A gay Houston man was beaten, shot, robbed and called an anti-gay slur as he was attacked by three men while walking home from a Montrose gay bar.
John Gaspari was attacked near the intersection of Genesee and Cleveland – less than a half-mile from Meteor – as he walked from the bar about 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 15, according to KHOU and About Magazine. The robbers took his wallet, jewelry and cell phone, beat him and shot him in the stomach. Gaspari said the assailants yelled, “Get the fag.”
“I am just really grateful that I am actually alive,” Gaspari told KHOU. “My last memory was them more or less tackling me, kicking me and trying to protect myself and then shooting me and then I don't remember anything.”
Gaspari, who recently lost his job, spent two weeks recovering in the hospital. His recovery could take months, according to KHOU. A witness provided police with the license plate number of the car the attackers drove, but the vehicle was stolen.
Friends rallied by launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to help Gaspari as he recovers. Some 63 donations helped raise $3,446 in the two weeks the John Gaspari Fund was open for donations. The fundraiser closed on Thursday.
John Gaspari was robbed, beaten shot twice last weekend. We're glad to report that he is expected to fully recover, but he is facing many bills, so let's show him some Houston love.
John has been so generous with his time and his money since moving to Houston several years ago. He has supported so many LGBT causes, organizations and events. Now its time for our community to rally in support of John.
As many of you know, John has had a string of bad luck since moving here. He faced constant gay-oriented discrimination and harassment at this job. And the Friday before the attack, he was laid off. But through it all, John has kept his sweet good humor and has been such an asset to our community.
Please donate what you can to help him out.
On Monday, a Houston Police Department spokesperson told Project Q that she would look into the incident and provide an update. We'll update the post with any additional details.
[KHOU | About Magazine]
