Assaulted lesbian musician posts online video alleging homophobia

Rhythm Turner, 25, singer and guitarist in local band, Rhythm and The Method believes she was the victim of a hate crime when Vincen Matthew Williams, 21, assaulted her, after she hugged her girlfriend, outside Canes Bar & Grill in Mission Beach on Thursday, May 14.

“I was assaulted because of my sexual orientation, because I choose to want to give my girlfriend a hug,” Turner said.

It was 10:30 p.m. and Turner had just finished performing with her band Dropjoy at the bar-restaurant. She was leaning against her car hugging her girlfriend, Lisa Viegas, when Williams and an unidentified man walked up and began to harass them, both women said.

“I was just giving her a hug goodbye and this guy walks up with his friend and he’s saying stuff like, ‘Oh my god was that two girls kissing? Are you guys, lesbians?’ Like up in our space, right beside the car,” Viegas said.

“They were saying, ‘We want to see you guys kiss. Did you really kiss?” Turner, who told them to leave, said.

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