ENOUGH! Rally for Ritchie Dowrey
Filed under: Politics & Issues, Tommy D
Author: Tommy D
Date: Apr 6, 2009
It’s never a good thing to start a post with a disclaimer, but I have to do it for this one. Lately, when I’ve been posting, people have been getting all riled up really over sarcasm and my (obvious) poor attempt at humour: whatever. The fact is that this is MY opinion; you can agree with it or you can disagree with it- I don’t care. All I ask is that you respect it.
This post will be one which, I’m sure, will cause a bit of a controversy. It’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows! Just a heads up…
Begin Post.
I’m a bit torn people. I have got feelings of joy, happiness, pride, togetherness. On the flip side, I’m a bit annoyed, kind of over it, getting a bit aggravated- I’m feeling a little helpless. I’m not that surprised though, rallies do bring up a lot of emotions in people that’s for sure- yesterday was a perfect example. I’ll bring you up to speed if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Yesterday was a rally to take back our West End. It was set up in response to the latest known-attack on a man named RITCHIE DOWREY. You all know this story if you’ve been paying any attention to us here on homorazzi, or reading any gay publication in Canada. He is the elderly gentleman currently fighting for his life in the hospital, after some douche bag (remember: my post, I can say whatever I want) allegedly hit him at The Fountainhead. He was punched in the head, and fell to the ground and hit his head on the tile floor. He is now in a coma in the hospital.
This story is one that has hit way too close to home, because it happened in one of OUR homes. As Joan-E put it, the Fountainhead was Ritchie’s home.
So what do we do about it?
Yesterday at 2pm, we all gathered at Nelson Park. The VMC (Vancouver Men’s Choir) in the lead, singing a beautifully harmonized song (which, I ain’t gonna lie, made me tear up the whole march), and the reported 2000 people walking from Nelson Park, down Davie, to English Bay. I, of course, was in the front. Because I liked the singing; because I don’t like standing behind people who walk slowly; because I wanted to SEE the sea of people walking down the hill, which was pretty fucking unreal; but, mainly because I wanted to get a front row stand at the rally point.
The march was nice, we were SO Queer as Folk, all we were missing was Cindy Lauper and we would’ve been the TV show… right? We got to the rendez-vous point probably around 3 ish. Everyone gathered, and Spencer Herbert took the mic when we started.
He started off with a Harvey Milk quote, which honestly I knew SOMEONE would use: “I am here to recruit you.” Oh honey, we’re recruited.
Spencer spoke: applause, whistles, cheers, the standard for a rally.
And, this is where it’s going to get controversial. You don’t have to like it, but I ask that you respect it.
It’s the same old song and dance. We’re pissed, we’re angry, we need a plan! Yes, I know that, but what IS that plan? I’m not going to pretend that I have the answers because I don’t. I’m looking to my community leaders for help in this situation. Yes, I’ve had enough… but what are we going to do? PLEASE I need some direction?
Apparently, if I vote the NDP into government, this won’t happen anymore. OH YEAH, someone went there. I think that’s where it all started to turn a bit sour in my mouth. MLA Jenn McGinn said that if the NDP is in office, they will make sure that all gay bashings will be tried as hate crimes… I swear to god I actually HEARD the collective eye-roll from the crowd at that moment. I know my eyes rolled so hard I saw the inside of my skull. Spencer got back on the mic to try and do damage control, saying it was a non-partisan rally, but the damage was done. With all due respect, Jenn McGinn, that was kind of tacky.
We heard from a cop, we heard from the labour workers’ guy, we heard from gay council members. It’s just that I have heard ALL of this before. What are we going to do?
Well, leave it to Joan-E to break it down. After a long list of speakers, Joan spoke near the end and revitalized the remaining crowd, which had dwindled substantially.
We need “to infiltrate from within and by that I mean winning over the minds of the children of British Columbia.”
Good start. There are programs that do that: Out in School is one of them. There were also two speakers yesterday… god I can’t remember their names. I’ll update when I get them, but they go into schools and educate the students about the LGBT community. These people are the heroes of our community right now. I completely agree.
But, what are we going to do now?
I know, this post is not as happy and optimistic as most would hope for. Believe me, before I sat down to write this, I had a clear vision of how I wanted this to end up. But, after a lot of reflection yesterday night, it wasn’t as positive as I had originally planned.
