Homophobic Harassment on Grand Army Plaza

wingedearth

Flexichick wrote: Somehow, I didn't imagine 8thandPrez as butch, but that's probably due to the MTM avatar.

Agree that this shouldn't be taken at face value from a poster that nobody's ever seen before. Also agree that if it is true, it sucks and all kinds of shit should be raised.

Lastly, I know of at least a few "sissies" who could likely kick wingedearth's ass. And I wouldn't mind watching. Just sayin'

If they can kick my ass, then they're not sissies. They're respectable warriors.

8thandprez

Flexi: hah! That avatar has got everyone all thrown off. First I was a woman, then I was a queen, now I'm totally rocking your collective worlds by revealing my true identity.

garfunky

caseopele wrote: I'm a little surprised that no one's questioning the veracity of Moconnell79's post. Brand new poster with 2 posts (only in this thread) and

everyone blindly accepts the story

And let's not jump to some silly conclusion that this means I hate gay people or something.

+1

moconnell79

I just wanted to follow up and post the letter that I sent to the Contracting Company, Management Company, and various city agencies. I have also been in touch with AVP about this. Thanks again for all of the supportive posts.

PS: In response to someone's earlier post about "How do these people know if someone is gay or not when they shout homophobic epithets". The answer is, They don't, and it doesn't matter!



August 17, 2009



36 Plaza Corp.
c/o Babad Management Co.
P.O. Box 313
Parkville Station
Brooklyn, NY 11204-0313

Dear Sir or Madam:

I understand Babad Management Company (“Babad Management”) is the owner and management company for the rental building located at 36 Plaza Street East. I am writing to inform you that on July 22, 2009, I was maliciously harassed outside your building by contractors – hired by you – from Panorama Construction, Inc. (possibly d/b/a/ Panorama International Contracting, Inc. and, hereinafter, “Panorama”). Following that, on the day after, I was further harassed and violence was threatened against me telephonically by the manager of Panorama. I have memorialized the incidents in a police report with the N.Y.P.D.’s 77th Precinct (Police Report No. 5516). Here is a narrative summary of the information I provided to the police:

On July 22, 2009, a male worker in a hard-hat threateningly yelled the word “faggot” at me as I passed by 36 Plaza Street East on my way home. The worker was among a group standing under scaffolding with Panorama’s name and phone number affixed to it. I immediately called the company and relayed the incident to a female employee, who assured me that she would pass the information on to the company manager and that the incident would be dealt with constructively.

On July 23, 2009, I called Panorama back to request a written report of how the incident had been handled. A man, who identified himself as the manager, denied that his workers were responsible for the incident and hung up on me. I called the manager back to obtain his name and at this point the manager yelled the following at me:

“Fuck you, faggot. Faggot! I’m calling you a faggot now. Go ahead, call 911 if you have to. I’ll kick your ass if I ever see you! I’ll fucking kick your ass if you call here again! Go to hell, you fucking cocksucker!”

To be spoken to this way infringes my civil and human rights. Each day, as I pass your building on my way to and from home, I am reminded of the insulting, discriminatory behavior and violent threats against me that began, literally, at your doorstep. Such behavior cannot be sanctioned. The more incidents like these go unreported, the more LGBT and other marginalized people experience harassment and violence in the future.

I am writing Babad Management because I assume the company is concerned with (1) the threatening and unprofessional behavior of contractors it chose to employ, and (2) how to avoid employing such contractors in the future. I have copied the New York City Commission on Human Rights and the Civil Rights Bureau of the Office of the Attorney General so that they may document and investigate the incident, as appropriate. I have also copied Panorama and the Department of Buildings, so that the latter may take whatever steps it considers appropriate towards a company over which it may have administrative jurisdiction. Finally, I have copied the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York in order to publicize the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of a metro-area business.

I appreciate your consideration of this matter and look forward to a written response at detailing (1) the steps you intend to take with respect to Panorama, and (2) measures Babad Management will initiate or improve upon for the screening of future contractors and other vendors who may have contact with the public.


Sincerely,




Mark O’Connell

Encl.

cc:Patricia Gatling
Commissioner and Chair
New York City Commission on Human Rights
275 Livingston Street, 2nd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217
&
40 Rector Street, 10th floor
New York, NY 10006
(with enclosure)

Civil Rights Bureau
New York State Attorney General’s Office
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
(with enclosure)

Robert D. LiMandri
Commissioner
New York City Department of Buildings
210 Joralemon Street, 8th floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
&
Executive Office
280 Broadway, 7th floor
New York, NY 10007
(with enclosure)

Panorama Construction, Inc. /
Panorama International Contracting, Inc.
450 Seventh Avenue, # 1007
New York, NY 10123
&
102 Willow Street
Wheatley Heights, NY 11798
(with enclosure)

Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York
257 Park Avenue South, 4th floor
New York, NY 10010
(with enclosure)

wingedearth

Nice letter. I'm sure that's exactly how Clint Eastwood would have handled it.

shmig

Did you get any response from anybody, MOconnell?

henrycurtis

I'd get (or have gotten) your City Council rep. in on it as well.

wingedearth

henrycurtis wrote: I'd get (or have gotten) your City Council rep. in on it as well.

