How a homophobic hate crime changed Hamilton

It was a Friday nightin February 2004 when Ronn Mattai left his downtown Hamilton restaurant and jazz club to go for a drink a few blocks away.

He met a couple of friends at The Werx, a gay bar on Hughson Street. Then he headed to Absinthe bar on King Street East.

Mattai, then 38, was well known in the community. He owned The Junction Caf in a historic building in the International Village. He was pleasant and affable, and he believed in the downtown at a time when other business owners were leaving.

By the time last call came at Absinthe, Mattaiwasseriously wounded from a violent assault andrequiredmore than 200 stitches to his face. A 19-year-old attacked him with a broken whiskey glass and said after:That homo got what he deserved, Ill tell you that much.

Hate crimes still happen in Hamilton. In 2013, police investigated 16 hate crimes or bias incidents against members of the queer community, from verbal abuse to outright assaults.

But to hearlocal activists tell it, its a different Hamilton from 10 years ago. And Mattais attack, as tragic as it was, has something to do with that.

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In the days, months and years after the attack, progress happened on many fronts as the city woke up to the need for something to change. TheWell, anLGBTQresource centre opened;Positive Space training happens around the city;policemade public shows of support;politically the city created anGBTQ advisory group. In October, Hamilton elected its first openly gay councillor,AidanJohnson of Ward 1.

Recently and perhaps most symbolicallya new gaybar and tapas restaurant, the Steel Lounge, has opened in the same King William Street locationthat was home toMattai's Junction Cafe. It's owned by Emily Groom, who is a former board member at The Well and the daughter of a steelworker. On Dec. 20 Groom held a grand opening of her venture, with its stylized steel-themed interior and upstairs dance floor.Most places in Hamilton are queer friendly,saidGroom, but she is certainly aware of the symbolism of her new bar and restaurant. The Steel Lounge is just "a place to call our own."

Its fine that we as a community have grown, and that were accepted in many spaces, she said. But its nice to have some place to call your own, a place you feel comfortable to be out. Its for allies and friends too. Its an inclusive space.

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Mattai, who moved back to Hamilton three years ago, doesnt like to talk about the incident.

But details of the attack are in court records of the time. At Absinthe, Mattai sat near ahorseshoe-shaped booth downstairs, where 19-year-old Michael Cordiero sat.

Sometime near last call, Mattai heard Cordiero call from the hallway, asking where the coat check and washroom were, the court heard at the time. Mattai went to help, and Cordiero shut the door behind them and smashed him in the face with a glass.

Reaction from the community was immediate, said Deirdre Pike of the Hamilton Positive Space Collaborative.

(It) was one of those defining experiences, I think, for our community, and not one youre likely to ever forget.- Larry Di Ianni, former Mayor

Police, politicians, clergy and Mayor Larry Di Ianni formed an emergency meeting at city hall to discuss the attack and rally behind Mattai. News of the incident spread across Canada.

Di Ianni and other civic leaders knew it was important to make a very strong statement, Di Ianni recalled.

It was just an instinct. It was something that felt right, and it was right.

The outpouring was one of those defining experiences, I think, for our community, and not one youre likely to ever forget.

The community raised about $20,000 for Mattai. He received about 5,000 get-well cards, all of which he still has.

From that financial outpouring, The Well formed. Mattai contributed some of his own money to co-found the wellness centre, which offers support, counselling, advocacy and training. It filled a void, he said.

Around the city, other changes were happening. The pride celebration that year was the largest ever. The shift in mood wasnt always tangible, Pike said, but it was real.

Even in my own personal journey, it was the time that I said, Its not enough to hold my partners hand. We need some systematic change, she said. That attack was catalytic in our community.

Mattais professional life suffered after the attack. He tried to keep the Junction going, but I came back too soon, he told media in 2006. And the once-flourishing caf in the 1853 building closed.

'It's a different world today'

But the city itself has undergone what Di Ianni calls a sea change when it comes to equality for LGBTQ people.

Its a different world today, he said.

Groom was at Absinthe the night of Mattais attack. It was scary, she said.

It was scary to think that as a queer member of this city and this community, you could potentially be attacked and potentially have harm done to you or your friends and family just for being in a social space.