I have a couple of questions, where were all the 20-30 year olds? These are the guys that are getting beaten up after they leave the bars, they are the next generation, and they were nowhere to be seen. Sure, there were a few, but I was a bit disappointed they didn’t come out in force. Yes, I get that it was on a Sunday, and everyone was probably nursing a hangover, but really, it’s 2 hours of your life in the afternoon. You could’ve even gone to Milestones and gotten a cocktail afterward.
I just… I want to see more! I’m looking to the community leaders to help me find a solution. Rallies are fine, but other than give people a little morale boost, they really are all the same. I will keep attending because I care, and maybe one day we will get our next Harvey Milk, but for now, it’s the same thing every time.
Yes, I’ve had enough of all the violence, but I’ve had enough of all this talk as well. Can we do something? Is there anything we can do? Hell, I almost think we should all wear pink hoodies on the weekends and have street teams walking around called the PINK LADIES to help patrol the streets! It would help, and you get a lovely jacket! I can’t take full credit for that idea… I did get it from somewhere, I just can’t remember where ;)
All the rallies and the forums and the meetings are fine. But, we keep having them over and over and over, and I need more. I need direction: I need someone to have a plan in place. I need people to care- I WANT people to care… but I don’t always get what I want.
But, let’s look at yesterday for what it was. It was a time when a lot of us came together and marched for a man who is fighting for his life. A man who was beaten in a place that was supposed to be safe for us. We all put aside our own differences, and came together in support of this man, and right now all I want is for that man- Ritchie Dowrey- to get better.
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- Tags: community, enough, gay rights, march, rally, ritchie dowrey, take back streets
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Rich
April 6th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Tommy… I hear your frustration, but I think you also need some context. How long have you lived in Vancouver, in the West End? I think you need to look beyond the West End to see that change IS happening.
This was my first Vancouver rally. When I came out, I lived in Victoria. I was gay in Victoria for 7 years before moving here to the West End last June. I never even had the opportunity to be part of something as large as this event. And I experienced violence first hand in Victoria several years ago when my (now ex) boyfriend and I ended up in a street fight because some guys called us faggots. We were holding hands walking home from the bar. There was no rally, there was no drag queens to speak out for us, we didn’t even consider it a hate crime. We went home and moved on. I know differently now, but I didn’t then.
Just look at what happened in Abbotsford last fall. Queer high school kids took to the streets demanding exactly what people say we need… education. Read my old post below.
http://www.homorazzi.com/2009/02/rally-in-the-valley-social-justice-12-abbotsford/
That NEVER would have happened even 5 years ago. Being visible, being out is what helps push the message out of the West End.
Yes, we’re still fighting the fight, and it sucks to have to do it over and over… but each time more people see it and become part of it.
Tommy D
April 6th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I totally agree with you on that front. Which is why I did mention how going into schools is huge, but I’m talking about how to fix the violence on these street.
Been here all my life Rich. In the burnbs, dt, westend…born and raised.
I think im one of the 10 actually born and raised in vancouver.
pb
April 6th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
totally agree with you Tommy. i felt the same way when i was at the ralley-ive heard it all before. i felt bad for feeling that way but i shoudnt. talk is cheap. and we all know actions speak louder than words.
i was disappointed in the turn out of the younger generation too. your right-they are a huge target. i still get a huge sense of “it wont happen to me” coming from people my age. Im 23. its the same with alot of the issues that are attached to the LGBT community..my generation is more tollerated so we feel untouchable.
steve
April 6th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
SPOT ON TOMMY
Rich
April 6th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
And the answer to the violence isn’t easy. Education will help, but look at the issue of violence against women. How much cultural awareness and education does Chris Brown need before he stops beating up his girlfriend! I was so ticked off at all the Chris Brown apologists out there. Making excuses for violence just lets people off the hook. That’s why we have to be visible every time it happens.
Brent
April 6th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I think too often in the queer community we have an expectation that “leaders” or “others” should tell us what to do – but really, what’s stopping us from getting involved and giving our input?
Bravo to organizers of the rally – I think they got one message across: that courts need to treat gaybashings as hate crimes. The Crown’s track record is horrible (five gaybashing trials in past eight years, but hate crime designation sought in only one case). I applaud Jenn McGinn and the NDP for promising to take gaybashings seriously – it’d be nice if we could hear the same sentiment from BC’s Liberal attorney general Wally Oppal.
Tommy D
April 6th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
This is why they’re leaders my friend.
