District resident Anthony Wright, 42, has been found guilty of "Bias-Related Simple Assault and Bias Threats To Do Bodily Harm" for harassing and threatening a neighbor over a period of two years. The harassment, which centered on his neighbor's sexual orientation, culminated in Wright attacking his neighbor outside his home, threatening to stab him, and then telling him, "They don't lock you up for hitting faggots."

The details, from District anti-hate crime group Gays & Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV):

WASHINGTON DC, May 7, 2010 — A DC Superior Court jury found 42-year-old DC resident Anthony Wright guilty of Bias-Related Simple Assault and Bias Threats To Do Bodily Harm in a June 6, 2009 assault against an elderly man in SE Washington. Wright repeated threats to the same victim on August 27, 2009.

The USDOJ chronicled two years of a nearly constant barrage of name calling and harassment the 67-year-old gay man was subjected to by his neighbor which eventually escalated into an unprovoked attack in front of neighbors and friends on June 6, 2009. Wright was quickly released but continued to harass the victim, proclaiming, "They don't lock you up for hitting faggots."

On August 27, 2009 Wright confronted the victim in his own home and threatened to stab him and was again arrested. Wright was found guilty on both counts on April 28, 2010 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2010.

While GLOV commends the work of the USDOJ and MPD to bring the hate crime charges forward successfully, we are anxious to see that Wright recives the maximum penalty for his egregious crimes and for the suffering he caused his victim to endure for so long.

Recently, D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier decided to restructure the department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU)—a unit of officers specially-trained in LGBT issues—in order to disperse trained officers across the force. The move has been criticized by LGBT activist groups, who are concerned with the force's ability to adequately address LGBT-specific crime without a visible, coordinated, and well-staffed unit.

Today, the D.C. Trans Coalition (DCTC), the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV), and the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club released a statement enumerating their beefs with the decision. "MPD Chief Cathy Lanier is poised to call this initiative a success, but we are unfortunately quite skeptical," they write. "An award-winning unit has been effectively dismantled without meaningful input from the very community that unit serves."

Full release after the jump.

December 9, 2009

Contact:

Sadie Ryanne Baker, DC Trans Coalition, 202.557.1951
Rick Rosendall, GLAA, 202.328.6278
Chris Farris, GLOV, 202.368.5321

Broad Coalition of LGBT Community Organizations Oppose Metropolitan Police Department Plan to Restructure Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit: Groups object to flaws and inadequacies found throughout new GLLU training program for affiliate officers.

Washington, DC – Today a broad coalition of DC’s LGBT community groups stand together to express our severe disappointment with the Metropolitan Police Department’s ill-conceived plan to restructure the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU). MPD Chief Cathy Lanier is poised to call this initiative a success, but we are unfortunately quite skeptical. An award-winning unit has been effectively dismantled without meaningful input from the very community that unit serves. Lanier is quick to point out that she and her staff have held meetings with community members to discuss their plans, but she fails to mention that not one critique of her plan was accepted.

In spite of repeated requests, MPD has not been able to say how many officers will serve GLLU full-time (there is currently only one, with three on full-time leave), whether GLLU will again have a full-time sergeant, or how new affiliated officers will be effectively coordinated to both respond to LGBT issues and learn and share best practices. Many members of our communities have had exceptionally negative experiences with police, while others have enjoyed quite positive interactions – these latter advances have often been credited to GLLU’s outreach work both within and outside the MPD. Thus to upend this unit without seeking real community input calls into question MPD’s self-stated claim to serve our communities. We look forward to MPD demonstrating its willingness to act in good faith to work with us in both cleaning up the fallout from this hasty restructuring program and in making additional progress in other areas.

