For once, possums, we don't have a snarky thing to say.Josie Smith-Malave, the cooking world's most affable lesbian (sorry, Sandee Birdsong, you're a close second; and Tiffani Faison, you're a brilliant cook, but affable, not so much), was reportedly attacked over the weekend on Ilan Hall's native soil, Long Island.
According to a report, Josie "was among a small group of women asked to leave a Sea Cliff, Long Island[,] bar over Labor Day weekend," after which "about 10 young people followed the women out and began screaming anti-gay slurs, spitting on them and beating them....[T]he women, who were on Long Island to attend a friend's birthday party, suffered bruises, and one received injuries to her head. One of them had a camera taken in the attack."
Our best wishes go out to Josie and her friends, and we hope authorities (or lesbian avenger Jodie Foster in The Brave One) get the fuckers.
23 comments:
That seriously sucks. Hope everyone is ok.
Yes, Eggplant, that seriously sucks. Ignorant young people really scare me, particularly young straight men. They can be dangerous in groups--they're like wild animals in a lot of ways. I wish Josie and her friends the best.
This breaks my heart AND gets me so angered. All the best to Josie and her friends, and I hope they know there's love out there, too.
this makes me so sad....I hope Josie and her friends are all okay, and that the "young people" are all found and punished.
i don't know what the hell is wrong with people, that they think this is an okay way to behave....
and marius: ignorant young people - especially young straight men - scare me too.
In my heart, I want to think that if I witnessed such a thing, I would speak up; but - ignorant young people are scary, and I'm afraid of getting hurt.
fortunately, I haven't had to test myself on this one.
*shakes head* poor josie & co. my heart definitely goes out to them
Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm so shocked I don't even know what to say.
The police better find those f'ckers. It disgusts me that there are people who would do this. If that was my kid, I'd put him/her in jail myself.
This world is hard enough. Life is hard enough. That someone has to endure something so egregious as this for their orientation breaks my heart and makes me furious.
If Josie reads this, don't you let any piece of trash like that EVER color your feelings about who you are. You are loved by many.
God, I wish I COULD have been there with a f'cking baseball bat.
Definately not a time for snark. One hopes Bravo won't exploit this in their usual crass fashion.
Can't think of a better person to be a Spokesperson against this sort of hateful behavior than Josie Malave-Smith.
Should she CHOOSE to do so, I think her warmth and wit might change some hard hearts.
This makes me so angry. No matter what someone's opinion is on a subject, why can't some people see that committing violence is not a way to display (imagined) moral superiority. Attacking unarmed women--wow, those boys should be really proud of themselves. [sarcasm]
On a side note, why was the group of women asked to leave the bar, in the first place--anyone know?
"On a side note, why was the group of women asked to leave the bar, in the first place--anyone know?"
According to the article in today's Newsday (Long Island's biggest newspaper), they were asked to leave the bar after two of the women danced together....imagine that?!?!
Here's a link to the article, perhaps Nassau County police department needs to get pressure from the media.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/crime/ny-libeat125370686sep12,0,3411354.story
the link showed up broken.
Go to http://www.newsday.com/
and do a search on Josie Smith-Malave
Jeebus, chicks dance together all the time, no matter their orientation. I've gone to plenty of bars and danced with my girlfriends.
Un-freakin-believable. Echoing the best to Josie and her friends. Hope the cops can catch these jerks.
Gotta love the blogosphere. These people aren't just guilty as charged. They're guilty BEFORE being charged.
I suggest people look up the track-record of attorney Yetta Kurland before leaping to conclusions. She was among the first to march down to North Carolina and declare the entire Duke LaCrosse team guilty of racism and rape.
As it turned out, the only person found guilty in a COURT OF LAW was the Elmer-Fudd Prosecutor. And the only thing the LaCrosse Players were guilty of was stupidity.
As of now, she is the ONLY source speaking about what happened. And she wasn't there, obviously.
It's certainly possible that she's on the side of the angels this time. But automatically assuming that to be so is foolhardy.
Young men proving their "manhood" by physically attacking a group of women. What else is new? At least Josie and her friends weren't raped (I hope). Unfortunately, this violent savage behavior is typical. I'm sure law enforcement will look the other way, as usual. This is why gay people stay in the closet. They don't what to be spit on and bashed in the face.
Jane...
They could have been asked to leave for many reasons. It could be that the bartender was homophobic. It could be the patrons were complaining that they were acting openly gay. It could even have been that they were rowdy and belligerent. (I PERSONALLY have been thrown out of a bar by a cop, myself, for being out of control).
