Ohio College Students Rally Against Hate Crimes

At center: Kate Elliott, a UC student.

 Students rallied Thursday night at two Ohio universities to protest a recent attack on two gay men and promote greater acceptance of LGBT people.

The rallies, at the University of Cincinnati and Miami University in Oxford, were in response to an attack that occurred early in the morning of March 24. Miami student Michael Bustin and UC student Adam Voegele were holding hands as they walked home from an event on the Miami campus when they were attacked and beaten by four men who yelled antigay slurs. No arrests have been made.

“Every student should feel safe to walk through campus and our local communities without fear of brutal violence,” Blake Jelley, president of the UC Alliance, said at the rally on his campus, according to Cincinnati TV station WXIX. “We urge students and staff at Miami and UC to take a stronger stance against antigay attacks and urge administration to take more proactive measures to ensure that our university communities are safe for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

“Kids shouldn’t have to fear expressing their feelings, no matter if it’s gay, straight, anything,” Voegele told WXIX. “And people should just love each other for who they are.”

WXIX reported that the rallies drew 300 attendees combined, but the Associated Press put the number at about half that. Read more here.