I would never EVER pretend to know what to do, but there are groups centered around this issue. I’m lookin to them to guide us, and give us a plan that we can help execute.
James
April 6th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I attended the rally and agree with many of the points in the posting and subsequent replies.
For what it is worth……. A couple of groups that are doing good work around education about homophobia and transphobia in schools are Out in Schools (www.outinschools.com) and GALE BC (www.galebc.org).
Lydia Luk and Ryan ( don`t know his last name) who spoke at the rally yesterday, both do PrideSpeaks in schools which operate out of the Centre.
One of the things we can ALL do within the queer community is to support these organizations and donate our time or money to them.
Joan-E and Romi Chandra both spoke about the need to win over the hearts and minds of the children of British Columbia and I couldn`t agree more.
Sad as it is, teachers need to use the stories of Ritchie Dowry, Aaron Webster and the many others who have been bashed to teach about ACCEPTANCE in our schools and to try to put a STOP to this hatred.
Things are changing over time. There are more Gay Straight Alliance clubs in schools, students and some teachers are speaking out and a handful of school districts have LGBTQ inclusive policies.
As a community….. these are starting points. Without education, hatred and ignorance will continue and so will the bashings.
EVERYONE in our community needs to be speaking out against this and not just the `leaders` who have been doing this for decades. We need rallies to galvinize our community and build bridges with others, but we also need actions throughout the year….. not just on a sunny Sunday in the West End.
Colby
April 6th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Having seen the machinations of government and criminal law from the inside, I’m frequently an apologist for government action. This is because I know from the inside that there is ALWAYS more to the story than the media ever presents, and that government officials frequently have their hands tied. However, in this case, I just can’t defend the Crown’s inaction on the hate crime designation. I understand that it’s difficult to prove someone’s intention, which I assume is the Crown’s reluctance to seek the designation at sentencing. But the Crown hasn’t even been trying! I mean, at least if they try and fail, we can all blame the judge for just not getting it. The police have a designated hate crimes unit that seems responsive to the citizens of Vancouver. Why doesn’t the Crown speak to the community ever? Maybe they could provide some sort of explanation that makes sense. Maybe. Anything would be better than the deafening silence. But hey, let’s give them a chance here. I mean, the hate crime designation doesn’t become an issue until sentencing is considered AFTER a conviction, and we’ve barely just begun the lengthy court process in this particular case. Maybe they’ll surprise us. Let’s all hope so.
Well said, Tommy and others, on the rest of it. Yes, Jenn McGinn engaged in shameful politicking, and good for Spencer Herbert for trying to save the NDP’s face. The election may be only a few weeks away, but let’s not make poor Ritchie Dowrey a political issue. Even Homorazzi’s resident NDP apologist (you know who you are) agreed that it was a tacky move.
And yes, Tommy, let’s engage on this issue. Rallies are all well and good, but they manage to engage for an afternoon only. We need to keep the issue of homophobia front and centre. It’s up to all of us, but we look to our community leaders to point us in the right direction. I was committed after Prop 8 as well, and where did that go? Nowhere fast, I’m afraid. Help!
Hey, here’s a suggestion, why doesn’t a Homorazzi cast member blog about what we can do? Go interview a community leader, tell us how we can make a difference. We’ll do it. I promise. What an excellent vehicle to engage the 20-30-something crowd, who was sadly absent from Sunday’s rally. I was proud to see most of my friends there, though.
Rye
April 7th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Good post Tommy. I agree with many of the points you raised and also find myself asking, “what next?”. So, we march, make signs, speeches, and get a little blurb in the papers….but after a week or two, it’s all over until the next tragedy. It just seems like we’re not a very….organized community? As you brought up, only select members, mainly older, come out….. while the younger generation seem to have something better to do.
After seeing “Milk”, I wonder if we’ll ever be as organized and influential again. We have a message, but the medium is rather lack-luster; people hear us, but they don’t know we mean business.
I don’t have any answers, I just wanted to commend you on expressing your (and many others) frustration.
RICARDO C.
April 7th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I agree that education is a key in this matter.
Including gay education in high schools is a positive way to address the problem from its root. However remember also there are many other factors and opposite interests around gay topics. Specially from conservative parents. At the end, its parents who decide what their kids are going to learn in school. Educating our kids will definitely change the future of our society, however we need the change NOW, not in 5 or 10 years. How do we educate all these intolerant and ignorant adults around our community?
What kind of message we get when even same-sex marriage is approved and our government still tries to remove that right?