IN MY OPINION, even the later reason would never, EVER, EVER excuse the fact of what these kids did.
I apologize, I do, for my almost militant position about this.
While I'm (quasi) straight, I have had family, friends and, yes, even lovers who were not. How's THAT for being open?
The gentle hearts, the baeutiful souls of all those people I've known and know who are gay/lesbian and transgendered are as much at risk for this kind of attack as Josie was. Everyday.
I'm a calm human being. Until something like this happens. Then the Italian/Irish comes out in me.
No matter what they did in that bar (baring beating people up) could ever warrant this attack.
God, I really do wish I'd been there.
I just read in the newspaper that Josie sustained bruises all over her body, a head injury, and hearing loss in one ear because of this physical assault. They also spit on her and stole her camcorder during the attack.
This is appalling and sickening.
It's reported that bar patrons came outside and watched the gay-bashing like it was a sporting event.
Finally, an elderly couple across the street who witnessed the violent attack on these women called the police.
Artful, go watch the 700 club and get off this blog.
The Advocate spoke to Josie:
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48786.asp
" According to her account, when she, Durwood, and Smith-Malave’s sister, who is heterosexual, exited the establishment, they were met by a group of about 12 people, three of whom were women, who began to spit on them, punch them, and hurl epithets such as “fucking dyke” and “bush muncher.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. They were jumping out of their skin screaming at us,” said Smith-Malave. “It was as if we had done something to their families.”
She said people inside the bar and employees of the bar did not try to break up the melee. “I was punched and kicked all over my body,” she said. “Everyone that was in the bar, bartenders, they all spilled out the door of the bar, and when I was able to look around, all of those people just watched this happen.”
After what Smith-Malave guessed was about 15 minutes, the group scattered, though she was not sure why. She speculated it was because an older couple who lived across the street had called the police. “They came out and they were like, ‘I can’t believe that happened. Things like that never happen here,'” said Smith-Malave. She could not identify them at the time of this interview.
When Nassau County police officers arrived at the scene, Smith-Malave said they took her account but made no arrests and did not offer medical treatment. Smith-Malave said she was left with bruises all over her body and a large bump on the back of her head—which has not gone down—and has suffered some hearing loss since the incident. "
...and people wonder why I'm not totally out... every story i hear like this pushes me further and further into the fuckin closet.
There is an update article in Newsday. Since hyperlink doesn't work in comments, I'll copy and update here:
"Police: "Top Chef" contestant attack possible bias crime
BY NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON | nia.henderson@newsday.com
12:23 PM EDT, September 12, 2007
The attack on a former "Top Chef" contestant and a group of her companions will be investigated as a bias crime, Nassau police said Wednesday.
The Sept. 1 altercation outside a Sea Cliff bar between Josie Smith-Malave, a member of the reality show's Season 2 cast, escalated from verbal sparring between two groups of bar patrons inside the bar to pushing, shoving, spitting and punching in the parking lot after both groups were tossed out, police said.
During the assault, a video camera belonging to one of the victims was stolen and the suspects shouted anti-gay epithets, police said. The camera was apparently pointed in the direction of the suspects inside the bar, perhaps aggravating the incident, police said.
The investigation is ongoing and police are working to identify suspects."
E!Online has a report:
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=0e1598f7-d10d-4fc0-a423-5a605edf0574&entry=index
"the reality star was out with two friends for a birthday celebration at Partners Bar in Sea Cliff, New York, on Sept. 1 when they were asked to leave the premises after two of the women began dancing together.
As they made their way out of the bar, the three women were reportedly followed by a group of 10 people, who, per Kurland, surrounded them and began screaming antigay slurs before spitting on them, throwing debris at them and beating them.
In addition to the openly gay 32-year-old, her straight sister was among the group and was also beaten in the encounter.
Kurland said all three women women suffered bruises from the assault and that one even received injuries to the head, though she did not specify which one. Another member of the party also had her camera stolen in the attack.
Nassau County police officers responded to the incident while some of the assailants were reportedly still in the bar, though they made no arrests or charges. Per the police, an investigation is currently underway."
I hope Josie reads our comments and can feel supported. I'd love to think that the attackers (can read and) are learning that they're despised.
I'm sickened. And amazed people are still so ignorant. Am simply appalled. My heart goes out to Josie and her friends.
Disgusting. I hope the Hitler Youth are brought to justice.
Very shocking, indeed! Not to mention stupid.
But . . .
"The attack on a former 'Top Chef' contestant and a group of her companions will be investigated as a bias crime, Nassau police said Wednesday."
Any initiation of aggression against an individual is a "bias crime" irrespective of the victim's identity or status.
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