I think it's kind of terrible to doubt this straight off the bat. Whatever happened to believing victims until proved otherwise? Whatever happened to showing support and kindness and giving people the benefit of the doubt? Politics should be put aside. People shouldn't let it get in the way of being victim friendly. Sure, it might be a lie, but it also might be the truth, and people should support him until it's proven either way. This kind of immediate anti-victim skepticism is bad for society imo.
He went to the hospital and has now been discharged, and went to the police. It's very hard to beat yourself up, you know. It seems like the bleach aspect of the attack is unconfirmed - rather it was an 'unknown substance'. Can't have been acid or anything like that if he was already discharged. May have been alcohol or something.
People (not here, elsewhere) only seem to doubt this because of the politically charged chants the perpetrators were apparently saying. It's like people somehow can't think that the far right are capable of this sort of thing. According to one report, all 50 extremist killings in the US in 2018 had links to far right extremism, mostly white supremacists. (
All of the extremist killings in the US in 2018 had links to right-wing extremism, according to new report )
As part of the LGBTQ+ community, we do face this kind of harassment and attacks. Especially a semi-public figure like Jussie. Too many people I know have been targeted. Friends have ended up black and blue after holding hands on the street. I like to think that I would be believed by the wider community if this happened to me, rather than dismissed so quickly. Luckily, the worst I've had is verbal threats and being spat at.
Until evidence to the contrary comes out, I'm going to believe him. Just like I would believe any victim until proven otherwise. Maybe this is too close to my heart because similar things have happened to my friends, especially POC. I will of course accept it if it isn't true.