When it comes to homophobic intimidation and scare tactics....I have experienced much through out my life as a single adult...in schools I have attended....in the army...and as a part of a Community Mental Health Facility.
This incident took place at an area located near a local hospital. There is a picnic table where I would go to get away from the my apartment when I got cabin fever from sitting inside for too long. There is a sign by the picnic table that reads Smoke Free Park...and then in Spanish it reads Parque Libre de Humo.... Someone had taken a black marker to the "u" in Humo and turned the word into Homo.
(VHRC Note: After reporting the sign, it was replaced, however, a new sign can't undo the fear caused by the incident.)
There was a person in my aprtment building who took a particular dislike to me, who made me nervous all the time. I would go to the picnic table behind the hospital just to get my mind off of that person and get some of my studying done. I made a habit out of studying at that picnic table until the sign was changed from Humo to Homo...after that I avoided the picnic table. Even though the person who hated me so much finally got sent to a different apartment complex, his friends remain here at these apartments and they have very little to say to me...they never tell me why....
I stay to myself these days...that is one of the reasons I am hoping that some day soon I will be able to talk to people from the LGBT community because I am kind of isolated here and I have been for a very long time. It is not safe to talk about gay issues at work or at the library where I work and my family is pretty much homophobic and hard to trust after all the times they have ridiculed me for suggesting that I may be bisexual.....
(male, bisexual)
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In January, 2005, our Human Rights Commission issued a statement noting that "persons have experienced mistreatment based on their GLBT status". They asked the Common Council "to create an appropriate remedy." We're still waiting. Our Council has refused to give their citizens a place to take their stories, so we will. If you've been discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, email us info@sbequality.org. We will give you a voice. Your name will not be posted.
