In the early morning hours of Sept. 16, so the reports say, 24-year-old Curtis Martin knocked on the window of the Denny’s Restaurant on East Main Street in Santa Maria to ask if he could use the bathroom. The restaurant was closed for maintenance, but a Denny’s employee reportedly came outside to talk to him.
It hasn’t officially been determined what happened next, but according to a report from the Santa Maria Police Department, Martin asked an employee if he was gay; faced with an affirmative, Martin allegedly stabbed the man in the throat.
Martin then returned to his vehicle and fled westbound on Main Street. The responding officer spotted Martin leaving the scene and broadcast a description of the vehicle and the suspect. Shortly thereafter, another officer found and arrested Martin on suspicion of attempted murder and engaging in a hate crime.
The victim, who hasn’t been identified by police, sustained a laceration to the side of the throat and was transported immediately to Marian Medical Center for treatment. He was later released and is expected to make a full recovery.
Martin went before Superior Court Commissioner John McGregor on Sept. 20 to be formally charged. An arraignment has been scheduled for Oct. 15, according to court officials.
Media reports have quoted Martin’s attorney, Santa Barbara County public defender Robert Ikola, as saying things aren’t always as they appear and hate isn’t always a factor, even if it appears to be so. Ikola had not returned requests for comment to the Sun as of press time.
Still, the incident—which garnered attention from national media outlets—has launched local gay rights organizations, including Pacific Pride Foundation, into action. Members are using the alleged attack as a springboard to talk about the broader topic of
hate crimes.
“These hate crimes make the [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender] community feel unsafe,” Pacific Pride Foundation executive director David Selberg told the Sun. “But I am pleased that the Santa Maria Police Department has labeled it as a hate crime.”
Other Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) leaders in the community said the department’s recognition of the alleged assault as a “hate crime” is a step in the right direction for the traditionally conservative region.
“We will not tolerate any crime that is directed at anyone, especially if it is based on race, religion, or sexual preference,”
said Santa Maria Police Department Sgt. Terry Flaa.
During a 2008 countywide summit that involved other LGBT organizations, participants created a list of five concerns, which Selberg keeps taped on his wall. On the top of the list is “harassment and violence related to sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.” Other issues are civil rights equality, social activities, education on LGBT issues, and strengthening LGBT organizations.
To combat harassment, Selberg feels it’s time to initiate a coalition to ensure safety for the LGBT community. The idea is based on a similar coalition in Portland, which brought together courts, FBI agents, and local police to combat possible hate crimes by having law enforcement agents ride around in orange vests, ready to alert police before a potential hate crime could escalate.
“With two previous incidents in south Santa Barbara County, and at Denny’s,” Selberg said, “it’s time to form a coalition, and we’re going initiate it soon.”
Another way to combat hate crimes against the LGBT community, Selberg said, is to “make it personal.”
“The biggest change for a homophobe is if they know someone who is gay,” he added.
Selberg said he’s trying to fight hate crimes because the culture has, in his opinion, become more hostile toward homosexuals looking to come out of the closet. But there’s hope, he added. The Pacific Pride Foundation and other organizations are working to educate students about issues surrounding the LGBT community, and all high schools in Santa Maria have Gay-Straight Alliances, run by students and faculty advisers in an effort to fight homophobia and transphobia.
“Volunteers at my office always say how much easier it is to be out and be young, with all the media like Will and Grace,” he said. “But what is really happening is that they are at more risk than 20 years ago when I came out.”
Contact Intern Henry Houston at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 7-14, 2010.