It's a clear case of gay bashing. That sidewalk should feel ashamed. Funny how all those people witnessed it and it took this long to get the truth.

This can only hurt the gay community, all future cases of gay hate crimes will now be questioned, and his friend the movie writer's comment won't help either.

"I posted the news based on press reports and on the fact that a friend and cast member had been hurt. I stand by that decision because anti-gay violence is all too common"

The person who took the picture and others who were there should also face some charges, go easy on the one who brought it to the police attention.

Joe should have the book thrown at him and be charged with every possible crime. We know that if his report was true the perp would not only be charged with assault and battery, he would be charged with a hate crime as well. What comes around goes around.

Joe should have the book thrown at him and be charged with every possible crime. We know that if his report was true the perp would not only be charged with assault and battery, he would be charged with a hate crime as well. What comes around goes around.

I agree, This should have been prosecuted as a hate crime, This individual did this because of his bias against people who do not agree with his sexual identity, My position does not have anything to do with being anti gay either as I have no problem with gay people, What I have a problem with is when a law is not applied evenly, This is no different than when a white person claims a black person commits a crime and it turns out that the report is false, The white person is charged with a bias crime and the guy in this story should also be charged with a bias crime.

@Lostinthepinebarrens-I couldn't agree more! 100%! It is a hate crime against heterosexuals.

Never take a drama queen at face value.

Makes me want to go outside and kick my sidewalks arse! Damned, homophobic concrete!

Stupid little twit. The gay community has enough problems being taken seriously when someone has been attacked and now this useless piece of trash is going to make it harder for people who need it get help. I hope he gets to spend some time in jail to learn the errors of his way.

Hm, what to say to Joseph?

In the immortal words of Jon Stewart:

"You're not helping"

To which I would add:

"@!$%#"

Even when they are dead wrong the gay community STILL has to try and sound like they are right - just like a politician.

How many people screamed it was the tea party and hate crime against those nasty white heterosexuals?. Does the gay community ever apoplogize to the same degree they accuse without merit? And why should we believe anything they say? They claim we are bullies but I don't ever pick on fast food restaurant clerks because I don't like their boss. These people need to grow up and act like adults if they want to be taken seriously.

I am flabbergasted, as a victim of an unprovoked bashing in the late eighties, in which I sustained a hospital stay for treatment of three broken ribs and 22 stitches on my face. He should be ashamed for crying 'Wolf". We have made such strides and he just took us two steps back!

I'd like to BASH his GAY ass for that one !!!

It seem there are more people here who dislike the gay life style, so does this mean we are all going to vote against our gay loving president in the upcoming election?

No single person can ever speak for an entire community. This is why a false accusation against imaginary criminals is so detrimental to any and all communities. An entire group usually takes the fall for one moronic twit. People do and say stupid things regardless of their orientation--especially when they've been drinking.

You all need to know that on Jan. 6th, 1994, I was accused of a crime by the Missoula County Sheriff's Department that I am actually innocent of, but, I was convicted of this alleged crime and spent 9 years in Montana State Prison all because of a heterophobic attorney assigned to the case, one Margaret Borg, who deliberately misrepresented the facts of the case, and then attacked my character during the proceedings, stating to the District Court Judge John S. Henson that my claims of State manufactured/substituted physical evidence and false documentations where "frivilous and without merit", and to which Judge Henson accepted defense counsels claims, refusing to have an evidence hearing or allow me to file a writ of habeas corpus, and then refused to replace this heterophobic attorney once I forced him to remove her from the case for trying to misrepresent the facts of the case. To this day, on my own, I'm still fighting the conviction, and I have documented proof that the States witnesses in the case committed perjury at trial, after I sent the States evidence tags to a forensic handwriting expert, Beverly Medved, in Kalispell, in March of 2007, wherein, she reported that the three officers who claimed at trial to have filled out these documents at the time of the arrest after recovering specific evidence, did in fact not fill out those evidence tags, and then presented those tags at trial under false pretenses. I can further prove that one of the officers, Gerald Crouch, did not find any drugs, on the road, at or near the scene of the arrest, as he says he did, and that the baggie that was alleged to have been found on the road at the time of the routine traffic stop was in fact substituted with another baggie after January 7th, 1994, when the charge was dropped because the Montana State Forensic Laboratory told the State that "there are no drugs". I was re arrested by the State several days later, on January 14th, 1994, when the State, using the exact same premeditated criminal complaint from January 6th, 1994, filed without evidence to support the specifics of the complaint, and dropped on January 7th, 1994, illegally obtained a bench warrant on January 14th, 1994, to arrest me again, and then, with the help of the defense counsel, and the District Court, hid the fact of my release on January 7th, 1994, from the public records. At the time of the arrest I was not under investigation for or suspected of committing any crimes. I have since established the cause for the criminal charge in 1994, that I was a target of the State for a possession of marijuana prosecution in Ravalli county that did not go the way the State wanted in 1987, and they stated then that they were not happy, and the defense council, Ken Bell, warned me in a letter then that they would get me. I am innocent of the charge but yet I have spent 9 years in prison because of a heterophobic's hatred of my heterosexuality, and, Montana vigilante justice. Go figure.

