This painting, entitled Embrace, was a collaborative effort of Nancy McGinnis-Roberts and the late Aaron Scheerhoorn. After his death, McGinnis-Roberts finished the piece. It will now be used in the logo for the Aaron Scheerhoorn Foundation for Change.

On the evening of Friday, December 10, 2010, 28-year-old Aaron Scheerhoorn was seen running down Crocker Street toward Blur Bar at 710 Pacific St. His shirt had been torn off, and there was a visible knife wound in his shoulder.

Standing on the balcony of Blur Bar, three witnesses—visitors from out of town—saw the horrific tragedy played out them. They had a clear view of Crocker and Pacific streets. And right beneath them stood three Blur Bar doormen, all in black shirts.

According to their account, Scheerhoorn pleaded with the doormen to allow him in, and showed them the stab wound in his shoulder. He was told to “take his problem somewhere else.”

One can only assume that Scheerhoorn then thought of running to The 611 for refuge—it being about two blocks away. He began running, but collapsed in the parking lot of Blur Bar, and his pursuer caught up to him and stabbed him several more times.

What Blur Bar Says


Reached for comment by OutSmart, the manager of Blur Bar released the following statement:

“I thought a little more about what you were asking and think it is appropriate for me to state our perspective of the unfortunate incident that occurred in front of the club even though I did not personally witness the event.

“Apparently, according to my staff, the victim suddenly rushed towards the front of the club and was barely coherent. Of course, we later found out that he had already been stabbed elsewhere and his assailant was in pursuit. By the time anyone could decipher what he was trying to say, the assailant was already upon him. No one could tell that he was stabbing the victim again, as the knife was not large and was not readily visible. It appeared that the assailant was attacking the victim and it was not immediately known that he was being stabbed.

“The assailant vacated the scene quickly, and one of my employees took off after him in pursuit but could never catch him.

The fact is that everything happened extremely quickly, and the gravity of the victim’s plight was not obvious.”

Aaron’s Friends Work to Remember Him


Scheerhoorn’s friends disagree with Blur Bar’s version of the incident, and feel that their friend’s death was completely preventable—that the apathy of the doormen led to Aaron’s untimely and brutal death. They have become determined that their friend will be remembered as more than Houston Homicide Case #285.

In the six weeks since Scheerhoorn’s death, a group of close friends and other supporters have met to talk about what to do in Aaron’s memory. They have visited the Quarterly Community Leaders Meeting at the Houston GLBT Community Center, and discussed their effort on KPFT’s Queer Voices.

On Thursday, January 20, the group held their first organizational meeting
in the 2nd floor community room at Kroger, 1938 West Gray St. Long-time activist Ray Hill serves as temporary chair until the group is able to nominate and elect officers.

The Group’s Vision


The group decided that their name will be the Aaron Scheerhoorn Foundation for Change. They are already working on the legal aspects of making this into a charitable entity.

Within the entity, two main functions have been identified. The first is a “Safe Shelter” program. Members of the organization will speak to community business owners and ask them to sign a “safe shelter” agreement.

The second function is a new community patrol, somewhat similar to the former Q-Patrol. The group would be known as Aaron’s Angels and would serve as monitors of the Montrose club area on weekend nights.

For further information on the new group, contact Doug Anderson at 713/382-1849 or [email protected], or Nancy McGinnis-Roberts at 832/338-6291 or [email protected].

by Marene Gustin

It may be painful to remember that hot Houston night in July of 1991 when The Woodlands Ten, out on a murderous joyride through Montrose, attacked and killed Paul Broussard after asking him for directions to a local gay bar.

The gay-bashing murder made national headlines as the hunt for the 10 young men from The Woodlands began, followed by the trial, the LGBT community’s protest events, and what many called the too-light sentencing.

Yes, as painful as that horrible incident in our city’s history was, it’s important to remember that night in 1991 so that history doesn’t repeat itself.

Unfortunately, it did.

In December of last year, 28-year-old Aaron Scheerhoorn was stabbed to death in front of onlookers outside of Montrose’s Club Blur. The murder, which police believed to be a crime of passion and not a hate crime, might have been prevented. After Scheerhoorn was stabbed once, he escaped his assailant and ran toward the bar to beg the club’s doorman for help. Scheerhoorn was turned away, and 33-year-old Lydell Grant caught up with him in the parking lot and finished the job.

Friends of Scheerhoorn came together after the senseless death and created the Aaron Scheerhoorn Foundation for Change, which has nonprofit status under the umbrella of the GLBT Community Center.

“It’s about honoring his memory and keeping the Montrose community safe,” says member Alan Everett.

To that end, the group is organizing a Safe Shelter Agreement between bars and businesses in the neighborhood. By signing, they agree to offer shelter to others in life-threatening situations.

The foundation is also creating a patrol group called Aaron’s Angels. “They’re like the old Q-Patrols,” Everett says. “We’re enlisting volunteers now, and the police department will train them. They will have Aaron’s Angel T-shirts and patrol the neighborhood to keep things safe and help people in need.

“And then we also thought we should honor Aaron on his birthday,” adds Everett. “Someone thought of a balloon release, then somebody else suggested we plant a tree—and it just went from there.”

That idea has morphed into the Montrose Remembrance Garden.

The group bought a tree, and while deciding where to plant it, Charles Armstrong, owner of South Beach, JR’s, The Mining Co., and Meteor, offered a small plot of land. The 30-foot by 30-foot plot sits at the corner of California and Grant streets. What was once a littered, scruffy lot and hotel for homeless folks is now a well-manicured little garden with decorative rocks, flowers, three sago palms, and Aaron’s tree—all thanks to Armstrong and Glennwood Weber Design.

“I cannot say enough about Charles,” Everett says. “It’s his land and he’s paid for the landscaping. This would not have happened without him.”

The Aaron Scheerhoorn Foundation for Change is getting ready to dedicate the Montrose Remembrance Garden in early July. The date is still to be determined, but you can keep up with the developments on Facebook (search Montrose Remembrance Garden to find their Wall). The ceremony will include speakers and a candlelight ceremony.

“Down the road, we hope to have name plaques or such,” Everett adds. But the group wants to commemorate more than just one name.

“We started out to honor Aaron,” he says. “But now we want to remember all of them: Aaron, Paul Broussard, Marion Pantzer, Asher Brown, Myra Chanel Ical, and Fred Paez.” All victims of hate crimes, crimes of passion, bullying, and senseless violence.

So the little corner lot a block north of Westheimer will serve as a reminder of not just the violence, but of the victims and their lives—a place where friends and family can reflect and honor them in a peaceful setting filled with nature’s beauty.

Montrose Remembrance Garden Dedication will be held on Thursday, July 28 at 8:15 p.m. For more information or to see pictures and videos, go to www.facebook.com/pages/Montrose-Remembrance-Garden.