Rashawn & Beyond: Anti-Violence News for Queer People of Color

P*rno Bingo

2010-07-15T09:22:00.001-04:00

TONIGHT!
8-10pm

Will Clark's P*rno Bingo
in support of the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund

Pieces Bar
8 Christopher Street
New York, NY

WILL CLARK'S P*RNO BINGO
The all American Game with an all adult twist
...featuring erotic giveaways, cheap drinks and sexy, shirtless men

A Bingo game unlike any other — hosted by WILL CLARK with guests:
*Derrick L. Briggs, host of ADTV & star of the film "Finding Me"
*Maurice Murrell, centerfold model & star of the film "Finding Me"
*Lealand Thompson, blogger & centerfold model
*Models and prizes from Forbidden Funk Media

Part game show, part talk show, part variety show, all fundraiser for THE RASHAWN BRAZELL MEMORIAL FUND!

Now in its sixth year, P*rno Bingo has raised nearly $120,000 for New York LGBT charities.

>>>*2 for 1 well drinks<<<

Join us for a night of Bingo that's nothing like your Grandma's game!

Justice Dept. Makes Surprise Intervention in Gay Bullying Case

2010-01-18T17:51:00.000-05:00

by Rod 2.0

A 15-year-old gay Mohawk, NY high school student and his father, along

with the New York Civil Liberties Union, have sued the teen's high school after it refused to address repeated harassment and bullying from classmates. In what is described as "a novel interpretation of the Title IX statute, which prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of gender", NPR reports the Obama Administration has made a surprise intervention:

Long before Jacob [Sullivan] came out of the closet at age 14, he was harassed for being effeminate. According to court papers, kids threw food at him and told him to get a sex change. One student pulled out a knife and threatened to string Jacob up the flagpole. A teacher allegedly told Jacob to "hate himself every day until he changed." Over two years, Sullivan went to his son's school three or four times a week to talk with the principal. According to court papers, officials did nothing. The harassment became so bad that Jacob changed school districts. With the help of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Sullivan eventually sued ...

Now the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has asked a judge for permission to intervene on Jacob's behalf. "We haven't seen this kind of involvement in quite some time," says Hayley Gorenberg of Lambda Legal, a national gay rights legal organization. "It's a long time coming, and we really need it." Republicans who worked in the Civil Rights Division under previous administrations agree that this is a case conservatives generally would not make.

The Justice Department's argument hinges on a broad reading of the law known as Title IX. Title IX is typically used to protect students from gender discrimination, but in this case, Obama administration lawyers argue that the law also covers discrimination based on gender stereotypes — that is to say, boys who are beaten up for being effeminate.

This is apparently the first time in almost a decade that Justice has intervened in a gay rights lawsuit..

LGBT youth advocates are hopeful the DoJ intervention will clarify some of Title IX's more vague areas on gender expression and sexual orientation.

Update on the murder of Marlon Woods

2010-01-15T17:45:00.001-05:00

Terrance Osley, 20, and Norman Corggens, 20, were charged with involuntary manslaughter for the murder of Marlon Woods, 32, of Toledo, Maryland. Marlon Woods suffered severe head injuries that induced him into a coma and was taken off life support and later died. The conviction would carry up to ten years in prison if found guilty.

The Toledo Police Department dismissed the possiblity of the murder being a hate crime, but acknowledged that it was related to a fight inside a gay bar in which Woods tried to protect a young woman.

Woods is survived by his husband of ten years.

Update on murder of Puerto Rican teen

2010-01-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

Judge Miriam Camila ruled against confessed murderer Juan Martinez of Puerto Rico, citing that he is competent for trial after psychologist Rafael Cabrera reported his analysis of Martinez. He will be prosecuted under Puerto Rico’s hate crimes laws. Martinez admitted to the murder of Puerto Rican drag queen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, 19, on November 13 and blamed it on a "gay panic."

Currently the Puerto Rican gay community has been mobilizing for a response from Puerto Rican governor Luic Fortuno who has remained mummed by the crime. The mobilization has reached to New York City where Christine Quinn, the Speaker of the City Council, blasted the governor for his silence.

Several lawmakers will convene in the next several days in Puerto Rico to address the murder of Mercado and urge the governor to break his silence.

Another Murder of Black gay man in D.C.

2010-01-13T17:33:00.000-05:00

Last week we posted a missing notice about Anthony Perkins, 29, a Black gay man who was found shot to death in his car. This week the murder of another Black gay man brings yet another shocking pulse through the Black gay community of D.C. The body of Gordon Rivers, 47, was found on January 10^th on the side of a rode with bullet wounds pierced through his body. The Metropolitan Police Department says there is no indication of a hate crime.

As with the case of Perkins, no leads have been identified. Though there is rumored to be a thug on a spree of robberies in the D.C. community who is alleged to be connected to the murder of Perkins.

For more information on the murders of Anthony Perkins and Gordon Rivers or to report any information click here.

Help Solve A Murder

2010-01-11T17:35:00.005-05:00

From: Metropolitan Police Department

On Sunday, December 27, 2009, at approximately 5:13am, Anthony James Perkins was found shot and killed inside his vehicle on the 2900 block of 4^th Street, SE. The Metropolitan Police Department seeks the public assistance in gathering information regarding the incident.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CLICK HERE & PLEASE FORWARD LINK ALONG.

Chicago Man Beaten

2010-01-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

The year has just begun and already we can feel the pulse of homophobia. Three men attacked Dan Hauff, 33, while yelling anti-gay slurs when he tried to defuse an argument with two men on the train.

From Chicago Breaking News:

“Victim Daniel Hauff, 33, said he tried to quell an argument between two men on the northbound train when one of those men -- joined by two other male riders -- began yelling gay slurs and other taunts at him.

Hauff said he pressed the emergency intercom and the train operator came by, but then left and the train started moving again. After the operator left the "L" car, the three men punched his face and pummeled his body somewhere between the Wilson and Argyle stops, Hauff told Chicago Breaking News.”

Hauff tells the Chicago Breaking News that his "face, chest, back, knee and foot were in pain and he was seeing double on the left side.”

The suspects were released on bail and will be charged with misdemeanor battery.

Popular Writer Don Belton Found Dead

2009-12-29T02:27:00.000-05:00

Notable writer and Indiana University professor Don Belton was found stabbed to death in his Indiana home. His 25 year old student, Michael J. Griffin, has confessed to the killing, however has pleaded not guilty to the murder, alleging that it was gay panic. Griffin says that on two separate occasions Belton sexually assaulted him, and when confronted, Belton showed no remorse. That enraged Griffin, prompting him to stab Belton.

“The former military man told police that Belton, who was openly gay, sexually assaulted him in front of his girlfriend, while they were both intoxicated on Christmas Day. And because the assistant professor of English refused to "show remorse," Griffin stabbed him to death, according to court documents. Despite his alleged confession, Griffin has pleaded not guilty to the killing. And though his defense strategy is not yet clear, others with similar cases have pursued a "gay panic" defense, hoping to persuade juries that they were rendered temporarily insane by the perceived romantic or sexual advances of the victim.”

Michael J. Griffin is a former marine and was turned in by his girlfriend. He is currently being held without bond.

Black Gay Man Taken Off Life Support

2009-12-27T02:19:00.000-05:00

Marland Woods, a 32 year old Black gay man from Maryland, was kicked and stomped into a coma after coming out of a gay bar. Terrance Osley, 20, was arrested and is being charged with involuntary manslaughter, after Woods was taking off life support by his family. Twenty two year old Norman Coggins, his accomplice, is also facing felony charges.

"He was such a homebody. This was only the second time this year he went to a bar and this happened to him. He never started any trouble. He died trying to keep someone else from being hurt." says Shonda Floyd, Woods‘ sister to WTVG: "I want to see some type of justice. They stomped my brother. It’s absolutely not right... They took away my kids’ uncle. They took away my brother."

Woods, who was in a 10 year relationship, was beaten trying to protect a friend in a fight following an altercation at a bar earlier that night.

DC Says ‘Yes’ to Marriage Equality

2009-12-18T13:16:00.000-05:00

Councilman David A. Catania has a lot to celebrate. The four term openly gay city councilman and political independent authored a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage – and it passed by an 11-2 vote. After weeks of testimony from opponents and supporters of the bill, eleven council members voted for equality on the first of December.

“Today’s vote is an important victory not only for the gay and lesbian community but for everyone who supports equal rights. Gays and lesbians bear every burden of citizenship and are entitled to every benefit and protection that the law allows,” said David A. Catania. “Whenever 11 out of 13 Councilmembers vote to support any issue, it indicates that there is strong support for the issue among our constituents.”

The bill was signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty and will make it to congress for a final vote.

Gov. David Paterson Signs Executive Order

2009-12-16T23:50:00.000-05:00

Gov. David Paterson continues his string of support for the LGBTQ community. Last month he signed a bill that made New York the seventh state to bar discrimination against Transgender state employees. According to Transgender Legal, a Transgender advocacy organization, 47% of Transgender folks reported being fired or denied a promotion because of their gender identity.

Below is the video of Gov. David Paterson signing an executive order prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the workplace.

PROGRESS ON LGBT EQUALITY IN 2009

2009-12-16T16:24:00.002-05:00

Amid a year where we saw countless amount of LGBTQ people dead or beaten because of the extremism of homophobia; a year where two states saw marriage equality defeated; and a president who twice struck down the opportunity to have honest dialogue around Dont Ask, Don't Tell. Joe Solmonese, the President of the Human Rights Campaign, reflects on what 2009 meant for LGBT equality.

TO: Human Rights Campaign Board Members
FROM: Joe Solmonese
RE: Progress on LGBT Equality in 2009
DATE: December 16, 2009

Introduction

Progress for full lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality in 2009 made significant strides even while the national stage was dominated by the economy, health care and war. Even marriage equality, while losing on Maine's November ballot and receiving a recent setback in New York, was adopted in Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa and the District of Columbia. The Connecticut legislature even chose to put its imprimatur on the state Supreme Court decision to grant full marriage equality. And on January 10, 2010, loving same-sex couples can legally marry in New Hampshire.

While this report will by no means capture everything in the LGBT universe in 2009, it does attempt to set out benchmarks for the year and, therefore, assist in identifying the opportunities and challenges ahead in 2010.

Without question, possibilities loomed large with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, someone who championed LGBT causes throughout his campaign. Additionally, more fair-minded members of Congress came into office -- including Colorado's openly gay Congressman Jared Polis -bringing the LGBT count to three in the House. Collectively, there was, for the first time in a decade or more, the potential for real change at the federal level.

Concurrently, at the state level, there was a wellspring of LGBT and elected leadership which produced not only movement early in 2009 toward full marriage equality, but also significant progress toward fully inclusive non-discrimination measures, expanded relationship recognition laws and anti-bullying measures.

Also overlooked, but equally important to many LGBT individuals and families, 2009 saw continued growth in the private sector, where companies recognized the value of inclusive and welcoming employee programs. In fact, even in a down economy, a record 305 corporations and businesses received a 100% on our Corporate Equality Index. However, workplace climate for LGBT employees remains challenging, with a majority still closeted in the workplace -- highlighting the need to help corporate America gauge and address their LGBT employees' engagement on the job.

Finally, 2009 will also be remembered as a time when many LGBT people and their allies stood up to demand equality, whether at the local, state or national level. Whether in response to the loss of marriage rights in California at the close of 2008, or perceived inaction on signature measures in Congress, 2009 saw an infusion of energy and personal involvement that must be accelerated to secure greater progress in 2010.

It must also be noted that 2009 solidified the emergence of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) as a major opponent to equality. NOM's budget shot up from $400,000 in 2007 to $8 million in 2009. That's explosive growth in a period when most companies and non-profits weathered losses. NOM was the largest single contributor to the anti-marriage campaigns in both California and Maine, and has promised to be a key player in Iowa, New Jersey and the District of Columbia in their marriage battles. NOM is also moving its offices from New Jersey to the nation's capital.

To read complete letter click here.

Psychiatrist: Slaying suspect not fit for trial

2009-12-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

Via: Caribbean Business PR

By: CB Online Staff

The confessed killer of 19-year old transvestite Jorge Steven López is not currently fit to stand trial for the grisly slaying, a government psychiatrist has determined.

Psychiatrist Rafael Cabrera urged Caguas Superior Court Judge Camila Jusino to send the 26-year old suspect, Juan Martínez Matos, back to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Río Piedras to keep him under evaluation by the medical staff there.

However, Cabrera acknowledged during a preliminary hearing that he is not certain whether the symptoms of psychosis referred to by the defendant are real, feigned or exaggerated.

Under questioning by prosecutor Yaritza Carrasquillo, the psychiatrist agreed that the facts that Martínez Matos says he cannot clearly remember are essentially those of the night of the crime.

The judge ordered Martínez Matos to undergo another evaluation on January 7 and set a new hearing on his fitness to face criminal proceedings for January 13.

Gay rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano was quick to criticize the court developments.

“Although full justice can never be done, as Jorge Steven is no longer with us, the process of prosecuting the confessed murderer in one of the most heinous crimes committed in the history of our country has been delayed again,” Serrano said in a statement .

López was decapitated and his partially burned body found in the Guavate area of Cayey last month. Martínez Matos was arrested and allegedly confessed to killing López and mutilating his body. He was charged with first-degree murder and weapons violations and jailed on $4 million bond.

Gay activists expressed disappointment that the suspect wasn’t immediately charged with a hate crime, saying authorities in Puerto Rico have never invoked a law covering crimes based on sexual orientation.

A 2002 hate crime law in Puerto Rico has not been applied to any cases involving sexual orientation or gender identity despite calls to use it more aggressively. A suspect convicted of a hate crime offense as part of another crime automatically faces the maximum penalty for the underlying crime. For murder, that would be life in prison.

According to the police investigation, the victim was dressed as a woman when Martínez Matos picked him on a street known for prostitution and took him back to his parents’ home for sex. The suspect has claimed he did not know López was a man and that he killed him in self-defense after the victim pulled a knife demanding payment for the sex.

Martínez Matos has also reportedly acknowledged a hatred of homosexuals because he was allegedly raped by a male inmate while serving a jail term for domestic violence several years ago.