Throw his happy arse in jail. How many others have lied about what happened and get away with it?

Where are all the people from MSNBC outraged by his behavior? We haven't heard from "Feisty" yet?

If they lied about this, what other things are they lying about?

Betcha this article is gone by 10 PM. Gay people think they are too "righteous" and you won't see any comments on this from them.

To daddy3207: Gay loving president? Are you kidding? Since when does the desire to extend equal rights to all AMERICAN citizens pigeon hole you as "gay loving"?

This "man" (and that is not meant to demean his sexual orientation, it's meant to demean his character and integrity) is a F**KING DISGRACE.

I will always oppose violence against others based on their race, religion or sexual orientation and am even willing to offer my own military honed violence to defend them should I witness such disgusting behavior, but to falsify a story harms those who are legitimate victims of homophobic or other prejudicial violence not to mention it ties up valuable police resources. It also is a set back to efforts to put a spotlight on bullying.

Mr. Baken should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and given an appropriate sentence if found guilty (not sure if this rates prison, but wearing a sandwich board for a few days that says "Someone could have died because I faked a hate crime" works for me).

sayitall

To daddy3207: Gay loving president? Are you kidding? Since when does the desire to extend equal rights to all AMERICAN citizens pigeon hole you as "gay loving"?

Since when does this POTUS care about all people? He only cares about someone who might vote for him. If you're white or conservative and especially both, he couldn't give a rats ass about you. Look at every race issue he's commented on. Ivariably he went against the white person. From the Harvard incident til now, it's always been the white guy's fault. Please explain to me how that is equal. He must have picked that up somewhere. Wright's church maybe? Sure as hell sounds just like Wright.

The only reason he lied was because he knew it could cause a national stir. The sensationalism associated with "gay rights" will inevitably draw out such individuals. If people would act with common sense instead of emotion when they hear random stuff on the news (i.e. this case, or the George Zimmerman case) perhaps such liars would go away. But there are too many people out there on their self righteous crusades who feel it is their duty to right every perceived wrong based on flimsy evidence. The media needs to take some responsibility on the stuff they report and sensationalize, and people need to take a smarter stance when reading the garbage the media throws at us on a daily basis. The gay activist will try to distance themselves from this guy because he was caught in his lie, but the truth is, they encourage people like this with their fanatical zeal, and their current national "celebrity" status.

Someone wrote:

"All future cases of gay violence will now be questioned"

No, they will be investigated (there's a difference) as usual and no one will question them any more than any other violence, every group of ppl has azzholes who cry wolf.

When a child lies about being molested 'cause they didn't get an IPhone, do we doubt every other claim after that?

No, of course not. Only the stupid would.

Sorry, gaybashers and bigots et al: you can't change the professionalism of law enforcement with your B.S.

Every person here who suggests there should be questions about ANY claim of violence (community-wide or group-wide) due to one person's malfeasance is simply irresponsible and may be developmentally disabled or need medication.....or maybe are just morons, who knows?

Why is it that this lie wasn't more quickly disproved? Homosexual guy claims he was beaten by three guys after asking about the location of a homosexual bar, and the police don't question all the people in the bar, look for security camera video images, talk to people in the area? The cops must've done the basics of police work on this, right?

