August 19, 2006
When "Petite But Ornery Lesbians" Attack!
This is why it isn't a good idea to hit on strangers on the street. Early Friday morning 28-year-old Queens native Wayne Buckle hit on a 19-year-old lesbian from Newark named Patreese Johnson in front of the old Waverly theater on Sixth Avenue. After she turned him down he allegedly spat on her which incited Johnson and a gaggle of her Jersey friends to surround, beat and stab him.
Cops quickly arrested Johnson and six of her friends a block away from the scene. The women, all apparently lesbians ranging in age from 18-31, were charged with attempted second-degree murder, gang assault and possession of a weapon. None have posted the $50,000 bail. Buckle, who the Post says is an independent filmmaker, was taken to St. Vincents hospital where he is currently in the intensive care unit.
Aside, the folks at the Daily News deserve some kind of recognition for using this story to write what is hands-down our favorite lead of the day:
A gang of petite but ornery lesbians pummeled and stabbed a DVD bootlegger in the West Village early yesterday after he tried to pick up one of the women - and then spat on her when she rebuffed his advances, police and witnesses said.
Now that's tabloid journalism!
IFC Center (nee Waverly Theater) by RumAli on flickr.
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"The women, all apparently lesbians..."
It's very easy to put this in a "news of the weird" category and laugh about it.
But to put in a little more serious context, let's remember that just a few years ago, Newark teen Sakia Gunn was killed for being a lesbian under very similar circumstances - attacked by a guy after she rebutted his advances by telling him she was a lesbian.
If you're gay, the potential for violence is always just under the surface. Maybe Johnson and her friends overreacted. But I get where they're coming from, and I doubt that Buckle's advances were totally innocent. Spitting on them? That (and probably hitting on her in the first place) was looking for a fight.
It's very easy to put this in a "news of the weird" category and laugh about it.
But to put in a little more serious context, let's remember that just a few years ago, Newark teen Sakia Gunn was killed for being a lesbian under very similar circumstances - attacked by a guy after she rebutted his advances by telling him she was a lesbian.
If you're gay, the potential for violence is always just under the surface. Maybe Johnson and her friends overreacted. But I get where they're coming from, and I doubt that Buckle's advances were totally innocent. Spitting on them? That (and probably hitting on her in the first place) was looking for a fight.
"Maybe Johnson and her friends overreacted."
A seven-on-one beating involving a steak knife to the stomach? Yes, I think that qualifies as an overreaction. We cannot condone vigilantism for anybody, even historically vulnerable groups of people. Spitting on somebody is not violently attacking them, disgusting and disrespectful though it is. There are lots of things this woman could have done short of beating this dude within an inch of his life, including walk away.
i can't believe i'm saying this, but this is completely awesome. finally one of those pig catcallers gets his comeuppance. i hope they all hear about this and think twice before harrassing a woman in the street again.
For the women to have their rights as a women voided by the man not respecting the word NO and insulting the women by spitting on 1 would make anyone upset and act out on it. Personally I dont think they overreacted no matter how many women it may have been they were defending themselves.