‘Still more work to do’: Organizers, city leaders decry alleged attack on gay couple in Mattapan

Community leaders from the Boston Lesbigay Urban Foundation held a virtual press conference and rally Wednesday in response to an alleged homophobic hate crime in Mattapan last month.

“We gather in love, but we also gather in truth,” Curtis Santos, executive director of the foundation, said. “These incidents are reminders that while we’ve come a long way, there is still more work to do.”

The foundation, which focuses primarily on queer people of color, organized the rally after a Sept. 13 incident in which a gay couple was allegedly targeted with homophobic language before one of them was hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat. Boston police have since released photos of eight suspects associated with the alleged attack.

City officials also attended the conference, including City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Boston City Councilor Henry Santana. Santana condemned the alleged hate crime and promised to file policies to help prevent future incidents.

“What happened in Mattapan has no place in our city,” Santana said. “I know we’re a sanctuary city, but what happened in Mattapan shows that not all of our neighbors feel safe.”

Louijeuene similarly expressed disappointment over the incident and frustration that the city has continued to face hate crime-related issues.

“We are here to support and hear your voice,” Louijeune said. “That area has been a problem area in Mattapan for quite some time, and it’s unfortunate that it took this to get police attention.”

Representatives from Mayor Michelle Wu’s office were on hand to share partnerships, trainings, and other resources in their effort to prevent hate crimes in Boston. One such program is the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement Partner Network, which serves as a collaboration between businesses, organizations, institutions, and city departments aiming to “support and uplift LGBTQIA2S+ communities across Boston.”

LGBTQIA2S+ refers to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or gender expansive, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit, according to the National Association of Social Workers.

Officials said they had been in touch with the couple, their families, and a local pastor in response to the incident. Other attendees who briefly spoke included State Sen. Liz Miranda and City Council District 5 candidate Winston Pierre.

“When they come for one of us, they come for all of us,” Miranda said. “We’re here for you all.”