Instead, great credence is given despite any proof other than a bruised face to the claim of a beating, but beatings by three men on another outside a bar wouldn't be the kind of thing easily kept secret. No, the bigger problem here isn't that Mr. Baken is a liar. The bigger problem is that most, it seems, of society is willing to believe anything they are told so long as it fits their accepted narrative about bigotry and hatred.

When will we next suspend our common sense in order to fawn over some "victim" who is part of a preferred group? It probably already happened. Which is probably why "victims" are all too eager to tell their stories. Real crimes happen, and while Baken did damage to the credibility of those claimants, the real damage is done by the larger society that seems just too willing to not open its eyes.

GBaby1 what you call gay bashing is people upset with the double standard in how our laws are applied. The law should be race blind and sex blind and blind as to religion. It is not automatic that anytime someone attacks your people it is because they are bigots. Most crimes in this country are crimes of oppurtunity. You are just the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. All crimes should be investigated by the police not sensationalised by the media. In fact the largest number of victims nationwide are white for the simple reason that there are still more white people in the country. Lets get back to trying people in the courts and not on TV.

One day, Joseph, you will get beaten badly for real.

When that happens, remember that it is not because you are gay. It is because you are a jerk.

The sodomites should never be criticized, they were born that way and we must be nice to them. To pick on the homosexuals is akin to picking on the mentally handicapped.

I'm glad the sidewalk won

Wasn't that an old song "I fought the sidewalk and the sidewalk won"..............oh wait that was "law" not "sidewalk"............sorry.

Adele did a song called Chasing Pavements. That would make a great soundtrack to Baken's video.

And their earnings ability for the recovery period.

Jon, is that meant to imply that Mr. Baken is a prostitute? I hope not because that would be a truly brainless statement.

Well said Jeff Wesley! This isn't the first or last time such bogus reports will be used to further special self interest groups.

That's the problem Jeff. It's just like all the so-called Rape reports.

Surely a good many of them are true, but there's also a certain amount that are not.

Well said Janine, those were my thoughts after reading the story. Gay bashing crimes do exist, and this moron is just making it harder for the people who are assaulted to prove it. Women who are raped have been dealing with this for decades.

I'm still wondering why MSNBC actually covered this story, because it shows gays in a negative light.

Couldn't have said it better myself Janine. Why do people lie like that? For attention, but its the wrong kind. These people have no idea what it actually feels like to suffer through the things they claim happened to them. Heaven forbid that they ever do. But I wish there were some way to make them feel what it is like. Sad days for lying, attention seekers. Just go ask someone for a DAMN HUG k. >.<

Most of the comments here are not even worthy of an answer. Having personally witnessed the death of one of my friends at the hands of evil idiots I can tell you that none of you here have a clue what it's like. As for the moron filing a false claim, I hope that they do throw the book at you and make you do a lot of community service in a E.R. I fully support equal rights, not special rights. When the law is applied equally, then we will all be better for it.

mtngem: Yours is one of few sensible comments here, and certainly the most valuable. I don't know what motivated JB to make the report he did, but the usual suspects are naturally out in force to use it to their advantage to disparage gay people and dismiss the real problems faced by those who don't fit into the hetero-normative world.

mtngem I am sorry for the death of your friend as I would be for the death of anyone as I was when my friends grandma got her head bashed in with a hammer for her SS check. I am pro-life in all its stages from conception to natural death. But I want justice in the courts. When a biased media gets involved often they hurt the case by putting things out that aren't really true. Are we truely served by reporters who pick names off of facebook without checking to see if that person had anything to do with it? After Aurora 200 people named James Holmes got hate mail on facebook. 200 people who had nothing to do with it and didn't even live in Colorado. Is that really the country you want to live in? I want to change the cyber vigilante culture of this country. Before you say this group or that group is responsible make sure you know the truth. Believe me hate mail is just as hurtful if you are straight and fiscally conservative as it is if you are gay and fiscally liberal. You lose credibility when you claim you are being bullied by society and then go ahead and bully someone else like that clerk at chick-fil-a. Before you do something think maybe that was the only job that girl could get. Maybe that job is paying for her college courses so she cqan work a better job later.

ara-1935390I'm still wondering why MSNBC actually covered this story......

im thinking in their minds they thought it would be taken differently and gain them more sympathy votes.

