Manhattan —
Days after a gay man was killed on a West Village corner, shaken local residents questioned the safety of their streets.
Known as a bastion of acceptance and a symbol of the gay rights movement, the neighborhood has long been a place where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people live and socialize. Even amid an increase in gay-related hate crimes in recent months, many were shocked by the fatal shooting of Mark Carson, 32, just steps from the Stonewall Inn, a landmark for the LGBT community.
Nearly 2,000 people took to the streets May 20th to protest the violence, marching from the LGBT Center on West 13th Street to the site of the killing blocks away. Amid chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia’s got to go,” some marchers spoke of the victim and reflected on how his death changes they way they see the city.
