What is being investigated by authorities as a hate-driven attack rattled the San Diego State University GLBT community on Monday. The incident, which occurred just hours after a rally in which students, faculty and administration gathered to speak out against hate, comes on the heels of a number of hate-related incidents on campus.

The attack, on a 23-year-old female student, occurred on Dec. 3 at approximately 7 p.m., near the Villa Alvarado apartments on Alvarado Avenue.

The male perpetrator, sprung from behind the victim – described only as a GLBT ally and prominent member of the student body – choking her with a rope and blurting the words “faggot lover.” As the victim attempted to ward off the attacker, he threw her to the ground, fleeing the scene before the female could clearly identify him, authorities said.

Earlier in the day, the victim had attended The Rally Against Hate, spearheaded by the LGBT Resource Center and several other groups on campus in response to a threatening letter in the alternative student-run newspaper, The Koala, which had attacked an openly gay SDSU administrator.

“Everyone in the LGBT Resource Center was on a high note after the rally, coming away very enthusiastic and feeling supported by the number of people who attended,” said Ben Cartwright, LGBT Resource Center director, who organized the rally attended by more than 250 GLBT members of the SDSU community and their allies. “To show up the morning after and hear about this incident is just very shocking, but it really confirms the reason why we had the rally.”

A rash of anti-gay incidents that have occurred recently at SDSU included the theft of a student organization’s rainbow flag displayed at the student union – the third time in four years that such a theft has occurred – and the pelting of students with eggs during an off-campus rally in support of same-sex marriage.

Until Monday’s attack, the homophobic letter published in the personals section of The Koala directed at Doug Case, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and anonymously signed “The Greek Community,” was the most recent anti-GLBT incident.

Several members from the Greek community attended the rally to show their support for Case and the entire GLBT community. In response to the letter, representatives from the Interfraternity Council presented Case with a letter of support signed by part of “The Real Greek Community,” noting that the letter published was clearly not their doing.

Accepting the letter, Case spoke out against those who attacked him while wearing a T-shirt that read “Stop the Hate” and holding his poodle, Angel – who the letter also threatened.

Initially, Case’s reaction was to ignore the letter because, he said, he didn’t want to give the letter writer any attention. But he said that to not respond would be to say that homosexual slurs were OK.

“The anonymous letter speaks volumes about the courage of the writer and about their character,” Case said, noting the intent was to intimidate him. “But I will not be intimidated by anonymous cowards,” he said.

Case expressed how proud he is to have the support of the Greek Community, whose representatives said that they were working to create another letter with the whole Greek Community to demonstrate their resolve to work together as one united community.

Several members of both the Greek and GLBT communities spoke out condemning the hateful act. Ayari Aguayo of Gamma Rho Lambda, a queer-based social sorority, made it clear her group had no involvement in the hateful act, while members of the sorority introduced themselves, giving their cultural heritage and sexual identity.

“Obviously, we weren’t a part of it. But this rally is not just about hate against the [GLBT] community; it is about anyone who has ever felt oppressed,” Aguayo said. She noted that the struggle surrounding such issues does not stop at the rally and urged everyone in attendance to talk to their friends and families about what they can do to stop such acts of hate.

SDSU President Stephen Weber, who spoke at the rally, shared similar thoughts, saying it’s important to speak out against bigotry. “There was a test at SDSU today and anyone who is not here missed it, “ Weber said. “The question you must ask them is why weren’t they standing with us to support our LGBT students and colleagues?”

Some of the nearly 15 speakers at the rally, discussed actions the university is taking to confront hate and ignorance, such as creating a minor in LGBT studies and adding LGBT history to other courses, creating a “Safe Zones” program and changes to the non-discrimination policy to include a protection for gender identity.

Those in attendance were told that because the California State University Chancellor supports a zero-tolerance policy of violence, which includes threats, there will be an investigation to attempt to determine the writer of the threatening letter in The Koala. Additionally, San Diego State Police, along with San Diego city law enforcements officials are investigating the most recent attack.

Meanwhile, according to Cartwright, “It is obvious this struggle doesn’t stop at the rally. Every time there is an incident, we are going to respond to it in someway,” he said.

A candlelight vigil will be held on College Avenue on Friday, Dec. 7, at 9 p.m., in response to the most recent anti-GLBT attack. The vigil will follow the Diva’s Nite Out drag show at the SDSU campus at 7 p.m.

Cartwright said organizers are going to use the event to raise money for the SDSU Safe Zones Program which advocates for underserved and underrepresented groups on campus to provide a safe space.