GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE MAY 14, 1993

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Three Marines acquitted

in beating of gay men

Wilmington, N.C.-Three Camp Lejeune Marines were acquitted April 13 of charges that they assaulted three people at a Wilmington gay bar, in a case that gained notoriety as a symbol of gay-bashing. A fourth Marine involved will not be charged.

Crae Pridgen and two other men testified during the six-day trial that they were assaulted by the Marines on Jan. 30 at Mickey Ratz bar.

In closing arguments, defense attorneys said Pridgen was intent on fighting and met his match during the brawl.

Defense lawyer Ed Bailey questioned the alleged ferocity of the attack in light of testimony that Pridgen's injuries didn't seem too serious. Pridgen sustained a broken tooth and bruises.

Assistant District Attorney James Faison III argued that the Marines weren't acting in self-defense, and that there was evidence the Marines threw the first punches after being taunted.

"It wasn't self defense," Faison said. "What it was, was an excuse to finally vent their frustrations. . . 'You're not going to chump me or reduce my manhood.'

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Judge Jacqueline Morris-Goodson of New Hanover County District Court ruled that prosecutors failed to prove an assault occurred. She found each Marine innocent of three counts of simple assault, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail or a $50 fine. Misdemeanor trials do not require a jury.

The defendants were Lance Cpls. Walter Watkins III, 26; Patrick Cardone, 23, and Colin Hunt, 20. They testified that they hit people, but only in self-defense after patrons of the bar threatened them.

Charges will not be filed against a fourth Marine, Lance Cpl. Louis C. Raith, who

testified during the trial that he had punched and kicked Pridgen.

One of the final defense witnesses testified that Pridgen had a bad temper and a reputation for fighting.

"He's tried to start fights with me and other people on occasions," said Harold Bradley, a Mickey Ratz bartender. "His reputation's really not good."

Bradley said Pridgen rushed to the front of the bar when he heard there was trouble. Pridgen testified that he didn't seek a fight and was trying to leave when he was dragged outside and beaten.

"If he had stayed where he was, nothing would have happened,” Bradley said. “It wasn't a gay bashing. It was just a regular bar fight."

Mab Segrest of the North Carolina Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality said she was worried about how the verdict would be interpreted.

"We don't want it to seem like a green light that it's OK to beat up gay people,” Segrest said. "We also hope the governor and heads of military bases across North Carolina make it clear that military people stationed here are not expected to go on violent rampages."

Maj. Jay Farrar said base officials were continuing their investigation of the incident, pending the outcome of another assault trial involving two of the men.

Cardone and Watkins are charged in an incident that happened at a Jacksonville, N.C. bar the night before the Mickey Ratz fight. That case was to be heard May 13.

The Marines also face a civil lawsuit on behalf of Pridgen, filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The lawsuit said Pridgen was the victim of a hate crime and should receive unspecified damages.

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Lou Sheldon flies some not-so-friendly skies

San Francisco-Lou Sheldon, the founder of the anti-gay Traditional Values Coalition, had quite a bumpy flight when he found himself among a planeload of lesbians and gays returning from the March on Washington.

Versions of the incident differ. Sheldon said the gay rights activists threatened him, while activists said they simply wanted to greet him.

"Some passengers went to Sheldon to say 'I'm a gay person and I'm just like anybody else. I have a family, I have a job. Look we're real people'," said Karen Norman, who attended the March on Washington with her partner, Pat, and their son Zachary.

"The hate that this man espouses toward gay people made him fearful for his own life, not because it was coming from us," Norman said.

But Sheldon said the crowd suddenly became unruly after he spoke briefly with an activist.

"Reverend Sheldon shook a person's hands and that conversation soured and became a mean-spirited vendetta," said Steven Pendergraft, a TVC spokesman.

The captain moved Sheldon to the firstclass cabin and told passengers to remain in their seats, said American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith.

Smith said the captain had the right to seat passengers if he believed "turbulence outside or inside the aircraft" threatened safety on board.

The April 27 flight was headed from Washington to California with a stopover in Chicago.

Pendergraft said Sheldon tried to ignore the other passengers by reading a newspaper, but after some verbal assaults includ-

ing religious epithets, Sheldon left the coach seats for first class.

Norman acknowledged the crowd briefly chanted, "Shame, shame, shame!" and, “We're here, we're queer, we're fabulous, get used to it!" but said it was only after Sheldon left the coach section for first class.

When the plane landed in Chicago, Sheldon asked for a police escort to his connecting flight.

Neither group blamed the airline.

Soiled linens

In a separate incident, gay activists said they had accepted American Airlines' apology for an internal message to replace blankets and pillows used by passengers from the Washington march.

Smith called the message "outrageous and totally inappropriate" and counter to company policy.

"This is of grave, grave concern," airline spokesman Al Becker said. "We do apologize as a corporation." The airline said it would investigate before considering disciplinary measures.

David Taffet, vice president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, said the apology was sufficient.

The crew on the flight from Washington, D.C. to Texas made no reference to gays or lesbians when it asked for the new linen, and the reference came from a ground crew worker.

Smith said replacement linen may have been needed because the crew used some blankets to clean up a food spill and because the continuing flight was at night.

The crew's request read: "inbd crew req complete chg of all pillows blankets due gay rights activits group onbd."