By: Chris Stead

Synchonicity is the best way to describe the chain of events that occurred to make Goth Help Us San Diego happen as it did. A negative act with positive repercussions. Goth Help Us as a whole is still a new organization and at the precise time that was necessary to get everything moving in the right direction, a wrong was done. Jim Howard, the current president of Goth Help Us San Diego, and a small group of friends and family were accosted on the street by a number of drunk, belligerent people. As Jim was assaulted it was made clear that he and his group was chosen due to their subculture affiliation. This can be otherwise known as a “hate crime.” The courts will not recognize this attack as a hate crime at this time.

This act came as a blow to the San Diego Goth community as the people that were involved in this attack were well respected members of the community. Alongside the choice of target, the Goth community is appalled that the courts will not recognize subcultures as a motivation for hate crime. Jim was, unfortunately, rushed to the hospital and had to undergo surgery in order to repair the damage that was done. Rather than acting in a similar fashion and attacking others, verbally, physically or any other way, Jim decided to act out and motivate the San Diego community to work together and help dispel the negative image that Goths have.

Thus Jim got in contact with Goth Help Us International and started the San Diego chapter. The first meeting, held October 29th, 2006 at the Spreckels Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park. Here, Jim discussed why he wanted to start the chapter and what the mission was and is. The statement
of intent as it currently stands is to “right ‘this’ injustice, stop the violence taunting and harassment so that we can embrace the night without fear of abuse or attack.” The chosen path is community service. GHU San Diego tries to have at least one outreach program and one general body meeting each month.

To this date, Goth Help Us San Diego has worked on several community projects; enough, in fact, that I cannot provide a comprehensive list. Examples are the beach cleanup efforts, graffiti paint-outs, a clothing drive, blood drive involvement and CERT certification volunteerism. Having been at several of these efforts, I can say personally that people that are touched by the work that GHU San Diego has done appreciate it. Furthermore the people that have seen GHU San Diego in action will undoubtedly feel differently when they see violence enacted upon the public by the “Goth” community. The reflection will undoubtedly revolve more around the wrongdoer and there will be a distinction between the violator and the Goth community. We still have a long way to go; while I was at the latest beach cleanup, someone walked by and asked why there were a
bunch of “witches” on the beach. Clearly he was not part of the cleanup organization, and we can all feel at ease knowing that we have made a difference, while he chooses to stand by the side and make derogatory comments. Perhaps even the most discriminatory member of society will, one day, come to embrace that even though people may look different, we truly are the same.