The Old Plantation in downtown El Paso.
Your weekday morning blend from Instant Tea:
1. A 16-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault in connection with a brutal beating last weekend outside the Old Plantation gay nightclub in downtown El Paso, the El Paso Times reports today. Police say they believe the attack was gang related and aren’t treating the incident as a hate crime, even though family members and LGBT activists insist the victim, 22-year-old Lionel Martinez, was targeted only because he was outside a gay venue. Martinez, who’s straight but had been to the Old Plantation with friends, remains in critical condition and has not regained consciousness since the attack last Friday night or Saturday morning. The FBI reportedly is investigating the incident as a possible civil rights violation, and more arrests are expected. A total of six people were involved in the attack, and a security guard says there’s been an upswing of gang activity around the nightclub. But just because something is gang related doesn’t mean it’s not a hate crime. In fact, it’s quite common for gang initiations to include bashing a queer, and here’s a story about another hate crime that occurred just a week before.
2. The Ugandan Parliament has adjourned without taking up an Anti-Homosexuality Bill that includes a death penalty provision, the Associated Press reports. The bill was slated to be considered today, but the speaker of the parliament says there isn’t enough time to debate the bill before the session ends next week.
3. A new poll shows that a majority of Minnesotans oppose a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The Minnesota Senate voted to place such an amendment on the 2012 ballot this week, and the House is expected to follow suit. But the poll shows that 55 percent oppose the amendment, while only 39 percent support it. Just seven years ago, a poll found that 58 percent of Minnesotans supported a ban on same-sex marriage.
this is definitely a hate crime.. these ppl go to the OP and stand outside asking ppl if they want to buy x or pot.. then they make homophobic comments to ppl going into the OP… some of them even ask the 21 and over crowd for their entrance bracelet, since they themselves arent even 18… idk why EPPD is so ignorant, and calling it simply a gang-related accident… i was at the scene when this happened and it took cops a good 15 minutes to get there and when i tried telling him what happens with these ppl yelling obscenities to gay ppl, he simply walked away, leaving me in mid sentence, that there showed me they think the gay community are second class citizens. no wonder El Paso always ranks as a safe city, most of these brutal cases are swept under the rug or made to sound not as serious. seems like eppd are taking notes from the Juarez Police….