Some of the moments that moved me most during my campaign were at the doors of senior citizenLGBTpeople who never thought that an openly gay candidate would ever mount a credible campaign,never mindwin.- Coun. Aidan Johnson

Johnson was a grad student at the University of Chicago in 2004. He remembers hearing the news and being shocked and horrified. It reminded him of his own experiences of homophobic violence, including when some classmates poured urine on his head when he wasa student at Westdale Secondary School.

Any gay person whos suffered any kind of physical violence, which is probably most gay people, were reminded in a visceral way of their own experience, Johnson said.

Johnson feels the sea change too. His marriage to partner Stefan only came up in positive ways during his campaign.

Some of the moments that moved me most during my campaign were at the doors of senior citizen LGBT people who never thought that an openly gay candidate would ever mount a credible campaign, never mind win, he said.

Court decisions made a difference

There were senior citizen lesbians and gay men greeting me with deep emotion and joy. That was quite transformative for me.

Johnson attributes part of the shift to the legalization of sam-sexmarriage. When the courts lead, he said, society usuallyfollows.

The change in federal and provincial and municipal laws around discrimination and equality have had a very significant impact on the culture, he said. Those cant be underestimated.

Overall, in terms of lesbian and gay equality rights, were at a very hopeful, positive moment, Johnson said. Although transphobia is still a huge problem in Canada.

Sexual orientation third highest cause of hate crime

Even with the strides of the past decade, things arent perfect.

Sexual orientation is the third highest cause for hate crimes or bias incidents, second to race and religion, said Det. Carmen Pietroniro, who forms the police services one-person hate crime unit. It has accounted for 65 incidents in the last four years.

Hate crimes are when an actual crime is committed. An incident is when no crime is committed, but conflict happens involving hate or bias. This includes if two neighbours argueand one utters a slur.

More people need to report bias incidents, Pietroniro said. If they dont, police cant quantify the problem.

Hate crimes still under reported, but police can't force it

I wish I could say that we know of all of them, but that cant be 100-per cent accurate, he said. A lot of people dont report it because theyre fearful, and we cant force someone to make that report.

Its not something you can look at from a win or lose perspective.- Det. CarmenPietroniro

Police are trying to spread the word through the queer community to report incidents. Officers also tweet reminders from@HPS_VOC.

Our relationship with the LGBTQ community is good, and were very proud of that, said Pietroniro.

From what Ive seen in my time here, I would say that things are getting better. But its not something you can look at from a win or lose perspective. I dont think we like to look at it that way.

The queer community is more visible now, and that helps, Pike said.

'I want to tell a different story'

I used to monitor the media to see if there was ever a story about gay people and back then, it really was all gay (men) and there was hardly ever anything, she said. When stories about LGBTQ people started going up, I saw the language change.

Its really a very different climate in terms of being able to be out.

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Mattai is done telling the story of his assault.

His attacker served two years in prison for aggravated assault. In 2010, Mattai won a civil lawsuit against him. This is part of his back story now, but hes done letting itinfluence his narrative.

I want to tell a different story a positive story, he said.

Ive gone in to Hess Village and had a beer, and I never felt threatened. I feel comfortable wherever I am.- Bernie Marcoux

He sees the evolution in a broader perspective. Nearly every bar and restaurant is a queer-friendly space, he said. He particularly likes Locke Street and Augusta Street, where he always feels welcome.

Mattai is doing well, working in the hospitality industry and enjoying being back in Hamilton. Plans are percolating, including plans for another business venture.

Gay couples hold hands and 'no one seems to bat an eye'

His friend, Bernie Marcoux, owned Gomorrahs Booksfrom 1996 to 2004. He sees the change too.

Youll see two people of the same gender walking down King Street holding hands and no one seems to bat an eye, Marcoux said. Thats probably indicative of where the city is at.

Ive gone in to Hess Village and had a beer, and I never felt threatened. I feel comfortable wherever I am. I think a lot of LGBT people are integrated now.

As for Mattais future in Hamilton, I support everything he does, Marcoux said.

Hes very ambitious. Hes a go-getter."