Pastor Warren Now Condemns Law

2009-12-11T19:10:00.002-05:00

Pastor Rick Warren of California condemned the Uganda law that would execute or give life imprisonment to gays. Ironically, Pastor Warren condemneds the law after Uganda dropped the extreme provisions of death and life imprisonment. The recorded video below is a jarring video to pastors and members of the political community of Uganda. Pastor Warren has been scrutinized because of his refusal to not take sides and pressure his religious allies in Uganda to condemn the bill.

Gay Activist Beaten at Queens Night Club

2009-12-10T23:55:00.001-05:00

VIA: New York Post

By: Jamie Schram

A prominent gay activist was tackled and beaten by bouncers at a Queens nightclub because he was dancing with a man, cops said yesterday.

Tarlach MacNiallais, 47, was punched and kicked and had a chair smashed over his head in the attack by two security guards at the Guadalajara De Noche restaurant in Jackson Heights at 12:43 a.m. Saturday, police said.

The attack is being treated as a possible hate crime.

"[The bouncer] said, 'You can't do that here, this is not a gay bar,' " MacNiallais told cops. "I said I have just as much right as anyone else."

MacNiallais -- spokesman for the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, which is best known for its annual fight to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade -- said the bouncers wrestled him to the ground and dragged him away from other dancers before they attacked him.

He was treated for cuts and bruises at Elmhurst Hospital Center.

Messages left for restaurant manager Carlos Carrillo were not returned yesterday.

Fortunato Appeals Conviction

2009-12-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

By: Duncan Osborne

Via: Gay City News

Attacking the Brooklyn district attorney’s primary witness and arguing that the prosecutor never proved that their client had the legally required state of mind to convict him, attorneys for Anthony Fortunato, one of Michael Sandy’s killers, have filed an appeal seeking to overturn his 2007 guilty verdict and win a new trial.

“The linchpin of people’s case was the cooperator and credibility challenged, Gary Timmins,” wrote attorneys from Mischel & Horn, a Manhattan law firm that specializes in criminal and civil appeals.

Fortunato, 23, was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter as a hate crime. In 2006, he, Timmins, and two other men lured Sandy, a 29-year-old gay man, to a secluded beach where they tried to rob him. Sandy fled onto a nearby highway where he was struck by a car and killed. Fortunato was sentenced to seven-to-21 years and his earliest possible release date is October 2013.

In a plea deal, Timmins, 19, testified for the prosecution in exchange for a four-year sentence. He pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted robbery as a hate crime and attempted first-degree assault. Timmins could be released from prison as soon as March 2010.

The appeal noted Timmins’ history of drug use, theft, and one serious assault saying, “Since the age of eleven or twelve, he has been an active violator of the criminal law.”

In addition to arguing that Timmins was not a credible witness, the appeal said that Jill Konviser, the judge in the trial, gave erroneous instructions to the jury on how to weigh the testimony of a co-defendant turned witness like Timmins.

A central argument in the appeal is that Fortunato never formed the requisite state of mind to be found guilty of manslaughter.

Fortunato, saying he had done so previously, suggested that the group sign on to a gay Internet chat room and lure a gay man to a meeting. Sandy came for a first encounter, but left after seeing all four men. After a second Internet contact, he went back, believing he would meet only John Fox, 22. At that second encounter, Sandy was attacked by Fox and Ilya Shurov, 23.

Continue Story Here.

We Don’t Hire Faggots

2009-12-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Zikkeria Bellamy was served more than a job rejection after applying to McDonalds; she was left a voicemail with an Orlando-based McDonald’s silent hiring policy: they don’t hire faggots. The McDonald’s manager, in a voicemail, called Bellamy a liar, accusing of her of lying to him about her gender and her age.

"Zikkeria Bellamy first applied online to work for the Orlando McDonald’s on July 10, and a manager later asked her to come in for an in-person interview. When Bellamy met the manager and he realized she is trans, he no longer wanted to interview her. Determined, Bellamy visited a second manager in the restaurant on July 28. This manager reportedly told her 'didn’t have time for this.' He followed up his comments with a voice mail message to Bellamy a few hours later: 'It doesn’t matter how many times you go down there, you will not get hired,' the manager said. 'We do not hire faggots. You lied to me. You told me you was a woman. And then you lied to me and told me you were 17. I can’t believe you. You were a lying brother. How could you lie to me? We will never--' "

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) and Bellamy filed a suit against the Orlando-based McDonald’s accusing them of practicing the unfavorable laws of Florida, where it’s currently legal to terminate someone for their gender identity or not hire them at all. TLDEF will cite Florida Civil Rights Act which prohibits sex discrimination.

Click here for full story.

Below is the voice mail left by the manager at McDonald's:

Rev. Irene Monroe & Bishop Harry Jackson Debate Marriage Equality

2009-12-03T18:24:00.001-05:00

Via: LOL DARIAN

Video has surfaced of a very spirited debate between Rev. Irene Monroe and Bishop Harry Jackson shot prior to the National Equality March on Washington.

Rev. Monroe is Coordinator of the African American Roundtable of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion and a frequent contributor to Pam's House Blend. She is also a lesbian.

Bishop Jackson needs no introduction as his anti-gay record has been covered extensively on loldarian.com and throughout the blogosphere. Bishop Jackson is at the forefront of the movement to stop marriage equality from becoming a reality in DC, an effort that is most likely to fail as the DC City Council voted 11-2 on Monday in the first of two votes that will legalize same-sex marriage in the district.

This debate is particularly noteworthy as it provides a different point of view of scripture as it relates to LGBT people and marriage equality from Rev. Monroe. Too often homophobic messages by ministers such as Bishop Jackson saturate the media and give the false impression that his views are widely held by the black community and black clergy. There are affirming churches and clergy and it's time their messages of love, tolerance, and inclusivity are heard.

Get into the debate below and tell me your thoughts:

Profile: Julius Pateman

2009-11-24T16:41:00.000-05:00

In early May of this year, I began volunteering for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund, as I was recruited by the Co-Founder of RBMF Larry D. Lyons . Before I was invited by Larry to attend an interest meeting, I had never heard of the fund, or the killing of Rashawn; however once I found out what actually happened, I was touched. Being apart of RBMF has opened my eyes to the different hurdles and discrimination we face as a whole in LGBT community. Of course I’ve heard of “gay bashing” but it had been awhile since I knew of any current incidents, but the real issue is that they go unreported, and unsolved.

I am the Communications Coordinator for the Fund, and it’s my job to make sure our followers are updated on what’s going on within the fund, our scholars, and also in the LGBT community. Rashawn’s death affects me tremendously, knowing that his killer is still on our streets, and could possibly strike again. Rashawn was a rising scholar, and had big dreams of going off to college. That is my drive for volunteering for the fund, as we continue his legacy by helping students attend college and offer academic and moral support thru our Mentor Program.

16 Year Old Beaten with Metal Pipe

2009-11-23T17:14:00.003-05:00

Sixteen-year-old Jayron Martin was beaten with a metal pipe by his classmate. Martin notified two principals and his bus driver reporting the alleged threats to them – and they didn’t budge. Jayron Martin said he begged two principals at his school and his bus driver for help before he was hit repeatedly with a metal pipe. Martin reveals to local Houston affiliate KHOU.

“All they kept saying was, ‘We going to get you. We going to fight you,’ and all that and so when they started coming after me they were like, ‘You’re not going to be gay anymore.’ They just kept hitting me,” he said.

Hours before the incident, Martin said a friend told him a group was planning to attack him. The teen said he talked with two administrators about his concerns. The administrators took a written statement from him, said Martin.

“I sat down in the cafeteria and I started writing the letter and so then I handed it to them and they said, ‘We are going to call y’all down and stuff like that,’” he said.

Martin said he was never called to the office, and the administrator didn’t call his mother.

Martin entered the school bus where he constantly was being harassed and threatened by students. After exiting the bus he was chased, hailed down, and beaten while others stood and looked. He was beaten for minutes until a neighbor came out hailing and cocking his shotgun.

“Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the 16-year-old who beat Martin. The accused teen is facing aggravated assault charges. His case is in the juvenile court system, and those records are sealed.”

Martin was knocked into a concussion and suffered cuts and bruises throughout his limbs. He says he does not want to return to school. His mother is currently exploring filing a civil lawsuit against the students and school for ignoring their son’s plea for help.

Why does black community reject civil rights for gays?

2009-11-22T13:04:00.002-05:00

By J.B. Salganik, Owings Mills
From the Baltimore Sun.

This letter is in memory of Jason Mattison Jr., an openly gay, African-American Baltimore high school student who was raped and murdered this month ("Mystery cloaks death of teen who 'had a life ahead of him,'" Nov. 18).

It may be hard for some people to admit that, while racial inequities still exist so obviously in our city and women on average still do not get paid as much as men, the fact is that the current arena of the civil rights struggle in our country is the fight for equal rights for homosexuals.

As a Baltimore City public school teacher, I hear about one homophobic slur an hour. Usually, this homophobia is reserved for gay men rather than lesbians, who are somewhat more accepted. Even intelligent, educated adults I meet will often surprise me with such prejudice, and this is especially true in the black community.

Usually this prejudice is justified by religious convictions, but slave owners used to go to church on Sundays and quote the Bible too. Gay people have always existed, in every culture and country in history, yet we are told their sexual orientation is unnatural and perverted. What is the threat that these people pose to the rest of us that they must be denied their full rights of citizenship? What disqualifies homosexuals from the principles of equality set forth in the Declaration of Independence as inalienable?

Further, the moral superiority that the intolerant award themselves on this issue offends me even more.

You would think that the leaders of the black community, a group that has experienced so much discrimination and prejudice over the course of American history, would be the last to turn around and stigmatize other people, but the opposite is true.

The greatest crime of American slavery was the destruction of African-American families, yet isn't that exactly what is being done to homosexuals in this country? (Pollsters say that the heavy black turnout for President Barack Obama in California also pushed the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriages into law.) People need to realize that, historically, the same organizations that have sought to deny rights to gays have also discriminated against blacks.

As such, my heart goes out to the gay African-American men and boys of Baltimore and the nation. I sincerely hope to see the day when they can feel safe in their own communities and enjoy the full benefits of American life, including the chance to serve in the military and to marry. Or simply feel safe in high school.

By now we all should know that their difference is part of our nation's strength, and the hate that they receive daily is the main measure of our nation's weakness. Truly, we are only as free as the least free among us.

Link to story here.

Murder of Puerto Rican Gay Teen

2009-11-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

Juan A. Martinez, 25, was arrested and charged with five counts for the murder of Puerto Rican gay teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, 19.

“Juan A. Martinez Matos was arrested late Monday in connection with the slaying of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, whose decapitated, dismembered and partially burned body was found Friday afternoon on a road in central Puerto Rico.”

Martinez calls the decapitated and dismembered body a cause of “gay panic.” Martinez admits to thinking that Mercado was a female prostitute before inviting him to his home. It was there before the initial act of sex that Martinez found out that Mercado was male.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, in consultation with local officials and other agencies, would determine whether the slaying will be prosecuted as a hate crime.

"It's at a very preliminary stage," Lymarie Llovet, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital, said Tuesday. "There's the potential for a federal investigation."

News organization are reporting that Martinez has been sexually abused by men during a prison term a few years ago which ignited regression.

According to Telemundo and other local reports, Martinez Matos confessed to authorities that he picked Lopez Mercado up from the street, thinking that he was a woman.

When he realized that Lopez Mercado was a man, Martinez Matos said he regressed to an incident when he was sexually assaulted during a prison term, Telemundo and local reports said.

That's when a conflict started between the two, authorities said, leading to the teen's death.

The slaying has received national coverage because of the relentless push by the Puerto Rican gay community. President Obama recently signed the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which extends protections to acts “motivated by a person's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.”

No word on whether or not Martinez would be charged with a hate crime.

Click link for full story.

Pray the Gay Away

2009-11-16T12:12:00.004-05:00

Donnie McClurkin is at it again spewing more hateful and discriminatory speech against queer folks. The reformed homosexual calls gays “vampires”, lashes out at openly gay gospel singer Tonex, and asks him to “pray the gay away.” Much like he did. McClurkin has a (post-gay) history of banting about homosexuality even after allegations arise contradicting his newly found "lifestyle."

It is this sort of rhetoric that makes the mission of the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund that more crucial. There are men and women in attendance in this church who are being taught to hate themselves and to be internally homophobic. What makes it even worse is that often these people never leave the church and continue to sit at the throne of hypocrisy.

Watch the video here.

Rod 2.0 also gives a review of the video here.

Profile: Jared Dewese

2009-11-10T13:35:00.002-05:00

I began volunteering for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund in March of this year through association with Larry Lyons. I’d always admired the work Larry did with the fund and was more than pleased to become part of the efforts. I moved to New York from South Carolina five years ago, right before Rashawn’s murder. It was a case that was so real to me because I was a young gay black man, just as Rashawn was.

Throughout my life I had been taught by my parents to become involved in civic pursuits, and while I had from elementary school through college this was my first opportunity to really be a part of something that affected my demographic. Since becoming a part of RBMF, I have worked on various projects, most of the related to arts and culture and event planning which are areas that I am most interested and suited for.

Rashawn’s death made me sit up and understand the importance of visibility of the black gay man in mainstream society. So often new stories about our community is only reflected in the negative, and when that happens it makes our lives count less to the majority of people in this country. Perhaps, if black gay men were more visible in a positive manner, Rashawn’s killer would have been found by now or maybe even he would be alive. So it made me aware of the need to be accounted for and be honest about who I am to everyone. We are not just ‘down-low’ men or flamboyant hairstylist that are often portrayed in the media, and even if that is what some of us are there are many more of us who are not and we all deserve respect. It also came to me at this time that if we don’t get the simple natural respect we deserve as human beings, we must demand and command it.

Hate Crime Attacks Run Rampant in L.I.

2009-11-09T21:07:00.003-05:00

It was the end of the run for Frank Carney, 16, as he was charge with menacing as a hate crime for being half of a duo of crazy homophobes yielding knives and chasing a 22 year old man through Bellmore, L.I. This arrest comes in the heels of another hate crime attack a few days ago in Long Island. Robert Bellamy, 23, was arraigned for a brutal beating and robbery of two men from Lakeview, L.I. After being questioned about his connection with the crime Bellamy retorted, "God made me hate gay people." Two other men are being sought in connection to the beating and robbery.

