2008: A Spike in Gay Violence?

The severe beating of a New York man, whose attackers believed he was gay, is part of a rash of recent attacks within the LGBT community. And now a N.Y. advocacy group suggests the number of reported assaults may rise, once they determine the numbers for 2008.

The baseball bat beating of Ecuadorean immigrant Jose Sucuzhanay in New York last week was the latest in a number of reported assaults, which left the 31-year-old brain dead.

Sharon Stapel of the New York City Anti-Violence Project said the number of reported attacks against LGBT people increased by 24% in 2007 over 2006, and they were expected to jump in 2008. Officials were still crunching the 2008 numbers, which won't be available for a few more months.

Since the February fatal shooting of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old Los Angeles boy who endured harassment after telling classmates he was gay, "we are witnessing what appears to be an increase in both the occurrence and severity of violence motivated by racism, homophobia, and transphobia," said Stapel.

Stapel attributed the increase in part to more people reporting incidents, but she believed there actually could have been more assaults because 2008 was an election year.

"Election years are always violent years for us because of wedge issues," Stapel said, referring to ballot measures this year banning gay marriage in California and Florida. "With increased visibility comes increased vulnerability to LGBT stereotypes and violence. We've seen some of the most violent hate crimes that we've seen in a while."

In the case of Lawrence King, one of his classmates was charged as an adult in the slaying, which prosecutors classified as a hate crime.

Other incidents include the discovery of Angie Zapata's body in July in her apartment in Greeley, Colo. Zapata, 18, was a transgender woman. Police have charged a man with murder as a hate crime in her death.

In June, a surveillance tape was publicized showing Memphis, Tenn., police officers beating Duanna Johnson, a transgendered woman, and shouting slurs in a jail booking area; a public outcry erupted. Johnson was found fatally shot on a Memphis street in November.

Also in New York City, police arrested four teenagers on charges of assaulting a priest outside a shelter he ran for homeless transgender youths in July. Witnesses said the four teens had harassed and taunted residents with homophobic slurs and insults before the assault.

"I expect the number will increase from 2007 to 2008," Stapel said. "I hope I'm wrong about that."

Photo: Getty Images

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