Gay guys beat up on 7 mile

**Detroitgayhistoryguy** · September-29-12, 04:13 PM

Last night some guys I know were on their way to a bar on 7 Mile called the Gold Coast which is located just east of Conant. They said a car pulled up on the curb next to them and were looking at them funny so they pulled off to get away from them. The car then pulled in front of them sideways, blocking 7 mile, some guys got out, opened their door [[They didn't have their doors locked) and beat them. They called the police, but after 15 minutes they still had not showed up and they didn't feel comfortable staying there. As far as I know, the police never showed up. They have bruises, cuts and black eyes. It could have been much worse of course. I have to talk to them to get more of the story, I'm just repeating what one of them posted on Facebook. I don't know if they were called anti gay slurs.

**p69rrh51** · September-29-12, 04:44 PM

My father was murdered using a similar tactic. For anyone out there DO NOT worry about your car!! Do whatever you can to avoid the other car to get away! As a last resort use your car as a weapon!! Cars can be replaced!

**jtf1972** · September-29-12, 05:18 PM

Sorry about your friends... people suck.

Is this the bar at Klingler?

**rex** · September-29-12, 05:38 PM

Under cover of night anyone could get jumped walking around over there. Police wont show up. Thats easy money. Honest work

Think fast situation.

**Django** · September-29-12, 06:18 PM

Unfortunately beating on outsiders is a part time hobby for some locals. Ive had it done a few times to me here on the East side, nothing serious. When they were kicking me while I was down they all had soft toed sneakers on thank god. Im a big straight white dude, no ones really safe from random crap like this. Mix a few kids with some 40s and they want to do damage to someone or something.
Im sorry your friends had to experience this, I try to chalk it up to the old What doesnt kill ya theory. Im sure from now on theyll be watchin their six for more reasons than the obvious.
Im curious if they were followed, were they flaming? It very well may have been a hate crime if they had been wavin a limp wrist at the party store down the block. Im not tryin to be a dick, I completely sympathize. Gay doesnt exactly fly so well down here, especially on 7 mile for christs sake.

**softailrider** · September-29-12, 09:06 PM

Something seems a little funky about that story. One car blocked all of 7 Mile Rd? Counting both parking lanes that's 4 lanes wide running East and West. Then they pulled the people out of their car and beat them up? Doesn't seem too likely, got to be more [[or less) to that story

**313WX** · September-29-12, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Something seems a little funky about that story. One car blocked all of 7 Mile Rd? Counting both parking lanes that's 4 lanes wide running East and West. Then they pulled the people out of their car and beat them up? Doesn't seem too likely, got to be more [[or less) to that story

Agreed.

Why didn't they try to go around the car and drive off?

Did the guys fire gun shot at them?

**Detroitgayhistoryguy** · September-29-12, 09:18 PM

They said it happened so fast. Just white guys riding in the hood on 7 mile. The locals probably know that white people in that area are there for the gay bar which has been there for years. I would have ran them over or driven on the sidewalk if I had to.

**Bham1982** · September-29-12, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Something seems a little funky about that story. One car blocked all of 7 Mile Rd? Counting both parking lanes that's 4 lanes wide running East and West. Then they pulled the people out of their car and beat them up? Doesn't seem too likely, got to be more [[or less) to that story

That's one lane wide by my count. E. 7 Mile is one lane in each direction.

I don't see why it's so hard to believe that a group of gay men were attacked. These incidents aren't rare in Middle America, to say nothing of Detroit.

**Detroitgayhistoryguy** · September-29-12, 09:53 PM

This bar, The Gold Coast has been there for like 30 years as a gay bar. There is another bar re-opening just down the street and there is another one just down the street from that. They did not stop at any business down there, we are not stupid. The Gold Coast has guarded valet parking, as long as you valet it is pretty safe. These are just two regular suburban white guys, no they are not flaming, most gay guys are do not fit that stereotype at all. I think perhaps they were just taken by surprise and had never faced such a situation.

**Honky Tonk** · September-29-12, 10:15 PM

"I don't see why it's so hard to believe that a group of gay men were attacked."

Or maybe being gay had nothing to do with it. Maybe they were attacked because they were, dare I say it, "white".

**Zackdog** · September-30-12, 08:10 AM

Go down in that part of the 'hood without at least some pepper spray? Pretty unrealistic if you ask me. Did they get a good look at the car? They should arm themselves and go back down there and find the car and open a can of some Detroit Whoop-Ass on 'em.

**Goose** · September-30-12, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Zackdog

Go down in that part of the 'hood without at least some pepper spray? Pretty unrealistic if you ask me. Did they get a good look at the car? They should arm themselves and go back down there and find the car and open a can of some Detroit Whoop-Ass on 'em.

violence is never the answer

they should go back and find these misguided youths and sit down with them and find out why they are so aggressive and violent...

maybe with the proper diversity training and gay-awareness classes these gentleman would understand that the gay community also experiences discrimination and predjudice..

working together with communication is the only way we will progress forward in our diverse multi-cultural community...

