I’m posting the following press release, just received from the Marrriage Equality Coalition of SouthCoast. Link to local press coverage of the story. Please come to the vigil if you feel safe doing so. For those of you elsewhere, your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

PRESS RELEASE

Vigil to be held at Puzzles Lounge, 426 North Front St., New Bedford, MA

7 PM Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006

A vigil will be held at Puzzles Lounge, the site of an anti gay assault early this morning. The unprovoked attack by a single individual wielding a knife and a gun left three men seriously injured with face, head and chest wounds.

The Marriage Equality Coalition of the SouthCoast, in conjunction with other community and religious groups, is organizing the vigil to protest not just this horrendous hate crime, but violence of any kind in our community.

The ongoing campaign to deny gay men and lesbians the right to marry has resulted in the portrayal of the gay community as “less than equal” by some, and has included hateful, bigoted rhetoric. When groups of people are characterized as “second class”, they then can more easily become targets of others’ rage and anger.

We deplore violence of any kind in our community. Gay men and lesbians deserve to live their lives peacefully and securely, without being targeted solely because of their sexual orientation.

Contact person: Bev Baccelli
Marriage Equality Coalition of the SouthCoast
Tel. 508-965-3996