An alleged gay bashing at a popular Portland gay dance night in April 2009 finally got its day in court today.
The case became a major discussion point last spring, when it was brought up at a public forum as a key example of gay-bashing in Portland going unprosecuted. It's a bit of a he-said-she-said case and the conflicting stories make it difficult to pin down exactly what happened. But they both paint a tense portrait of group, and one person specifically, not willing to turn their cheek to the word "fag".
Both sides agree that on April 12th, 2009 a scuffle occurred outside Blow Pony, a queer dance night at Casey's bar on NW 6th and Couch, and the word "fag" was shouted. When Blow Pony organizer Airick Heater tried to call the police, a man named Blake McCune knocked the phone out of his hand.
The prosecution says the scuffle clearly amounted to gay bashing. The defense says it was some heated words that sparked an over-reaction from a gay man burning with anger about homophobia in Portland.
What's up for debate is whether McCune shouted at Heater and hit his phone specifically because he thought Heater was gay, or just because McCune was angry. McCune and two of his friends dismiss the prosecution's claim that McCune shouted terrible anti-gay slurs at the crowd and punched Heater in the face.
This is actually the second time around for the case. The DA admitted that it screwed up when Heater originally pressed charged in 2009, copping to a clerical error that accidentally mailed Heater's trial notices to Minnesota. McCune is currently facing charges of intimidation based on sexual orientation and interfering with a police report.
After hearing testimony from both sides all day, the jury is deliberating on the case now. I'll update when they make a decision tomorrow morning.
On the one side is Heater, a well-known and outspoken activist in Portland's queer community. As an organizer and DJ for Blowpony, Heater stands out with his bright red hair and knuckle tattoos. In his opening statement to the jury today, defense attorney Troy Pickard described Heater as a "man who felt besieged by anti-gay sentiment from all sides in Portland."
On the other is McCune, a 23-year-old from Vancouver who admits that he seems physically intimidating, at a burly 6'5 ("I look like a big football player. I look like I'm joining the army," he told me in an interview) and admits that, in the heat of the moment, he got angry and called Heater a fag, but says he never punched him.
