Brody's Notes... Victim In Lincoln, Nebraska Hate Attack Speaks Out Publicly

By Chris Dyer | LINCOLN, NE -- In her first appearance since suffering a brutal attack last week in a home invasion that police officials are calling a hate attack, Charlie Rogers of Lincoln, Nebraska told ABC News affiliate KETV 7 in Omaha, “I’m not hiding from this anymore.”

Rogers, 33, said three attackers painted homophobic slurs on the walls of her home and carved them into her skin.

The incident from early Sunday is drawing national attention and leading to vigils like one on Thursday in Omaha.

With some people questioning whether the attack was staged, Rogers is going public, saying the doubters are making her a victim all over again.

Rogers talked about her pain and frustration over those who think she made it up.

"My world has been changed forever," she said adding, “I understand that people sort of have a hard time wrapping their heads around the things that have happened, as do I,” Rogers said. “But I’m a person with feelings, with concerns. For people to think that this doesn’t happen here, it does. It did.” ~KETV ABC7 News

Rogers, a former standout basketball player at the University of Nebraska, avid volunteer and small business owner, said she doesn't want to be the face of a hate crime.

Vigils in multiple Nebraska cities were organized in the days following her attack and more are planned, though Rogers says she won’t be attending them because she’s still in hiding.

“I could never thank them in a way that I feel adequately expresses how much it has meant to me that people are standing with me and people are standing for me,” Rogers said. “ There is fear, but there is resilience. There is forward.”

"Lincoln police have no suspects at this time," spokesperson Officer Katie Flood told LGBTQNation. "We are investigating all aspects of the case, including the possibility that it is a false report," Flood said. "This type of evaluation is not uncommon and is necessary in completing an investigation. This is a complex case that takes time. At this time, investigators are aggressively pursuing all leads in the case."