Socorro Garcia – …And the Truth Shall Set You Free.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this. Was it a hate crime what Melissa Elmira Yingst and Socorro Garcia experienced at Detroit Airport because of their state of being Deaf? Sexual orientation? That they are not white? Even though the gate agent is Black. It’s most likely the person who called police on Deaf couple is White. Who knows? The agent was mocking Deaf couple because…..you know.

Think about the consequences Deaf people face daily even though it’s invisible hate crime. For example, a Deaf male got attacked by two white Hearing men and stole their laptop because they knew he was Deaf. How? He was chatting with someone through American Sign Language (ASL) on the table outside of a coffee shop in Riverside, CA. Police doesn’t think it was a hate crime.

A Deaf lesbian couple in CA got severely beaten with baseball bat by someone—a hearing person who doesn’t like them as Deaf and hated sign language and as lovers. Hate crime? Nope! Why?

Seven days ago or a week ago in January 2019, a hearing gay couple in TX were severely beaten by baseball bat. The attacker was hearing. Why? Think about it. Hate crime? Yes! Why not?

Spring 2018. Two gay men who are American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in Washington, DC got attacked last April because of their sexual orientation. Hate crime? It was said to be possible.

See the point? Hearing people who experienced hate crime more—As for Deaf survivors of hate crime, “too bad and live with consequences” attitude.

I could go on more, but the whole point is there are many unreported hate crimes against Deaf people is a factor because there is not enough sensitivity training about the appreciation of Deaf lives. Hate crime is the most trivialized subject when it comes to target Deaf people. Do you agree that Deaf people have been trivialized along those times in our lives? Can hearing people dare to see in the eyes of innocent Deaf people that they are also the most marginalized group?

How could the society dare to tell Deaf people who experienced hate crime even though it’s not reported to go on with lives, as it never happened? It is because it is highly publicized culture of denial and culture of fear. Hate crime teaches the society to be liars, and allows to dehumanize innocent Deaf people.

We need to remind that when hearing people calls police on Deaf people is something—a dangerous framing that could be a new norm in the future. We need to watch out for that. A ‘hate crime’ is when crimes as in ‘action’ preventing truth, that often results the most is hostile and prejudiced in a manner when being targeted, for example, “DEAF”—is very difficult to challenge.

“How often are the perpetrators of hate-crimes discovered to be self-loathing? Valued individuals do not strike out against strangers.”—Harvey Fierstein

Do you agree that Melissa Elmira Yingst and Socorro Garcia experienced hate crime? Why or why not?

-JT

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