'Tired Of Living In Fear': Capitol Hill Takes On Hate Crime

Hate crimes are up on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, and often they target people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Tuesday night there was a meeting to discuss the problem. KUOW's Carolyn Adolph reports.

TRANSCRIPT

People filled a church hall in Capitol Hill to talk about a problem that won't go away: Hate crime in their neighborhood.

Many of the attacks have been aimed at members of the gay, lesbian and transgender community.

Like this young person: “I don't know about you, but I am so tired of living in fear, of the voice in the back of my head letting me know that I could be beaten or killed, that I could become a statistic. We need solutions.”

Speakers at this town hall had more than a few.

There was the idea of a shuttle, so that people who are alone don't have to take their chances on the street.

And self-defense classes.

Several talked about relying less on police.

But before the meeting, Seattle police said they did want to help.

This is Carmen Best, deputy chief of the Seattle Police Department: "What we know is that people who live in the area are very concerned and very fearful. And we are encouraging them to report any type of bias crime whether they are a victim or a witness, that we take these crimes very seriously. "

The mayor, Ed Murray, also came to say he cares about hate crime -- he's lived it.

Murray: “We also went through a horrendous experience in this city during the height of the HIV AIDS crisis. When people were being targeted and people were being harassed simply because they were associated with people who had AIDS or who actually had AIDS. Capitol Hill was a place we could be safe.”

Heather Purser stood up to say she was glad so many people were concerned about hate crime.

Purser: “I just know that I don’t want to be hurt for being gay and I have been hurt for being gay, like a lot of us here tonight. I know that if we keep talking like this we can get it together and figure it out. Thank you. I love you.”

City Council member Kshama Sawant hosted the event.