Demagogue

in the most unlikely of places-- on the streets of Amsterdam. The 6'7" executive editor of DC's Washington Blade, DC's GLBT community paper, writes about how he was recently put in the hospital for walking down the street holding hands with his boyfriend in one of the most gay-friendly cities on the planet. It includes a picture of him after the beating.

I'm not sure what to make of this, although it does highlight something I've been meaning to write about-- that (reported) hate crimes against gays and lesbians are up in the most unlikely of places in the U.S.. In 2004 in Massachusetts they're up 30%, they're also up in Minnesota, Chicago and San Fransisco. The latest report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reveals that "the number of [anti-GLBT] incidents attributable to organized hate groups rose 273%."

The truth is that there are crazy, anti-gay people everywhere and as GLBT civil rights issues become more prominent, the more dangerous and inflamed they become. I hope it doesn't take another Matthew Shepherd for everyone else to realize that gay rights aren't about "special rights," but people being able to live their lives freely without fear. Issues of education, tolerance and acceptance are made out to be about inconveniences for GLBT people-- and are reduced to our feelings being hurt-- but at their very core these issues are about our basic survivial and equal protection.