51 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 17 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
Exclusive to OpEd News:
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 5/20/13

The Week's Homophobia Hits New Highs, But Hate Was Transcended At New York Vigil For A Murdered Mark Carson

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   1 comment
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Rev. Dan Vojir
Become a Fan
  (37 fans)

At the Mark Carson vigil
At the Mark Carson vigil
(Image by Google Images w/caption by Rev Dan)
  Details   DMCA
/>

While the rhetoric against the LGBT community has been ratcheted up in the last months due to the Boy Scouts and marriage equality, violence has also escalated. Calls for imprisonment and even death have surfaced at home and abroad. 

Last week in homophobia (click on links to see full stories):

Florida Teen Expelled, Charged With Felony For Lesbian Relationship

 


BRITAIN: Gay Magazine Editor And Partner Gay-Bashed In London Park





GEORGIA (Country): PM Denounces Anti-Gay Violence At Pride Rally


New Europe  reports that members of the mob were shouting, "Kill them! Tear them to pieces!"


The Mark Carson Vigil

The victim of a hate crime murder in New York's Greenwich Village on Friday night was revealed as a 'courageous' gay man who never hid his sexuality - despite being subjected to anti-gay slurs for years.

Mark Carson, 32, was killed after a gay-bashing assailant asked whether the man he was with was his boyfriend. Carson didn't hesitate and told the man yes, according to reports.

Elliot Morales, 33, called Carson a 'f*****' and a 'queer' when he confronted him and his 31-year-old partner on a busy street on Friday night.

Mark Carson was then shot in the head, and rushed to a hospital where he died. His alleged assailant confessed to the hate crime and to the homophobic slurs.

It was the fourth such crime in New York in two weeks, but it prompted a vigil which will live in New York memory for some time: a vigil that was fraught with love and determination.* It was a vigil for which elements of anti-gay animus (e.g. the Christian Right) could have little criticism.

Emotions ranging from fear and disillusionment to love and determination were all there:

"Enough!" "Your  love is a dangerous thing - use it everywhere you go."

"Don't let it be a cowardly moment."


"Enough!"

"Your love is a dangerous thing - use it everywhere you go." 


"We are all the same. We can all bleed."


"We deserve to feel safe in our home town."


"Feels like a home invasion."


The only (slightly) seditious statement, "The powers imprisoning people are the powers that shot Mark Carson" alluded to the treatment of the people in the Greenwich Village community by the NYPD.


The vigil was impassioned, but not as inspirational as one would would hope for, simply because so many people have heard the same voices throughout the years since the death of Matthew Shepherd. It is also difficult to inspire people who have become indifferent. What sets aside this vigil from the "Laramie Project" reaction during Shepherd's funeral, perhaps, is the sense of community - a community within an enormous city. It is a community trying to tell everyone that it has tried to be a microcosm of love and acceptance, a community with a sense of purpose - and that sense of purpose was violated, but not beaten. "Feels like a home invasion" was probably the most poignant of the vigil statements. 

Rage

"Our grief and our anger brought us together." 

The murder happened just a few blocks away from the Stonewall Inn, where, in 1969, the gay rights movement was born, bringing a sense of continuance to the vigil. In fact, from the statements during the vigil, rage was heaped upon a society at large rather than focused on any particular group. In many ways, the vigil seemed to make a valiant attempt to transcend hate by overcoming it with determination coupled with pride in the courage of Mark Carson, imploring everyone to be like him. 

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Rate It | View Ratings

Rev. Dan Vojir Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Rev. Dan Vojir is has been writing/blogging on religion and politics for the better part of ten years. A former radio talk show host (Strictly Books ‚¬" Talk America Radio Network) and book publisher, Dan has connected with some of the most (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

The End Of An Era? Praise The Lord! Televangelist Paul Crouch Dies And Leaves Behind A Life Of Decadence Beyond Belief.

"Some Girls Rape Easy": Hypocrisy, Sex and The Republican War Against Women.

Joining "Bishop" Eddie Long, Prosperity Preacher Creflo Dollar Gets Support From His Fans...ala Mommy Dearest

Forget EBOLA: The Greatest Threat To Africa's Medical Missionaries Is Ann Coulter!

The Vatican's Fake Occupy Implodes: Documents Evoke A History Of Money Laundering, Sexual Terrorism, And Even ... Murder

Holy Misogyny! Dating Advice From Megachurch Minister: "Dress Modestly And Save Yourself ... For Me!"

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend