Newark and the media have got some explaining to do

by: Juan Melli

Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 11:44:57 AM EDT

We are told that friends of the victims have come forward to ask why the identities of the murdered teenagers, and the lone survivor, have been suppressed, claiming that "at least one or more of the victims were gay". Media reports indicate that two of the victims were sexually molested before being killed. Though authorities suggest robbery was the motive, some in the community say they were targeted because they were gay.

One of four college students shot execution style in a Newark, N.J., schoolyard in August 2007, the day before they planned to attend a Gay Pride festival in New York, was sexually assaulted during the incident, according to new charges filed last week against a defendant in the case. [...]

The Essex County, N.J., prosecutor's office charged Shahid Baskerville, 16, with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, among other charges, in a crime that shocked the Newark community and attracted international media attention.

Paul Loriquet, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, said the victim of the sexual assault was a female but declined to disclose whether she was the female student who died or the one who survived the attack. Loriquet said the sexual assault, allegedly committed by Baskerville, involved "sexual penetration during a robbery and sexual penetration while armed." He was also charged with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon -- a machete.

Statements last year by Newark police and the city's mayor, Corey [sic] Booker, that the sole motive behind the murders appeared to be robbery drew sharp criticism from gay activists, who demanded that authorities investigate the incident as a possible anti-gay hate crime.

[Newark Pride co-founder Laquetta] Nelson and [Garden State Equality chairman Steven] Goldstein said the fact that one of the attackers allegedly sexually assaulted one of the female victims does not lessen the possibility of a hate crime because lesbians are sometimes sexually assaulted by male perpetrators in hate crimes.

"They say all we need is a good man to turn us around," Nelson said. "Many lesbians have been raped and beaten, and that's still a hate crime, even though it involves someone of the opposite sex."

And for all the media frenzy around the story last year, the traditional news media has so far been complicit in ignoring this critical aspect of the story. Was it pressure from the families? from Newark authorities? a lack of interest? an unwillingness to offend?

Members of the traditional media have known the facts surrounding this case since the fall. Some knew them before we did and yet they've remained silent. Whatever their reason for not reporting it, they need to understand that their inaction has consequences.

The homophobia that haunts some parts of the black community won't go away by ignoring the facts. The black community shouldn't wait for the next Terrance, Dashon, Iofemi and Natasha to happen before this issue becomes a topic of discussion. And thats less likely to happen if the news media neglects their duty to investigate and report the facts -- all the facts.

Update: I guess it's at least been acknowledged now, even if it's just "he said, she said" type reporting. Buried at the very end of a Star Ledger article yesterday is this:

Among those present at the arraignment were gay and lesbian activists who contend that authorities have not devoted enough attention to the question of whether the students were killed because at least one of them was openly gay.

Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, and James Credle of Newark Pride Alliance said they want prosecutors to investigate whether the defendants could be indicted under the state's hate crime statute.

Asked about the issue, [assistant Essex County prosecutor Thomas] McTigue said his office has investigated whether any hate-crime violations were present in the murders but so far has not found evidence that would apply under the statute.

"Homophobia is Killing Black People! Now Will You Respond?"

by: Jeff Gardner

Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 02:56:33 PM EDT

Today, we learned at least one basis for the community's concern:

The victims were friends from high school, and like all high school kids, hung out in a certain clique. Some of the kids who hung with that clique were gay, some weren't, but it was widely known as "the gay clique." And at least one of the killers went to West Side High, knew the victims as belonging to that clique, and would likely have perceived them all as gay.

Since New Jersey's Hate Crimes Law is supposed to cover not only crimes perpetrated because of a victim's sexual orientation, but also of their perceived orientation, this fact - until yesterday unreported in any media outlet - is an important one. And it was the point today's speakers kept trying to make: this could be crucial evidence of the killers' motive. It could implicate people, or exonerate people - we don't know. But, it is essential that the city investigate the question.

Tell that to the media in attendance at today's press conference. Amid television crews from ABC and CBS, a half-dozen or more print reporters, and the occasional heckler, the main question they seemed to want to ask, and asked repeatedly, was "yeah - but were these kids gay?" When told that it didn't matter, and that the question wasn't asked because it was not the purpose of this press conference to out the victims of this heinous crime, one reporter in attendance reacted angrily - "you mean you didn't even ASK?!" he shouted. Others were visibly, and audibly, annoyed upon their realization they would not be getting this juicy tidbit they had come for.

