Lesbian couple's house burned down

[SocialistLez]

Source:http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=13134384

"The home of Carol and Laura Stutte on County Road 320 in Vonore was destroyed by fire last Saturday.

The word "queers" was also spray painted in large letters on their garage.

The couple feels they're victims of a hate crime, and were targeted because they're gay. They've been together for more than 15 years.

Carol Stutte has an adult daughter from a previous relationship who also lived with them.

At the time of the fire, they were in Nashville celebrating their fifth anniversary in Tennessee.

"My daughter was supposed to be here. She was sick," Carol Stutte said. "I was grateful my baby girl didn't get killed in this fire. She would have been trapped in the basement."

The couple moved to Vonore from Oklahoma.

Carol Stutte says her partner is too afraid to come back to the property since the fire. She says they've been harassed all five years they've lived there by one neighbor.

She also says recently the neighbor threatened to kill them and burn down their house," Stutte said. "I knew we had been threatened, but we never thought anything would be followed through,""

My heart goes out to this family.

::Sigh:: I really thought things in the south were getting better.
I guess not.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. How very sad and wrong this is...

My thoughts are with this family...

I hope there will be justice for them.

Recommended.

[sakabatou]

2. Hateful bigots...

[saltpoint]

3. I would have held higher hopes for Knoxville generally,

and assume this is the ugly, coarse, hateful, bigoted work of a very threatened and judgmental asshole, perhaps two or three, but someone not representative of an otherwise pretty good town.

Next, in a world of my making, Barack, Michelle, Joe and Jill Biden, Jimmy and Roslynn, and Ted Olson and David Boies show up with a Habitat crew and some serious funding and help rebuild the home, in what would of course be a high-profile assertion that violence against others -- an obvious hate crime in this case -- is as unacceptable as it is ugly.

[southerncrone]

5. This is not in Knoxville, about 60 miles south of there.

Vonore is a backward mountain community. Very small & close-knit. The sun hardly shines there (in the metaphoric sense). It is a visually beautiful area, but not one accepting of "alternative" lifestyles. I am surprised they were able to live there for 5 yrs b/4 being burned out. People in that area are fond of "burning" out those they don't like. It's not unusual to see homes burned down in that neck of the woods, many are from this type of arson.

[saltpoint]

6. Ah. That is a ways off. Hi, southerncrone.

In a lot of progressive cities in the country, things are actually pretty decent, but just a few miles outside the town limits, civilization takes a big drop back several decades.

This is a vulgar, ugly story.

[southerncrone]

12. I wouldn't consider Knoxville that progressive compared to the rest

of the nation. It is a Red bastion. A few pockets of Dems, but mostly Red. Unfortunately.

[saltpoint]

13. It is too bad. I was hoping for something of a

cultural revolution. And Nashville seemed out of the question.

But then I recall Corker and Bill Cat Butcher Frist and so forth...

Well, you know the story.

Not to gang up on Tennessee, either. There's a lot of red votes out there in U.S. voterland.

[southerncrone]

15. Actually Nashville is still the Dem area of the state, at least for now.

Corker = Chattanooga
Alexander = Maryville (Knoxville suburb)
Frist = Nashville, but long-standing, wealthy, medical family

The state is becoming redder all the time. We've actually discussed leaving it because of the increasing redness; & we've lived here ALL our lives--50+ yrs. :(

[saltpoint]

16. I thought Nashville was kind of a fundie capital,

something akin to Colorado Springs? No?

[southerncrone]

18. It is getting more that way.

The headquarters of the Southern Baptist is here & they have made strides in the new "evangelical" movement of the last decade. A group wanted to put a "Bible amusement park" here, which was all over the news the last 2 yrs, or so. That may be why you thought that. The country music stars have fallen under the umbrella of the Christian right, mostly to boost their careers & drag in $.

There is a large alternative music community here as well, which is mainly Dem. Traditionally it has been a Dem city.

[saltpoint]

20. Well, I'm definitely rooting for those alternative music

people there -- it's better that they gain influence, not just because of politics but also because the commercial country music out of Nashville has been cricket piss for some time.

I know Emmylou Harris has (or had?) a house in Nashville. As long as she's around, I feel safer somehow. Her work against land mines has been righteous and right-on.

[southerncrone]

23. She is still around. I see her occasionally out & about.

What a voice!

[saltpoint]

32. Agreed. One of a kind.

I could listen to "From Boulder to Birmingham" all night long, and have, often.

[MineralMan]

4. How awful. How sad.

[Oceansaway]

7. damn bigots...nt

[Bitwit1234]

8. Well what do people expect with 24/7 non stop slurring

and hate provoking by right wing radio stations, cable stations and TV it is bound to happen. And it is still going to happen. The republicans think they are "entitled" to take over the white house permanently. They think they are "entitled" to run things for the corporations. Until all this hate on the Media is stopped this type of thing is only going to get worst. What is amazing, is the fact that our law enforcement can't find the people responsible for all this chaos. And the republicans are snickering behind their hands that it is happening. They love the mayhem.

[ruggerson]

19. Not just rightwing radio stations

and not just rightwingers.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. I hope they find the people responsible and charge them with a hate crime and they go to prison..for

a loooooooooooooooooong time.

