Nov. 16, 2012

Caption: Councilman Tom Simplot

On Friday, November 9, two men were attacked in central Phoenix. They were called names and beaten up for one reason only: they were presumed to be gay.

My heart goes out to the two victims of this assault. I wish them a speedy recovery, and I will do everything in my power to see that the perpetrators are punished to the fullest extent of the law.

We don’t expect to hear about things like this happening in central Phoenix. This is one of the largest cities in the United States, a place where diversity is celebrated and the LGBT community thrives. Unfortunately, no group is immune to bigotry and hatred. Perpetrators will strike out at someone just for being different whether it is their skin color, religion, or in this case, because they were gay.    

Violence is not ok under any circumstance, and we have to stand together as a community in the face of this vicious assault.  

The best way to fight this hatred is to educate others, to be visible and to be active in our neighborhoods, our churches or in politics. We must take a role in improving the community around us to make it safer for ourselves, our friends and our loved ones.   

Thankfully, the two victims are survivors and we as a community will survive this assault on our peace of mind. The LGBT community has made great strides, but our work is not yet done. We continue to persevere through hard times and keep coming back stronger. We look out for each other and care about each other, and we will not let hatred keep us from being out and proud.
 

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