On a summer evening in Portland, a peaceful naked bike ride turned violent when Robert Earl Houchins, 40, launched a homophobic attack on two cyclists. This incident, occurring on June 3, 2023, along Northwest 19th Avenue and Flanders Street, escalated quickly as Houchins, a bystander, armed himself with a three-foot metal pipe and hurled homophobic slurs at the passing cyclists.
In a shocking display of aggression, Houchins struck two of the cyclists across their backs, fortunately causing no serious injuries. This attack was immediately identified as a bias crime, adding to the disturbing pattern of increasing hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community.
The Multnomah County District Attorney took swift action, leading to Houchins pleading guilty to attempted assault and bias crime. On October 24, 2023, Judge Steffan Alexander sentenced him to a three-year prison term, reflecting the gravity of his actions.
As Houchins now serves his sentence in the Oregon Department of Corrections, this case sheds light on a broader issue. The FBI’s latest Crime in the Nation report, released in October, alarmingly indicates a rise in hate crimes, particularly those targeting sexual orientation, Jewish, and Black communities. In 2022 alone, over 11,634 incidents were reported, a significant increase from the previous year, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and action against hate-based violence.