A
gay teen from New Mexico was the victim of a homophobic assault and
though he never threw a punch, was subsequently banned for “fighting.”
One Saturday at Alberquerque’s Coronado Mall, 14-year-old “Issaic” was approached by a 16-year-old acquaintance. Issaic told KOB 4 that the other boy had been making threats following an online argument he had with a female friend.
“Whenever he wanted to fight me he was calling me a (gay slur) and a
queer and everything,” he said. “He just didn’t like me being gay. I’m
used to it, but I’m just like, ‘Why would you want to fight someone over
that?’”
When they ran into each other at the mall, words were exchanged and
both boys were asked to leave. As they left, the older boy punched
Issaic in the back of the head as his friend recorded it with his cell
phone.
A police officer in the mall spoke to both of the boys, informing
them that Coronado management had banned them from returning for a year.
Friends of Issaic’s assailant posted the 20-second video of the attack
online, because, according to Issaic, they “thought it was funny.”
But perhaps the joke is lost on Issaic, who finds it unfair that the
mall should ban him simply for getting hit and hopes they will
reconsider his ban. “It shouldn’t happen, but it did,” he said. “I can’t
change it, I mean, it’s life.”
KOB 4 attempted to show the video of the attack to Coronado Mall
management to see if it might persuade them to lift Issaic’s ban, to no
avail.
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