While most of you were busy preparing for Santa on Christmas Eve night, Kenni Shaw, a 30 year-old homosexual hairstylist in Baltimore, Maryland was brutally attacked. The incident occurred while Kenni was walking back home from a quick run to a local neighborhood liquor store. Unfortunately, Kenni believes he was a target of a nasty hate crime.
The Scoop:
Kenni Shaw was walking home from a liquor store in his East Baltimore neighborhood around 9 p.m. on December 24 when a stranger began punching him in the head, Shaw told The Baltimore Sun. While one man initiated the attack, four others quickly joined in, according to Shaw.
“I was pinned down by punches,” Shaw told The Sun. “I was just beaten in my face. Nothing was taken. No words were exchanged before the incident.”
Police are investigating the assault and told The Sun they have “some good leads in the case,” but have not yet determined a motive.
Shaw is clear that he believes he was targeted because he is gay, and as a 6-foot-tall man of color with dyed blonde hair who works as a cosmetologist and hairstylist, said he has often noticed other “tough men” in the neighborhood muttering underhanded comments about not wanting “faggots living on the block,” according to The Sun.
Shaw told The Sun that Baltimore police have been receptive to his claims that he was attacked out of antigay bias, but he still wants justice.
“It makes me angry and upset, but at the same time, I am here and I made it through,” Shaw told The Sun. “I just want to stand and make sure I have a voice, so this doesn’t happen again to a loved one or anyone.” – Baltimore Sun
It saddens me to know that there are still some people in this world who can’t accept & let other individuals be who they are. I’m sure we all have a homosexual relative, friend, or even a co-worker. Just imagine for one second; what if this was a person you love or someone in your family? I can’t imagine the pain this young man and his family may be experiencing at this troublesome time.
As a society, we need to come together and take back our communities while educating our kids to respect and appreciate one another. No individual should ever be the victim of a crime motivated by race, sex, or any other prejudice. I pray that this young man continues to uses his strength to be a voice that can maybe help someone else. Keep him and his family in prayers!
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