A Michigan man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of a hate crime for assaulting a man because he believed he was gay. This marks the second time federal authorities have applied hate crime charges based on the victim’s sexual orientation; the first case is still pending in Kentucky. Everett Dwayne Avery will be sentenced in November and faces up to 10 years in prison for striking a man in the face, including fracturing his eye socket. According to the Williams Institute, gay men face significantly higher rates of hate-motivated violence than other targeted groups.
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