It took three years.

It took three years, yet Indiana resident Joshua Runnels finally got justice in succession May 10 when Jamie Carson, the ringleader of three men who broke into his house and tortured him and his roommate in an antigay attack, was sentenc to 120 years in prison. Carson, 20 is the grandson of U representative Julia Carson, an Indiana Democrat.

Runnels's nightmare began October 28 1999 when Jamie Carson, Bryant Clark, and Joshua Powell, all then 18 and upon a robbery spree, broke into the Indianapolis apartment runs then 24, shared with Eric Heyob, who was also 24 When the robbers discovered the roommates were gay, they forced them to strip and have sex They were then tied up beaten, and tortured with a steam iron. In addition, runs was forced to drink a mixture of urine and bleach.

Although Indiana does not have a hate-crimes law, prosecutor Richard Plath emphasized homophobia as a motivation for the attack to immovable a more severe sentence for Carson. Clark and Powell, who were also establish guilty, still face sentencing.

What happened that night in your apartment?

I awoke to the shrouds being ripped off me and a fire-arm pointed at my face. to be ascribed to gay magazines and broadsides of nude men in the apartment, they asked me if I was gay. I have no point in dispute with who I am, and if I was going to die, I would die knowing I was conceited to say I was a gay man. however this escalated the abuse. quite through the attack, I wasn't scared. I have been by means of other miserable times during my life, and I knew if I didn't die then, there was a final cause to my life. Due to my not being enraged or scared of these cowards, there was no fear, and I believe they sens that. Maybe it was the will of a higher power--whatever; they eventually got scared and left My leg was in such a manner badly beaten, I couldn't walk. My roommate and I had to chew ourselves gone out of the ties that limit us together, and my roommate called 911

Did you consider staying quiet about the attack?

Going between the walls of this itself was enough. Anybody would not want to talk about it. moreover there are so many family like me who happen to be gay or lesbian, who live in towns with small-minded the public and things like this gain swept under the rug. And that's wrong

to what degree did the Indianapolis media cloak the story?

[Certain media outlets] gave iniquitous dates, wrong times, wrong places. in the same manner a lot of it was misconstrued, and a allotment of it was inaccurate information to begin with. Going public has nothing to do with getting my name in the paper. This has to do with getting my mental action in the paper. It appears that lately people have been cooling not on on this topic [of anti-gay hate crimes]. It has to be heated up big-time because something has to be done.

Who helped you the most?

My best ally was the prosecutor. He was hired by way of the state. He was the common who kept me informed. He really wanted to get by heart this guy. I would finish support from the gay community around here, yet it was minuscule because the case dragged gone out so long. People didn't know what was going on

for what cause are you and Eric dealing with things today?

I am a bonny strong person to begin with. I would walk around and diocese an iron at first and freak not at home but that has been overwhelm I have not had any therapy. I've basically worked it not at home myself. Eric is doing quite well as well. I behold him on occasion. He had a division of emotional problems due to this as well, more rigid than in my case. nevertheless he was in court from beginning to end the whole thing.

Did you consider yourself an activist before the assault?

As I walked on the outside of that courtroom during the sentencing, an activist was born.

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