The journalist WANTED it to be true, so he bought the story without questions

Sounds as if he went to the Harry Reid School of ethics.

Hence forth the problem with our media.You only want ratings and advancement to your career! Shame on you, you should be punished! Arn't you supposeto have all your leads, andsources verified???? Like lawyers you should be disbarred! You are not above any American, as far as I'mconcerned you are lower!

Can't trust any of em!

As a journalist, I can now see the initial report raised questions that should have been followed up on before this case rose to the level of national attention that it has (e.g., Towleroad and Huffington Post). As a person who wanted to believe his friend, I admit my bias: I glossed over these questions because I wanted to support my friend. But reporters shouldn’t have.

So this journalist is giving himself a pass but admonishing other journalists?

Did all of these groups that came to his defense come out and apologize for bashing straight folks? If not, they should do faceplants into said sidewalk.

Everyone involved in this false accusation should publicly apologized to the public, and the police. He should have received the 180 days in jail plus $500 to A children education program. Let learn that for every decisions or lies there are consequences to be taken serious. His friend and the local gay rights that commented unjustly should be fined $400 to an educationa program or a non profit group helping the local neighborhoods!!

Make him buy Chick fil A gift cards for the local homeless shelter.

Yes, so they can choke to death on second hand chicken?

Two craps less about their stance, but that food could kill a zombie. The homeless are worth more then that.

I would rather go to chick-fil-a than Mc Donalds or BK. They have better service. I got better service in that crowd than I did at McDonalds when they only had 3 customers in the restaurant. And no I didn't go because I don't like gays. I went because I don't like politicians violating the first amendment rights of anyone.

He should serve jail time for his crime....serve the community get a bigger fine and pay back the city all it cost to do this investigation, restitution to the businesses he could have harmed, restitution to the heterosexual community for defaming them now further making it seem that all heterosexual people are negative to gays, and fined for impersonationg a homosexual and restutituion of some sort (dont know what) or a public service announcement retracting and apologizing for his stupi behavior....I know my last remark may seem like making a pun ....but this is a bigger deal than it seems on the surface he was legally and morally wrong...it hurt both the heterosexual and gay proponets at the same time.....Like ex President Clinton did both men and women at the same time when he said he didnt have sex with Monica Lewenski...one for making it seem that women lie and for men because as a President he made all men look like liars...I mean if he was the cream of the crop of civilized men/women (because a woman can be a President also)....what do we as americans think of us as a people? With President Clinton's debacle sweept under the rug ..... as well as other denegrating acts done by people over time..we are becoming more accustomed to people acting like asses than expecting them to act above the bar of civilness...we are being fried slowly one degree at a time and one day we are going to become a crisp.

suspended jail time and a meager $300.00 fine. his rewarding film career will cover the steep fine rather easily.

Next stop: a reality show. What a wonderful world, huh?

as i remember there were others who cried wolf for differant reasons. they were charged with cost to the police departments, coast guard heliocopters, medical care, ambulance etc. Seems reasonable here.

You're right. Usually she is all over these stories of LGBT nature flying the rainbow flag.

At this time, one of the thriving hate groups in America are the LGBT. They do everything to persecute you if you dare express an opinion that does not further their agenda.

@ Michelle19, don't hate because you're putting yourself in their shoes, and you are better than that. Just love and pray for them, for it's obvious they're confused and angry with themselves for losing their way or path.

Michelle...hate is a crime? Personally I dont think hate (what you think or feel)....but the act that came from ones feeling or thinking. They label it a hate crime to further the agenda that if some one like Dan Cathy espouts what he thinks it is to be called a hate crime or anyone who believes in his faith....foolish I say...what one does is the crime...if someone is harrassing stemming from hate...then harassing is legally accountable...I agree as a God loving fearing heterosexual man what this jokester did is appaling as a human being and should be held accountable for his actions....but disagree how a person feels is judicially held accountable....behavior is accountable....Michelle.....I support your right to assertment of hating him...it is your right to feel the way you do....and the fact that you can express that, but that you dont have to go around doing something from your hate that is denegrating to your fellow man....I applaude you in your restraint. Feelings are NOT a crime !