NYC Council Speaker Quinn Urges Marriage Equality Vote

2009-11-09T20:46:00.002-05:00

Source Rod 2.0

Christine Quinn, the first gay person to lead the New York City Council, was asked earlier today about Tuesday's potential marriage equality vote in the New York State Senate. As she responded to the question, Quinn was "fighting back tears" and "struggled several times to control her emotions", reports the Daily News.

Said Speaker Quinn: "I obviously ... urge the members of the state Senate to vote for marriage equality. It's an incredibly important piece of legislation, and tomorrow is an incredibly important moment. If the bill is voted on and passed tomorrow, a week after a referendum .... passed in Maine that took rights away from the residents of Maine. Seven days after that the New York State Senate stands up and says all New York families are equal, what a message that sends about what we believe as a state."

10 Year Old won't Pledge Allegiance to Flag

2009-11-05T21:22:00.001-05:00

Will Phillips, 10, from Arkansas won’t pledge allegiance to the American flag until gay Americans have equal rights. When his classmates are standing and pledging allegiance, he stays seated as a sign of protest. The aspiring lawyer, whose parents are very gay-friendly, realized the contradiction of a nation that values “justice for all” but doesn’t recognize the legal rights that’s granted to an individual through due process.

Click for story here.

You're Invited!

2009-11-05T17:26:00.000-05:00

Anti-Gay Activists Deliver Testimony

2009-11-01T17:09:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week, Cirque Du Stupid was on full display as the D.C. City Council heard testimony from anti-gay “Christians” opposed to the marriage equality bill. The bill introduced by openly gay city councilman David Catania would end the same-sex marriage ban imposed in D.C. and allow same sex couples to get married. The bill has ten out of the 13 city council members as co-sponsors with only one city councilmember - Marion Barry of ward 8 - opposed to the bill. Council members Harry Thomas Jr., Yvette Alexander have asked for more time to read the bill before drawing a conclusion. The city council is expected to vote on the bill sometime during the forthcoming week.

Watch the video currently making the rounds of the net. Being homophobic seems like a part time job.

Gov. Paterson Says Marriage Equality Bill Will Pass in New York

2009-10-26T14:29:00.001-04:00

Source: Rod 2.0

New York Gov. David Paterson says he expects to sign a marriage equality bill into law in the coming weeks.

Paterson says he expects the Senate to approve the measure. That would make New York the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. The Democrat-led Assembly approved 89-52 its version of the marriage bill in May. The bill has been stalled in the Senate.

Says the governor: "No longer in New York' will same-sex couples have to worry about insurance coverage, being allowed to visit each other hospitals, or whether they will be guaranteed the same rights as other married couples under law." Paterson's remarks were cheered by more than 1,200 people at the fall dinner of the Empire State Pride Agenda.
The governor expects to place the bill on the agenda for a special Senate session in the weeks ahead. But there are concerns that a Senate marriage vote may be tied to deal to balance the Empire State's $3 billion budget deficit. "I don't think the issue of civil rights should be tied to the budget," Alan Van Capelle of Empire State Pride Agenda tells WABC.

Click here to read full story.

Senate Passes Landmark Bill

2009-10-25T17:21:00.001-04:00

Victory is herald throughout the nation as the senate approves and passes a hate crime bill inclusive of LGBT folks. Named after Matthew Shepard, the Wyoming native murdered 11 years ago, the Matthew Shepard Act “include crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.” The measure was first introduced by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass ten years ago and has been kept under a congressional agenda after failing several times to be passed.

Hate crimes law enacted after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968 centered on crimes based on race, color, religion or national origin.

The expansion has long been sought by civil rights and gay rights groups. Conservatives have opposed it, arguing that it creates a special class of victims. They also have been concerned that it could silence clergymen or others opposed to homosexuality on religious or philosophical grounds.

The FBI reports that 16 percent of hate crimes are motivated by sexual orientation, fueling Attorney General Eric Holder’s desire to get the bill passed urgently. “It has been one of my highest personal priorities to ensure that this legislation finally becomes law,” he told the Associate Press.

Read full story here.

Justice for Price

2009-10-19T02:28:00.003-04:00

Jack Price, an openly gay man from Queens, NY was viciously attacked by two hoodlums who “didn’t have hate on their minds”. Daniel Rodriguez and Daniel Aleman were caught on tape beating the defenseless Price. Both Rodriquez and Aleman claimed self-defense, but by the looks of the video is evident that both are lying. According to the suspects, Price was soliciting men by writing his phone number on a wall before being confronted by Aleman and Rodriquez. Somehow this story doesn’t add up.

[Rodriguez] claimed that Price provoked him by writing graffiti of a sexual nature in the bodega where the confrontation began.

Then, prosecutors say Rodriguez admitted to using an anti-gay slur and stealing Price's wallet. He also allegedly told detectives, "I was angry, cause Jack is disgusting."
Price insists he did not write any graffiti and otherwise did nothing to provoke the attack. And as for Rodriguez' dad, Price's family says they may never forgive his son, but they don't blame him.

Price is expected to leave the hospital within the next few days. He has been on breathing tubes since the altercation.

Read full story here.

Jack Price March & Rally In Queens

2009-10-17T00:40:00.001-04:00

Source: Joe.My.God

By Joe.My.God

This afternoon the Farmboyz and I traveled to the working-class neighborhood of College Point, Queens, far past the end of subway service, to attend the march and rally in support of gay bashing victim Jack Price. We were a bit concerned that the 90+ minute trek from Manhattan might hamper a strong show of support, but were very pleased to arrive and find about 300 LGBT activists, allies, and supportive locals already on the street near the site of the attack.

After a 15-minute march down College Point Boulevard to the sullen or unknowing stares of locals, we were shocked to find a group of 20 or so counter-protesters, PRO gay bashers, already in a pen perilously close to the park where the rally was to take place. Leading the pro-bashers was Mr. Leviticus Tattoo himself. He and his co-thugs wore stickers in support of the jailed cowards as they shouted "Free Daniel Rodriquez!" and "No hate crime!" Among their signs was "Daniel doesn't hate gays!" Riiiight. Fortunately, there was a huge NYPD presence on hand and the two groups were not permitted to get closer than shouting distance.

Read full story here.

A mother's story: Hate crime brings new bond with transgender child

2009-10-16T00:54:00.000-04:00

Source: The Grio
By: Bonnita Spikes

Early on, l knew my son Michael was different. While my three other sons begged me to buy them G.I. Joe figurines and were obsessed with football, Michael preferred playing with My Little Pony and taking tap dance lessons.

In Prince Georges County, Maryland where we live, we have a diverse group of friends so the idea of having a gay son didn't scare or shock us. Sure, we feared he had a hard road ahead of him - being bullied at school, getting fired from his job for being gay and facing the possibility that he may never be able to be legally married - but with our love, we knew he was going to be okay.

When Michael turned 16, he told us that he wasn't a gay man. Instead, he was a transgender woman named Michelle who had been dressing as a woman when he left the house. At that point, my husband and I both realized that this was a big deal. My son was now my daughter.

Even though I am an activist and somewhat liberal, I didn't know what being transgender meant. After doing some serious soul searching, my husband and I concluded that our child needed us. Unlike too many of her friends whose parents had kicked them out for being gay or transgender, we were going to open our minds even further than what we thought was possible. It was difficult. But we started going to family therapy and things were slowly getting better.

But everything changed in December 1999, the day my daughter Michelle became the target of a hate crime.

While standing in line with her friends at a club in Atlanta, Michelle was struck in the head with a metal pipe by a stranger who did not like the fact that she was a transgender woman. She fell to the ground and her skull split open.

The doctors weren't very hopeful - they didn't think she was going to make it. As she lay there unconscious, she was unrecognizable. Her head was shaved, there was a V-shaped scar down the side of her face, and she was bruised and swollen.

For weeks, my family, my friends and my minister prayed by her bedside, not confident that we would ever hear her voice again. When she finally woke up, we were ecstatic. But we were realistic that a full recovery was miles away. Michelle had temporary amnesia and didn't even remember me. One day, I asked her if she knew who I was and she said, "No, but you seem like a really nice lady."

Those moments made my heart break, but my daughter was alive and that's all that mattered.

After her attack and full recovery, I reached out to the Gay, Transgender, Lesbian and Bisexual National Hotline for support and was referred to the Sexual Minority Youth Alliance League. They offered me educational workshops about the transgender community and they introduced me to other women like Michelle. Most important, they encouraged me to bond with Michelle on a mother-daughter level. So we started shopping for clothes and makeup together, getting our nails done and hanging out at home more. Now, Michelle feels more comfortable with me and vice versa -she even puts pressure on me to dress more fashionable when going out.

I look at her and I see someone amazing - someone fabulous.

I was fully aware of the homophobia that haunts our community. However, it was not until my child was beaten and left for dead did I ever truly believe that having the courage to be true to oneself could result in being killed. Yet, Michelle's story is not rare. Unfortunately, for many trans women living in the U.S., violence and death are a way of life, especially those who are African American. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 1 in 12 transgender Americans faces the chance of being murdered; while the average person has about a one in 18,000 chance.

From one parent to another, more work needs to be done to protect our children regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. We are all products of God and deserve to live, be loved and have peace of mind.

Link to story here.

Quit Leaving Queers Behind

2009-10-12T23:59:00.001-04:00

The Human Rights Campaign building was defaced amid their National Fundraising Dinner on October 10th. Ironically, the attack was not motivated by homophobia. Encrypted in paint was the message, “Quit Leaving Queers Behind”. The message was from the radical queer group “Queers Against Assimilation.”

Queers Against Assimilation released this letter:

Communique from the Forgotton:

Human Rights Campaign HQ Glamdalized By Queers Against Assimilation

HRC headquarters was rocked by an act of glamdalism last night by a crew of radical queer and allied folks armed with pink and black paint and glitter grenades. Beside the front entrance and the inscribed mission statement now reads a tag, Quit leaving queers behind.

The HRC is not a democratic or inclusive institution, especially for the people who they claim to represent. Just like society today, the HRC is run by a few wealthy elites who are in bed with corporate sponsors who proliferate militarism, heteronormativity, and capitalist exploitation. The sweatshops (Nike), war crimes (Lockheed Martin), assaults on working class people (Bank of America, Deloitte, Chase Bank, Citi Group,Wachovia Bank) and patriarchy (American Apparel) caused by their sponsors is a hypocrisy for an organization with human rights in their name.

The queer liberation movement has been misrepresented and co-opted by the HRC. The HRC marginalizes us into a limited struggle for aspiring homosexual elites to regain the privilege that they‘ve lost and climb the social ladder towards becoming bourgeoisie.
Last night, Obama spoke at the HRC fundraising gala and currently the HRC website declares, President Obama underlines his unwavering support for LGBT Americans.

The vast amount of organizing resources the HRC wastes on their false alliance with the Democratic party leaves radical queers on the margins to fend for themselves. Our struggle has always had to resist the repression of conservative tendencies in government and society to gain liberation in our lives.

The gourmet affair was sponsored by 48 corporations including giants Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and Wachovia Bank. At $250 dollars a plate the HRC served our movement a rich, white, heternormative atmosphere that purposefully excludes working class queer folks.

REMEMBER THE STONEWALL RIOTS! On the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, pigs raided a queer bar in Texas, arrested and beat our friends, and we looked towards politicians and lawyers to protect us. This mentality is what keeps the money flowing to the HRC and their pet Democrats, and keeps our fists in our pockets.

Most of all we disagree that collective liberation will be granted by the state or its institutions like prisons, marriage, and the military. We need to escalate our struggle, or it will collapse.

~~Love and Solidarity~~

Respect for All

2009-10-06T13:04:00.000-04:00

Dear New Yorker,

Raising our children free of hate and prejudice should be among our highest priorities.

Last Friday I, along with the New York City Department of Education, announced a new initiative that will expand and strengthen the City's efforts to combat bullying and bias-based harassment in our schools.

These measures to stop bullying represent a significant expansion of Respect for All, a program that began in 2007 to combat harassment in schools on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, or disability.

While Respect for All has already demonstrated some success, my office worked with advocates to look for ways to expand and improve upon the program.

The newly expanded initiative will extend training programs to all elementary school teachers and counselors; provide principals with additional guidance in creating anti-bullying plans; and make creation of a safe and supportive learning environment factor into school evaluations. Parents will now have the opportunity to review principals' Respect for All plans to help determine which school environment is right for their children.

These new measures will train more teachers and hold principals more accountable.
In addition, I will pursue federal and private funding to develop, pilot and evaluate new staff trainings that could feasibly train every teacher in the New York City public school system, as well as funding to support development and implementation of new student lesson plans.

Below are links to two articles about the new initiative from Gay City News and the Staten Island Advance:

http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2009/10/02/gay_city_news/news/doc4ac57e4daa77b919442362.txt

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1254554119107230.xml&coll=1

To report an incident of harassment in a New York City public school, please contact the Office of School and Youth Development at (718) 935-4357. You can also e-mail them directly at respectforall@schools.nyc.gov.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

New York City Council

Profile: Steven Emmanuel

2009-10-06T10:54:00.001-04:00

I began volunteering for the fund at the end of July 2009. Larry Lyon, the co-founder of the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund, reached out to me about becoming a volunteer. I’ve heard about Rashawn’s story the year before through some friends. The night I heard about Rashawn’s story, I googled his name and began to acquaint myself with this young man. I was appalled at what I was reading. I think the most troublesome part about Rashawn’s story is that he was a young Black gay man like myself. His murder could have easily happened to me or any other young black gay man. That reason alone was enough to get me to be a part of this incredible initiative. I have always held a strong commitment to social justice and a commitment to improving the quality of life for the black gay community. When Larry Lyon reached out to me I thought, what a better way to fulfill that commitment than by working with an organization whose mission it is to end social injustice in a disadvantaged community.

One of my main contributions to the fund is maintaining the blog site. I have done a lot of work with publications and I think this is the medium I can most lend my skills to. One of my goals for the site is to expand content delivery and updating it more frequently while adding personal interviews. The blog site adds depth to the fund’s initiatives, because it keeps people in the know about stories of anti-violence that affects queer communities, particularly those of color.

