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'Never would have suspected it': Gay couple says neighbor was behind years of homophobic harassment
Peter Eliopoulos
Reporter
'Never would have suspected it': Gay couple says neighbor was behind years of homophobic harassment
REPORTER: THE MEN COMPARED DOZENS OF SINKS TRYING TO NARROW DOWN A SUSPECT. THE VICTIMS TRYING TO TURN THIS AROUND IONT SETHINGOM POSITE.IV >> WE GOT NERVOUS AFTER THAT FIRST COUPLE CAME IN A BAHTC REPORTER: A BATCH OF UNWANTED MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS ARRIVING IN THE MAIL. ADDRESSE TDO LEEMICHAEL MCLEAN AND HIS HUSBAND BRYAN FURZE'S MILTON HOME, BUT USING HOMOPHOBIC NAMES WE MOSTLY CAN'T SHOW YOU >> IT WAS UPSETTING AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN IT WAS GOING TO STOP OR IF IT WAS GOING TO ADVANCE TO SOMETHING MORE :12 AN IDT WAS AN ANNOYANCE BECAUSE I HAD TO FOLLOW UP ON ALL OF THEM16 : REPORTER: THIS HAPPENED FOR 5 YEARS, WITH FEW CLUES ON WHO WAS SENDING THEM, UNTIL RECENTLY. A HANDWRITTEN SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE FOR 'MICHELLE FRUITZEY', A PLAY ON THE COUPLES NAMES, WAS RETURNED TO TIRHE HOUSE. MCLEAN POSTED IT TO SOCIAL MEDIA, AND A GOOD SAMARITAN ALONG WITH POLICE COMPARED PUBLICLY AVAILABLE SIGNATURES, AND IDENTIFIED A SUSPECTN I THE COUPLE'S NEIGHBORHD.OO >> SAYS HI TO ME, WE'VE HAD CASUAL CONVERSATIONS, I SPOKE WITH HIM ABOUT A WEEK FOREB I WAS RUNNING BY HIS HOUSE AND STUFF TO HAVE A CHAT. NEVER WOULD HAVE SUSPECTED. REPORTER: THE NEIGHBORND A THE COUPLE ALSO SERVE TOGETHER AS MILTON TOWN MEETING MEMBERS AND DIFFERED ON MANY ISSUES. NOW HE COULD FACE CRIMINAL HARASSNTME CHARGES. MEANTIME THE PUBCLI STANDING WITH THIS FAMILY, WHO ARE NOW RAISING SHIRTS THAT YSA 'IAMMICHELLEFRUITZEY' TO RAISE NEMOY FOR THE GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE IN WNTO >> THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO PUT UP WITH IT AND SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF HARASSMENT IS WAY FEWER THAN THE PELEOP WHO OUTRAGED BY IT, WHICH I FIND REALLY REALLY SUPPORTIVE AND HEARTENING. REPORTER: SO FAR T
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'Never would have suspected it': Gay couple says neighbor was behind years of homophobic harassment
Peter Eliopoulos
Reporter
A gay married couple in Massachusetts who had been harassed for years has discovered who was behind it all.LeeMichael McLean said he and his husband, Byron Furze, received countless magazine subscriptions in the mail over a five-year period that were addressed to fictitious, homophobic names. The couple was also footed with the bills for those subscriptions."It was upsetting and we didn't know when it was going to stop, or if it would advance to something more," McLean said. "And it was an annoyance because I had to follow up on all of them."The couple did not have any leads on who was doing this until recently when a Boston Globe subscription card was returned to them. The subscription was for "Michelle Fruitzey," an offensive play on the couple's first and last names."That was the first time in five years that I had seen the person’s handwriting," McLean said.McLean shared a photo of the subscription card on social media and gave it to police. A good Samaritan was able to find a potential match by comparing the handwriting to the signatures of members of the Milton Town Meeting, a local board that the couple belongs to.This ultimately led police to a neighbor and fellow Town Meeting member, who apparently confessed to the mailings."He says hi to me. We've had casual conversations," McLean said. "I spoke with him about a week before that last card came about work that was being done on his house. I was running by his house and stopped to have a chat. Never would have suspected it."The suspect, who has not been identified by police, has not been charged at this point but could face criminal harassment charges.The couple is hoping to turn the bigotry into positivity by selling T-shirts that read "#iammichellefruitzey." All proceeds are going to the Gay Straight Alliance at Milton High School and Pierce Middle School. The T-shirts have raised more than $15,000 for the GSA so far.
MILTON, Mass. —

A gay married couple in Massachusetts who had been harassed for years has discovered who was behind it all.

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LeeMichael McLean said he and his husband, Byron Furze, received countless magazine subscriptions in the mail over a five-year period that were addressed to fictitious, homophobic names. The couple was also footed with the bills for those subscriptions.

"It was upsetting and we didn't know when it was going to stop, or if it would advance to something more," McLean said. "And it was an annoyance because I had to follow up on all of them."

The couple did not have any leads on who was doing this until recently when a Boston Globe subscription card was returned to them. The subscription was for "Michelle Fruitzey," an offensive play on the couple's first and last names.

"That was the first time in five years that I had seen the person’s handwriting," McLean said.

McLean shared a photo of the subscription card on social media and gave it to police. A good Samaritan was able to find a potential match by comparing the handwriting to the signatures of members of the Milton Town Meeting, a local board that the couple belongs to.

This ultimately led police to a neighbor and fellow Town Meeting member, who apparently confessed to the mailings.

"He says hi to me. We've had casual conversations," McLean said. "I spoke with him about a week before that last card came about work that was being done on his house. I was running by his house and stopped to have a chat. Never would have suspected it."

The suspect, who has not been identified by police, has not been charged at this point but could face criminal harassment charges.

The couple is hoping to turn the bigotry into positivity by selling T-shirts that read "#iammichellefruitzey." All proceeds are going to the Gay Straight Alliance at Milton High School and Pierce Middle School. The T-shirts have raised more than $15,000 for the GSA so far.