Animal Rights Activist Brutally Beaten in Ohio for Being Gay
Nathan Runkle (age 24), founder of Mercy for Animals, was brutally beaten outside of a gay nightclub in Ohio on Saturday, December 27, 2008. Nathan, best know for his work as an animal rights activist was also voted as one of VegNews Magazine’s “25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians”.
As crimes against LGBT people continue to rise year after year, we are forced to reexamine the importance of hate crimes legislation. Regrettably, Ohio has no hate crimes protections for LGBT people nor does the U.S. Federal Government currently have mandates for hate crime reporting. These facts, as well as the fear experienced by many LGBT people after an attack, often mean these hate crimes go unreported or under represented.
As part of the letter to Obama being circulated for the National DOMA Protest, LGBT activists and their allies are requesting the passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. Please take a moment to review information provided by Join The Impact and participate in this important movement toward equality.
For more information regarding Nathan Runkle, please see:
gayrights.change.org’s blog on the subject.