Rashawn Brazell has become the poster boy for everything that is wrong in the mainstream when it comes to reporting stories across mainstream color and sexual lines. It is important that we have a strong network of support that advocates for stories like Rashawn, because if no one steps up to the plate, the legacy of these young men and women would die in vain. At the end of the day, a cycle of bigotry and ignorance is what we want to lack.

Steven Emmanuel can be reached at sm07@hampshire.edu

Anti-LGBT attack in Hell's Kitchen: Speaker Christine Quinn Responds

2009-10-06T10:17:00.003-04:00

Dear New Yorker,

Early Saturday morning there was a report of an anti-LGBT attack in Hell's Kitchen in which two individuals were the victims of a physical assault. I am obviously outraged by news that another bias attack has occurred in our city. But I am also deeply concerned by reports from the victims that NYPD officers responding to the scene did not appropriately recognize the seriousness of the incident. In fact, it has been reported that they failed to attempt to apprehend or even to collect contact information from the alleged assailant. If these reports are true, the behavior of the police officers involved was also outrageous and merits swift action by the police department.

In response I have spoken to Police Commissioner Kelly's office. They have agreed to conduct an investigation of these reports, and to have police officials meet personally with the victims this week. I am very gratified that the police department has agreed to my requests, and urge them to complete a swift and thorough investigation.

One of the most significant tools that have helped us to combat hate crimes here in New York City is having a strong police response to incidents when they occur. There was a time in our city when victims of hate crimes did not feel that the police were their allies. Any time a crime of this nature occurs, victims need to know they will be taken seriously.

To their credit, the NYPD have demonstrated that they normally respond aggressively and appropriately to such crimes. But even one such failure can begin to undermine all of our collaborative and historic efforts. In addition, every victim deserves to have their incident taken as seriously as any other. I will continue to work with advocates and the NYPD to increase and expand training when needed, so police officers have the tools they need to respond appropriately to bias attacks.

Attached is a sheet outlining steps that you can take if you or someone you know is the victim of an anti-LGBT attack. For more information, please contact my LGBT Community Liaison, Erik Bottcher, at (212) 788-5646. You can also e-mail me directly at the following link:

http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/contact_the_speaker.shtml

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council

Closeted Pastor Faces Murder Trial

2009-10-04T14:07:00.004-04:00

Once again the extremes of internalized homophobia has revealed itself. Anti-gay - and closeted - Pastor Robert Reaves murdered the girlfriend of roommate and man- crush Steven Randolph. Randolph was unaware of Reaves sexuality and his advancements, but once it became clear to him that Reaves was something other than straight he reminded him of his heterosexuality.

“Randolph testified that in the fall of 2007 he did not immediately recognize the pastor's proposals as sexual advances toward him. But Randolph said once he realized Reaves' intentions, he told the pastor he was not homosexual or bisexual.

That encounter made Randolph so uneasy, he testified, that he not only left the house immediately to seek refuge with friends, he also got a gun from his cousin to keep in his bedroom.”

In 1988 Reaves was accused and convicted of sexual misconduct with young boys. The prosecution has evidence of Reaves advances to other men and jealous rages on their girlfriends.

Defense lawyers are arguing that the murder was not committed by Reaves, and that he is the wrong suspect in custody.

Life Sentence for Killing of South African Lesbian

2009-09-27T13:58:00.003-04:00

A life sentence was given to Themba Mvubu, 24,for taking part in the gang rape and murder of lesbian Soccer player Eudy Simelane from South Africa. The rape and murder adds to the spree of rapes against South African lesbians known as “corrective rape.” Corrective rape is defined as a practice in South Africa done to “correct” the sexual orientation of lesbian women.

"Simelane was one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in KwaThema township, near Johannesburg. A keen footballer since childhood, she played for the South African women's team and worked as a coach and referee. She hoped to serve as a line official in the 2010 men's World Cup in South Africa.

But in April last year she was accosted while leaving a pub and robbed of a mobile phone, trainers and cash. She died from wounds to the abdomen after being gang-raped and stabbed 12 times. Her naked body was dragged towards a stream and dumped. "

Thato Mphithi was also convicted in the killing earlier this year. He was given a sentence of 32 years for pleading guilty to murder, robbery and attempted rape. Khumbulani Magagula, 22, and Johannes Mahlangu, 18, who also faced trial in the rape and murder were acquitted of all charges.

Link to original story.

Ex-gay Teenager Appears on Tyra

2009-09-24T13:16:00.002-04:00

A disturbing video of Jeffrey, 16, was uploaded months ago on Youtube.com, showing Pastor Patricia McKinney of Manifested Glory Ministries casting an “unclean spirit” out of the teenager. Jeffrey sat down with talk show host Tyra Banks this week where he revealed to her that although the “unclean spirit” is out of his body he still struggles with “temptations” of homosexuality.

Profile: Reginald P.

2009-09-22T01:12:00.002-04:00

This week begins a series of profiles on the volunteers of the RBMF. It's an introduction to the men and women who contribute time and energy to ensuring that the legacy of Rashawn Brazell lives on.

I began volunteering in 2005 after a meeting with Larry Lyons and
Mervyn Mercano about the fund and its purpose. I chose to volunteer
because I was looking for a way to contribute to a greater good in
society and I was attracted to the idea of honoring a young man who
had attributes I value in myself - care for one's neighbor, ability to
connect with others.. At the beginning, I worked on the upkeep of the
website and building a database of organizations associated with the
fund. At present, I function as the Scholar Selections Coordinator -
working to put the scholarship in the hands of applicants, aiding in
the choosing of awardees and invitees to the Mentorship Program.

The murder of Rashawn Brazell, like the murders and violence committed
against anyone is a testament to the need of knowledge where there is
now ignorance. What touches me specifically about Rashawn's case is
that his profile is like mine: young, gay, black, male. It is easy to
put myself in his place and that is something frightening to conjure.
It's because of that I'm urged to live my life fully - to complete the
life that was cut short because of ignorance. To that effect, my
life's goal is to be an advocate for peace, knowledge, and service.
The desire to help people is paramount in Rashawn's legacy. An
organized community striving to do just that - through initiatives
like those of the RBMF - is wholly worthwhile.

Reginald can be reached at regip7@gmail.com

2009-09-20T12:44:00.001-04:00

On a hot summer evening in the gay-friendly West Village neighborhood of New York City, seven young women from New Jersey were verbally threatened and physically attacked by a twenty-nine-year-old man. In a not uncommon travesty of justice, the New Jersey Seven, as they came to be called, were sent to prison for defending themselves. The Fire This Time tells the story of the seven womens trial and prison sentences, and the years-long fight by relatives and activists to get the women released. Along the way, the film reveals in devastating detail how the media, homophobia, and racism all work together in American culture to stigmatize and victimize gay people of color.

To find out more about The Fire This Time please visit their Youtube Channel.

Weekly Digest

2009-09-15T14:40:00.006-04:00

Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund highlights the suicides of queer young people.

Obama should dump 'don't ask, don't tell' .

Ione Lloyd grants RBMF an interview on her play Dirty Little Black Girls.

This National Suicide Prevention Week, the RBMF encourages you to learn more about suicide rates in the LGBT community.

Two-Thirds of GLBT Americans think nation is headed in the right direction.

Don’t forget to RSVP to the Rashawn Brazell Mentor Mixer.

British Envoy slain in anti-gay killing in Jamaica.

The Trevor Project is a great source for suicide prevention.

Noam Chomsky gives an interesting interview on student protesting.

The site Student Activism is up and running again.

Dirty Little Black Girls: A Play

2009-09-15T14:39:00.001-04:00

By Jared Dewese & Steven Emmanuel

Ione Lloyd’s conceptual Dirty Little Black Girls received an audience in Brooklyn recently courtesy of Freedom Train Productions. Dirty Little Black Girls follows the tradition of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuff by using monologues and everyday women characters to move the plot. It centers on the lives of three modern day Park Slope, Brooklyn domestics. One a young Nigerian girl being enslaved and tortured by a black mistress, A Jamaican hot-blooded lesbian having an affair with her white female employer, and the third a sexy, intelligent, and misunderstood street-wise black girl. Each woman, including the white female employer, is trapped in circumstances that often seem inescapable. Unlike the mammy and coon characters of Broadway and Hollywood yesteryear, Lloyd has created rich and complex characters that will endear any audience they greet. Ione Lloyd recently granted us an interview where she talked about the inspiration for her play.

Tell us a little bit about Dirty Little Black Girls and how you conceptualized the story.
Dirty Little Black Girls is the story of 4 sexy women all in bondage to their circumstances, living and working in Park Slope Brooklyn. The cast includes three domestics of color: A 16 year old modern day slave from Nigeria, A Jamaican housekeeper who’s having an affair with her white female employer, a drop dead gorgeous ghetto fab nanny whose getting her PHD in chemistry, a late 40s desperate white housewife who’s having an affair with her housekeeper and one free character - The Little Black Devil a black female character in white face that devils the women into changing their lives, some for the better and for others.

All of these ladies and I use that term loosely - despite differences in age, sexuality or race are looking to escape and trying to figure what freedom is and what to do with it once it’s been won. This play honors our differences and celebrates the commonalities of the human experience. The white character is not the villain of this play, I’m actually not sure who is I think it depends on the audience’s mood.

Music and movement are key elements; the women often do the same chores at the same time - never knowing how connected and similar their lives really are. I was incredibly blessed to have such an amazing cast and director. When a piece is in development your director really needs to have your back , Michael Goldfried who directed this project not only had my back but he was down for whatever and was an inspiration to me and gave the actors and myself a safe place to play and ask questions the kind of questions only dirty little black girls would ask. With my work I take people of color out of the boxes (coffins, jail cells, stereotypes) society has put us in and create from a place where everyone can simply be.

Did your experiences growing up play a part in the molding of Dirty Little Black Girls?
Yes as it does with all of my plays. That’s why I refuse to get therapy, what would I have left to write about?

Why did you title the play Dirty Little Black Girls?
It creates a physical reaction different in each person and that really is where the play begins.

Why did you become a playwright?
I’m a born story teller.

Where did you the inspiration for your characters?
Life.

Where did you find your cast of amazing actresses?
I have no idea why these women aren’t famous but when they are they’d still better do my plays!

How did you become involved with Freedom Train Productions?
They had been following my work.

Have you had any other plays produced?
I’ve actually never been produced I’ve only had staged readings or bare bones workshops.

What’s in the future for Dirty Little Black Girls? Film? More stage readings?
I’m praying on all of the above and more.

Anything else you would like to share?

Tell everyone to hit me up on facebook to keep in touch search Ione Lloyd

National Suicide Prevention Week

2009-09-13T17:19:00.009-04:00

by Steven Emmanuel

In lieu of National Suicide Prevention Week the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund highlights five stories, domestically and abroad, of gay youth and gay young adults who have committed suicide because of the homophobia they have endure.

Eleven-year-old Jaheem Herrera’s body was discovered by his 10-year-old sister, Yerralis, hanging from a closet in their Atlanta home. Herrera was constantly being bullied at school, often harassed because of his feminine demeanor. Herrera’s mother, Masika Bermude, complained several times to the school board, but her demand for intervention often went ignored. Herrera committed suicide on April 16th.

After months of persistent bullying Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover committed suicide. The athlete-student was found by his mother, Sirdeaner L. Walker, hanging from an extension cord in the second floor of their Massachusetts home. Walker-Hoover would have turn twelve two days later.

Eric Mohat, 17, was a music and theater lover. In 2007, on the day he shot and killed himself, he was told by a classmate, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you." Earlier this year his story resurfaced, after his family filed a lawsuit against his school requesting the school start an anti-bullying program and demand the death of their son be recognized as “bullycide.”

Daniel Cudd, 23, and Roger Irons, 21, both United Kingdom natives, were found dead in separate incidents in their hometown of Falmouth, Cornwall. Cudd and Irons succumbed to the hostility and torment they faced for being gay. Cudd was discovered life-less at his home and only 48 hours later Irons was found hung from a park tree.

National Suicide Prevention Week was established by the American Association of Suicidology.

To learn more about National Suicide Prevention Week please visit www.suicidology.org

To get counseling please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Obama should dump ‘don't ask, don't tell'

2009-09-09T14:08:00.002-04:00

Source: Chron

By Patrick F. McCann

The recent killing of Houston native and sailor August Provost III while he was apparently at his post on base in San Diego provides the most tragic and poignant illustration that it is well-past time to cast the discredited policy of “don't ask, don't tell” on the trash heap of history. This sad and pointless incident ought to have something good come from it.

Although one hesitates to speak about any criminal matter before the investigation is complete, and the accused in this case has now apparently taken his own life and we will never know his side of this sad tale, his family asserted that Provost had been harassed for his sexual orientation for nearly a year. They stated that though he lived an openly gay life with them, he feared bringing this to his command's attention for fear of being kicked out of the Navy.

Yet by all accounts this was a good and decent man, a sailor who enlisted out of a desire to serve his country, and was honorably at his post when his killer or killers struck. Perhaps his attack might not have been prevented, as no one knows what lurked in the attacker's heart. Whatever his orientation, though, this man deserved better, from his service, and from the citizens he swore to protect.

I urge President Barack Obama to honor his memory by finally casting aside the disastrous “don't ask, don't tell” policy that has oppressed gay and lesbian service members and actually undermined our national security.

Not one American life has been saved by this policy, which forbids gay service members from honestly declaring their orientation while in the service. In fact, in a time when we are using Coast Guard members to guard land-based supply convoys, and when our active and reserve and guard service members are stretched to the breaking point, our various services spend an enormous amount of time trying to expel good, honorable soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines whose only crime is that they may be gay.

One wonders how many posts go unfilled because they were held by a perfectly competent and diligent soldier whose service suspected he was, or he admitted he was, gay? Can our country truly afford this kind of foolish short-sighted behavior in a time of war, when we need every skilled medic, nurse, infantryman, pilot, navigator and ship's crew member?

Perhaps more important than the simple fact that this policy does not work is the fact that it is fundamentally unfair. If a nephew or cousin or relative of mine, or anyone's, wished to serve the country that gives them shelter and freedom, what man or woman has the right to deny them because they are gay? Are we to deny them the right to vote as well? To run for office? There are a few special times in life when one knows, deep in one's heart, that one is a citizen of a democracy; when one votes, when one stands for public office, or pays taxes, and finally, perhaps, most importantly, when one dons the uniform of one's country. We should not deny our neighbors the right to stand up for the very freedom they enjoy.