Moreover, community members have been largely shut out of the process to develop the training course for GLLU’s new affiliate officers, which concluded last Friday. Lanier has boasted that 32 hours of classroom training have been provided to these officers. However, only 2 of those hours featured any discussion whatsoever of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. The MPD promised to share its training curriculum with community representatives at a meeting on October 22, yet failed to do so. At that same meeting, organizations were promised an invitation to suggest reading materials, case studies and specific modules for the training program. Finally, the Chief stated under oath at a City Council Hearing on November 20 that she would share the curriculum for the training with the LGBT community and incorporate their feedback. There was absolutely no follow-up to this invitation, despite repeated requests by LGBT community organizations. Last week, some LGBT community leaders were invited to speak at the training session (for 10-15 minutes each). They were given less than two days and asked to prepare outlines of their presentations before attending. This left no time for any real preparation, and only allowed for a few minutes of time for community members – almost entirely volunteers – to present anything at all.

In addition, individuals who were able to sit in on the training are deeply concerned about numerous errors of omission and commission that will seriously endanger DC’s LGBT communities. Specific concerns include:

• Failure to consult with the LGBT community to foster confidence and gather community input to inform the training,
• Failure to follow through on the commitment to have stand-alone GLLU training for at least half a day – instead, training was limited to less than two hours, and with combined attendees from both the GLLU and the Latino Liaison Unit;
• Failure to provide culturally competent training for officers on how to sensitively approach and manage specific needs for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual and gender non-conforming individuals;
• Failure to include in the curriculum any discussion of the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity;
• Failure to discuss the need to actively curtail profiling trans individuals as criminals;
• Failure to address domestic violence situations, which make up 82 percent of GLLU’s caseload, until after training was well underway, which converted what limited LGBT Domestic Violence training there was into a mopping-up exercise;
• Failure to provide guidance and training on how to appropriately track and record hate crimes related to an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression;
• Failure to address strategies on how to ensure a supportive workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender affiliate officers and those performing LGBT liaison duties;
• Failure to develop a public education plan aimed at encouraging community members to report homophobic and transphobic violence and crimes;
• Failure to encourage affiliate officers to attend significant LGBT events to promote visibility and develop strong and meaningful relationships between police and LGBT community members.

There is a critical need for a more comprehensive LGBT training program to be provided before new affiliate officers are certified as GLLU members – a training program that is developed in partnership with the LGBT community. This includes intensive field training with existing GLLU officers, and in-depth classroom training that covers the range of safety, discrimination, and access to justice issues that LGBT individuals face across this city. We also feel strongly that we need answers to the key questions on the size, structure, and responsibilities of the GLLU moving forward. We hope that MPD acts quickly to demonstrate a genuine commitment to community safety, and cooperates with concerned individuals and organizations to address its flawed GLLU restructuring program.

The deets:

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Foundry United Methodist Church
5:00 – 6:00 pm Community discussion on public safety and anti-GLBT crime
6:00 – 7:00 pm DC Chief of Police Cathy Lanier joins the discussion

According to the press release, "Chief Lanier is expected to discuss the status of MPD's efforts to combat crimes in general and hate crimes in particular, as well as discuss her plan to staff the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit of the MPD."

Durval Martins (right), with twin brother Pedro.

Durval Martins, a 35-year-old gay man, was murdered in Logan Circle last December. Martins was found, dead in the intersection, with his wallet in his hand. He had been shot multiple times in the head. He had not been robbed. No arrests have been made in Martins' case.

On Tuesday May 19, Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence co-chairs Chris Farris and Todd Metrokin will hold a vigil to raise awareness about potential hate crimes in Washington, D.C., and to "renew focus" on Martins' murder. Farris and Metrokin submitted the following companion piece detailing the progression of Martins' case.

On a cold and drizzly night this past December, Durval Martins, a 35-year-old gay man and one of nine children, said good-bye to his friends on 17th Street and started his walk home. He never made it. He was shot to death at the intersection of 11th and Q.

