GPAC Denounces Attack
GPAC Denounces Attack, Police Investigation in Male Student Singers' Assault
WASHINGTON (January 16, 2007) Singing a cappella, wearing blazers, donning neck ties ... not exactly stuff of "real men" -- and the apparent motivation behind a New Year's Eve attack in San Francisco on a visiting all-male singing group from Yale University that left three seeking hospital treatment for injuries ranging from a concussion to a broken jaw. No arrests have been made since the attack took place two weeks ago.
Despite the black eyes, bruises, concussion, and broken jaw suffered by the students and their identifying their attackers at the scene, San Francisco Police Department officers reported "no injuries" and "no possible suspects."
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) today denounced the attacks and police authorities' failure to investigate the incident seriously.
Said Tyrone Hanley, Youth Program Coordinator for GenderPAC, "The days of police winking at gender-based violence because 'boys will be boys' ended long ago. The San Francisco Police Department needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Assault is assault, even if you did it because someone didn't measure up to your outdated code of masculinity."
Members of the Baker's Dozen, an a cappella group at Yale University, were attacked after singing the Star Spangled Banner at a San Francisco performance by party-goers who first mocked their conservative dress, launched a flurry of homophobic slurs, and called two vehicles full of friends to join in the attack.
"I am constantly astounded by the amount of violence that people are willing to inflict on each other -- and themselves -- in order to preserve narrow societal images of masculinity," said Anna Wipfler 09, member of the Yale GenderYOUTH Chapter and Coordinator of the LGBT Student Cooperative at Yale. "It is unfortunate that the new year has not yielded a new kind of masculinity as well ."
The GenderYOUTH Network empowers youth leaders to build safer classrooms and communities where all youth can learn, grow and succeed, whether or not they conform to expectations for masculinity and femininity.
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[UPDATE: 19 Jan 06] - The New York Times has an update on this story here, although it doesn't appear that a lot of progress has been made in the case.
WASHINGTON (January 16, 2007) Singing a cappella, wearing blazers, donning neck ties ... not exactly stuff of "real men" -- and the apparent motivation behind a New Year's Eve attack in San Francisco on a visiting all-male singing group from Yale University that left three seeking hospital treatment for injuries ranging from a concussion to a broken jaw. No arrests have been made since the attack took place two weeks ago.
Despite the black eyes, bruises, concussion, and broken jaw suffered by the students and their identifying their attackers at the scene, San Francisco Police Department officers reported "no injuries" and "no possible suspects."
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) today denounced the attacks and police authorities' failure to investigate the incident seriously.
Said Tyrone Hanley, Youth Program Coordinator for GenderPAC, "The days of police winking at gender-based violence because 'boys will be boys' ended long ago. The San Francisco Police Department needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Assault is assault, even if you did it because someone didn't measure up to your outdated code of masculinity."
Members of the Baker's Dozen, an a cappella group at Yale University, were attacked after singing the Star Spangled Banner at a San Francisco performance by party-goers who first mocked their conservative dress, launched a flurry of homophobic slurs, and called two vehicles full of friends to join in the attack.
"I am constantly astounded by the amount of violence that people are willing to inflict on each other -- and themselves -- in order to preserve narrow societal images of masculinity," said Anna Wipfler 09, member of the Yale GenderYOUTH Chapter and Coordinator of the LGBT Student Cooperative at Yale. "It is unfortunate that the new year has not yielded a new kind of masculinity as well ."
The GenderYOUTH Network empowers youth leaders to build safer classrooms and communities where all youth can learn, grow and succeed, whether or not they conform to expectations for masculinity and femininity.
###
[UPDATE: 19 Jan 06] - The New York Times has an update on this story here, although it doesn't appear that a lot of progress has been made in the case.
On 1/17/2007 6:01 PM,
DeniseUMLaw said…
You've obviously well learned the art of posting someone else's message to create a post! :) I do it all the time.
How are you, Sweetie?
On 1/18/2007 5:35 AM,
Anonymous said…
It's shocking. Over here we see San Fran as a bastion of liberality - clearly it does not extend to the police forces. x
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