There are those who will raise their voices and say others will not serve with gays. They are wrong, because our service men and women, for the most part, serve with them now, and for the most part, this recent tragedy notwithstanding, respect them and leave them in peace.

There are those who say it will affect retention and recruitment. They are wrong. No man or women looking to undertake the enormous risks and hardships we now demand of our service members in facing two wars gives a tinker's damn whether or not they will work alongside gay men and women. Younger people in this time simply do not think in this old and hate-filled way. Moreover, they know full well that they will work alongside them in civilian life, so why should it make a difference?

Our military places Jews and Muslims together with Christians and Wiccans, atheists and animists, blacks, whites, Latinos and Asians and expects them to work together. So far that has proven remarkably successful, so much so that the military is often held up as an example to others in our society. The voices that say no to this change are the voices of timidity and cowardice, of fear and unreason.

I urge President Obama to display the courage that Seaman Provost did in joining the service. I ask that he show the same fortitude that Harry Truman did when he integrated the armed forces more than 60 years ago by executive order. I humbly ask that he formally and forever discard the failed policy of “don't ask, don't tell.” This policy has hurt our sailors, our airmen, our Marines and our soldiers. It has torn good men and women from the service life they chose and love. It has only wounded, not strengthened, our country. Don't keep “don't ask, don't tell.”

Fight at Piedmont Park causes people to 'stampede'

2009-09-06T17:32:00.002-04:00

Source: Southern Voice

By Dyana Bagby

The Atlanta Police Department said people with guns were fighting in Piedmont Park at about 9 p.m. today causing hundreds of people to "stampede."

There were no initial reports of injuries and police said the scene was deemed safe after the crowd was dispersed. The park closes at 11 p.m. and most people were leaving the park at about 9:30 p.m.

Several arrests were made and two people was possibly maced, said APD LGBT liaison Officer Dani Lee Harris.

"The APD got a call about an unruly crowd at the park and responded to the scene. There were two Code 20s [use of mace] and several arrests were made, but it's not known yet how many," Harris said at about 10:15 p.m. "The crowd is dispersed and the scene is secure." She added there were no reports of any injuries.

Hundreds of people were gathered in the park today as part of an unofficial gathering of Black Gay Pride, with DJs playing music and numerous cookouts taking place. Sundays in the park is part of a long standing tradition at Black Gay Pride.

Ryan Lee, editor of David Atlanta magazine and senior reporter at Southern Voice, who was at the park tonight when the incident took place, said he heard no gunfire and police told him a fight broke out among a group of people who had guns. He said at about 9:30 p.m. the APD was attempting to clear out the park.

"There were people fighting with guns and that caused people to stampede," an APD officer told Lee at about 9:30 p.m. at the scene.

Earlier today, the park was filled with people dancing to music and picnicking as well as walking throughout the park.

"I like this crowd — I like coming to Pride because you can meet a lot of people from all around and you are able to be yourself," said Tee, 34, of Detroit, Mich., who was attending her first Black Gay Pride.

"I've been hearing about this party in the park for years. I've always heard this is the spot to be during Pride," she said.

NO APPROVAL DATE IN SIGHT: PROCEDURE TO PREVENT TRANSPHOBIC DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE/WELFARE

2009-09-02T13:53:00.006-04:00

Source: The Audre Lorde Project

A few weeks ago at a meeting with the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) we learned that the new procedure to address transphobic discrimination at HRA, which was developed over the last year with community input, is still not approved. In fact we learned that very little progress had been made. When asked when the procedure would be approved Jane Corbett, the Executive Deputy Commissioner of Constituent Services and Policy Improvement at HRA stated that she did not know when it would be approved.

This is unacceptable.

Our recent communication with HRA has been hostile – their admitted lack of progress amounts to a refusal by HRA to prevent Transphobic discrimination. Trans and Gender Non Conforming people face rampant Transphobia, discrimination and harassment when seeking to access welfare/public assistance in New York City every day. Every day that HRA does not approve the procedure this injustice continues.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please continue to forward this email as widely as possible and continue to collect petitions and postcards. Thank you so much to everyone for all your support – to date we have over 900 signed postcards and petitions! Look out for upcoming announcements about future campaign activities.

Join us in continuing to pressure HRA and Support Justice for Trans and Gender Non Conforming people!

1)Sign the e-petition and get others to sign.

2)Collect HRA Postcards. We are also collecting signed postcards to send to HRA. You can either:

·Make your own copies - Download the HRA Postcard, print it, sign it, get others to sign and mail the signed postcards to TransJustice, ALP, 85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Download postcard here.

Or

· Request postcards - Contact Mya Vazquez at 718-596-0342 x 23 or mvazquez@alp.org , tell us how many you want and where to mail them to.

3) Get involved with the campaign. To volunteer with the campaign or get more information contact mvazquez@alp.org

TransJustice, a project of the Audre Lorde Project, is one of the first community organizing groups created by and for Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) People of Color in New York City. The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color Community Organizer Center based in Brooklyn, New York.

Campaign Background

Since 2005, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) communities in New York City have been urging the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to address the rampant Transphobia, discrimination, and harassment that Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people in New York City face when seeking to access welfare/public assistance.

In June of 2008, a week before the Fourth Annual Trans Day of Action (annual March organized by TransJustice of the Audre Lorde Project) which was set to protest at HRA headquarters, HRA officials agreed to meet with TransJustice to hear community concerns. After this first meeting with HRA in the Fall of 2008, TransJustice formed a committee of organizations including the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Housing Works, Queers for Economic Justice and others, to develop a HRA procedure to address transphobic discrimination at HRA. To date HRA has not approved this new procedure.

In 2005 the New York City Human Resources Administration and a Citizen Advisory Transgender Sub Committee developed Best Practice Protocols for Working With and Serving Trans and Gender Non Conforming Employees and Clients (the new procedure is based on this document), these protocols sat on the shelf for years and were never implemented nor adopted by HRA. This cannot happen again.

Two Transgender Women Stabbed in Broad Daylight, One Dead

2009-08-28T17:40:00.000-04:00

Source: GLAAD

by Brendan Davis

Two transgender women were stabbed in Northwest Washington D.C. on Wednesday, MyFoxDC reported. The attack occurred on the 200 block of Q Street, NW at 2:30PM and left one of the women dead and one in critical condition.

Officers found 21 year old Tyli A Nana Boo Mack and her friend in front of an apartment building after the stabbing. Mack died after being rushed to the hospital, and her friend, whose identity is being withheld by police, is still in critical condition.

The attacker has not been caught, but witnesses say that they saw a man in his 30s fleeing the scene. The Washington Post reports that police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime based on information that they received from the victim when they arrived at the scene. The attack occurred two blocks away from the offices of Transgender Health Empowerment (THE), an organization that, according its website, hopes to “enhance the quality of life of the diverse transgender populations we serve”.

Read full story here.

Get in the Mix -- Become a RBMF Mentor!

2009-08-28T10:16:00.000-04:00

The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund would like to invite you to join us at our first Mentor Mixer. For those who are just being introduced to our work, we’ll be providing a brief overview of our history and initiatives. For those who have supported our work over the past four years, we’ll be unveiling our fall fundraisers and announcing the winners of the 2009 scholarship award. Most importantly, we’ll use the evening to begin transforming talented folks like you from young professionals and agents of change into mentors for the next generation of scholars and activists.

At the event, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the amazing young men and women who have received the seven scholarships we’ve granted since 2006. 2007 scholarship recipient Dashana Payne and her mentor Kemi Ilesanmi will be discussing their experience with our mentoring program, and 2009 recipient Nafissatou Traore (who has not yet been paired with a mentor) will speak briefly about how she’s been inspired by Rashawn’s legacy of selfless service and academic excellence.

We do hope that you’ll join us for this exciting event. Have a drink, bring a friend and learn a little about the role YOU can play in helping us build the New York City that Rashawn wanted to see; a diverse and affirming city free of violent crime.

To RSVP, email us today by clicking here.

25 protesters stage 'kiss-in' at Md. restaurant

2009-08-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

Source: Washington Blade

By: Rebecca Armendariz

Two women who say they were subjected to discrimination at the Tastee Diner in Silver Spring, Md., returned to the restaurant Wednesday evening for a “kiss-in” style protest.

The demonstration on behalf of Aiyi'nah Ford and her partner Torian Brown, who say they were asked to leave the restaurant after embracing at the counter, filled half of the restaurant with about 25 supporters.

Ford said she arrived at the restaurant and TV crews from local media outlets were already there. She reminded the crowd of the protest guidelines and discussed the dispute.
Supporters included transgender activist Dana Beyer and The Silver Spring Penguin, a local news source.

"When we arrived, they asked us to sit in the back. [The discrimination] is blatant, and they don't even know what they're doing. It's tragic and sad," Ford told the Blade.

"Someone brought her daughter, who was school age, not even 10, and she had a sign and she was protesting. It made me feel like I made the right decision," Ford said.

Now that the protest is over, Ford will continue to pursue her complaint with the Maryland Commission on Human Relations. The commission has agreed to consider and process the inquiry to file a discrimination complaint, according to an e-mail from intake coordinator Gloria Klatt.

Read for story here.

Watch the story here.

NYPD to Reactivate LGBT Advisory Committee

2009-08-17T07:27:00.001-04:00

Dear New Yorker,

This week I spoke with Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly about re-constituting an LGBT advisory committee to the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Commissioner Kelly agreed that this committee is of vital importance to the NYPD, the City and the continued safety of LGBT New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Commissioner Kelly directed the police officer assigned to his office as LGBT liaison to reactivate the committee.

This important step taken by the Commissioner will allow for the public safety concerns of LGBT New Yorkers to be registered fairly and thoroughly at the highest levels of the Department. The NYPD LGBT advisory committee will discuss public safety issues that affect our community throughout the city. Working with the NYPD's LGBT Community Liaison, I believe that this committee will help strengthen the working relationship between the NYPD and the LGBT community and help ensure the safety of all New Yorkers.

I encourage you to raise any concerns you may have about the safety of a particular individual or members of the LGBT community with the LGBT advisory committee or the LGBT Community Liaison.

To communicate any comments or concerns to the LGBT advisory committee, please contact the NYPD's LGBT Community Liaison Tim Duffy at (646) 610-6017 or timothy.duffy@nypd.org. You may also contact my LGBT Community Liaison, Erik Bottcher, at (212) 788-5646 or ebottcher@council.nyc.gov.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
New York City Council

Hate Crime Attack Victim Dwan Prince Blames Himself, Pleads for Reduced Sentence for Gaybasher

2009-08-10T14:16:00.001-04:00

Source: Rod 2.0

By: Rod McMullon

In a stunning development that could complicate the retrial of Steven Pomie in the 2005 assault of Dwan Prince, the gay Brooklyn man sent Pomie a letter in which he blamed himself for the vicious beating that left him partially paralyzed, Gay City News reports.

"First please allow me to deeply apology for my hated comment," Prince wrote in the July 20 letter, which Gay City News is quoting verbatim. "Please I do hope you know I am truly deeply sorry for what ever was sayed that night. I have made some big mistakes in my life and that was the stupidiest and biggest one of all."

Pomie, now 26, allegedly attacked Prince in Brooklyn’s Brownsville section after the now 31-year-old flirted with him. Pomie first beat and kicked Prince with two other men, and then made a second assault with another man, witnesses said during Pomie’s 2006 trial. When Pomie returned alone to deliver a third beating, witnesses prevented him from attacking Prince, who was lying unconscious on the sidewalk.

"I was at blame so it is my to my strongest degree that you get out as soon as possible," Prince wrote. ... "What I asked the state to do is sentence you to five years and five years parole." He also expressed the hope that they could be friends.

Pomie was convicted on charges of first-degree assault and first-degree assault as a hate crime. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison with the requirement that he serve at least 21 years before being eligible for parole. An appellate court reversed the conviction in 2008 and ordered the retrial on lesser charges of second-degree assault and second-degree assault as a hate crime.

Read full story here

Killer of Gay Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Assault, 180 Day Maximum Sentence

2009-07-18T23:10:00.003-04:00

Source: Rod 2.0
By: Rod McMullon

The teenager implicated in the case of a black gay Maryland man killed in a brutal street attack in Washington, D.C. pleads guilty to a misdemeanor charge and avoids substantial jail time.

Robert Hanna plead guilty to misdemeanor assault on Thursday in the September 2008 death of Tony Randolph Hunter, who was 37. Hunter and a friend were severely beaten as they were headed to the BeBar, the popular gay club. A severe blow to the head left Hunter in a coma and lingering ten days in a vegetative state.

Police arrested Hanna on October 15 for voluntary manslaughter in connection with the attack. Police initially claimed the attack was motivated by anti-gay bias but later said they had "insufficient evidence" to support that motive. Hanna used a "gay panic" defense and his lawyer argued that Hunter touched grabbed his client's crotch and buttocks. Gay activists in the nation's capitol previously complained the United States Attorney’s office did not aggressively prosecute the suspect.

Read full story here.

From FightOutLoud.com

2009-05-09T04:36:00.000-04:00

Victim Still Lives With His Assault

2009-03-20T13:47:00.001-04:00

Source: Gay City News
By: Duncan Osborne

Roughly four years after Steven Pomie nearly beat him to death on a street in Brooklyn's Brownsville section, Dwan Prince still lives with that assault.

The 31-year-old Prince for the most part is able to walk to medical appointments for the partial paralysis that resulted from the attack or for his AIDS diagnosis, but there are a few days each month when he needs his electric wheelchair.

"Usually I use the chair when my knee starts getting a lot of pain," Prince said.

The paralysis affects the entire left side of his body and the muscles on that side have contracted, shortening his left leg and reducing his use of his left arm. Now he walks "up and down," Prince said, referring to the bobbing motion he makes when he takes a stride.

He divides his time between the single room occupancy hotel he lives in on West 137th Street, Harlem United, an AIDS group, and the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), traveling by bus from one to the other for meals, meetings, and to meet friends.

"Harlem United is like a family," he said. "GMHC really can't help me, because I'm not really a client there."

A current struggle is getting the city's HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA), an agency not known for its effectiveness in serving its 31,000 clients with AIDS, to move him from his small room in the SRO to a larger space that can accommodate him and his wheelchair.