Here is what we know about Durval’s murder:

* He was shot multiple times in the head

* He was shot while still in the intersection—just before stepping up onto the sidewalk

* He still had his wallet in his hand—nothing was stolen from him

* Two men were seen by police running from the scene of the shooting

* No arrests have been made, despite laudable efforts by the Metropolitan Police Department and community members to draw attention to the case

At this point in the investigation, we can’t be sure that Durval’s murder was related to his sexual orientation, but we do know for certain that he was not a victim of a robbery and that no other credible motive has been put forth. We also know it occurred against a backdrop of unsettling statistics on hate crimes based on sexual orientation in DC: hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased from a reported 26 in 2007 to 32 in 2008. In 2007, the percentage of hate crimes based on sexual orientation was 68 percent of all hate crimes reported in DC—in 2008, that percentage increased to 74 percent. This compares to a national average of 15 percent.

In addition, Durval’s murder occurred just 7 blocks from the murder of Tony Hunter, who was beaten to death as he walked to BeBar with a friend two months before Durval’s murder.

A crime in our community strikes fear in all of us because it could happen to any of us, any of our friends, any of our family members. An attack against someone because they are a part of our cmmunity is a crime against all of us because it is meant to intimidate us. If Durval was targeted because he was gay, then any person perceived to be gay could have been attacked, or may be targeted next. If they so violently executed him because he was gay, then their motive was clear: to terrorize all gay people in the neighborhood and send a message that we are not welcome here, and we are not safe.

We need to take a stand. We need to raise awareness and help the police solve this case—failure to do so keeps every one of us at risk. The killers who targeted Durval are, after all, still out there. And they very well may feel that they are beyond capture—that they have literally gotten away with this murder.

GLOV, DC’s GLBT Anti-Violence Task Force, is organizing a vigil and march to raise awareness of hate crimes against the GLBT community and to renew focus on Durval’s murder so the police can get new leads and solve this case. Durval’s identical twin brother, Pedro, will be there to join us. We ask that you come, too—bring friends, neighbors, colleagues, and families—and please wear white to show your support. Take a stand and send a message back to the killers that says that they are the ones who are not welcome in our neighborhoods. And we will be safe in our city.

An initiative called Phelps-A-Thon, similar to that at my high school, donated about $12 per minute to Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, an organization that works to counter all forms of hate-motivated violence. According to Phelps-A-Thon organizer Chris Mason, the event raised over $550. The group plans on sending a thank-you note to Phelps, telling him how much money he raised for LGBT equality.

I wonder how much money Phelps has raised so far for AIDS research, gay marriage, and hate crime awareness? This guy is a saint.

January 16, 2009 — Mayor Fenty and Police Chief Lanier met with Chris Farris and Todd Metrokin, Co-Chairs of GLOV (Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence), along with Sgt. Brett Parson to discuss solutions to the problem of anti-GLBT violence in DC. Several points from the list of recommendations made to Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier (see below) recieved immediate commitments.

The most notable commitment was the Mayor's agreement to comply with existing DC law requiring him to submit an annual hate crimes report to the the City Council Equally important, the Mayor agreed that measurable goals should be set to reduce ant-GLBT harassment in the DCPublic School system and to revisit previous proposals by SMYAL (the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League) on the subject. Both Mayor Fenty and Chief Lanier agreed to facilitate a meeting between GLOV and the new U.S. Attorney for DC, once that person is appointed, to discuss grievances regarding case management and policies.

"Mayor Fenty opened the meeting with a request for actionable suggestions on how the DC government could address the issue," said Farris, "but would not commit to making a public statement acknowledging and condemning the violence, although we pressed hard for that. To his credit, however, he invited us to continue to send concrete requests his adminstration can act on to him directly. Working with the police, prosecutors, the GLBT community, the schools, and our allies, most notably those who serve on DC's Anti-Bias Task Force, GLOV intends to act on the Mayor's invitation."

Chief Lanier was very receptive to GLOV's recommendations for her Department, offering to share the current mandatory online hate crimes training curriculum as well as sharing her innovative plan to expand the GLLU program by maintaining the central GLUU office but allowing gay and lesbian officers to serve as liasons within their own precincts, thus increasing the potential number of officers recognized under the GLLU while integrated throughout the MPD.