I am probably going to caught some flack for this but here goes.....

1) I am a Christian (Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints)

2) I have never bullied, bashed or talked down to anyone in the alternate lifestyle community (Thats their choice and they will answer for it later when the final judgement comes same as me)

3) This guy is stupid and an idiot for doing what he did and as bigoted as others claim that Christians are because of his actions

Don't let them pull you down to their level. Stand by your beliefs with confidence, but not with anger. When they call you bigot don't get angry, pray for them. Remember Jesus said when they insult and hate you they insulted and hated Him first.

You live in some land above the clouds, apparently. To be "in the age group to do the beating have friends or family that are gay" says nothing at all. Some of the most outrageous gay-beaters and haters do, indeed, have gay friends or family members, and maybe they exempt people they know from their vile actions. that doesn't seem to restrain them from seeking out and harassing or assaulting others they think might be gay, or know to be.

Gregory I live in an area that could teach you something about cultural clashes. I learned as a bar bouncer what one culture considered OK the other took as insult. See when a rich spoiled Mexican National tells a strange girl he has a lot of money he doesn't mean what her drunk boyfriend thought he meant. Now I got mad at a gay person online one day not because he was gay,but because he forgot the other people on the blog weren't. So when you Gregory or for that matter any man calls me Toots or Sweetie if you are in range you better duck gay or straight. I ain't your Toots, Sweetie or Babe and I have a 2nd degree black belt so if I connect it will hurt.

I ain't your Toots, Sweetie or Babe and I have a 2nd degree black belt so if I connect it will hurt.

So you're one of those people that took martial arts not for defense but so you can beat people that say things you don't like? I think you missed a class or two.

Because when we do complain/ file a report the police usually do nothing to follow up unless they are present at the crime.

There was a time not long ago when crimes against "the coloreds" or whatever folks chose to call them were considered to be non-news because the victims were seen as non-people.

But in this day and time the liberal media loves any story that leads to "Christian" bashing, even though it isn't true Christians that do the bashing. The media would never pass up that opportunity. Just as this scumbag tried to cause hate, the gay community and its backers do all they can to promote hatred towards anyone who doesn't support their cause.

"We" are not fighting for gay rights.

By "we" I mean myself and the rest of the population that believes in tolerance, acceptance, and that ALL humans are created equal. Obviously, I did not mean "we" to include those that choose to bring other people down because of the way someone was born. Sorry for the confusion there!

Try a back flip Nick. Maybe you might get some sympathy.

Great rebuttal Nicholas!

Nicholas...I am not fighting for Gay rights but I am not fighting against them either, The guy in this story is a jerk and should be prosecuted as a bias crime, He falsely claimed that he was assaulted by someone who did not agree with his sexual orientation, When he did that he became what he claims to be fighting against.

Personally I do not care what people do in the privacy of their own bedrooms and that is their business.

Gay people have no problem with having Gay Pride Day but if Heterosexual People were to try to have a Heterosexual pride day they would be called bigots and haters, recent example is what just happened with Chik Fil A, A guy expressed his personal opinion and he was immediately attacked for it, A town in California has even tried to deny the issue a building permit to Chik Fil A because of it.

Yeah right, tolerance and acceptance. Except for those you disagree with.

Pretty fuggin lame actually...wahhh..wahhh.wahhh.. that's all you wipes ever do.

Ah, yes, tolerance and acceptance...unless you don't agree with being a fag, in which case you can go straight to hell. Right, Nicholas? If you mean that you are fighting for the queer cause, then say it. Don't use "we", please.

You have the same rights as heteros w/the exception of marriage. Call it something else and don't steal the straight lingo. Straights already lost a great deal of "right" to express opinions.

I am loving the attacks right now guys!! Please show you're true colors some more!! It just proves my point! I am completely tolerant of the right wing conservatives, until it becomes vulgar and demeaning. Hatred is the worst way to express your points. I will use "we" all I want, when expressing how myself and others in my community have been doing to be treated as equals.

