By Mandy Bolen
Key West Citizen

April 8, 2002

Key West · Rob Riley left Key West with a broken nose -- because he's gay.

The Minnesota college professor was vacationing here with his partner of five years, Dan Haakon. They were enjoying their last night in town with a steak dinner at Flagler's and a few drinks on Duval Street before returning to their guest house.

But a group in front of Epoch made sure the couple's last night was anything but idyllic. While walking hand in hand in front of the nightclub, Haakon and Riley were verbally assaulted by a trio of young men.

After a brief verbal joust in which Riley, 38, told the young men, basically, to mind their own business, one of them punched him in the nose and kept swinging.

As Haakon, 35, tried to separate the two, the attacker turned his attention to Haakon.

The man told Haakon not to put his hands on him. Haakon is unsure if he will return to the island that has been his vacation destination the past few years.

"It was really stunning that this would happen in Key West," Haakon said. "It's such a unique and comforting place."

The men had considered buying property in Key West but may change their mind. Riley has visited five times in the past six or seven years.

"I had never seen anything this overt before in Key West. It's a really remarkable place," he said. "But they were like a pack of snarling dogs."

Riley said he probably will return. "This happens everywhere. You just don't expect it in Key West."

Key West detectives are still looking for a suspect in what police have labeled a hate crime.

In order for this distinction to be made, the suspect must be proved to have demonstrated prejudice while committing the crime. Such prejudice was evident in the slurs yelled by the attackers.

Of the five hate crimes reported to Key West police in the past 14 months, four involved anti-gay sentiments and assaults on gay men. Two of them resulted in immediate arrests.

Statewide, in 2000, 15 percent of reported hate crimes were based on sexual orientation.

Florida's hate-crime legislation was passed in 1989 as a means to increase the penalties for convictions of crimes where there was evidence of prejudice. What would normally be considered a simple battery on Riley was upgraded to the hate-crime classification and would be punished more severely.

Riley never expected to be subjected to hate in Key West, where tolerance, acceptance and diversity have been incorporated in the city's official "One Human Family" philosophy.

But is Key West living up to its own philosophy?

"No, it's not. We have a ways to go," said Ginny Haller, former editor of the gay-oriented Celebrate! newspaper. "But in looking at the rest of the country, Key West is so far ahead, and I am proud to live here."

City Commissioner Jeremy Anthonyis convinced education is the key to acceptance.

"The whole world has a long way to go before we reach the highest level of acceptance, but Key West is definitely ahead of the curve," he said.

Anthony said several of the suspects in the past year's hate crimes have been young local people. Two teens who were found to have participated in the name calling of Haakon and Riley live in a local public-housing project.

"We have to educate young people about what diversity means," Anthony said.

April 8, 2002

Miami: Key West likes to call itself America's most gay friendly community. But, for tourist Rob Riley the welcome mat turned out to be a hospital gurney.

Riley, a university professor from Minnesota, and his partner of five years, Dan Haakon were walking along Duval Street, holding hands, when they were verbally assaulted by a trio of young men in front of a bar.

After Riley suggested they mind their own business, the men jumped him and began throwing punches.

Haakon attempted to separate the men and found himself in a middle of the fray, also being punched.

The attack left Riley with a broken nose.

'"Fucking faggots,' they kept saying as we walked past," Riley said, his face still covered in bandages.

"It was really stunning that this would happen in Key West," Haakon said. "It's such a unique and comforting place."

The men had been considering the purchase of property in Key West.

"I had never seen anything this overt before in Key West. It's a really remarkable place," he said. "But they were like a pack of snarling dogs."

Police have labelled the attack a hate crime. The man who broke Riley's nose has not been caught, but the other two who participated in the verbal abuse have been apprehended.

One is 17 years old, the other 18. Both are local men.

City Commissioner Jeremy Anthony said there have been a number of homophobic attacks in Key West over the past year. He said that several of the suspects in the past year's hate crimes have been young, local people.

Anthony said he was "sickened" by the attack on Riley and Haakon.

"We have to educate young people about what diversity means," Anthony said. "I think we are trying, and that's more than what a lot of communities are doing. But you can't change attitudes overnight and you can't legislate morality."