Woman who had gay slurs carved in her body speaks out
Omaha, Nebraska (CNN) - An alleged victim of a hate crime in Nebraska spoke out for the first time Thursday, the same day that more than a thousand people rallied in support of the victim that police say was assaulted by masked men who carved homophobic slurs into her body.
"I can't adequately express how much it has meant to me that people are standing with me and people are standing for me," Charlie Rogers, 33, said in an interview with CNN affiliate KETV.
Three masked men allegedly bound Rogers and carved the words into her skin Sunday, police in Lincoln, Nebraska, said. The incident has been classified as a hate crime because derogatory terms for lesbians that were used, said Officer Katie Flood, a spokeswoman for the Lincoln Police Department.
Rogers said she had tried to keep her identity secret after the incident. But she decided to go public Thursday because there have been allegations that the attack did not happen.
"For people to think this doesn't happen here, it does. It did," Rogers told the affiliate.
Rogers' attorney, Megan Mikolajczyk, told CNN Rogers wanted to make it clear it was not "a hoax." Asked if there was anyone specific they were addressing, Mikolajczyk said there was not, but that she wasn't surprised there were naysayers.
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And it was a Hoax.
It would be nice if some dermatologist would step up and offer to repair the damage for her. If she wants that done, that is. And to those who did it, I hope they are put away for good. I have not heard if they caught them or not.
I think gayness is perverted. Just my opinion. But I would stand up and defend this gay gal from the monster who did this to her.
Agone, Most people in Lincoln, Nebraska believe her and support her.