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Local LGBTQ person alleges violent hate crime

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COLORADO SPRINGS – A local trans person alleges they were violently attacked in their own yard in an apparent hate crime.  Emmitt Davis, 22, says the attack happened Saturday afternoon.  “My partner and I were sitting in my front yard, enjoying the nice weather, smoking a cigarette, the usual,” Davis said.  That’s when Davis alleges two young men jumped a  backyard privacy fence, came around to the front yard, and began using homophobic slurs against the couple.

Davis says the trespassers briefly left, only to return with a third man and began getting physically aggressive.  “He swung at me. I swung back in self-defense. He swung again,” Davis said.  Davis says he was struck specifically in the back of the neck and on the right eye and bridge of the nose.  Purple bruising and bloody hemmorage are apparent in Davis’ right eye.  “It was very apparent they were just there to attack,” Davis said.

Davis claims to not recognize the attackers and does not know who they are, where they came from, or where they went when they fled.  Davis believes it was an intentional hate crime.  “Two men came into the backyard, noticed two members of the LGTBQ community, and decided, ‘Oh, hey, we don’t agree with this,'” Davis said.  “I’m Mr. Trans of Colorado Springs.  I advocate for trans people who go through things like this. I never thought I’d be advocating as a survivor of something like this.”

Davis is also a participant in Drag Queen Story Time and is scheduled to read on Saturday, April 13, at Zodiac Venue/Bar in Colorado Springs, something that will continue as planned despite the attack, Davis says.  News 5 checked with Colorado Springs police, who confirm they are investigating an alleged assault with the same circumstances as described by Davis, however a police report had not been completed as of Monday afternoon.  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m angry, but I don’t hate these people,” Davis said.  “Broken bones, but not broken spirit.”