San Francisco's gay/lesbian community in the 1980s wasn't just facing an AIDS crisis, they also struggled against ongoing anti-gay violence. In 1989, in the midst of a campaign to legally establish anti-gay violence as a hate crime, MCC San Francisco made headlines when their AIDS minister was attacked in her home. The city, the police department, and the LGBTQ community rallied around the church and the minister. And when they finally solved the puzzle of who did it, the answer shocked the church.
Jarvis McKenzie said that on 17 July, while waiting to go to work, a white man in a car picked up a rifle, fired over his head and shouted you better get running, boy!, according to the Associated Press. McKenzie reportedly escaped behind a brick wall and police later arrested Jonathan Felkel, 34, in the shooting, according to WIS 10.