City police are investigating an alleged threat made to the editor of Diversity Rules, an Oneonta-based magazine that serves the "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning" community.
The e-mail was sent to James Koury of Oneonta, who reported it to police Friday.
"It is being investigated," Sgt. Doug Brenner said Sunday night.
The potential charge faced by the sender is aggravated harassment, which involves using electronic or mechanical means to send a threat, Brenner said.
The expletive-laced e-mail sent from a Hotmail account warns Koury to stop distribution of the magazine outside of "gay bars, etc." The sender used the e-mail address pha660t@hotmail.com and wrote "cease and desist" in the subject line.
"If you're smart you will take heed of our message. The March/April edition will be the last one that you distribute indiscriminately. Mark my words. Also if you think hate crime' legislation will stop our actions you're wrong. Dead wrong," the e-mail states.
The e-mail is signed, "Your worst nightmare."
No arrests have been made and the case remains open, Brenner said.
"Diversity Rules Magazine will not be swayed by such fear, ignorance and intimidation,'' Koury said in a prepared statement Sunday night.
``No threat of violence,'' he continued, ``or any threat for that matter, will deter the continued publication and distribution of the magazine. It will continue to raise awareness of the bigotry that we all know exists."
Diversity Rules is approaching its three-year anniversary with the May/June issue, and each edition circulates around 10,000 copies across upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania.
"In that time, the magazine has grown and has been a useful tool for the LGBTQ community throughout New York state and into parts of Pennsylvania. The focus of the publication is education and enlightening society on who the members of the LGBTQ community really are," Koury said. "Unfortunately, there are those who are not open-minded enough to accept those who are different and are compelled to resort to anonymous, threatening tactics, focused on fear and intimidation."
Koury, who is also Oneonta's city clerk, said he encourages the public to support the magazine through subscriptions, advertisements and contributions.
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Jake Palmateer can be reached at 432-1000 or (800) 721-1000, ext. 221, or at jpalmateer@thedailystar.com.
