*kick, kick*
“YANKEE FUCKING FAGGOT!”
The year was 1981, and we’d just moved to Texas.
The local God-fearing Christian white boys had found someone to hate more than the black kids, and I was the lucky faggot.
I didn’t even know what the word meant, but I do now.
You see, “faggot” means “kindling”..something to burn. It’s possibly the most inherently violent, dehumanizing term you can use when referring to another human being.
You’re not a person, faggot. We will burn you.
Fast forward to 2019..I’ve moved to Martha’s Vineyard to open a tattoo studio. I’ve brought my partner and her daughter across the country from Arizona, promising that our lives would improve, that the island is a beautiful place full of opportunity, that we could make art for people who value it, and finally make a decent living doing so.
“FAGGOT! FUCKING FAGGOT!”
Teddy Karalekas is standing in my shop, red faced and screaming at me.
“MOVE YOUR TRASH CANS, YOU FUCKING FAGGOT!”
Teddy is the partner of Leslie Graham, owner of Lobsterville restaurant.
“Whatcha gonna do, faggot”
I get my phone camera, and follow Teddy out of the shop.
I ask him to repeat what he just said, on camera.
I was sure no one would be stupid enough to do that, but sure enough Teddy said it again.
I thanked him and promptly posted the video to YouTube.
Totally healthy work environment.
Now, in the good old days of tattooing..a doughy old man like Teddy walks into a tattoo shop screaming “FAGGOT”, we’d have..um...
Let’s just say it’s not the good old days.
The proper response would have been to immediately deck him in his teeth, but I really, really didn’t want to lose my business or go to jail for elder abuse, so I did the next best thing. Shame.
The video got almost 2000 views over night, as islanders familiar with Teddy shared it on Facebook.
Leslie immediately had her lawyer threaten to sue us.
(Her lawyer is apparently too stupid to know how the first amendment works.)
I also filed a police report, so if Teddy decided to continue harassing me the cops had it on file.
That’s when I realized why Teddy felt so safe.
In the room where I was interviewed there were TRUMP and TRUMP 2020 bumper stickers everywhere.
So I’m reporting this hate crime to a bunch of white guys who think ‘grab em by the pussy” is Presidential behavior.
Great.
They ask me if I’ll take down the video. If I’ll accept an apology.
I say no, Teddy has already shown me who he is. Any apology would be a lie.
A few days go by, and Teddy slinks up to my door. He wants to shake my hand. He’s sorry. He just wants us all to get along.
Sigh. Ok. I shake his hand.
I take down the video.
As the summer progresses Teddy occasionally pops his head in sheepishly. “Hi Bruce..”
I assume the shame has worked, and that he’s learned an important lesson.
Wrong.
A couple weeks ago he did it again. Screaming “FAGGOT” at his neighbor.
He learned nothing, of course.
But because I let it go he and Leslie were able to enjoy another profitable summer at Lobsterville, while my business suffered. My LGBTW clients (correctly) felt uncomfortable. I felt uncomfortable, in my own shop.
Still do.
Teddy and the OBPD used my good will to whitewash Teddy’s horrific behavior.
So I put the video back up.
People should know when they come to Oak Bluffs it’s not the sleepy, progressive place it appears to be.
It’s a thinly-disguised hotbed of hate and trumpism.
If you’re the victim of a hate crime, or sexual assault, or racist attack your only recourse is to go tell it to a trumpster.
And good luck with that.
