The brutal beating of subsequent death of 19-year-old Waterloo, IA resident Marcellus Andrews, who was taunted with anti-gay slurs by his attackers, has Iowa's LGBT group calling it a "wake-up call" for the state. According to The Advocate:
"Marcellus Andrews, 19, was taken off life support Sunday at an Iowa City hospital following severe head injuries sustained in the early Friday morning attack, which was preceded by a verbal altercation between Andrews and unknown assailants who called him “faggot,” according to witnesses.
'The language that was used during this attack is very alarming and very concerning to us,” One Iowa executive director Troy Price told Radio Iowa. “Regardless of how the investigation turns out as to whether this was a hate crime or not, the fact is there was derogatory, hurtful and harmful language. This person was taunted for what appears to be his perceived sexuality.'"
Police have not made any arrests yet and said they are unsure if the assault was a hate crime, but are not ruling out the possibility.
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