The 50 Spot: Arrest Made in Murder of Gay Ecuadorian Immigrant

by Michael Jones · 2009-02-26 00:37:00 UTC
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Jose SucuzhañayJust weeks before Christmas, a gay Ecuadorian immigrant in New York was assaulted and beaten to death by attackers who barraged him with anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs.  Last night, an arrest was made in the case, and an announcement that investigators were looking for a second suspect was confirmed.  Could this be the beginning of a long, slow journey to justice for the killings of an innocent gay man?

We're also visiting Maine and Pennsylvania (two days in a row!) in today's 50 spot.

New York: On the night of December 7, Jose Sucuzhanay was walking arm-in-arm with his brother, when anti-gay attackers came up and started beating him with beer bottles and an aluminum baseball bat.  All the while they were hitting Jose, they were yelling anti-gay and anti-Hispanic slurs at him.  The attackers beat him until he was in a coma; Jose died five days later.  Last night, word came the the New York Police Department had arrested one person, Bronx resident Hakeem Scott, and had a warrant out for the arrest of Keith Phoenix, a 28-year-old Bronx resident. Scott and Phoenix (provided he's arrested) will face murder charges, as well as hate crime charges.

Maine:  Folks that earn a living in Maine's tourism lobbied legislators yesterday to urge the state to legalize same-sex marriage, which they see as a potential boon for the state's tourism industry.  Jim Davitt, the owner of Nonesuch Farm Bed and Breakfast in Bangor, told the Bangor Daily News: "We get people from all over the world staying here — straight and gay.  We’ve had gay and straight guests here at the same time, and no one seemed to care. Passing the bill would be good for us and good for Maine."  Davitt hits it right on the head - passing marriage equality legislation is good for both civil rights and for tourism.  Scholars with the Williams Institute at UCLA have estimated that Maine could see a growth of $45-$60 million in their state's economy if they legalize same-sex marriage.

Pennsylvania:  Sticking with the northeast and the mid-Atlantic, activists in Pennsylvania announced that there will be a massive, May 3 gathering at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to demonstrate for the equality of sexual minorities.  According to JustOut, "The demonstration—at the very site where the gay pioneers launched the movement with protests each Fourth of July from 1965 to 1969—will ask Congress and the president to pass a trans-inclusive hate crimes bill and Employment Non-Discrimination Act; repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the Defense of Marriage Act; support queer-specific health issues; support equal benefits for same-sex families and support same-sex marriage."  For more information on the gathering, visit the National Equality Rally at Independence Hall Web site here.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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