Please, Attend a Rally Against Hate, this Saturday, July 13 @ 10 a.m.
Early Sunday morning, July 7th, a group of gay men, were leaving the Florida Aquarium after attending the Tampa Bay PrideFest's "Wet Party". As they approached their limousine, located in the Channelside parking garage, they became the targets of anti-gay epithets, yelled at them by two men. The men then attacked and began beating them.
The men that were attacked, received injuries that required treatment at Tampa General Hospital. One of them suffered lacerations to his head, another lacerations to his face and lips which required stitches to close his wounds and a third man, suffered a broken tooth, cracked sinus and a fractured skull.
"It's very upsetting," one of the men said Monday night. "Especially since it was a pride event, it was for our community to go out and be seen." adding "We thought we were in a safe place, it was very well lit. We didn't think anything would happen,''
Sheriffs Deputies arrested a 20 year-old male, he is accused of yelling slurs and punching the men in their faces. Charged with aggravated battery with great bodily harm and battery evidencing prejudice. Under Florida law, the battery charge was enhanced from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third- degree felony because it allegedly involved prejudice. The Hillsborough State Attorney is to decide whether to charge the attacker with a hate crime. Sheriff's deputies are still looking for the second attacker.
A rally against hate is being organized and set to take place on July 13th, Saturday at 10am in Tampa's Channelside District, near the Florida Aquarium parking garage where the attack took place. You are asked to come out and show your support for the victims. Please, join with members of your gay community and let us show the attackers, that our community will not remain silent by such acts of hatred!
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