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(Springfield, Missouri) For the past seven years Charles Franzke and James Thideman have worked to build their Cactus Canyon Campground into a popular resort for gay men in this Ozarks community, but they say from day one their neighbors, including a federal employee at the Mark Twain National Forest Service, have tried to shut them down.
The men say that their campers have been shot at, have had rocks hurled at them, were threatened and that a petition was circulated to have the campground closed. They also claim that one neighbor opened a hog farm and polluted streams in and effort to drive them away.
Now Franzke and Thideman are fighting back, taking their neighbors to court accusing them of violating Missouri's hate crime law, which includes crimes based on sexual orientation.
The suit alleges that the neighbors engaged in a conspiracy. Named are Ricky Moon a federal employee at the Mark Twain National Forest Service of Ava, Missouri, Carrie Moon, Dan Fish of Fish and Sons Lumber of Ava Missouri and a member of the Ava Church of the Nazarene, Shannon and Trish Watterson of Show Me Real Estate of Mansfield Missouri and also a member of the Ava Church of the Nazarene.
The suit claims that the conspirators worked together "for the purpose of harassing, intimidating and disrupting the business of Cactus Canyon Campground and the rights of the owners to peacefully enjoy their property."
"That is the whole crux of the harassment: that we are gay and that we run a successful gay business," Thideman said.
Lawyers for the accused dismiss the claims.
"From my perspective, the case is a land dispute at its heart," said Brian Malkmus the attorney for Fish, Moon and the Wattersons.
©365Gay.com 2006
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