Alabama’s Molly Owens was brutally beaten by her girlfriend’s teen brother on Thanksgiving Day, all because she was gay.
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Eighteen-year-old Travis Hawkins beat the 23-year-old victim so badly that she needed reconstructive facial surgery. Owens was released from the hospital on Monday and is recovering at her girlfriend’s home.
WKRG.com reports:
The twenty-three-year-old was celebrating Thanksgiving at the house in Mobile Thursday night, when her mother says her girlfriend’s brother attacked her for being gay.
Her accused attacker is 18-year-old Travis Hawkins Jr. He was arrested Sunday on the second degree assault charges. He bonded out soon after.
Thousands of people around the world have rallied online in support of Mallory Owens. Petitions have been signed to get the charges upgraded against Travis Hawkins Jr. to attempted murder.
But friends of Travis Hawkins have also fought back, saying this wasn’t a hate crime at all. They never got along.
Lawmakers have tried for years to cover gay and lesbians under the state hate crimes statute, but sexual orientation is not considered a hate crime in Alabama.
We hope that Travis Hawkins is rightfully charged with committing a hate crime and is sentenced accordingly!