I'd contact the President to call an international summit of World Leaders to organize a Joint Task Force to tell that construction worker not to have a potty mouth.

henrycurtis

My suggestion was serious.

julius orange

Whoever raised you wingedearth, sucks.

jimmy

I really hate Park Slope sometimes.

henrycurtis

Why's that?

bkchickie

I've been watching this project unfold at this building for, oh, going on two years now. Those guys were working all summer; they dismantled an entire corner of brick--from top to bottom--on the rear elevation; now work is halted--has been for almost a month. I wonder what's going on there.

I would be curious to know what, if any, response you got from the board on this. It's too bad that you didn't post this on the Prospect Heights board, which is where 36 PSE is located.

I do hope that someone from the building sees this.

the chipster

you guys have alot of spare time. someone yelled faggot? alert the media! tomorrow's headlines, "Man was not nice." yawn.

raw

The Chipster wrote: you guys have alot of spare time. someone yelled faggot? alert the media! tomorrow's headlines, "Man was not nice." yawn.

Following someone and yelling at them in a threatening manner is not cool. People deserve to walk down the streets without getting harassed.

stacey

The Chipster wrote: you guys have alot of spare time. someone yelled faggot? alert the media! tomorrow's headlines, "Man was not nice." yawn.

A person yelling a mean thing like "asshole" is easily ignored or shrugged off - someone yelling homophobic or racist remarks is unacceptable. Its so sad that there are people who feel the way you do.

moconnell79

Please also keep in mind that the police report, letter and blog posts are mainly addressing the behavior of the manager at the contracting company who also called me a "faggot", and added that he would "kick [my] f__king ass!". It would be a shame to overlook this significant event and everything it implies.

roothillcafe

Moconnell79 wrote: Please also keep in mind that the police report, letter and blog posts are mainly addressing the behavior of the manager at the contracting company who also called me a "faggot", and added that he would "kick [my] f__king ass!". It would be a shame to overlook this significant event and everything it implies.

what type of response (if any) did you get from the people you sent the note to?

julius orange

In hindsight we should have gone to the site in the middle of the night, loosened the bolts on the scaffolding and just let Karma do the rest.

henrycurtis

The Chipster wrote: you guys have alot of spare time. someone yelled faggot? alert the media! tomorrow's headlines, "Man was not nice." yawn.

Yet you seem to have enough spare time to make a snarky, kind of stupid comment about a serious issue. Go figure.

jimmy

henrycurtis wrote: Why's that?

Because the adults act like children.

henrycurtis

Jimmy wrote: [quote=henrycurtis]Why's that?

Because the adults act like children.


Oh. More than other neighborhoods?
Do you think the OP who was harrassed is an example?
Or some of the inane posters since?

8thandprez

The Chipster wrote: you guys have alot of spare time. someone yelled faggot? alert the media! tomorrow's headlines, "Man was not nice." yawn.

What you fail to understand is that this garden-variety taunt can too easily turn into something uglier and more serious if it is just swept under the rug or laughed at. Not to presuppose your sexual orientation, but if you were called "faggot" simply for walking down the street you might feel differently.

whynot_31

<<< wonders what advice the OP would be given if he had been called "nigger" (instead of "faggot") and then followed by two construction guys.

jimmy

henrycurtis wrote: [quote=Jimmy][quote=henrycurtis]Why's that?

Because the adults act like children.


Oh. More than other neighborhoods?
Do you think the OP who was harrassed is an example?
Or some of the inane posters since?

Yes.
Yes.
Some, yes.

The OP (according to the OP) was called a name as he passed a construction site. He should have been a grown up - ignored it and walked on his merry way. That would have been the end of it.

moconnell79

Flexichick wrote: [quote=Moconnell79]Please also keep in mind that the police report, letter and blog posts are mainly addressing the behavior of the manager at the contracting company who also called me a "faggot", and added that he would "kick [my] f__king ass!". It would be a shame to overlook this significant event and everything it implies.

what type of response (if any) did you get from the people you sent the note to?

No response as of now. I am continuing to follow up with the help of Anti Violence Project.

henrycurtis

Jimmy wrote: [quote=henrycurtis][quote=Jimmy][quote=henrycurtis]Why's that?

Because the adults act like children.


Oh. More than other neighborhoods?
Do you think the OP who was harrassed is an example?
Or some of the inane posters since?

Yes.
Yes.
Some, yes.

The OP (according to the OP) was called a name as he passed a construction site. He should have been a grown up - ignored it and walked on his merry way. That would have been the end of it.


You obviously have an agenda. I don't share it. Have a good day, Jimmy.

jimmy

henrycurtis wrote: [quote=Jimmy][quote=henrycurtis][quote=Jimmy][quote=henrycurtis]Why's that?

Because the adults act like children.


Oh. More than other neighborhoods?
Do you think the OP who was harrassed is an example?
Or some of the inane posters since?

Yes.
Yes.
Some, yes.

The OP (according to the OP) was called a name as he passed a construction site. He should have been a grown up - ignored it and walked on his merry way. That would have been the end of it.


You obviously have an agenda. I don't share it. Have a good day, Jimmy.

Um, okkkkk...Is this mysterious "agenda" that much different from the advice you offered to people planning to protest the Westboro folks?

Your wrote: "I think simply ignoring them would have been better, but....what do I know?"

and

"Ignore them. They'll go away, it sound like after a half hour."

julius orange

Hey Jimmy. Your momma's a big fat swine.

Now be an adult and ignore this you POS.

jimmy

Julius Orange wrote: Hey Jimmy. Your momma's a big fat swine.

Now be an adult and ignore this you POS.

re my original post: "The adults act like children."

I rest my case. Thanks Julius!