"I feel that Chief Lanier understands the issue and is truly interested in improving the performance of the MPD." said Metrokin. "And we assured both her and the Mayor that we are also doing our part
by re-educating our community on safety issues and encouraging reporting."

"The Chief has demonstrated in the past that she is a partner in our efforts to reduce anti-GLBT hate crimes, and today she re-confirmed that partnership," said Farris. "We are hopeful that today's meeting
with the Mayor is the beginning of an equally productive partnership."

—

GLOV offered Mayor Fenty the following recommendations to address anti-GLBT crime:

I. a strong public statement that recognizes the issue of anti-GBLT hate crimes in DC, condemns that violence in the harshest terms, and pledges all necessary city resources to fight it.

II. Compliance with existing law in submitting an annual report on hate crimes to the City Council

III. The following immediate commitments from the MPD:
a. Hate Crimes training for the entire police force, especially on reporting
b. Sensitivity training when dealing with GLBT victims
c. Staffing of the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) to the level it was at the beginning of the Fenty Administration

IV. Support for the following:
a. Meeting with Chancellor Rhee of DCPS
b. Meeting with DCAG
c. Meeting with the newly-appointed United States Attorney for DC upon appointment
d. Faith communities outreach

V. For DCPS – measurable goals for decreasing incidents of anti-GLBT harassment and support for student awareness campaigns

VI. Publicly support the establishment of a Panel to address hate crimes against the GLBT community in DC with the mission of outlining the problem and recommending actions and solutions to address it. Panel should be on a short timeline and include, at a minimum, representatives from the following: the GLBT community, the Mayor's office, the MPD, the USAO (if possible), the AG's office, DCPS, and faith communities. The recommendations of the Panel should be made public.

* Tiger Beatdown questions, answers why she blogs—and lets readers in on a haunting truth all opinion bloggers must endure!: "What I thought privately was often dramatically at odds with what I posted."

* Evil Slutopia gives the smack-down treatment to Ann Coulter's recent remarks on single mothers—their kids grow up to be strippers, thugs, etc. The more you know! Wait, who is the scary blond lady? Why does anyone bother with her anymore? Boring.

* Meghan McCain blogs again! Her friends are having babies and she gets to go the White House next week for a day for Barack Obama to make nice with her dad. McCain Blogette will return again in earnest in February, when hopefully McCain can spend more time developing an independent young voice (conservative or otherwise), less time posting Weezer's "Pork & Beans."

* Stop what you're doing! D.C. Nearlyweds provided you faulty bridesmaid dress advice last week! Do not buy your bridesmaid dresses online from J Crew! "I realized the dresses were NOT the color they appeared online," wrote one nearly-wed. Don't get me wrong, they are pretty dresses, but they were an orangey pink, and our wedding colors are wine, raspberry, and champagne." My God. I hope it's not too late.

* This Thursday: Proceeds from the Homo Hotel Happy Hour will benefit Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence (GLOV) The monthly "4H" club will be held at the Carlyle Suites, at 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW, at 5:30.

Photo by trialsanderrors.

Despite GLOV's many requests to meet with Mayor Fenty to address concerns about the violent attacks occurring against DC's GLBT citizens, the Mayor has yet to respond. He did however have time Thursday to speak to Fox News about the issue saying simply, "Hate crimes, I think, are down for the most part in DC this year. We take all of them (bias crimes) seriously and look for trends."

GLOV cites the recent Logan Circle killing of Durval Martins as evidence that hate-motivated crimes against gays have reached a critical point in the District of Columbia. GLOV's letter to Fenty, after the jump:

Mr. Mayor:

Over the past several months, members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgender (GLBT) community have become increasingly concerned
with violent crime that seems to be targeting our community. Just
yesterday, a man named Durval Martins was shot to death on his way
home from visiting gay bars on the popular 17th Street strip.

