Homophobic Attack in West Queens

LGBT Youth Drop-in Center Responds to Gay-Bashers Assault

By Marisa Ragonese
July 9, 2008

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/07/98555.shtml

In aftermath of Monday's assault on Father Braxton, Director of Carmen's Place, a homeless shelter for LGBT youth, participants gather to discuss hostility they face daily in school and in the streets of Queens

Astoria, NY – On Thursday, July 10th at 3 PM, youth participants of Queens Community House's Generation Q, the sole drop-in center for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) youth in Queens, as well as residents of Carmen's Place a homeless shelter that serves the same population, are holding a press conference in front of Carmen's Place, located at 31-14 Steinway Street. Father Lewis Braxton, director of Carmen's Place, was attacked in front of the shelter by four teenaged boys on Monday night after stepping in to defend one of the residents of the shelter who was being harassed and threatened.

A second article


Transgender woman and priest attacked
BY YALDAZ SADAKOVA

The Queens Courier
Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:48 AM EDT

Four Queens teens who viciously attacked and repeatedly beat a transgender woman and a priest who had come to her defense were charged with assault and might face hate crime charges, according the Queens District Attorney's office.

On Monday, July 7, around 10:30 p.m. the suspects who were out walking noticed a woman dancing to her iPod music at 31-14 Steinway Street - right in front of Carmen's Place, a transgender and gay shelter where she resides.

http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2008/07/11/news/top_stories/news17.txt