Lucas Dylan Wilhelmson
Some folks have predicted that the historic Supreme Court ruling upholding marriage equality will spark an uptick in anti-LGBT hate crimes. Let’s all hope this is as bad as it gets.
Lucas Dylan Wilhelmson, 21, of Holly Springs in Wake County in North Carolina, is facing charges of simple assault and communicating threats following an incident early Sunday morning, June 28, at a Charlotte bar catering to the LGBT community.
According to the Charlotte, Fox news station, Channel 8, Wilhelmson walked into The Bar 316 and began a loud rant filled with anti-gay slurs and and complaints and denoucements of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v Hodges in favor of marriage equality. The TV station reports that the bar owner escorted Wilhelmson to the door and, believing him to be drunk, offered to call him a cab. Wilhelmson instead slapped the bar owner “at least 15 times” and threatened to come back and kill him.
While LGBT advocates are calling this a hate crime, North Carolina’s hate crimes law offers no protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
WTVD Channel 11 out of Raleigh/Durham reports that Wilhelmson is a student at NC State. The station also notes that the bar says no one was injured and promised to continue providing “a safe space” for LGBT people and their allies.
Fox 8 reports Wilhelmson has been released on a $3,000 bond.
