR Executive Director Marc Loveless. "Crime against LGBT African Americans has always existed. What is new is the frequency and brutality of these recent attacks. ... We're talking about kids here. They're being targeted for being gay or for being perceived as gay."
As reported last month by Windy City Times, the Youth Pride Center ( YPC ) , an LGBT youth support organization in Hyde Parkthey also have offices at the aforementioned addressissued a press release stating that 17 of its members had been attacked in 2009. One recent attack occurred Nov. 11. The victim, who identified himself only as "Prince," had just left a YPC meeting. After taking the Green Line to the West Side's Conservatory/Central Park stop, Prince said he was walking home when he was swarmed by a group of five men, threatened with a gun and beaten almost unconscious. His attackers reportedly targeted him for his "feminine" appearance.
Referring to the Nov. 11 attack, YPC President Frank Walker said that it was the fourth incident in four consecutive weeks in which a YPC member had been the victim of anti-gay violence ( bringing the total number of attacks to 17 ) .
At the CJR meeting, some of the young people in attendance asked practical questions about violence in their neighborhoods: Are these crimes perpetrated against kids based on their sexual orientation because they "look" gay? Are they being attacked because, gay or straight, they, simply, look vulnerable?
"Around here you gotta be tough. If you're a man that looks effeminate, then you look vulnerable. If you look vulnerable you're gonna get targeted," said one attendee. It was statement that seemed to resonate with other people in the room.
"The violence is bad. African-American kids down here are experiencing it more. If they're gay then, in many cases, it's even worse for them," said Loveless.
In Chicago, violence against Black youthwhether motivated by a sexual orientation bias or nothas gained national attention as of late. On Sept. 24, 16-year-old Derrion Albert, an honor student from Fenger High School, was beaten to death on his way home from school. The brutal incident was captured by an onlooker's cell-phone camera and rebroadcast by news agencies around the world. The attack on Albert had nothing to do with a sexual-orientation bias. In fact, the attack had nothing to do with him at all. He was the casualty of gang fight that he just happen to pass by on his way home.
A study released by the Justice Department in October paints a grim picture of youth violence in the United States. In the last year alone, almost half of U.S. children have been assaulted at least once, 60 percent have been exposed to violence and roughly one-quarter of American children were victims of robbery or vandalism.
As for hate crimes nationwide, the numbers are equally discomforting. On Nov. 23, days after the YPC report of attacks in Chicago, the FBI released data indicating an 11 percent increase in hate crime offenses based on sexual orientation in 2008. And, while half of all hate crimes were motivated by race, one out of every six was based on sexual orientation.
It should be noted that on Oct. 28, President Barack Obama signed a bill expanding protection to victims of hate crimes. Known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the law now covers crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Previously, the law had protected those attacked on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin.
The day before CJR's meeting, Loveless said that he was pleased to have been visited by a representative from the Chicago Police Department's Civil Rights Unit to discuss the reports of anti-gay violence. "I'm hopeful that we'll start to see some change. I'm also pleased with the idea of getting our organization aligned with other African-American community groups. We want to try to develop allies with groups like Cease Fire, National Action Network, Rainbow Push Coalition, and the NAACP. We'll be stronger if we work together."
Outside the meeting I spoke with a woman who was waiting to pick up her son. Her name was Kiyana ( she did not want to give her last name ) . I asked her to tell me how she felt about the reports of ant-gay violence. Her reply, undoubtedly, reflected how a lot of parents feel about their children. "It's hard enough for these kids. Being Black and GAY ... well, that just makes me worry about my kids a lot," she said.