Ga. Man Targeted with Antigay Arson

A man in Carroll County, Ga., claims that his home was set on fire Sunday hours after someone threw a rock with a note with antigay slurs through his window.

WSBTV reports that Chris Staples said that while he was watching TV and finishing a cigarette, someone threw a rock into his window with a threatening note attached. Hours later, he woke up to flames in his bedroom.

Staples offered details on the note.

"It said, 'we know you're gay. And God hates gays. You won't be raping anybody in the county and God's going to make sure that you burn in hell.' And something about my daddy... my daddy will make sure you burn in hell."

Then hours later, he woke up to flames filling his bedroom. The 40-year-old barely escaped the blaze.

Staples's mother, who lives next door, said that she believes the fire was set intentionally because her son is gay. She added that her son is ill and unable to work, which means that he rarely leaves the house.