A 20-year-old Salt Lake City resident was attacked and hospitalized last Friday night as he left a downtown club. Dane Hall, an openly gay man, was in the hospital for four days, lost 6 teeth and his jawbone was broken in three places as a result of the attack.
Hall said he left Club Sound, which is gay-themed on Friday nights, and crossed the street to the corner of 600 W. and 200 S. in Salt Lake City, when four men approached him and began yelling gay slurs. He was then punched in the back of the head and knocked to the ground. One of the assailants grabbed his shirt and began punching him in the face, he said. After Hall fell to the ground again, the attacker grabbed him, placed his open mouth over the street curb and stomped on the back of head, knocking out six teeth in a move commonly referred to as ‘curb checking,’ which can result in death in many cases. Two other assailants kicked him repeatedly in the stomach, Hall said. The attackers called him a ‘fag’ and took his identification and $40, he said.
“I could have died. And a piece of bone from my jaw was jammed in my brain, to make things worse,” Hall said in email correspondence because his jaw is still wired shut after the attack. “If anyone has any information leading to the arrest I am offering a $10,000 reward.”
The hospital bills will total more than $30,000 and unless the assailants are found, Hall could be stuck with the bill, he said. Although he filed a police report, there have been no leads on the case and no suspects have been named, he said.
Salt Lake City Police said the case is active and being looked into.
The attack comes just months after another similar attack in April outside of the club of a 20-year-old gay man. Jordan Corona, 21, left Club Sound on a Friday evening in April and was attacked from behind by several assailants, he said. He was treated for concussion as a result of the attack, he said.
“The doctors say I was lucky no bones are broken. But my collar bone is really bruised, probably from being kicked on the ground, and my wrist is sprained and my face is just really messed up,” Corona said.
No arrests were made and no one was charged as a result of the attack. Corona’s cell phone was stolen and phone calls were made, but the information did not help police, Corona said.
Anyone with information about the assailants or any possible leads are being asked to call the Salt Lake Police Department at 801-799-3000.
Calls to the ownership of the club were not returned. More information will be posted on QSaltLake.com as it becomes available.
http://qsaltlake.com/2011/08/31/man-attacked-outside-of-salt-lake-city-gay-club/
It is interesting to see that the idea of making the familiar strange can also apply to our own personalities. For instance, I just realized that I am subtlety prejudiced towards white males. If I had read this same story but having it involve a woman, a minority or a child, then I would be crying. But having Hall in the front page, I don’t feel very emotional. I know what was done to him was horrible and that to attack an individual in such a merciless way is unacceptable, gay or not, but I am emotionally detached from the story. Is not the fact that he is gay that detaches me but the fact that he is a young, white male. Sorry, in advance if this post offends anyone. Is not my goal to offend but only to say what is going through my mind.
ReplyDeleteThis absolutely makes me sick. I can't believe people have such hatred toward gay people or really anyone who is different from them. I feel like the LDS church takes a lot of bad comments because we are against gay marriage. People think we hate them but that is not it at all. I have family members who are gay and I love them just the same as everybody else. I feel horrible that this happened to these men and I hope whoever is responsible is caught.
ReplyDeleteTracy Voelkl
I don't know whether those who beat Dane Hall were LDS or not, but either way I'm ashamed of them. They're a embarrassment to humanity, and if they're members, to the LDS church. Even though I don't agree with those who live a homosexual lifestyle, it is never right to hate another on any basis, much less to mutilate that person through "curb-checking." My one concern here, however, is that we as observers of this and like tragedies will allow our sympathetic feelings to take us where we ought not go. There are those who would call the LDS church hateful because of its opposition to gay marriage, even though church leaders have made it perfectly clear that they love homosexuals and will not tolerate hateful actions towards them. I think it is easy for us to give way to the thought that in order to be "tolerant" (the meaning of that word has changed in recent years), we must not only love and respect those who share morally different views from our own, but also embrace their values. Many gay marriage advocates label opposers as bigoted and hateful. I'm sure there are plenty who actually are hateful and bigoted, but the fact that one differs in a moral opinion is not sufficient reason to label that person bigoted and hateful. I would suggest that anyone who seeks to stifle another's freedom of speech, conscience and religion would be in danger of a bigoted and hateful label. I hope it is clear that I am genuinely sorry for Dane's awful treatment. I simply want to point out that there is a difference between being loving and tolerant of another, and actually embracing that person's moral opinions. One need not do the second in order to do the first.
ReplyDeleteThis article literally made me feel sick as I read it. The worst part is, I can't say that I don't believe this happened at all, because stories like these are becoming more and more common every day. I don't feel that it's acceptable to treat anyone like this, just because you don't agree with them and their opinions. Also, there is the possibility that the attackers were drunk, seeing as how it was a bar scene downtown- this doesn't validate their actions in any way, but it does bring up the idea that, what if people don't agree with drinking? Does that mean that it's a free for all to attack someone who is drunk? Not at all.
ReplyDeleteClearly it's not right, and we as a society need to become way more accepting of different views on issues.
I feel so sad that this happened and my best wishes are sent out to the victim and his family.
-Addison Soelberg
I agree with the previous comment about being more accepting. It's not for us to be the judge of others, thank goodness for that. When you look at Christ's life, he loved everyone, sinners and all. Those that are self-righteous and judge others, and do not show charity toward others will be held accountable for that. I think, especially as members of the church, we should show love and compassion for those of SSA. I certainly would not want to have that challenge in life as a member of the church.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this article since we discussed it in class. What leads people to think that reactionary brutality of this kind is acceptable? I wonder what thought process spurred the attackers onward. This is not an isolated incident, and so the principles that inspired it must be present elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteYet, I think it is a beautiful thing that those who may not normally defend this man's lifestyle choices rise up to defend his humanity. Does our concept of humanity, and the right to exist, trump our personal morality? These brutal few are then the exception.