I moved to this country in search of hope, looking for rights and protection. I came here following the ideal of being accepted by my community, and fighting for the rights I deserve as an equal human being.
Lately I don’t feel that safe, specially when walking home.
I live in Yaletown where there have been many attacks lately, specially walking around Granville.
Why do I have to walk in fear? why do I have to be careful and “act straight” so no drunk, drugged (or not) fucking asshole beats me up and leave me on the street?
That’s what happened to my roommate, he was beaten up and left unconscious on the street.
One of my friends was beaten up at a pizza place. . There were hundreds of people, nobody stepped in to help. Nobody. When the police arrived, they didn’t even search for the assholes who beaten up my friend.
When I mention to one of the officers ” more officers are needed in this area” , the officer got very upset at me and said: “you know how many pizza places and fights are there everynight?, you know how many extra officers we have tonight? (9)”
I said, “no and that’s is not what I care about. I care about how safe is to walk back home after a long night”
We need to demand our laws to be re-enforced, crimes must be strongly punished, and called what they are: HATE CRIMES.
We need to demand for safety and punishment to those who break the law. We deserve protection as any other citizen regardless of their preferences, religion, color and/or sexual orientation
If I cant feel safe in the West End or in Downtown? how am I supposed to feel when I ride on a bus to Richmond or Skytrain to Burnaby?
I don’t want to just feel safe in the West End. I want to feel safe and protected anywhere I go in this country.
Alistair
August 1st, 2010 at 2:46 am
This response will be VERY controversial.
I was a bartender at a downtown restaurant where Ritch used to drink on a nightly basis. He was very fond of his gin and left my bar staggering. Usually, he was heading for the Fountain Head.
My understanding of the events on the fatefull night where Rich was attacked were quite clear. He grabbed the crotch of a straight man, who then reacted by punching Ritch. I am not defending this violence at all. But I would like to point out that that diminished the gay bashing element.
I knew Rich fairly well; his daughter was a server at the restaurant I worked at and I spent 5-10 hours a week with Rich parked at my bar. I too saw him make passes at straight men and when he had alcohol in him (which was any day of the week after 4pm) he was very loose with his tongue.
As I said, I am not defending the violence. But I think understanding the man and the actions that led up to his attack are relevant.
Tobias
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:31 pm
What a piece of shit you are for posting these opinions of yours around. Do you think Ritch’s family likes seeing this sort if thing? You have posted exactly the same message around on facebook, specifically the page dedicated to support of Ritch. That is really classy.
You obviously have no regret or compassion for Ritch or you wouldn’t be posting this garbage. The man has permanent brain damage. If Ritch chose to drink at that Riley Cafe, is it safe to assume you divulge behavoral analysis on ALL the partons or just the regulars whose tips probably paid your airfare to UK?
You constantly in your post claim “I don’t condone violence” or “Iam not defending violence” yet dispite your wafer thin disclaimer you claim your post speaking disfavourably on Ritch is somehow relevant? It is a good thing you are in the UK as I imagine his daughter would give you a right slap in the face for what you have been spreading around.
Fact or fiction I don’t know but the bottom line is that the man is in a permanent basic vegitative state and you calmly state that you weren’t surprised to hear about it. No compassion for the man that probably paid your airfare with his tips?
Enough is enough, just because facebook removed your comments don’t think people want to see it anywhere else.
Frantz
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:35 pm
I agree with the poster above. You have no business posting this kind of stuff about a man who is in his state and unable to defend himself.
If you cared about people you would have felt sorry to hear about this incident. You obviously have no compassion for this man even though you claim he sat at your bar for years?
A life just isn’t worth that much to you either it would seem.
Fran
Will
November 24th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Totally disgusting how you post your snide comments about Ritch on this page where people certainly support him.
Rich
November 24th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Folks can read details of the case here…
http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=69821bed-b598-4314-b3c5-4129a5853d76
The judge found Woodward guilty and that his allegations against Ritchie were “fabricated”.
Tobias
November 25th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
I sent Alistair a message. He simply says that he knew Ritch for about a year and a half and he was always looking for trouble. I on the other hand have known Ritch for close to 15 years and can assure you this isn’t the case.
Life took a rough turn for Ritch a while ago. Maybe he did like to drink to get away from it. Doesn’t mean some half assed bartender should be posting his garbage here.
Basically there is only one explanation – Alistair Henry is a complete asshole.