**Hermod** · September-30-12, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Goose

violence is never the answer

they should go back and find these misguided youths and sit down with them and find out why they are so aggressive and violent...

maybe with the proper diversity training and gay-awareness classes these gentleman would understand that the gay community also experiences discrimination and predjudice..

working together with communication is the only way we will progress forward in our diverse multi-cultural community...

You left off the "sarcasm tag" on your post.

**Honky Tonk** · September-30-12, 06:41 PM

I guess I'm just slow to catch on. How did the assailants know your friends were gay? Was "Gay Bar or Bust" painted on the side of their car? Did they use gay slurs while attacking them? How did you determine this was specifically a gay attack?

**Detroitej72** · September-30-12, 08:06 PM

I'm not sure I'd believe everything that's posted on someone's Facebook account as the absolute truth.

**Rochelle St.** · October-01-12, 08:39 AM

Channel 2 News reported this as a road rage incident last night, apparently you're friends cut off another car on 7 Mile and triggered the incident, it wasnt a hate crime.
Not saying it was justified though, still ugly.

**bailey** · October-01-12, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by Rochelle St.

Channel 2 News reported this as a road rage incident last night, apparently you're friends cut off another car on 7 Mile and triggered the incident, it wasnt a hate crime.
Not saying it was justified though, still ugly.

Yup. was just going to post that... Article here: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19...-rage-incident
Nice journalism there. First paragraph [[and the reporter) states the two were "leaving the bar". Then halfway through they both state the guys were looking for a spot to park because they were "heading to the bar". I mean, coming or going? how hard is it to get that simple, basic fact right?

Anyway, even though the victim himself claims it wasn't because he was gay... i'm going to go throw out there that no one involved with the assault didn't know where these guys were headed.

I've been out forever and have been around. There are very few places I've felt less safe than when going to or coming out of the Male Box [[is that place even still open?) and Gold Coast. The only time I've ever had things thrown at me, or gay slurs screamed at me, or felt like I was about to have to throw down was outside these places..I stopped going a long time ago. I mean, I've lived in Texas and it was less hostile.

So yeah, maybe these guys weren't out there waiting to bash some gays, but I bet they didn't hesitate to crack skulls when carload of fags "disrespected" them by cutting them off.

**Detroitgayhistoryguy** · October-01-12, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

Yup. was just going to post that... Article here: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19...-rage-incident
Nice journalism there. First paragraph [[and the reporter) states the two were "leaving the bar". Then halfway through they both state the guys were looking for a spot to park because they were "heading to the bar". I mean, coming or going? how hard is it to get that simple, basic fact right?

Anyway, even though the victim himself claims it wasn't because he was gay... i'm going to go throw out there that no one involved with the assault didn't know where these guys were headed.

I've been out forever and have been around. There are very few places I've felt less safe than when going to or coming out of the Male Box [[is that place even still open?) and Gold Coast. The only time I've ever had things thrown at me, or gay slurs screamed at me, or felt like I was about to have to throw down was outside these places..I stopped going a long time ago. I mean, I've lived in Texas and it was less hostile.

So yeah, maybe these guys weren't out there waiting to bash some gays, but I bet they didn't hesitate to crack skulls when carload of fags "disrespected" them by cutting them off.

Yes, that was them in the story.

**rex** · October-01-12, 08:55 PM

I was jumped under that 7 & John R bridge. Could have been worse. Im not a gay, thats just my experience in that neighborhood

**Wheels** · October-02-12, 08:16 AM

I was jumped coming out of the Lincoln Branch Library at 7Mile and Russell.

Oh wait: That was 1967.

**Hermod** · October-02-12, 08:30 AM

With all of the empty spaces in shopping centers out in the burbs, why does the owner try to maintain a gay bar in a place hostile to whites and gays [[and just dangerous to blacks)?

It would seem that a quiet gathering place out somewhere near 14 mile might be a better solution.

**Islandman** · October-02-12, 08:56 AM

Exactly. While I may venture on occasion to "seedier" parts of town, there is no way you'd catch me regurlay attending ANY bars in that part of town, gay or no.

**bailey** · October-02-12, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Islandman

Exactly. While I may venture on occasion to "seedier" parts of town, there is no way you'd catch me regurlay attending ANY bars in that part of town, gay or no.

Well, just like we get the political leadership we deserve, the gay community gets the bar scene it deserves. The owners have a niche and know that no matter where they locate, there will be a demand.

**iheartthed** · October-02-12, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Islandman

Exactly. While I may venture on occasion to "seedier" parts of town, there is no way you'd catch me regurlay attending ANY bars in that part of town, gay or no.

I agree. A girl I knew was murdered outside of a bar on the west side earlier this year in an attempted robbery. She wasn't white and she wasn't going into a gay bar either. Seems like nowadays you're playing Russian Roulette if you're trying to go to a bar that isn't in [[relatively) heavily guarded downtown Detroit.