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March against hate crimes
BY KRISTEN LOMBARDI
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By now, the attack on Lisa Craig and Debbie Riley is well-known. The lesbian couple from East Boston and their two children were victims of gay-bashing on July 4, when four teenagers beat Craig senseless and left her for dead. The brutal beating occurred just after the teens had shouted epithets at the family during the fireworks at Piers Park — in particular, calling the women "two dykes." One of the teens punched Craig with such force that she fell to the ground. The teens delivered a series of kicks to Craig’s head, and took off with her purse. Suffering from cerebral bleeding, Craig has had to endure two surgeries and 200 stitches as a result. News of the hate crime, first reported July 11 by the Boston Herald, has hit gay and lesbian activists hard. When Kate Geyer, of the grassroots group Boston Lesbian Avengers, heard about the assault, she was stunned. Stunned that such a "vicious" attack had taken place. Stunned that the first police on the scene responded in a less-than-desirable manner. In press accounts, Riley claims a Massport cop caught the teens in the act — only to warn them to get lost. Boston police arrested one 15-year-old girl in connection with the crime last week, but all the teens could have been arrested on the spot on July 4. "I was horrified by that," Geyer says. "It’s not how I’d expect law enforcement to respond." Geyer and her fellow Lesbian Avengers have decided they, at least, need to act. Last Thursday night, the dozen or so Avengers, who perform street theater in Boston, decided they wanted to do, in Geyer’s words, "something visible" to express their outrage over the attack on Craig and Riley. So many gay and lesbian activists have seemed so shocked by the hate crime — shocked that it could happen in this city — that she and her colleagues worry people have become too "complacent" on the queer-awareness front. As she explains, "We need to keep saying that there are gay folks out there, and it’s not okay to target them." To that end, the Avengers are hosting an anti-hate-crimes demonstration this Saturday afternoon, at 2 p.m. The event will kick off at the Maverick T stop, in East Boston, and then proceed to the scene of the crime, Piers Park. At the rally, of course, people will make a point of showing their support for Craig and Riley, whom the Avengers are hoping can attend. Beyond that, the event will serve as "a sign of queer visibility and queer acceptance," says Geyer. She then adds, "We’re here to say hate crimes should never happen." The "Rally Against Hate Crimes" takes place Saturday, July 26, at the Maverick T stop at 2 p.m. A march will conclude at Piers Park. For information, check out the Boston Lesbian Avengers Web site at www.lesbianavengers.org
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