VERMONT'S NEWSPAPER FOR LESBIANS, GAY MEN, AND BISEXUALS

Volume V, Number 3

 

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MAY 31 1990

  

June/July 1990

Hundreds Protest Brutal Beating

Almost a month after he was attacked
near Pearls on Easter Sunday, Roger Ma-
comber still lies hospitalized in Burlington
in stable condition. News of the assault on
Roger by Kevin J. Murray of Hinesburg left
many people stunned by the severity of the
beating. By week’s end, however, an ex-
traordinarily well-attended vigil at the
Unitarian Church in Burlington signalled
that such vicious hate crimes would not be
tolerated, and that the gay community
could recover its strength even in the face of
such adversity.

In a timely and symbolic gesture, the
Vennont Senate recently passed the Hate
Crimes Bill following an emotional public
hearing held on Thursday, April 19th.
Governor Madeline Kunin, who would
later sign the bill into law, opened that
hearing with her own testimony. This was
the first time the governor had ever spoken
in support of a bill before a legislative
committee.

Though references to Roger Ma-
comber’s condition echoed throughout the
testimony offered at the hearing, the point
was often made that such attacks, though
differing in severity, are not uncommon to
the gay community of Vennont. Others
told of their own experiences of sexist and
racist violence in the state, demonstrating
the need for stiffer penalties for crimes
motivated by hate or bias toward a person’s
sex, religion, race, ethnic background, or
sexual orientation.

If ever the Senate needed an example
of a hate crime, the beating of Roger Ma-
comber certainly provided a clear-cut case.
Macomber’s assailant confessed to police
that he “went looking for it. (I) went to
Pearls, found a fag, and kicked the shit out
of him.”

Witnesses reported that Murray had
been inside Pearls that Sunday night at a
fund-raiser for Vermont C.A.R.E.S. and
that he had left the bar with Macomber. The
two were later seen in an alley, where
Murray was engaged in oral sex with
Macomber. Police found Macomber after

responding to a call from a patron of Pearls
just after midnight. Murray was appre-
hended a short while later when he was
found walking down Church Street in
blood-stained clothes.

The injuries sustained by Macomber
in the attack were substantial and will result
in permanent brain damage and possible
blindness. One of the policemen attending
to Macomber after the beating described it
as “the worst I've seen.” There were many
who feared that Macomber would not sur-
VIVC.

Though the attention surrounding the
Hate Crimes hearing that Thursday night
was heightened by the incident, it was
generally understood thatattacks such as
that on Macomber are on ongoing problem
in the state of Vermont. The nature of such
crimes differs sharply from individual-ori-
ented assaults in that hate crimes are in-
tended to affect a community, multiplying
the damage caused by the act.

In response to the psychological
trauma caused by the beating, a candlelight
vigil was scheduled for Friday night. De-
spite inclement weather, the outpouring of
support from the community was substan-

tial. Terje Anderson, who helped organize I

the event and introduced the various speak-
ers, was overwhelmed by the number of
people who filled the church. He had ex-
pected two or three hundred to appear; the
Church was filled to capacity with many
people standing in the back. Given the
seating limitations of the Church, Ander-
son calculated that at least six hundred
supporters had attended the event.

A number of speakers addressed the
problem of violence against gays, lesbians,
and bisexuals, while a number of others
offered words of support to enhance the
healing process needed following such an
attack. Messages were also delivered from
Governor Kunin and Burlington Mayor
Peter Clavelle expressing concern and
support for the Vermont gay community.

The program lasted nearly two hours,
after which the crowd moved outside into
the wind and drizzle to light candles and
join voices together in song. Never have the
words “We areagentle, angry people” been
sung with such strength and conviction in
Vermont. The song was originally written
(continued on page 13)

An Open Letter Home

(Ed. note: Dot Brauer gave us permission
to publish the following letter to her parents
following the beating of Roger Macomber and
the hearing on the Hate Crimes Bill. Due to the
emotional content of those events, we feel that
Dot's letter serves as a powerful report on how
such things are experienced by the gay commu-
nity. Our thanks to Dot for allowing us this
privilege.)

Dear Mom and Dad:

I was inspired by the testimony of a
mother at a public hearing I attended last
night to share with you something that has
been happening up here. Early Easter
morning, a gay man was savagely beaten in
Burlington. He is in critical condition with
every bone in his face broken, -brain dam-
age, and possible loss of vision. The man

who beat him said to the police when he was
found walking on Church Street covered
with blood that he had gone out to beat up
a fag. The state has been reeling in reaction
to the incident.

The public hearing was very favorable
with positive testimony outweighing oppo-
sition 4.5 to 1. Governor Kunin opened the
testimony urging the Judiciary Committee
to send the bill to the Senate floor with a
favorable recommendation. She was fol-
lowed by the Attorney General, who ex-
pressed similar strong sentiments. All in all
about sixty people testified, with dozens of
accounts of gay men and lesbians and
blacks and women and Indians who have
all been beaten and harrassed by those who
are filled with hate.

(continued on page 14)