Here's a sign of progress

[James Blandings]

Craig Covey, who is a leader in the gay community and a city councilman in my town (Ferndale, Michigan) was accosted last night coming out of a gay bar by a mugger. rather than just give up his money, Craig fought him off, and escaped the attack with only a couple of bruises. This was apparently a random street crime, there is no sign that he was targeted for being gay.

So what makes this story a sign of progress?

Because not one news report that I saw made any mention that it was a gay bar. Every report just described it as "an east side bar".

When a politician can get mugged coming out of a gay bar and be portrayed as a crime fighting hero by the news media, we are definitely making some progress.

 

[Queersetti]

A gay guy kicking a mugger's ass is a pretty good sign too.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Too true....

 

[Etoile]

That is awesome. How'd you find out it was a gay bar, if that's not how it's being reported?

 

[Quint]

Rock. It's strange but I never thought of what the news DOESN'T say as a sign of progress. This really is a cool sign.

 

[Queersetti]

Rock. It's strange but I never thought of what the news DOESN'T say as a sign of progress. This really is a cool sign.

What they don't say tells you a lot.
I remember that when I was a kid, perpetrators of crime were always identified by race if they were black, but not if they were white. It was a step forward when they stopped doing that, and it looks like maybe we are getting there with issues involving gay people in the news.

 

[shescurious]

Here's to hoping other states and cities pick up on this progress as well.

 

[James Blandings]

That is awesome. How'd you find out it was a gay bar, if that's not how it's being reported?

They interviewed Craig outside the bar, so it was obvious where he was, but they never made mention that it was a gay bar, and the name is not one that gives it away (The Gold Coast).
Anyone who knows the local gay bar scene would recognize it however.

 

[shepixie69]

That's great!

Finally...

 

[Svenskaflicka]

What they don't say tells you a lot.
I remember that when I was a kid, perpetrators of crime were always identified by race if they were black, but not if they were white. It was a step forward when they stopped doing that, and it looks like maybe we are getting there with issues involving gay people in the news.

I wish they could stop that in Sweden too. I've never been able to understand why it's so relevant for the story that the criminal was black, when it's not relevant at all if he was white. Talk about making people associate one group of people with bad news..!

As for the gay thing... I don't think we're even up to the stage where we mention people's sexual orientation at all, unless the story's about a Gay Pride Parade.