Last weekend, I drove down to Destin, FL with 4 friends to enjoy the Destin Seafood Festival.  Specifically, we wanted to see Joan Jett & the Blackhearts perform.  While we were at the festival shortly before Joan Jett came on stage, my girlfriend leaned over to kiss me.  A 50-something woman behind me then began yelling at all of us (the others were heterosexual) that (Destin) “don’t like queers here” and began literally screaming obscenities at us and telling us how much fags are hated there and we needed our asses kicked.

We tried to reason with her that we weren’t doing anything to bother anyone.  She continued to scream at us and told us that this was a Christian place and then, she leaned over and slapped my (straight) friend, who was trying to calm her down and act as a peacemaker, in the face.  There were many witnesses.

Since no security guards were stationed at the front of the stage at this time, we had trouble getting security over and when an officer did arrive, he asked the assailant to move back 5 feet.

I informed the guard that in Atlanta (where I’m from) if you physically assault someone, you are usually arrested.  We asked for a police officer.  It was a tense few minutes of fear that this woman, who said she had a “posse” with her, might strike us again as we waited for the police.  When they arrived, we were informed that if we wanted to press charges, we would have to leave our front row seats (and the festival) to do that.

My friend, a benevolent soul, declined to press charges and asked for the woman to be moved.  After all, we came to see Joan Jett and wanted to enjoy the show without fear that a posse of gay-bashers would assault us from behind.  This woman was then escorted to the VIP SECTION and treated like a queen.

I feel very sad that my married, straight friend was gay-bashed at the festival.  I feel worse that the assailant was not asked to leave but was, instead, upgraded to a better seat.  I sent an e-mail to the Destin Chamber of Commerce on Monday but have not heard back from them what I hoped would be, at the very least, an apology about how their staff mishandled the situation.  I want to ask the Destin Chamber of Commerce, who sponsors the annual event, does anyone there care?

ed note:  GLBTQ Editor Lori Hahn contacted the communications officer for the Destin Chamber of Commerce, the host of the event, and received the following reply upon behalf of their CEO and President, Shane Moody:  “

“We talked with the security and law enforcement working the festival. They had no reports of any incident like this. While we are sorry for anything that may have happened, we cannot comment on something we did not witness nor for which we have no incident report.”