[foxfeet]

10. Disgusting.

I wish this family peace, healing and justice.

[SocialistLez]

11. If any of you are in the position to donate money....or goods

http://www.pflagmaryville.org/vonore-couple-needs-our-help/stutte-donations

TN Valley Unitarian Universalist Church

Mail donations to:
TVUUC
2931 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37919

Write Vonor Family Fund in memo.

Metropolitan Community Church of Knoxville

Mail donations to:
Metropolitan Community Church
7820 Redeemer Lane
Knoxville, TN 37919

Write Stutte family on the CHECK.


http://knoxvillepridefest.com/2010/09/10/lesbian-couple-burned-out-of-home-you-can-help/

[southerncrone]

14. You might recall that this Unitarian church is where the crazy right-wing

nut job burst in & killed people a year or so ago.

[dsc]

22. and they are still willing to be on the forefront of our issues

I admit had I been a gay parishiner of that church I would have felt so responsible for that gunman targetting them I would have likely left the church. I couldn't bear to see my friends punished for having stood by me.

[southerncrone]

25. You shouldn't feel responsible for the actions of a madman, dsc.

Don't let our myoptic society place undeserved guilt on your shoulders.

[dsc]

26. It would be hard not to in that case

the gunman sadly made clear that it was the fact the church was open to gays that caused to be a target. I know that rationally it would be giving him what he wanted but emotionally I would feel just hideous to see my friends pay for my presence.

[southerncrone]

27. Should be no guilt for being who you are.

He could just as easily have hated tall men, or Asians, or people who drove Buicks.....he was full of hate & hell-bent on making someone pay. Admitted that he had been juiced up by listening to right-wing radio shows, so whatever hate-speech they were throwing out would have sent him in that direction. I wish the families of the victims would bring a civil suit against the RW radios shows that he admitted "inspired" him to carry out that heinous act. Maybe that would shut them up, or at least tone them down some.

[dsc]

28. It is funny but this thread makes me think back to high school

I had a friend who stood up for me in a fight and took a fist to the face for it. I felt so bad I avoided him all the next day until he searched me out. He refused to stay away from he even in the aftermath. Not the same thing admittedly but he was a good friend. I definately get what you are saying and honestly hope the gay members of that church stayed on as I am sure the church would have been doubly devastated had they left. As to the suit, I can't imagine a lawyer taking on the right wing in that case as they would likely lose and have it cost a bundle.

[southerncrone]

29. Perhaps an attorney would take it on a pro bono basis. Many are Dems who would love

to shut up (or down) the RW radio.

Sure to get a lot of attention, too.

[dsc]

30. this would wind up like the Blumenthal case did

the right eventually spend him into the ground making him drop the suit. Here the right is probably in the right in that we don't punish the speakers of speech for what their listeners do except in highly unusual circumstances. I don't think this case fills the bill.

[applegrove]

17. That poor family. vibes.

[tnlefty]

21. ...

another :blush: I wish my state could cease making news for crazy-assed reasons. Some dumbass was supposed to burn Qu'arns today, and in Murfreesboro some numbnuts set fire to the equipment to build a mosque.

I'm so sorry for this couple, I'm at a loss for words. A lot of us are trying to make things better, but the crazies have taken over, with the help of some elected democrats, sorry to say.

My spouse stated 3 weeks ago when I inquired yet again about trying to move, "I love this state, it's beautiful. We have distinct seasonal changes, mountains, lakes and lots of water around us, but I despise a lot of the people here."

We also have aging parents and can't leave....we're just outnumbered by the crazies. *sigh*

[southerncrone]

24. Right there with you, tnlefty. Emmmmbarrassing!

See my post #15. Aging parents keep us here, too. It is an incredibly beautiful state w/much to offer. But this ignorant, fundie, red cloud that hangs over it is just smothering & depressing.

[TheWraith]

31. "She also says recently the neighbor threatened to kill them and burn down their house"

If they want somebody to pay him a visit, I volunteer.

[RKP5637]

33. How backward, revolting and bigoted. n/t

[terrya]

34. This is such a horrible story.

My heart and prayers goes out to this family.

Unless the cops there are completely, utterly incompetent, they should be focusing their attention on that neighbor. If arrested and convicted, I'd suggest a nice, long time in prison. This is clearly a hate crime.

[RKP5637]

35. I've been waiting decades for this F'en country to grow up and

still waiting. The open bigot count seems to go up and up, as well as the A-hole count, if not one in the same. Thanks to hate radio/TV and the rest of the absolute fools that are determined to hold this country down... And most if not all of the fool idiotic republicans parading around. How could anyone conclude this is less than a hate crime.

And today religion often seems to be at the core of hatred...

I think more talented and able individuals will leave this country in coming years and others will never come here if they have reasonable alternatives. Each day this becomes a less inspiring place to live. Who would even want to raise kids here now in many of the schools we now have...

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[RKP5637]

36. It seems this country is in need of some type of laws on outright hate speech that

fuels the crazies of this country. Other countries have figured out how to handle this, but no surprises the US has not... We are so backward.

Hate speech laws - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech