Hate Crime: Indiana Man Paul Michalik Murdered for being Gay?
By Daryl Hannah, GLAAD Media Field Strategist
A man identified as 36-year old Paul Michalik was found murdered early Sunday morning in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Michalik, who was last seen attending a party at the home of Brian Paul Brothers, was beaten to death by Brothers, in front of his partner of 17-years, allegedly because he was gay.
Wane.com reports that deputies with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department were called around 4:00 a.m. to investigate a disturbance. When they arrived, they found Michalik dead.
“According to court documents filed in Allen Superior Court Monday, Michalik and Jerry Lee Chambers, were at a party at Brian Paul Brothers’ House Sunday morning when the two were beaten up by Brothers,” reports Wane. Com.
News reports stated that Brothers kicked and punched both Michalik and his partner Chambers repeatedly with his hands and feet.
The Journal Gazette also reported that court documents also showed “a witness told police he [Chambers] and Michalik were beaten up by Brothers because of their sexual orientation.”
To Sylvia Tyszler, a friend of Michalik, the incident was clearly a hate crime.
“He was my best friend,” Tyszler told The News- Sentinel. “This is a big thing. It’s a hate crime – the guy was killed because he was gay. He will be “missed by thousands,” Tyszler said. “Just because somebody is gay doesn’t mean that they deserve to be beaten to death. The world has lost a great man.”
Local LGBT organizations are demanding the police charge the incident a hate crime. Police said Monday that the murder remains under investigation and would not confirm whether the slaying would be charged as a hate crime.
GLAAD thanks the Indiana media for its fair and accurate coverage of this horrible incident. GLAAD has also reached out local media and local LGBT organizations to provide support.
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i emailed Obama.
Paul In Loving Memory of
Michalik
Paul was taken from us on May 9, 2009. He was survived by:
Mother, Christina, Brothers, Frank Jr. and Christopher as well as his life partner of 17 years Jerry Chambers.
Paul was originally from Chicago and moved here April 1997. Paul was taken from all of us far too soon. Paul had a personality that emanated light.
Paul worked at A Day Away Salon and Spa. He would give countless haircuts to friends for free if they needed it or if he thought you needed it. He was extremely talented and could make Tesla look like Madonna.
Such a senseless loss of life. A son , brother, uncle, partner, confidant, lover and friend. You had a heart and soul of gold, bright shinny and priceless. Paulie, your dogs miss you they know daddy’s gone. No more trips to the secret garden. No more trips to Mexico. No more teaching you to play cards so you could think you were the expert and give us all a hard time. No more playing in the pool. No more dancing around the house like children . Where are all the hugs and kisses?
Paul was a blessing to so many that no amount of words can sum up. Opening your home to anyone that needed warmth, love and guidance. Where do we go now? God blessed us with your sprit for life, love and laughter.
This has to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Paying you tribute is unexplainable. The passion you had for life was and is intoxicating. You smile will never go unforgotten. To be a part of your life was a privilege.
You are now embraced in safe hands in heaven. We will meet you there at our own time as life sees fit. Have a lot of room because you will need it. So many hearts that need to be with you. Thank you for holding so many of us as we miss you. As our tears flow hold us tight while we grieve for you. Know your life touch hundreds of people and to hold you again will complete us.
Hope that loosing you will open up the minds of politicians to accept and support same sex partners and your death was for a better cause. We will be fighting for you today and always.
God broke our hearts to prove to us he only takes the best. Kisses to heaven from all that love you!
Donations will be accepted through: Day Away Salon and Spa, Dicky’s Wild Hare, Lucky’s Terrapin and Firefly Café.
Benefit for Paul: June 9,2009 at Dicky’s Wild Hare starts at 5:00pm till close. They will be donating 15% of food sales. Please attend. Donations for Paul’s Funeral will be accepted at the bar area.
Music being Donated by: MoJo Dobbs.
Thank you for everyone support on behalf of the family !! Look forward to meeting all of you.
Hate Crime....Anyone remember Rodney King? God blessed him and he lived. Hate is ugly, Pauls life and death touched so many people. My children called him Uncle Paul. They've known him since birth and cry regularly. His death was senceless and brultal. There are rights for color, race , disabilities but yet still such a stigma on sexuallity. Shame on such close minded politicians. We are all human!! Brian Brothers will be brought to justice, maybe not to the liking of the one who havelost him but his maker will be the eventual judge . I feel sorrow for his family to have to endure this hardtime as well. I try no to be angry, but be part of the change that is needed. Bless all that have givin words of support , I thank you!!! God Bless
I know many of you who live in the United States cannot, or will not, grasp the need for hate crime laws . When a person is motivated to kill, torture or otherwise barbarize another person because he/she HATES them, there are two crimes: one of murder , one of acting out hatred.
I for one am glad to be Canadian and to live in a land where I know that my government will protect me from harm because I happen to be gay (or jewish or straight or black or whatever). I know that my government can protect me by arresting and thwarting people (Nazis, religious zealots or gangsters) for hate " speech ", and this makes me feel a lot more secure. It is comforting to note, too, that tolerance is held up as a moral ideal. It seems our streets are safer in Canada because our government disapproves of HATE.
It seems in America, the bully gets protected instead of being censured. In American law , the right of safety and security of the person is surrendered to that of free speech . That doesn't jibe with me and it never will.
The right to safety and security is a much a human right as any.
So K, your take is that you believe in discriminatory laws - under your scenario, if I'm killed by a white guy for whatever reason, he faces a murder charge, but if I'm killed by a black guy because I'm white, he faces both murder charges and " hate crime " charges for the exact same action. The fundamental breakdown is that so-called hate crimes laws themselves become prejudicial. Instead of judging the criminal by the crime , you now judge it based on race , sexual orientation, religion , or whatever other definition you have for the particular situation.
Stockball: please read up on Hate Crimes..its not as simple as a "Jew beating up an Italian" or "a white man beating a black man".
A racial slur was introduced prior to beating a man to death (and putting another in the hospital). Poor paul was 120lbs (wet) and Jerry ~200lbs! Brian Brothers beat 2 men (killing one) within his home because Paul pushed him? Im a 150lbs women and I'll be honest....a 120lb man does NOT intimadate me!!!
Lastly, theres been some talk about Jerry and Paul 'hitting on Brians party guests"....lets be honest, if someones hitting on YOU ,or your friend, does that mean they should be beatin to death?
You completely missed the point, as proven in your last comment, "lets be honest, if someones hitting on YOU ,or your friend, does that mean they should be beatin to death ?" The person beating (don't forget your "g") should be charged with murder . Regardless of the motive. Except if self-defense is involved.
...am glad that I live in the United States where I know our Constitution will protect my freedom of opinion. In the United States we punish crimes, not motives. We use logic and understand that the victims and families suffer no more and no less because of what the motives are.
"I know that my government can protect me by arresting and thwarting people (Nazis, religious zealots or gangsters) for hate " speech " " This is the exact reason the colonists left England and came here. The King arrested those of different moral ideals or religious views and had them executed. A government who arrests someone because of their religion or political beliefs is a tyrannical government.
And by the way, we provide for safety and security in our Constitution the same way we provide for free speech . It's the second amendment .
By the way, the only bullies are the people who use their position of power to force their belief system on the powerless. Thank God that in the United States the people have the power, not the government.
Why hasn't it come out that upon walking up the stairs of Brians home he was heard saying, "time for you fags to leave"? Hate crime ? You better believe it!!
I attended todays funeral for my dear friend Paul. When I walked up to the funeral home, Jerry had one of the worst black eyes I have ever seen (not to mention barely able to walk).
I hope the criminal in this case was offered peroxide and bandaides for his hand wounds.
Witnesses have stated that these men were asked to leave the party because of inappropriate sexual behavior including touching another guest in a sexual manner.
If your wife , or mother were being sexually battered at a party would you expect the perpetrator to be escorted out?
You seem to be desperatly klinging to a few small aspects of this situation, while dismissing the much larger picture......a truer picture that might mean facing up to the fact that your friend bears some responsibility for his own demise.