Nicolas, i completely agree with you. What i could use a little less of are some of the tactics used by the lbgt community. A while back there were a couple of wannabes (female) kissing. I noticed that when someone looked thier way one in particular got vocal and loud. So as i walked by i did happen to give them a glance and course machobixch went after me screaming bigot homophobe etc. Seriously all i did was look. Fortunately my sister was with me, she was in the navy, and she laid into miss macho. curled her hair. The entire block stopped and watched. Me i am laying up against a telephone pole laughing so hard i nearly fell over. Before everybody freaks out, My sister has been living with her partner for ahh 15 years, so miss wanabeabixch got her jets cooled fast. LMAO when i think about it. I could use a little less of that, that and the spitting, that dont help either.

But seriously one of em is going to get to the supreme court and thats the end of it. It will happen. Me i am a Christian conservative, not far right wing near the landing light. I guess that makes me telorant, tolderan, nutz i am ok with it.

Nicholas, you need to send the message to other gay supporters that hatred is a bad way to express their points. Conservatives, and especially conservative Christians, are the most maligned group joining in these discussions. We are always subjected to name-calling and mockery by the liberal left. Yet we are the ones called bigots and haters. What this jerk did was just another attempt to cause more of that hatred to grow. If his claim had not proven to be false, the conservaphobes would be out in force.

You have the same rights as heteros w/the exception of marriage. Call it something else and don't steal the straight lingo.

You don't own the word "marriage".

"Gay people have no problem with having Gay Pride Day but if Heterosexual People were to try to have a Heterosexual pride day they would be called bigots and haters, recent example is what just happened with Chik Fil A, A guy expressed his personal opinion and he was immediately attacked for it, A town in California has even tried to deny the issue a building permit to Chik Fil A because of it."

LostInThePineBarrens, Sure, I like to see a straight pride day. Men in suits, women in dresses, men and women kissing under a black and white flag... you make up like 90% of the population, so who's gonna pay attention?

It wasn't just Fil-A-Chick's founder's views against same-sex marriage, it's the fact that his company contributed millions to anti-gay organizations like American Family Association and Family Research Council who makes up stories when they can't find actual facts to exaggerate.

tiredofthelunacy, you want to know why you are called bigots and haters? Look up any religious right website, they're listed as hate groups for a reason.

But Nicholas since my people have been the same religion for more than 1000 yrs and I was baptized at three weeks old does that mean me too. I'm sorry but I don't see that tolerance towards my people from yours. tiredof the lunacy this is the country that listed as a hate group 9 old retired farts in a Florida restaurant who don't believe in paying taxes and getting drivers licenses. Get real there is no logic to how groups get listed as hate groups. Right now anybody that wants to defeat Obama is probably listed as a hate group. It has become as much of a joke as the Nixon era FBI files in which I am probably listed.

Erin NJ Just for your benefit I will state my church's position We believe marriage is tied to man's continuing role in God's work of creation. For this reason the transmittal of life is an integral part of marriage. See the problem here. We also are against the way society has cheapened the whole concept of marriage. That being directed at the straight communinty. See my church doesn't accept divorce, trial marriages or cohabitation either. So I guess from your point of view we hate everybody or maybe we love everybody enough to stick our necks out and tell you there is a better way all of you gay and straight.

Lonereb, just for YOUR benefit I will tell you that the government doesn't give a rat's ass what your church's position on marriage is, since we are a secular nation.

And I don't give a rat's ass about it, either.

Lonereb, just for YOUR benefit I will tell you that the government doesn't give a rat's ass what your church's position on marriage is, since we are a secular nation.

And I don't give a rat's ass about it, either.

So much for tolerance from those that demand tolerance from everyone else. Go figure.

I admit it: I am intolerant of intolerance. It is one thing to tolerate the religious beliefs of everyone, but it is quite another to codify them into law -- which is what so many of these christo-bigots are espousing.

Hell no, they won`t cover a story that doesn`t fit the agenda .

They won't. It doesn't advance their political agenda. Gays be wary politicians love you at election time and will throw you under the bus a week later. They do that to everyone. It took me about twenty years to learn you can't trust any of them. It is all about coalitions to get votes. Both sides are doing it. Now if you truly get something out of it that is one thing but most of the time you don't. Remember when the government bailed out GM 20,000 Delphi retirees lost their pensions. Delpihi makes all the electronics for GM. Make sure you don't end up like them. They believed in the bailout too only it didn't bail them out did it