LGBTQNation:
[Marcellus] Andrews, who was slated to start studying interior design at Hawkeye Community College, spent part of Thursday practicing with members of the Crusaders, a drill team sponsored by Union Missionary Baptist Church. He led the step team for the group, which was days away from competing in March Against Darkness.
Night found him at Nakita Wright’s home on Cottage Street.
She said the problems started at about 12:45 a.m. Friday when she and Tudia Simpson, her cousin, went for a walk down the street. Andrews opted to stay behind, waiting on the enclosed porch, she said.
The two women hadn’t made it as far as Adams Street a block away when they heard yelling back at the house. They ran back and found a truck stopped in the street, and the occupants were taunting Andrews, calling him “faggot” and “Mercedes,” a feminization of his first name, Simpson said.
[...]
From there, the fight was on, with Nakita Wright and the others joining in, according to their account.
At some point during the scuffle, Nakita Wright felt her leg brush against something on the ground. She looked down and saw Andrews.
“I tried to help him up, and then this boy ran back and kicked him in his face,” Nakita Wright said.
After the brawl ended, she tried helping Andrews to his feet. He appeared dazed. She grabbed one arm and coaxed him as she lifted. He pushed up with his other arm, but then gave up.
Homophobes beat Marcellus Andrews until Andrews was on the ground and then they kicked in his face. The result is that Andrews suffered severe head trauma and was taken by helicopter to a hopsital. In the presence of relatives and friends, medical staff removed Andrews from life support; sometime after he died.
He was only 19. I guess he hadn't even been to college yet; he had so much ahead of him.
As nchristine points out in the comments below, this just so happens to have taken place in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area of Iowa that Michelle Bachmann has referred to as her hometown on the campaign trail.
But hate is not a problem for Iowa alone. Sexual minorities are not safe in red states, blue states, at McDonald's, on well-occupied city buses or even when going out to gay bars.
I must insist that liberals and progressives stop believing their own bullshit about how wonderful and tolerant bluer parts of the country are: reality shows that these are often not safe places for minorities. The only practical advice I have is that there is a lot of intersectional work that needs to be done: reaching out to people who aren't like you. If you're gay and non-hispanic, reach out to the latino brothers and sisters. If you're male, reach out to women, et cetera. Remember, we live in a country where people increasingly seclude themselves in locales of similar demographics and similar views.