LGBT community responds to hate crime with peaceful Hug-In

By Stephanie Benhart
Just after 1 a.m. April 12, a man screaming derogatory names at a group of students walking down Green Street attacked University student Steven Velasquez.

Velasquez, sophomore in Business, said the man screamed "faggot," assuming he and a friend walking together with two other students were members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

They continued walking and Velasquez asked, "Why does he have to be like that?"

The man then grabbed Velasquez and shoved him to the ground, which knocked him unconscious.

Incidents like these are classified as hate crimes or bias incidents, said Kaamilyah Abdullah-Span, assistant dean of students. A bias incident is motivated by membership in a particular group, whether it is ethnic, racial or sexual orientation-based, but is not punishable by law.

Hate crimes are motivated by a person's bias, but fall into criminal categories, she said.

In response to the most recent attack, a Hug-In was held along Green Street on Friday night, sponsored by Pride and the Office of LGBT affairs. The Hug-In featured LGBT community students and their allies offering free hugs to anyone walking on Green Street. They were also handing out cookies, flowers, Hershey's hugs and kisses and handbills with hate crime information.


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