A man has been arrested in Idaho over an alleged attack on a gay couple on Saturday night.
Eric Reed and Juan Olvera, who have been together for more than 15 years, said they were leaving a restaurant in Caldwell, Idaho, when the incident occurred. The city is about 45 km east of the state capital, Boise.
The couple said they were chased through a parking lot by a group of men who were allegedly shouting homophobic slurs, before one of the group assaulted them.
Police later arrested 55-year-old Pedro Villarreal III, of Caldwell, and charged him with misdemeanor battery. Reed required six stitches to his lip, while Olvera was treated for cuts and bruises.
Speaking to local news outlet KTV7, Olvera described the incident as traumatic.
“I literally thought I was going to die, and I don’t even know how to explain the fear I have right now. We haven’t left the house for the past few days,” he said.
“What’s going to happen to the next person? Are they going to kill them? I felt they were going to kill us for being gay. It’s a scary thing to live through, and I would never wish this on anyone.”
Police have also expressed concern that the state does not have provisions allowing assaults to be formally classified as hate crimes.
Local rights organisation ACLU Idaho has been behind a long-running Add the Words campaign that urges politicians to add sexuality and gender identity to the laws which allow particular incidents to be classed as hate crimes. The laws currently only apply if a victim is targetted on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, or national origin.