No, this press conference wasn't about outing the victims, but of seeking justice. These Newark LGBT leaders want there to be an investigation - a full investigation, not just "we looked into it" - and as painful as it may be, to let the chips fall where they may.

As for the meeting with the city, it was led by West Ward Councilman Ron Rice, Jr., with at least two other Councilmembers - Dana Rone and Bill Payne - in attendance. Also present was at least one family member of the victims, the stepmom of the sole survivor, Natasha Aeriel.

The group calling for action believed that their concerns were heard at the meeting, but know the real proof will be in what the city does next. It's clear this story has yet to completely unfold.

Newark Triple Murders -- Another Laramie in 2007?

by: Juan Melli

Thu Sep 20, 2007 at 03:31:48 PM EDT

Some leaders in Newark's LGBT community are calling on mayor Cory Booker, the City Council and police to answer the question: "Why is the recent execution style slaying of three young people in Newark not being investigated as a hate crime?"

We are told that friends of the victims have come forward to ask why the identities of the murdered teenagers, and the lone survivor, have been suppressed, claiming that "at least one or more of the victims were gay". Media reports indicate that two of the victims were sexually molested before being killed. Though authorities suggest robbery was the motive, some in the community say they were targeted because they were gay.

A letter to Booker (below the fold), signed James Credle on behalf of LGBTIQ & Two-Spirited Concerns Group, asks why none of the public statements made by the mayor or police director mention the sexual orientation of the victims "despite the fact several sources including friends, boyfriends/lovers of at least one of the victims and perhaps one of the parents knew that one or more of the murdered students were gay." Copies of the letter were also sent to U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

Newark's politicians and police already know that this is a possibility and of course they're privately looking into whether this was in fact a hate crime. But the issue is much larger than these four students and requires a more thorough response. We've moved beyond keeping this quiet.

Almost 10 years after the town of Laramie, Wyoming came to terms with the homophobia-driven murder of college student Matthew Shepard, Newark is a long way from making similar progress. In a press release issued this morning, Garden State Equality responded to the possibility that these heinous murders may have been hate crimes, noting the city's past struggles with the issue: "If that turns out to be the case, then shame on authories that did not do more to prevent hate-crime violence after the murders of Sakia Gunn and Shani Baraka in Newark in 2003." At the time, almost no news reports mentioned Shani Baraka's sexual orientation or that of the other victim, her lover, until a New York Blade story. This needs to be prevented from happening again, which is why we can't bury our heads in the sand.

Whether this particular case is a hate crime remains to be determined by the courts, but there is a well-known and largely unspoken epidemic in Newark of gays being targeted for their sexual orientation. The homophobia in parts of the black community makes this a politically unpopular issue for leaders to address. But it's a real problem and pretending it's not there only perpetuates the cycle of hate.

There are well-meaning and deeply caring people who don't want any of this public. And they are right to be concerned that talking about this publicly may put the families through additional pain. This is a delicate situation involving young students, and it makes the decision to write this a very difficult one. In the end, because of the possible implications, remaining silent isn't an option. We need to talk about this.

While it's important to respect the wishes of the families in their time of grief, it's also important to determine with certainty whether this was a crime based on sexual-orientation. The challenge we all face is to get to the bottom of things and to ensure these tragic events aren't repeated. To do otherwise is unthinkable.

We still have vulnerable young people whose freedom we are honor-bound to safeguard. They live in the city of Newark and in every town, city and suburb in this state. How can we ensure they have every chance for a long, free life if we do not do everything we can do now to understand all that happened to Terrance, to Dashon, to Iofemi and to the fragile Natasha? And why.

Update: The Washington Blade reports that they have been looking at this for a while:

The Blade has been investigating the hate crime angle for two weeks. A spokesperson for the mayor told the Blade last week the incident "was not a hate crime." [...]

When asked if the murders could be hate crimes, [Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Paul] Loriquet said, "All I can tell you is that all angles are being looked at very carefully in terms of a motive. Besides that, we really can't comment any further at this date," he said.