News
2007-06-15
Tennessee man
receives antigay death threat
Several gay
rights groups are stepping in to investigate a death threat
that a Tennessee man received on Saturday. Neal Anthony,
Several gay
rights groups are stepping in to investigate a death threat
that a Tennessee man received on Saturday. Neal Anthony,
whose house has been vandalized several
times this year, has spend more than $5,000 on
security equipment and $10,000 in repairs after his home, a
historical site, was defaced with antigay
graffiti, according to Out & About newspaper.
Anthony’s
partner on June 9 found a message spray-painted on the side
of their house that read, “Die Neal.”
The local sheriff’s department said there were
no leads at the time, but the American Civil Liberties
Union, Hate Crimes Taskforce, and Tennessee Equality
Project have each stepped in to push an investigation.
Following a
similar attack in April, ACLU staff attorney Christine Sun
alerted the FBI of the crimes, but the FBI responded by
saying that they could not investigate the attack as a
hate crime because sexual orientation is not a
protected characteristic under the federal hate-crimes
statute, according to Out & About. Sun was
told that the Warren County district attorney’s
office would have to notify the Tennessee Bureau
of Investigations of the case in order for it to
be looked into by the state.
Graffiti messages
previously spray-painted on the home have read,
"All gays go to hell," "Fags deserve 2 die," and "Your
mama is hell bound." Three teenagers who defaced the home
with 91 paintballs were ordered to apologize, placed on
probation, and made to mow lawns for five weekends.
The 156-year-old
house in McMinnville, about 90 miles southeast
of Nashville, was shelter to four generations of
the Anthony family, according to the
newspaper. It was fully restored last year. (The
Advocate)
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