GLOV (Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence) has requested on numerous
occasions through your office to meet with you, but we have been
repeatedly informed that you are not interested in a meeting at this
time. We write to ask that you reconsider. The community is nervous
and on edge, as violence around us continues to increase. We have met
with the Police, the United States Attorney's Office, community
organizations, and members of the City Council (the City Council even
had a Hearing on Hate Crimes last Friday), but we have not heard from
our Mayor. This is not acceptable. We need to meet with you to present
our concerns personally, to hear that you understand the issues, to
learn what your plans are to address them, and to see how we can all -
city agencies, the police, the prosecutors, community
organizations, and business leaders – can work together to end the
hate-filled violence that is plaguing our community.

We would like to ask again that you convene an urgent meeting to
address these issues, and that you include the Chief of Police,
someone from the US Attorney's Office, representatives of the City
Council, and other city and community leaders who are focused on this
issue. We need your leadership at this time, and we need to know that
you are listening.

Sincerely,

Chris Farris
Todd Metrokin
Co-Chairs, GLOV

The hearing has been called in response to recent incidents that have heightened community concern over whether law enforcement is responding effectively to reduce the occurrence of hate crime. As indicated in the hearing notice released by Committee Chairman Phil Mendelson, "a recent Washington Post editorial cited FBI statistics that show while the District mirrors the nation in a reduction of racial-bias crimes, according the MPD statistics, hate crimes based on sexual orientation account for the 'overwhelming majority of hate crimes in the city.' "

The hearing will be held at noon on Friday, Dec. 12 in the Wilson Building's 5th Floor Council Chambers, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

In a letter addressed to Taylor, Farris and Metrokin criticized the attorney's office's assertion that "Mr. Hunter's death stemmed from an 'altercation' with the defendant that the victim sexually assaulted the defendant prior to the defendant's attacking him." The GLOV representatives called the allegation "absurd," unsupported and against "common sense."

"[G]ay men do not approach random men on street corners and grab their crotches—to believe this version of events, based solely on the self-serving words of someone facing murder charges, is to succumb to homophobic bias," the letter reads.

GLOV's full letter is after the jump.

Jeffery A. Taylor
United States Attorney's Office
555 4th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530

Dear Mr. Taylor:

We are writing to express our serious concerns about the case being handled by your Office involving the death of Tony Randolph Hunter near 8th and N St, NW. The case is US v. Hanna (there may or may not be an "h" at the end of the name).

Mr. Hunter and a friend of his were brutally attacked by 4 men on September 7 as they were walking to a local gay bar. They had just come from a gospel concert. Mr. Hunter was left in a coma and eventually died. The second victim, as the police report notes, had visible bruising around his face from the attack. The police noted that this was a bias crime in their report, and the police have ruled out robbery as a motive.

There seems to be a conclusion by your office and the MPD (as noted by the Chief of Police's claim at the press conference announcing the arrest that Mr. Hunter's death stemmed from an "altercation" with the defendant) that the victim sexually assaulted the defendant prior to the defendant's attacking him. The only evidence that has been provided to support this absurd allegation are (1) the self-serving words of the defendant and (2) the testimony of someone who is apparently a friend of the defendant.

On the other hand, there is a mountain of evidence against this claim — there are witnesses in the arrest affidavit who claim the attack was random. More importantly, there is the statement by the second victim of the attack. Finally, there is common sense: gay men do not approach random men on street corners and grab their crotches – to believe this version of events, based solely on the self-serving words of someone facing murder charges, is to succumb to homophobic bias. This is especially true in this case, where the allegation is that Mr. Hunter walked up to a group of 4 strangers at night in a dangerous neighborhood on his way into a gay bar with a friend to meet other friends who were waiting for him. It is non-sensical in every way.

The defendant was initially charged with voluntary manslaughter instead of second degree murder, presumably because of the "altercation" that preceded the attack. In relying on testimony and evidence your Office provided at a preliminary hearing in the matter, the judge reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter, and ordered the defendant – a man clearly responsible for the death of innocent Tony Hunter — released on home arrest. Accordingly, the version being put forth by your Office has real consequences.

