Bigotry In Crystal Lake Illinois

On April 5, 1999, Douglas Vitaioli walked into a Crystal Lake grocery store, and murdered Naoki Kamijima, the store's owner, simply because he was Asian [link]. He told police that he wanted to kill Asians out of a duty to God [link]. In memorial, so that the residents of Crystal Lake would not soon forget the tragic consequence of intolerance, the city renamed Edgewater Park, on the western side of the lake, as Naoki Kamijima Park [link]. The park is used by the Crystal Lake Rower's Club to store their boats, and for a starting point for rowing competitions [link].

Organizers of the 7th annual Gay Games, which are being held in Chicago in July, contacted the Crystal Lake Rower's Club about holding a rowing competition on their course on Crystal Lake, and club president Walt Gary said he was "thrilled to have the opportunity to bring such a big event to the club's home course."[link] Everything was going well, until the residents of the town found out about the proposal, and were outraged. Crystal Lake Park District Commissioner Dave Phelps said that he doesn't believe the Park District should be used as "a vehicle for promotion of their sexual agenda."[link] Another resident complained that homosexuality is "contrary and detrimental" to traditional family values, and another resident complained about the danger of HIV and AIDS [link]. The Crystal Lake Park District rejected the Gay Games' proposal to use the lake and Naoki Kamijima Park [link].