Read the full story here.

"Jersey Four" Lesbian Gets Jailed for Assault

2009-03-19T16:46:00.001-04:00

Source: The Advocate
By Michelle Garcia

A New Jersey lesbian pleaded guilty on Tuesday to assaulting a man in 2006. Renata Hill (left) will serve the remainder of a three-year sentence for reportedly stabbing Dwayne Buckle (right) after he made sexual comments to her and the group of women she was with, according to Newsday.

When Buckle made the comment to one of the seven lesbians in the group, she said she wasn't interested. He threatened and then assaulted several them, strangling the woman to whom he made the advance, according to Gay City News. Hill stabbed Buckle to make him stop, and two men approached the group to fend him off.

Three of the seven women made plea deals and four went to trial in 2007, launching sensational media coverage calling them "wolves" and "bloodthirsty lesbians." "The New Jersey Four," as they became known, were convicted on assault and gang assault charges after unsuccessfully arguing that they acted only in self-defense. However, an appellate court threw out one of their convictions, while Hill, who had initially been sentenced to eight years in prison, and another were subject to a retrial. The fourth woman's sentence was reduced from 11 to eight years.

Hill, who has already served two years, must surrender at a prison in Bedford Hills, N.Y., on April 30 to complete her sentence.

Dinners by Desire

2009-03-16T13:05:00.000-04:00

From noon-5pm this Saturday, Rashawn Brazell's mother Desire will be selling home-cooked dinners to raise money for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship. Meals include southern fried chicken, collard greens, baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad, curried chicken, peas and rice, oxtails and red velvet cake for desert. Chicken meals are a mere $8 and oxtail meals a mere $9.

1091-1103 Gates Avenue
Apartment 4D
(Between Broadway & Bushwick)
Brooklyn, NY

call 917.971.5321 for details

Memorializing Michael Sandy

2009-02-12T13:13:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends and Family of Michael Sandy,

Attached is an invitation for a fund raising event in order to facilitate a permanent memorial at Plumb Beach to mark and honor Michael Sandy.

As much as this monument will honor Michael, we hope it will also honor others who have lost their lives due to crimes of hate. We at the Michael Sandy Foundation want to take this opportunity to invite anyone and everyone to think about what this monument might look like. There are many examples of monuments with similar messages around the country, monuments or sculpture that represent lives lost.

One such sculpture, The Vietnam War Memorial is one that was a landmark sculptural concept and one of the first of it's kind to honor the lives of soldiers who risked their lives for the safety of America; without using soldiers or war images in it's medium. Maya Lin thought completely out of the box when she entered her concept into competition and because of this, it won and has since changed how monuments like these are created, thought of and interact with people and the landscape.

As a friend and family or causal supporter, we invite you to think of this monument. What should it look like, how will it best represent Michael and others. Perhaps this too will become a National Monument, or even just a symbol of victims of Hate. If you wish to submit any sketches, drawings or simple ideas please e-mail them to: michaelsandyfoundation@gmail.com

We hope to have this created and built by October 12, 2009 to mark the third anniversary of Michael's death - so we have lots of work to do. Please send all ideas and notes by February 13th to The Micheal Sandy Foundation board members (michaelsandyfoundation@gmail.com)

Thank you again for all your support.

With every good wish,

Patrick McBride
President, Michael Sandy Foundation
michaelsandyfoundation@gmail.com

Judge Okays Evidence in 2007 Brooklyn Gay Killing

2009-02-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

By: DUNCAN OSBORNE
Source: Gay City News

The Brooklyn district attorney can use results from a line-up and photo identification in its case against the accused killer of Roberto Duncanson, a 20-year-old gay man stabbed to death in 2007.

"I find that the photo arrays were proper, that the line-up was also proper," Judge Neil J. Firetog said on February 5 in denying a defense motion to suppress that evidence against Omar Willock, an 18-year-old who faces two counts of second-degree murder, one as a hate crime, in the killing.

Allegedly, Duncanson encountered Willock on the street in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section just before 1 a.m. on May 12. Willock, who used anti-gay slurs, accused Duncanson of looking at him. When Duncanson again passed by, a fight ensued and Willock stabbed Duncanson four times in the back, according to a 2007 statement from the district attorney.

Duncanson died roughly one hour later at Kings County Hospital.

The hearing revealed that the prosecution may have overcome what could have been a serious obstacle in the case -- Omar has an identical twin named Omari and there is just a single witness who says Omar was the killer.

On May 14, that witness, a woman, came forward and identified Omar as the killer.

Read the full story here.

Depression, isolation, rejection lead many gay youths to attempt suicide

2009-01-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

BY STEVE ROTHAUS
Source: Miami Herald

Above, Jojo Corvaiá and Eddy McIntyre.

Attorney Eddy McIntyre worked tirelessly for many South Florida groups and causes, including YES Institute, a nonprofit to prevent young gay people from killing themselves.

What few knew: McIntyre himself suffered for years from depression and tried to commit suicide at least once in the early 2000s. The local gay community was shocked in 2007 when he hanged himself at age 47 inside his Miami Shores garage.

His death illuminates an issue of particular concern to gays and lesbians.

More than 32,000 people kill themselves each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which lists suicide as a ''major health issue'' for gay men. ''Gay male adolescents are two to three times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide,'' the CDC reports on its website.

The issue will be examined 9 p.m. Saturday, when Prayers for Bobby, starring Sigourney Weaver, premieres on the Lifetime TV network. Based on a nonfiction book by the late journalist Leroy Aarons, it is about an intolerant mother whose gay teenage son kills himself. It's an everyday story, said Charles Robbins, right, executive director of the Trevor Project, a national gay suicide prevention group.

Read the full story here.

Coalition marches through South Side

2009-01-21T12:57:00.002-05:00

By: Sam Worley
Source: Windy City Times

Marchers walked through Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. Photos by Sam Worley

On the holiday celebrating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Coalition for Justice and Respect ( CJR ) sponsored a march Jan. 19 along 79th Street in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. In a rally preceding the March for Justice and Respect, now in its third year, CJR representative Mark Loveless highlighted ongoing problems faced by Black LGBT people in the realms of healthcare, employment, social services and the criminal-justice system.

He noted in particular the three-year-old shooting deaths of two Black gay men at 79th Street and Woodlawn Avenue—a development Loveless said is a hate crime that remains unsolved.

Loveless said that the passage of Proposition 8, the recent California state initiative banning same-sex marriage, served as a reminder of the importance of grassroots organizing by the LGBT community. Despite the historic election of President Barack Obama, Loveless said, “The effort of social justice is not over with the election of any official.”

Bob Schwartz, an activist with the Gay Liberation Network, echoed Loveless' remarks. “This justice will not be elected, in Washington or elsewhere,” Schwartz told the assembled crowd of about 20 people. “ [ Obama's ] election would not have been possible but for the movement that was led by [ Martin Luther ] King.” Schwartz pointed to the recent police killing of a young Black man in Oakland, as well as the ongoing struggles of Hurricane Katrina survivors, as examples of work still needed in order to reach t he goals of social justice and racial equality.

After the rally, the marchers walked east along the sidewalk of 79th Street, carrying signs that read “Proud to be black and gay,” “We will not back dow,” and “Honor my family.” Loveless and others led chants of “Equality for all!” as the group huddled close in the cold January morning air.

Assault Conviction Tossed Out in 2005 Dwan Prince Attack

2008-12-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

By: DUNCAN OSBORNE
Source: Gay City News

A state appellate court reversed Steven Pomie's conviction on charges of first-degree assault and first-degree assault as a hate crime in the 2005 anti-gay attack on Dwan Prince, ordered a new trial for Pomie, and said he could only be tried on lesser charges of second-degree assault and second-degree assault as a hate crime.

The assault, which happened in Brooklyn's Brownsville section, left Prince permanently disabled and unable to work.

"The judgment is reversed, on the law and as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice, the sentence imposed thereon is vacated, those counts of the indictment charging assault in the first degree and assault in the first degree as a hate crime are dismissed," the four-judge panel wrote in an October opinion which was only recently found by Gay City News. "The matter is remitted... for a new trial on the charges of assault in the second degree and assault in the second degree as a hate crime."

The appellate court ruled that Deborah A. Dowling, Pomie's trial judge, erred in her jury instructions on an element of the verdict that determined if he was guilty of first-degree assault or second-degree assault. The central question was whether Pomie acted with depraved indifference, a requirement for first-degree assault.

"The evidence at trial was legally insufficient to establish the crime of assault in the first degree based on depraved indifference to human life," the appellate court wrote.

Read the full story here.

Gay man shot, killed in Logan Circle

2008-12-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

Victim was walking home from 17th Street bars
By LOU CHIBBARO JR, Washington Blade | Dec 16, 1:43 PM

A 35-year-old gay man was shot in the head and killed shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday at 11th and Q streets, N.W., while walking home from the Fox & Hound, a restaurant and bar near Dupont Circle, according to D.C. police.

The victim was identified as Durval V. Martins of the 200 block of Bates Street, N.W. A police statement said Martins also suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

Acting Lt. Brett Parson, who oversees the police’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, said the motive for the killing was unknown but could have been robbery. He noted that officers found the victim’s wallet in his hand.

Read full story here.

Family Keeps Vigil for Beaten Brooklyn Man

2008-12-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

By KAREEM FAHIM
Source: New York Times

An Ecuadorean immigrant who was brutally beaten in Brooklyn last weekend in what the police have described as a possible bias attack was declared brain-dead on Tuesday, a law enforcement official said. But the man was being kept on life support while his family decides whether to donate his organs, the official said.

There have been no arrests in the attack, which came four weeks after the fatal stabbing of an Ecuadorean immigrant on Long Island by a group of teenagers who had been looking for a Latino to attack. The attacks have jolted nerves in the city’s Latino communities and have drawn wide condemnation from city officials and Ecuadorean community leaders, many of whom joined relatives of the Brooklyn beating victim on Tuesday.

At a press conference outside Elmhurst Hospital Center, where the man, Jose O. Sucuzhanay, was being treated, his brother Diego Sucuzhanay said he was alive but in critical condition. Family members were waiting for Mr. Sucuzhanay’s parents to arrive from Ecuador before making any medical decisions.

Hospital officials refused to comment on the victim’s condition, citing the family’s wishes. The law enforcement official, however, said that a death certificate had been filed.

Speaking outside the hospital, Diego Sucuzhanay said his brother had been singled out for his “skin color” and sounded a warning to other immigrants. “Today my brother is the victim, but tomorrow it could be your brother, your mother, your father,” Mr. Sucuzhanay said.

Read the full story here.

THE LIBRA PARTY... A Multi-Tiered Benefit for the Michael Sandy Foundation

2008-10-04T21:13:00.000-04:00

The Michael Sandy Foundation presents A Multi-Tiered Benefit to
Celebrate Libras and the Life of Michael J. Sandy which will take
place on Saturday October 11th 2008 at 5pm. This event will be held
at 128 Meserole St. Brooklyn, NY 11206. We are presenting this event
to heighten the awareness of hate crimes and to raise money to benefit
hate crime victims and their families. This three tiered event will
include a silent auction (5pm-7pm), a pumpkin carving contest with
celebrity judges (7pm-9pm, $25 to enter), and a dance party with your
favorite DJs (9pm-midnight). A cash bar will be available featuring a
special pumpkin martini.

This event was created to celebrate all Libra birthdays including that
of Michael J. Sandy. On October 13th 2006 Michael's life ended after
being struck by a car on the belt parkway. He was lured to this
remote location through the Internet by a group of four adolescent men
with the intention rob him. Scared, Sandy fled the scene only to run
into oncoming traffic being struck by a vehicle which caused his
death. All four perpetrators were found guilty of hate crimes and are
now serving prison terms.

All proceeds will benefit the Michael Sandy Foundation 501(c3)
committed to creating awareness of hate crimes in under served
communities and providing financial and emotional support to victims
of hate crimes and their families. If you would like to submit
artwork or a service for the silent auction please contact TONY at
TRBRUCE@GMAIL.COM with the following details: Your Name, Gallery or
Studio Affiliation, Phone Number, Email Address and a description of
art with image if possible. Checks or cash will be accepted payment
for all items won at auction.

If you are unable to attend donations can still be made via paypal at
http://michaelsandyfoundation.org

LETS CELEBRATE LIFE!

THE LIBRA PARTY CREW and THE MICHAEL SANDY FOUNDATION
http://www.michaelsandyfoundation.org/

Standing up to anti-gay attacks in D.C.

2008-10-03T16:39:00.001-04:00

Source: SocialistWorker.org
By: Derron Thweatt

WASHINGTON--More than 100 people packed the Metropolitan Community Church in the Northwest section of the city September 28 to remember Tony Randolph Hunter, a Black gay man who was severely beaten and robbed by four unidentified assailants on September 7. He died from his injuries 11 days later.

In the last several months, hate crimes based on sexuality have increased. But people in the region are starting to organize to fight back against homophobia.

Hunter had just left the annual Black Family Reunion celebration on the National Mall and was on his way to Be Bar, a local LGBT lounge, when he was beaten only a block away from the club. According to a city council member, on the night of the assault, police were just down the street.

At the memorial, Hunter's friends spoke about the grief they face because of his passing and of their fear of being LGBT in the city, but they also talked about the need to challenge homophobia in society. After the memorial at the church, the crowd took over the streets and held a candlelight march, passing the lounge to the site where Hunter was beaten.

Unfortunately, this deadly assault isn't unique. According to the Washington news magazine Metro Weekly, on August 9, Michael Roike and Stevon-Christophe Burrell were beaten in front of Playbill Cafe in Logan neighborhood while standing up to a group of men calling them homophobic slurs.

In July, five unidentified males beat Todd Metrokin and a friend in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, again after making "homophobic remarks about their appearance," reported the Washington Blade.

At Hunter's memorial, Metrokin spoke about his injuries, including a boot print across his face, swollen eyes and stitches that ran across his ear. According to the Washington City Paper, his friend had a broken rib cage and broken finger from the attack, and his partner suffered injuries in the attack as well.

Before this incident, another man, Nathaniel Salerno was attacked on a Metro train last December.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

IN THE face of this violence, people within the LGBT community and their allies are fighting back.