We would also note that the arrest warrant makes no mention of the second victim or of the other 3 attackers. In fact, at this point, it is not clear whether anyone in your Office is even looking for the other 3 attackers. More striking, no one from your Office contacted the second victim until after the preliminary hearing — after the judge reduced the charge. This again is non-sensical.

We write to ask that you personally intervene to be sure that this case is being handled appropriately, and that no one in your Office is allowing homophobic prejudices and bias influence their handling of the case or their acceptance of the defendant's version of events. We also write to ask that you be sure someone is looking to take the other three attackers off of our streets.

This murder comes against the backdrop of what appears to be a sharp increase in attacks on the gay and lesbian community in this City. It is urgent that your Office treat the cases that come to you aggressively, fairly, and — most importantly — without bias.

Sincerely,
Chris Farris & Todd Metrokin
Co-Chairmen
GLOV

Metrokin and Farris list five outstanding questions they have with the city's handling of the case, including the police's change of the classification of the crime from "robbery" to "altercation" and the lack of charges filed against a second victim in the attack:

1) The police report classifed this as a bias crime based on sexual orientation, It also stated robbery was a motive, and listed a cellphone, car keys, and cash that was stolen. Now, the police claim that this was an "altercation." Why the change?

2) The arrest warrant identifies two witnesses who claim that there was a sexual advance that preceded the attack. One is the defendent, and the other is someone who knows him. Is that all they have? The charge – voluntary manslaugher, instead of murder – seems to be based on this account (otherwise, it would be at least second-degree murder). Why would a case precede on that testimony, which is obviously suspect? The arrest warrant identifies another witness who confirms the second victim's account, so it is baffling as to why the version put forth by the defendant and his friend seems to be guiding this case.

3) Why have no charges been filed in the attack on the second victim? The police report clearly indicates that there was a second vicitm with bruises.

4) Why hasn't the DA's office contacted the second vicitm, either about charges in his case or as a witness in Tony Hunter's case?

5) Why have charges been filed against only one suspect, when the police report says there were 4, as does the second victim?

Full press release after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Charges in Tony R. Hunter Case Raises More Questions Than Answers

WASHINGTON DC, October 17, 2008 – As more facts are unveiled in the recent arrest and manslaughter charge in the death of Tony Randolph Hunter, members of GLOV are left searching for answers and concerned about the path the city's case seems to be taking."

"Part of GLOV's mission is to monitor cases to ensure that the rights and dignity of glbt victims are respected and protected," says co-chairman Chris Farris. "That's why we're shocked at the apparent "gay panic" defense and subsequent charge of manslaughter in Tony's murder which don't seem to support the facts of this case. So many questions remain that we're wondering how CAREFUL the MPD and District Attorney are being."

We encourage the media to uncover the truth about this murder. GLOV is pursuing answers to the following questions:

1) The police report classifed this as a bias crime based on sexual orientation, It also stated robbery was a motive, and listed a cellphone, car keys, and cash that was stolen. Now, the police claim that this was an "altercation." Why the change?

2) The arrest warrant identifies two witnesses who claim that there was a sexual advance that preceded the attack. One is the defendent, and the other is someone who knows him. Is that all they have? The charge – voluntary manslaugher, instead of murder – seems to be based on this account (otherwise, it would be at least second-degree murder). Why would a case precede on that testimony, which is obviously suspect? The arrest warrant identifies another witness who confirms the second victim's account, so it is baffling as to why the version put forth by the defendant and his friend seems to be guiding this case.

3) Why have no charges been filed in the attack on the second victim? The police report clearly indicates that there was a second vicitm with bruises.

4) Why hasn't the DA's office contacted the second vicitm, either about charges in his case or as a witness in Tony Hunter's case?

5) Why have charges been filed against only one suspect, when the police report says there were 4, as does the second victim?