I Was Gay Bashed When I Was 16

Halloween in Australian is pretty much a non-event here. It's not a widely recognised holiday unless your a child, a party goer or Pagan.In 1996, I had made plans with my friends to go trick or treating and then go to a party at 8.30 that same night. As it was a "late night" (the hours of local businesses being open til 9pm) it was guaranteed to be a stinker as hardly anyone would be home to even get a decent amount of lollies.My boyfriend Sam, my friends Sarah and Courtney an I had planned to go together. Myself, Courtney and Sarah went as The Sanderson Sisters, (I'm a dude, so I was heckled by passing cars), doing my make-up and avoiding my father while wearing a long green dress with sewn trinkets, a purple undershirt and short green midriff vest made to look like Winifred, I'd bought a wig and entirely went all out. I even glued fake long nails on and stained my lips red in the centre, concealing my eyebrows!I looked good, and I was proud of myself. Sam had picked me up wearing red boxer shorts, fake horns and a tail. He said he was an improved version of the devil. I agreed. Not being afraid of being myself and openly gay, I only avoided my father because he was very masculine and was the epitome of a man. Sam wasn't flamboyant, and he was very mature and boyish - so my father never suspected me and Sam being together.Though, the town at the time -- Redcliffe was not a very..."fairy friendly" town... Anyway, I met up with Sarah and Courtney and we went from house to house. I had been heckled from cars, passers by and had mothers telling me off for being dressed the way I was around children. I had my fair cop of hate that night, I was tempted to go home and just bathe and sleep. Sam and the girls convinced me to go to this party, and I did... Mistake...Girls at the party were very supportive and applauded my commitment to becoming the character, Sarah went as Sarah...and Courtney was Mary. Staying in character, I turned my head up at people dressed as Zombies, and hissed at cats.Later on that night, we were sitting around a fire, talking about school and music. I had my first cigarette that night, and knocked back a few shots given to me by boys at this party. Eventually I stumbled into the backyard further away from the fire. I felt dizzy and sleepy and very confused. I fell down, and started talking to the sky fading in and out of consciousness.I woke to a the feeling of being kicked and punched. A group of boys who gave me these drinks were assaulting me while calling me a faggot, a poofter and slamming their crotches in my face telling me I liked it. I was spat on, and kicked from face to foot. While being numb all over, and still unsure if I was dreaming, I heard a yelling and crying from afar."Oi, you pack of cunts!" It was Sam, he was yelling at these boys. I opened my eyes and saw Sarah pulling me up and Courtney throwing bottles at some of these boys."Look out boys, Sammy's got something to say." One of them said. "Piss off, this doesn't concern you. And fuck off slut!" He said, pushing Sarah off me. She grunted and slapped him, other boys made "oooh" noises.That's went I saw Sam take a bottle from a table and smash it over this boys head. "You wanna be treated like a bitch? Come on bitch!" Sam said? Over and over, punching this boy, the main instigator in the face. He eventually broke the boys nose and arm, throwing him around and hitting into him. Soon all the girls at this party and some boys revolted and removed the instigators from this party.Rachel, the girl whose house it was pulled me into the bathroom with Sarah and Courtney, cleaning me up and bandaging my cuts and bruises. Rachel noticed her medicine cabinet open and her mother's meds such as diazepam, Zoloft and paracetamol are on the counter and a spoon and a plate used to crush the pills up. Immediately thinking that this is what let to my grogginess, Sarah races to the kitchen and mixes hot water with a mass amount of salt.She told me it was warm water, and that it would make me feel better. Unknowingly, I swallowed it and immediately regurgitate into the sink. Telling me that I needed to keep vomitting, I swallowed more and kept going until there was nothing left. Sam rang an ambulance and I was taken to Redcliffe public hospital in my underwear and Sam's coat.The doctors convinced me to make a report to the police as drugging someone and assaulting them was a serious crime. I never pursued charges and those who were relatives of the perpetrators said if I didn't walk around like I was asking for it, it never would of happened.I continued being openly gay and attending functions, the boys who did this were later beat up at Redcliffe High by friends I knew there, and my class mates from Clontarf Beach High School. Sam also took it upon himself to throw the main boy who attacked me off the Redcliffe jetty and his bike along with him (he lived, he just lost his bike.)From what I've heard of those boys, two of them became addicts, the other two: a father with an openly gay sister, and the other an electrician. I have no hatred for these guys. They were young, stupid and trying to impress each other, I was the "freak", someone who wasn't ashamed to be who he is. Noah, Todd, Mason and Henry -- I forgive you. But I don't forget.