On September 8, the day after Hunter was assaulted, a group of people met to restart the D.C.-based grassroots organization Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV). The group was originally started in the 1990s to combat antigay violence, and dissolved some years later after people thought the organization had achieved its goals.

One issue that has arisen in the last several weeks is race--most, though not all, of the antigay attacks have targeted white gay men, and the alleged perpetrators are mostly Black males, according to the victims. On Internet message boards, comments have ranged from people seeking unity to outright racism.

Those organizing to stand up to the attacks have emphasized the need for people to work in unity, because we can't rely on the police or city council to do much to help end anti-gay violence. Without pressure, they end up doing nothing.

In order to really fight back against homophobia and anti-gay violence, we are going to have to work together-- gay and straight, Black and white--whether the police act, or not. Together, we'll be stronger to fight for a world where homophobia isn't tolerated by any human being.

Police arrest one suspect involved in July hate crime

2008-09-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

Source: MetroWeekly
By: Yusef Najafi

The Washington Metropolitan Police Department announced late Monday, Sept. 29, that a suspect involved in an apparent hate crime has been arrested. According to the MPD, the suspect is a teenage male and D.C. resident, who was apprehended on Thursday, Sept. 25, and charged with aggravated assault. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.

The youth is suspected of being involved in the July 13 attack of three gay men who were assaulted around 4:30 a.m. after leaving a private party in the 1800 block of Kalorama Road, in Adams Morgan. Among the victims was Todd Metrokin, 39, whose substantial injuries required several stitches and left a boot print on his face. He has since spoken widely about the attack, helping to raise community awareness.

In late July, the MPD announced that it was seeking five suspects involved in the attack, describing all suspects as ''black males in their late teens or early twenties,'' with one wearing a black baseball cap, white tank-top and jeans.

The Sept. 25 arrest comes more than two months after the incident occurred, yet gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jack Jacobson, of ANC 2B04 in Dupont Circle, who contacted Metro Weekly in July following the attack, says he is encouraged by the news.

''I think it's more important that the arrest be made correctly than that it be made immediately,'' Jacobson says. ''Of course you always hope that these arrests would happen more quickly, but it took a while for the Police to build their case and, working with the District Attorney's Office, I'm confident that this will lead to a conviction.''

The MPD have no further details at this time regarding the remaining suspects.

Says Jacobson: ''I'm hopeful that this arrest will lead to arrests of the other suspects in the case and prosecution of all them who are responsible for the attack.''

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the GLLU at 877-495-5995.

Quick Murder Verdict in 2001 Edgar Garzon Slaying in Jackson Heights

2008-09-11T22:24:00.000-04:00

Source: Gay City News
By: DUNCAN OSBORNE

Almost exactly seven years after the Jackson Heights slaying of Edgar Garzon (shown here), John L. McGhee has been convicted of his murder.
A Queens jury quickly convicte d John L. McGhee of second-degree murder in the 2001 killing of Edgar Garzon, a 35-year-old gay man.

"It shows the tenacity of his mother," said Andres Duque, a friend of Garzon's. "She pushed, she knocked on every door, she went to every government representative she could... It does bring closure to a family that has been seeking closure for all this time."

The jury deliberated for, at most, one day after hearing closing statements the morning of September 10. They returned the verdict just after noon on September 11.

Once their deliberations began, jurors asked to have testimony from 21-year-old Christopher Ricalde, the sole eyewitness to the attack, and a detective in the case read back. They also looked at other evidence, but the speed with which they convicted McGhee, 40, suggests they had little debate about his guilt.

In a statement, Richard A. Brown, the Queens district attorney, said, "It was an ugly and brutal act of savagery that will now result in the defendant serving what will probably be the rest of his life behind bars."

McGhee attacked Garzon on 77th Street in Jackson Heights on August 15, 2001. Garzon remained in a coma until his death on September 4, 2001. McGhee, 40, left the US for England in December 2001.

Police knew that at least two men were present at the assault and they drove away in a red car. Ricalde, who was 14 at the time, came forward in early 2003 and identified McGhee as the assailant.

Police located McGhee in England in 2003. He was sent back to the US by British authorities in June of 2006 after he lied on a visa application there. New York City police met his flight from England and he was arrested hours later.

McGhee faces a minimum sentence o f 15-to-life, but could get as much as 25-to-life when sentenced on September 29. McGhee's 2007 trial in the case ended with the judge declaring a mistrial.

At the first trial, Charles D. Abercrombie, McGhee's attorney, mounted an effective cross-examination of Ricalde, whose testimony was often contradictory and confusing, and used that in a convincing summation. In the second trial, Karen L. Ross, the prosecutor in the case, limited Ricalde's time on the stand and gave Abercrombie fewer ways to attack his testimony.

"We are happy that the Queens district attorney successfully prosecuted this crime," said Sharon Stapel, executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP). "We hope that this sends a statement that bias crimes against the LGBT community won't be tolerated in New York City."

Rally Against Hate Crime & Violence

2008-09-11T21:56:00.001-04:00

ANTI – VIOLENCE RALLY FOR NYC HATE CRIME SURVIVOR GEO VAUGHN

SEPTEMBER 13TH FOLEY SQUARE (CITY HALL) 3PM -6PM.

On August 24th 2008, LGBT musician singer songwriter GEO VAUGHN www.myspace.com/geovaughn was the victim of a brutal hate crime here on the streets of New York City. GEO was brutally attacked by six males after GEO and a friend asked one of his attackers if he could confirm the address of the nightclub.When asked if they knew of its whereabouts GEO was called anti – GAY slurs, knocked to the ground stomped and brutally beaten by his attackers. Three of the six assailants were immediately captured while three still remain at large pending investigation.

Not one to be taken lightly GEO VAUGHN is fighting back! While still in recovery from wounds sustained from the attack, (and battling chronic Epilepsy) GEO has joined forces with friends , music fans and LGBT Community supporters OUTmusic www.outmusic.com , The NY LGBT Community Center, www.gaycenter.org , AVP- The NYC Gay& Lesbian Anti Violence Project www.avp.org and Our Youth New Jersey www.myspace.com/our_youth .

Together and in support of GEO Vaughn- a rally will take place on Saturday September 13th at Foley Square (City Hall) NYC 3pm -6pm. With special guest appearances by, OUTmusic member and NYC Hate Crime Survivor recording artist KEVIN AVIANCE, OUTmusic CEO DEIDRA MEREDITH, and NY LGBT CENTER Speaker, Special concert performances by LGBT recording artists , DAN MANJOVI, FRANK GRIMALDI, MORRY CAMPBELL, BRIAN KENT, SCANDELLE, DEEPA SOUL, MICHAEL LYNCH, STEVE KAUFMAN, and SCOTTIE GAGE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

CLARENCE JOHNSON - OUTmusic Events Coordinator and Director of Volunteer Staffing clarence@outmusic.com

Clarence Johnson
New Events Coordinator/ Director Of Volunteer Staffing
OUTmusic
PO Box 376
Old Chelsea Station
New York NY USA 10113-0376
Cell (718) 913 - 0442
clarence@outmusic.com
www.outmusic.com

College Student Found Strangled in Chelsea Apt.; 22-year-old Confesses

2008-09-05T21:52:00.001-04:00

Source: New York Blade

College Student Found Strangled in Chelsea Apt.; 22-year-old Confesses
Anti-Violence Project explains how our reactions to the murder can influence our own safety and well-being. Plus: Safety tips for dating and online encounters.

By TRENTON STRAUBE
Sep. 05, 2008

Gay 19-year-old student Kevin Pravia was found strangled in his Chelsea apartment Sunday evening, Aug. 31. By Tuesday, a 22-year-old had confessed to the crime; he now faces murder charges.

But the story doesn’t end there. How we as individuals and as members of the LGBT community discuss and interpret the facts of the case can affect our future safety, said Kim Fountain, the deputy director of the New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project.

According to police and news reports, Pravia, a sophomore at Pace University, was last seen about 5 a.m. Saturday. He was drunk at a party and had to be helped in a cab to get home. Instead of going to his 15th Street apartment, he ended up in Union Square where he met 22-year-old Jeromie Cancel. The two discussed doing drugs and went to Pravia’s home, Cancel told police. Soon after, Pravia fell asleep. Cancel then killed the teenager by strangling him with a cord and shoving plastic down his throat before stealing his phone, which he sold, and laptop.

The next day, Cancel bragged about the murder to his father, who called the police (Cancel had also allegedly stolen his father’s PlayStation). Cancel confessed to the killing, according to the Daily News, even bragging to police that he watched the horror movie “Saw” before leaving his victim’s apartment.

When asked by a crowd of reporters why he killed Pravia, Cancel, with short-cropped hair and trendy wire-framed glasses, gloated, “Because I wanted to. You gotta problem with that?” Later, he was ordered to go on medication after he started spinning around and acting bizarre during questioning.

When details of the Pravia murder were breaking Monday morning, all that was known then was that Pravia was a teenage college student at Pace and had been found dead by his roommate; his Facebook photo was included in the reports. Already, bloggers and online commentators speculated that Pravia was gay and that he was the victim of a sexual hookup that had gone very wrong—after all, he was cute and he lived in Chelsea. What else could it be? Right?

Wrong. For example, Cancel denied any sexual activity and police reports confirm that. That’s why, given the facts so far, the case is not considered a LGBT hate crime—it wasn’t motivated by the victim’s real or perceived sexuality or gender identity. The official term for the Cancel/Pravia case is a “crime of opportunity.”

People—and the media—begin to piece together information in ways that harm the community, Fountain says. Comments such as “He was young,” “He was using drugs,” “He was gay,” “He was a partier” come together to create a stereotype of a person who deserved to be harmed or should have known better.

In turn, that leads people to stop being cautious in their own minds because they think, “I’d never do that so I’m not going to be harmed.” They miss a lot of facts because they stop looking.

“Judging [Pravia] or dismissing him doesn’t lead to your safety or the safety of people around you,” Fountain said. “People do bad things all the time. People who seek to harm other people are out there. We ask people to be aware, not to the point of paranoia, but to the point of being safe.”

AVP’s website, avp.org, includes safety tips on dating and meeting people online (see our list of those hints at the end of this story).

Noting what she considers “a harmful stigma against the ways many gay men choose to find sexual partners,” Fontain said that AVP is “not here to wag fingers and police people’s behaviors. We’re here to say, ‘If you choose to do this, here are some safety tips.’

“That’s what we want to encourage,” she said. “And to encourage people to take care of one another. As a community to look after one another. Talk about this, talk to one another. Find information.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Safety Tips for Dating
and Online Encounters

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Projects offers these tips for online and safe dating. Download additional ideas and specifics about these tips at avp.org.

• Trust your gut.

• Get a picture (face shot) and phone number before you meet the person.

• If you decide to meet someone in person, meet in public.

•If you host:

Leave valuables (wallet, money, checkbook, jewelry, or things that look expensive or have sentimental value) out of sight.
Keep items that could be used as a weapon out of sight (kitchen knives, bats, etc).
Stay awake the entire time the person is there—no sleep‐overs the first time!

It is better not to host if you don’t live in a secure building. Remember, from that point on, the person you meet knows where you live.
Keep your cell phone charged and close to you at all times. But remember: The police or your friend can’t be there immediately so have a backup safety plan.

• If they host:

Tell at least one person the address where you will be and for how long.
Bring your phone and keep it charged.
Do not accept drinks (even water) at the person’s home unless you observe the drink being poured. Date rape drugs have no odor or flavor even in water.
If somebody else is at the home when you get there, exit.
If at any point you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, leave immediately. You don’t have to give an explanation. Be assertive without being aggressive.

• If you meet in public:

A well‐lit and crowded place is best. It gives you the chance to see how your date interacts in public.
If you would rather meet at a bar or a club, remember to get your own drinks. If you drink at all, don’t drink past a mild buzz. Assailants often perceive intoxication as a vulnerability.
If someone insists on getting your drink for you, tell him or her no. If the date still doesn’t respect that, don’t take the drink and don’t socialize with the person.
Another advantage of meeting in public is that you can bring friends with you. They can watch your back.
If you decide to leave with the person, get the address of where you’ll be and the date’s phone number. Introduce him or her to the bartender, friends or acquaintances before leaving.

The Anti-Violence Project 24-hour bilingual hotline is 212-714-1141.

Deal Possible in Gay Man's 2007 Murder

2008-09-04T23:35:00.000-04:00

Source: Gay City News
By: DUNCAN OSBORNE

The Brooklyn district attorney may consider a plea deal in the 2007 killing of Roberto Duncanson, a 20-year-old gay man.

"We're exploring the possibility of a disposition," said Benjamin Heinrich, the attorney for Omar Willock, the 18-year-old Brooklyn man charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one as a hate crime, in the Duncanson murder.

Heinrich spoke at a September 2 hearing in the case. The trial was supposed to start on that date, but with Neil J. Firetog, the judge in the case, still on vacation, that date was moved to October 6 .

Allegedly, Duncanson encountered Willock on the street in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section just before 1 a.m. on May 12. Willock, who used anti-gay slurs, accused Duncanson of looking at him. When Duncanson again passed by, a fight ensued and Willock stabbed Duncanson four times in the back, according to a 2007 statement from the district attorney. Duncanson died roughly one hour later at Kings County Hospital.

Willock was arrested five days later, but he surrendered to police with a lawyer and never gave a statement. The knife was never recovered.

The district attorney has two witnesses to the killing, only one of whom identified Willock, but that one witness knew Willock for roughly a year, making for a more reliable identification. Willock has a twin and presumably the witness can tell them apart.

Howard Jackson, the prosecutor in the case, said his office had not made any offers to Willock nor would it, but they would consider any offer that the defense made. Jackson said the defense had not come to him with a possible sentence or charge that Willock would plead to.

Heinrich did not respond to a call seeking comment.

Karen Palmer, Duncanson's mother, who has attended every pre-trial hearing in the case along with a large group of the victim's friends, said she was "neutral" about a deal.

Such a deal would have to be approved by Charles J. Hynes, the district attorney, who said in 2006 interview with Gay City News "I don't plea bar gain bias-related crimes. I don't do that... We're not going to tolerate attacks on members of this community."

Hynes made that comment when discussing the 2006 murder of Michael J. Sandy, a 29-year-old gay man. In that case, Hynes made a deal with one defendant to secure his testimony against the other three and, following the conviction of two defendants on manslaughter and robbery charges, his office made a deal with the fourth.

