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WATCH: Political Motive Alleged, Questioned in Attack on Gay Wisconsin Volunteer

WATCH: Political Motive Alleged, Questioned in Attack on Gay Wisconsin Volunteer

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A gay volunteer working against a gay candidate says that was the reason he was assaulted, but media reports appear somewhat skeptical.

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A gay man says he was assaulted for working for the candidate running against a gay congressional hopeful in Wisconsin -- but some media sources appear skeptical about the attack's motivation.

Kyle Wood is a full-time volunteer for Republican congressional candidate Chad Lee, who is running against Democrat Mark Pocan, the gay man seeking to succeed lesbian congresswoman Tammy Baldwin in representing a liberal district centered on Madison, a university town and the state capital. Baldwin is giving up her seat to run for U.S. Senate.

Wood told the conservative website Daily Caller that Wednesday morning, there was a knock at the door of his home in Madison and "I opened it, and a guy wrapped a ligature around my neck, slammed my head into the doorway, and smashed my face into a mirror, telling me 'You should have kept your [f*******] mouth shut.'" He was then beaten, he said.

He also said that last week, graffiti was painted on his car that "included the phrases 'house trained republican faggot,' 'traitor,' and 'ur like a jew 4 hitler,'" the Daily Caller reports. He had responded to that with a Facebook post saying, among other things, "I will not be bullied into voting for a gay man simply because I am gay."

GOProud cofounder Jimmy LaSalvia told the Daily Caller that the attack was an example of "hate and vitriol directed towards a gay conservative from gay liberals."

However, Christian Schneider, a blogger for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said he has delayed posting an account of the attack because questions arose about some details in the Daily Caller story, which he quoted extensively. "I decided to hold off on running the post until I can verify some of the facts that have been reported," he wrote. Madison NBC station WMTV had a disclaimer with its coverage, saying, "We want you to know that it is not clear if this attack was politically motivated."

A Madison Police Department report does say that "investigators believe this was not a random crime." Wood was treated at a hospital and released.

Watch the WMTV coverage below.


WMTV - NBC15 Madison, Wisconsin:

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.