A friend of mine wrote and shared this tragic story recently in a private Facebook group I'm in. I am sharing this with her permission. Pardon the graphic wording and nature of this short but true tale. This is why we MUST strive to make this world a better place.
Sara wrote:
I just looked at the date and realized that tomorrow is the 31-year anniversary of one of the most formative days of my life. Late January 1981, I was in downtown New Orleans with my two best friends Denise and Charlie. Charlie was a 16-year-old gay boy. We had just left a show at the Saenger theater and were crossing Canal Street when we were confronted by a group of three (apparent) skinheads. They began taunting us, calling Charlie a faggot and Denise and me dykes and fag hags. They began to push Charlie around and started to beat him. We first tried to fight them off but these were older and bigger people. Charlie was screaming for us to get help. We ran off to the Sheraton to call for help. We went back out a few minutes later to find Charlie bleeding and unconscious in the median. He died less than an hour later without ever regaining consciousness.
I tell you this story so that you can understand my passionate feelings on hate. This is the reason why I didn't fit into fundamentalism. Every time I see institutional hate, I hear the screams of my young friend. He died without ever knowing love. His sin, I can't seem to find. Please know that when you hear institutional homophobia that you have to fight it! It kills. Fight it for Charlie, fight it for me. Fight it for you! Most of all, fight it so the world can be a better place for your children one day.
Charlie will always be in my prayers
ReplyDelete