Comments on: One dead, two others injured in Castro District ‘Pink Saturday’ shooting

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:27:37 +0000

It’s not racism when it’s simply a fact. It’s gang violence that ruined Halloween in the Castro and it’s the same violence that will probably result in Pink Saturday being canceled. It was hard to have a good time with friends when you’re constantly getting drinks spilled all over you, pick-pocketed by street trash, and rude, drunk, underage people pushing you all over the place. These gangs don’t need to come to this party. Stay in your own neighborhoods and shoot each other. This is a party for those celebrating Pride. I find it hard to believe that most of the people there care about Pride, gay rights, etc. It’s one big messy street party for them. I have friends of all races who happen to be law-abiding citizens and contributing members of society. I’m not racist…I don’t care to be around trash or gangs no matter what their ethnicity is. Thanks for ruining what is supposed to be a time of celebration.

By: Rick Cooper

Rick Cooper — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:10:05 +0000

I also heard a woman outside 440 bar was beaten and kicked to the ground. Whats going on??? Looks like we might have to fight to keep our Pink Saturday next year…wouldnt be surprised if they cancelled it.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:33:08 +0000

I read some of the comments and much to my dismay , the smugness and racism of many San Franciscans is still alive and well today. I happen to be a progressive black male, who left the bay area for another city in California back in 1984 because I experienced back then, way too much of this same liberal racism that’s communicated in the comments here. And what I find to be really sad is that the people making the comments rarely take ownership for their part in what caused the problem. I can speak authoritatively to this because I have many years of experience with producing one of the largest events in the state. I wonder if the individual slamming the east bay and making some of these racist comments even once thought about ; 1. If you invite a rap artist to perform at the event, your event will attract persons interested in seeing that rap artist. If the artist specializes in any form of gangsta rap, and your event is a low cost or free of charge, that adds more a possibility that you will attract this kind of trouble. 2. Is anyone addressing this with the person who is responsible for the entertainment line-up? I would be asking them some questions like what were you thinking? 3. Also when you have very large crowds for any reason, and you don’t take extra steps to provide an additional levels of security, you are playing Russian Roulette. In other locales, this street party wouldn’t have even been allowed to happen unless there were better assurances and additional security was provided like random bag checks for weapons and drugs. This is something that should be done especially if a big name performer is going to be present . What else I find amusing with these attitudes still persisting about Oakland when more and more non-black gays are moving there because they can’t afford to live in SF anymore. Perhaps they will ‘gentrify away’ the problem. And then Oakland will no longer be the ‘getto’ that they are complaining about. Some of these complainers may even wake up and realize that many of the problems in Oakland only exist because of the disparity and inequalities in our society. This is yet another product of racism. Also, part of what perpetuates the problem in Oakland is the heavy drug culture that still exists in SF. The drugs have to get to SF somehow. By the way. I have been to the Pink Party. I was there last year and, if you are wondering, Yes, I am gay.

By: Arianna Davis

Arianna Davis — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:00:44 +0000

ALL:

From SFPD and various news agencies:

“The man who allegedly shot and killed 19-year-old Stephen Powell during Gay Pride’s Pink Saturday party has been identified as 20-year-old SAN FRANCISCAN Ed Perkins.”

The counsel rests it’s case…

(This comment has been moderated because it violates the Beat Terms of Service comment policy.)

By: jcbrent

jcbrent — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:42:51 +0000

It is not racist to point out the fact that every time there is violence in the Castro the perpetrators are of African decent and usually from Oakland. Those of us who live in San Francisco and particularly the Castro are sick and tired of people coming in to our city and especially our neighborhood and bringing their low life, street thug, hip-hop, “hood” mentality and behavior with them.

We no longer can host the fabulous Halloween party we use to hold in the Castro because of this same problem, caused by the same people. We have no intention of letting the same thing happen to Pink Saturday or Pride.

Also I want to point out that relationships between the gay and black communities was not helped by the fact that the vast majority of black voters voted in favor of prop. 8, and were directly responsible for repeal of gay marriage rights.

If you can’t behave like civilized people, or people at all, stay out of the Castro and out of San Francisco otherwise don’t be surprised if we take measures to keep you . Our actions will be based on the “content of your character” which happens to directly correlate with the color of your skin.

By: Arianna Davis

Arianna Davis — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:14:11 +0000

@Dave

Umm, being gay or lesbian is not a “choice”, one is born as such just as one may be born into a ghetto.
And when speaking of “ghetto trash” I sincerely hope that you specifically mean the bad element of people living among other black law abiding citizens who are from the ghetto. I’m an African American women and I am so sick and tired of people who broadly blame violence on me or other innocent African Americans.

By: Arianna Davis

Arianna Davis — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:03:32 +0000

Hi,
I’m a female biker with an all women’s motorcyle club with several chapters in California due to this, we know some people associated with “1 percenter” outlaw MCs (some of whom are part of State Club Coalitions with bikers of all backgrounds) which is unavoidable if you want to . I’m down in Southern California, but we have a chapter of sisters out of San Jose who usually get the REAL story. a couple of our sisters from that chapter were at the Pride festivities.

The information that they got from 2 outlaw MC’s known as the Mongols and Top hatters, they relayed to us, was that there was a “throw down” or confrontation planned to happen between gang members in the Bay Area, belonging to the “Nortenos and Surenos” (hispanic and some other races working for them, black, white etc…) two vicious criminal “mafia” types of organizations.
One of them got drunk, thought he got offended via his homophobic pathology, set off by some transgression in his mind and started shooting.

The Mongols MC has ties to the “Surenos:”.

A lot of them reside and operate right in the city of San Francisco besides the surrounding areas, so I wouldn’t exactly throw the blame on people from the Oakland area.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:45:29 +0000

You may choose to be gay, born “ghetto trash” or HATE guns but the fact remains one was killed and two were hurt. If Christians were stabbed in Beverly Hills by Barack Obama it would not be any more acceptable. Gay, gun & ghetto blame does not cut it. Stop attacking and blaming what you don’t agree with or you are no better than the sick person who attacked these three.

By: Erich Richter

Erich Richter — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:23:11 +0000

RV, gays don’t go around arbitrarily shooting people. I know that seems like a subtle difference but it’s worth noting. If this gunman really does turn out to be an ex-lover I’ll eat my words. Until then…

To anyone that thinks these postings are racist, provide the date and place of ANY Castro street party shooting/stabbing that hasn’t been gang related.

By: Nia

Nia — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:06:32 +0000

Tragic event, but funny how quickly one “disenfranchised” group comes out of the closet with it’s racism. Keep it up, see how much support your community will get when tragedies like this occur. Let the world know how racist San Francisco’s largely white gay community is and you’ll bring out the conservatives in the rest of us.