May News At Labrys: training and training and training
Labrys news in May 2008
http://kyrgyzlabrys.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/may-news-at-labrys-training-and-training-and-training/ (http://kyrgyzlabrys.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/may-news-at-labrys-training-and-training-and-training/)
May was one of the busiest months of Labrys in 2008. A lot of positive events had taken place, uniting old and new Labrys beneficiaries and staff in meetings. However, in May there was also place for negative things to happen.
Lesbian woman attacked mistaken for a gay men
In the very beginning of the month, on 1st of May, one of Labrys lesbian clients told a story of assault and battery against her. This clearly hate based incident took place in late April, when she was coming back home at night from a meeting with her friends. In the very center of the city, where she could not have suspected any possible violence, she was confronted by two young men, who asked her if she was a '->-bleeped-<-got' [original language retained]. She has shortly cut hair and generally masculine appearance, which served as basis for their actions. To her words of refusal they applied force and took her by her shoulders to lead away from the street-lights to a darker part of the street, where they forced her to drink vodka with them. Later as their minds grew more and more intoxicated they demanded that she prove she was not a gay man and threatened they would rape her. Her resistance angered the assailants, prompting them to smash the vodka bottles and beat her up with them. Fortunately, a night patrol car was driving by at that moment, scaring the assailants away. However, the police officer had already noticed them and went after, detaining and consequently jailing. The case has been investigated and decided in favor of our client now.