"Considering the spike in numbers with hate violence against LGBT communities, especially this past summer, we would hope the judge would send a strong and clear message that violence against the LGBT communities would not be tolerated," said Kim Fountain, deputy director at the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP).

Find his killer: Mom of butchered Bushwick man wants answers

2008-08-29T23:21:00.002-04:00

BY SIMONE WEICHSELBAUM
Source: Daily News

Desire Brazell holds photo of her slain son, Rashawn (below), in her Brooklyn home.

Just one phone call.

That is all grieving mother Desire Brazell prays for.

Since Rashawn Brazell's butchered body was found scattered across Brooklyn three years ago, his mom has lived with the added burden of fear that the killer will strike again.

"I hope someone can call in and give the information we need to close this case," said Desire Brazell. "I don't want any family to go through what I went through."

Tomorrow, the Brazells will lead a memorial march in the 19-year-old victim's honor from his old Bushwick apartment to the Bedford-Stuyvesant subway station where his body parts were first found.

They hope the walk will stir up public interest in the case leading to that one clue pointing cops towards Rashawn Brazell's killer.

During the predawn hours of Feb. 17, 2005, two transit workers found a bloody trash bag in the tunnel of the Nostrand Avenue station. The bag contained Brazell's right shoulder, right arm, and lower legs, police said.

Five days later, another grisly discovery: a piece of Brazell's pelvis was found in a Greenpoint recycling plant.

Police have chased down many possibilities behind the sick murder - from angry gay lovers to a twisted serial killer.

Even "America's Most Wanted" picked up the case, airing at least three shows featuring the slaying.

"We have chased hundreds of leads across the country, and we are not closer today than we were in 2005," said Lt. John Cornicello, commander of the NYPD's Brooklyn North homicide squad.

"It is very hard to say after all this time that there is nothing new. It is a shame."

Detectives have flown all over the country - from Florida to Colorado - hunting leads, said police.

Investigators spent time in Texas sniffing around a duffel bag factory after DNA evidence proved that an empty black bag sitting in the subway tunnel was used to carry the victim's corpse.

To keep the case active, detectives have busied themselves blanketing the city with flyers featuring Brazell's sad story and combing the dance floors of popular gay clubs, hoping for a hint about how he died.

Desire Brazell refuses to give up.

She is confident that one day the right tip will finally deliver the justice she is longing for.

"This person is sill living amongst us," she said. There is $22,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Tipsters can call CrimeStoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

Bringing Justice Home: A March for Rashawn

2008-08-24T13:29:00.001-04:00

Three years after the brutal murder of her son, Desire Brazell literally sees him everywhere. Much of the city is covered in posters offering a $12,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Rashawn’s killer; the Nostrand Avenue subway station where his dismembered remains were discovered in February 2005, the streets of Greenwich Village where he enjoyed nights out with friends and even on several Jersey-bound PATH trains. Everywhere but in the bustling Bushwick neighborhood that he called home.

With each day that witnesses and would-be informants remain silent about the crime, the callous murderer that killed her 19-year old son gains a little more time to elude justice. So, after three years without a single suspect in custody, Desire believes that the time has come for the Bushwick community that embraced and nurtured Rashawn to aid in tracking down his killer. On Saturday, August 30th, Desire will be directing an hour-long flyering session geared toward soliciting tips from neighbors and commuters who might have information about what happened on Valentine’s day of 2005 when her son left their Gates Avenue apartment, never to be seen again. Her message is a simple one: if you want justice, you have to start at home.

And Desire will not be alone. After posting reward flyers throughout the area where Rashawn was raised, Desire will lead NYPD officers, elected officials, activists and concerned community members in a march to the subway stop where her son’s severed body parts were found to proclaim that no parent should ever lose their child to homophobic violence or intolerance of any kind. Also joining her will be the parents and families of gay and lesbian people of color from New York and New Jersey who have been jailed, assaulted, killed or treated unjustly because of their identities.

Desire is supported by the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund, which honors the teen’s legacy by granting $1500 scholarships annually to college-bound NYC students committed to the fight against racism, sexism and homophobia. Invited guests include NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Councilwoman Letitia James, Kimma Dandridge (mother of the New Jersey Four’s Terrain Dandridge), Denise and Ezekiel Sandy (parents of the late Michael Sandy) and LaTona Gunn (mother of the late Sakia Gunn.

For more information about the march, visit www.RashawnBrazell.com/news.

Autopsy Pending On Slain UC Riverside Professor

2008-07-16T17:05:00.000-04:00

Autopsy Pending On Slain UC Riverside Professor
Source: CBS2.com

Lindon Barrett, a UC Riverside Professor, was found murdered at his Long Beach apartment.

An autopsy is pending on the death of a popular and highly respected UC Riverside English professor whose slain body was discovered in his Long Beach home over the weekend, authorities said.

Lindon Barrett, 46, was discovered by police inside a condominium in the 100 block of West Fifth Street around 9 a.m. Sunday, after neighbors reported smelling a foul odor coming from one of the units, according to a release from the Long Beach Police Department.

Authorities have not yet determined his cause of death, but an autopsy is expected to be performed Wednesday, said Los Angeles County Coroner's Lt. John Kadas.

Barrett's badly decomposed body indicated that he had been dead for several days, police said, and further investigation led authorities to believe he may have been murdered.

After finding Barrett's body, investigators at the scene also noticed that Barrett's car -- a two-door black Lexus -- was missing. Police found the parked vehicle near Paramount Boulevard and South Street, and set up a surveillance, police said.

Later that night, Marlon Martinez, 20, of Long Beach returned to the Lexus, and was taken into custody, according to the release.

Martinez was booked on suspicion of murder at the Long Beach jail and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, jail records show.

Read the full story here.

Attack alarms city’s gays

2008-07-15T09:46:00.001-04:00

Source: citizen-times.com
Josh Boatwright and Lisa Gillespie

A downtown robbery in which a man said his attackers used antigay slurs has some residents organizing to improve the safety of gays and lesbians on city streets. The man told police two men punched, kicked and robbed him shortly after midnight July 6 near O. Henry Avenue and Haywood Street, according to a police report.

The man said he fought off his attackers with a pocketknife and tried to scale a fence nearby, but they pulled him down and continued beating him while shouting vulgar slurs.The man stabbed one of his assailants with a pocketknife before they left with his wallet, according to the report. Asheville Police Capt. Tim Splain said it does not appear the suspects attacked the victim because he was gay.“In this case, they were doing a robbery, and they ended up making some antigay slurs,” Splain said. The man fought his attackers and emerged from the struggle unscathed, he said.

A concerned community
Word of the attack traveled quickly by e-mail and a blog entry this week, resulting in a community meeting Wednesday night that drew 80 people to the Firestorm Café in Asheville. Organizers of a group to be called the Safe Streets Asheville Project floated the idea of creating a telephone hot line for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to help report hate crimes to the police.They also hoped the group would be able to coordinate rides home for those without a car. Safe Streets organizer Louise Newton said others have told her stories about recent attacks that appeared motivated by hate after she sent out e-mails about the meeting. “That just brought home to me that it’s not just about this single event, but actually about a series of events and a culture in Asheville that’s an underbelly that we don’t see very often,” she said, adding that the city is a generally progressive and inclusive place.Reports of assaults against gays and lesbians highlight the need for people to speak out, said Michael Harney, a prevention educator for the Western North Carolina AIDS Project.

“I think this is gonna be an educational opportunity within the GLBT community to encourage people, no matter what — if they are called a name, if someone throws something at them or they are physically assaulted — to report it,” Harney said in an interview after the meeting. Harney suggested hate crime victim services be added to the United Way’s 211 information hot line that provides listings for a variety of local agencies.‘It’s disappointing’ Others at the meeting said the incident shed doubt on their perception of Asheville as a gay-friendly place.“Outside of Asheville, the city has a reputation of being very open. I was shocked to learn that this is not the case; it’s disappointing,” said Cliff Yudell, who recently moved to Asheville from Miami to retire. “There needs to be a central organization that deals with gay rights and concerns, and the larger community should care about this.”Sasha Tobin, 23, said she walks all over town to save gas money, and she wants to have someone to call if she feels like she’s in danger.“Five other women live in my house that identify as queer, and we shouldn’t have to feel at risk every time we walk from our house to downtown,” she said.

Investigating the crime
Police are investigating possible connections between the July 6 robbery and several other incidents reported in the city last weekend, Splain said.He also explained why the police had not immediately acknowledged that the incident had been reported after receiving calls earlier this week from people in the community asking about a gay bashing on Haywood Street.Because the report was listed as a common-law robbery, he said, it wasn’t immediately clear what incident they were asking about.Splain said reports in Asheville of crimes motivated by hatred against gays are rare, though he suspects many may go unreported by those who don’t want to make their sexual orientation public. “There always needs to be some awareness that people are treated differently based on their sexual preference or race,” he said.

Lack of legal protections
Even though reporting hate crimes based on sexual orientation is voluntary for law enforcement agencies, Ian Palmquist, executive director of the gay-rights lobbying group Equality NC, said they are the second-most reported type of bias-motivated crime, after race. North Carolina hate crime laws do not include sexual orientation as a protected category, and Palmquist said the lack of other legal protections may cause some not to report crimes.“We live in a state where it’s perfectly legal to fire someone simply because they’re gay, and victims may be reluctant to go forward and go public if they know their sexual orientation is going to be put out to the world,” Palmquist said in a phone interview. Newton said people should not be pressured to come forward after an assault or other traumatic event if they don’t want to, but the community needs to be there to support them. Splain said Police Chief Bill Hogan and others in the department have met with leaders in Asheville’s GLBT community and will continue to work to address their concerns.Newton said her group plans to hold more meetings in coming weeks.

Evidence lacking for hate crime charge in Newark slayings

2008-04-29T11:04:00.001-04:00

Activists fear authorities caved to pressure from families
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Washington Blade

A New Jersey prosecutor last week said investigators have yet to find sufficient evidence to classify as a hate crime the execution-style slayings of three college students in a Newark schoolyard last August hours before they planned to attend a Gay Pride festival.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas McTigue responded to reporters' questions about a possible hate crime angle in the slayings at a courthouse news conference April 24 following the arraignment of two 16-year-old youths charged in the case.

One of the youths, Shahid Baskerville, has been charged with 20 criminal offenses in the case, including three counts of murder and three counts of aggravated sexual assault against one of two female victims.

Baskerville and Gerardo Gomez, who were 15 at the time of the murders, were the last to be arraigned among six males charged with murder, robbery and weapon possession offenses in a case that has attracted international attention. The others charged in the case range in age from 18 to 28.

Baskerville and Gomez pleaded not guilty through their lawyers at the arraignment, and Essex County Superior Court Judge Donald Volkert continued their bail at $1 million each.

"We have not been able to establish a hate crime" under the definition of the New Jersey hate crimes statute, McTigue said at the news conference. "We don't have probable cause for a hate crime," he said.

At least one of the slaying victims, Dashon Harvey, 20, was openly gay.

Harvey, Terrance Aeriel, 18, and Iofemi Hightower, 20, were shot point blank in the head after being lined up along a fence shortly before midnight at Newark's Mt. Vernon Elementary School on Aug. 4, 2007, police have said.

Natasha Aeriel, the sister of Terrance Aeriel, was also shot in the head and left for dead but survived and has been cooperating with authorities.

All four were enrolled as students at Delaware State University. They met up at the school grounds to wait for a friend, who told the Blade he invited them to spend the night at his house near the school.

The friend, who spoke on condition that his name be withheld, said the five had planned to drive together to New York City the next morning to attend a black Gay Pride event at Riis Park Beach.

McTigue said prosecutors would follow all leads in the investigation. He said his office would not be deterred by political or community pressure to avoid pursuing a possible hate crimes motive.

Gay activists said representatives of the families of the victims have told them they did not support efforts to publicly identify the murders as an anti-gay hate crime.

"We were told that anything related to the victims' sexual orientation should remain a private matter," said James Credle, co-president of Newark Pride Alliance, a gay group. "They made it clear that they didn't want the case to go in that direction," he said.

Credle said speculation that the killings might be an anti-gay hate crime has been unsettling to many, including family members of the victims, in Newark's large black community, where homosexuality remains a sensitive issue.

All of the victims in the slayings were black. Credle, whose Newark Pride Alliance advocates on behalf of black gays, said the group has been struggling to persuade city officials and the black community that authorities should determine whether the murders were based on the perception that the victims were gay, even if some were not.

"My concern is whether the prosecutor would consider the preference of the families to be political pressure or not," Credle said after Thursday's arraignment. "Because the families clearly don't want this to be noted."

Credle and Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, a New Jersey gay rights group, attended the arraignment and the prosecutor's news conference.

Goldstein said he takes McTigue at his word that prosecutors won't be influenced by outside pressure, but he called McTigue's statement about lacking probable cause for a hate crime "vague" and unresponsive.

"The gay community of New Jersey is gravely concerned that this crime is not being investigated as a hate crime," Goldstein said. "It is true that we don't know if this was a hate crime based on one or more victims' sexual orientation," he said. "But we've got to find out."

"Is the prosecutor exploring the possibility that these were hate crimes based on the victims' sexual orientation? That's the answer that needs to be given to the public," Goldstein said.

In addition to Baskerville and Gomez, the others charged with murder and separate offenses in the case are Jose Carranza, 28, Rodolfo Godinez, 24, Melvin Jovel, 18, and Alexander Alfaro, 17. All were residents of Newark or surrounding towns.

McTigue said the charges against all six would go before a grand jury, with indictments expected in July or August.

Michael Robbins, an attorney for Gomez at the April 24 arraignment, said evidence he has seen so far indicates his client was present at the schoolyard but never wielded a weapon and never killed anyone.

Under New Jersey's criminal statutes, Gomez could be deemed responsible for the murders as an accomplice even if he never killed anyone himself.

Newark triple murder involved sexual assault, 'penetration'

2008-04-18T11:09:00.000-04:00

Slain college students planned to attend Gay Pride event
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
Washington Blade

One of four college students shot execution style in a Newark, N.J., schoolyard in August 2007, the day before they planned to attend a Gay Pride festival in New York, was sexually assaulted during the incident, according to new charges filed today against a defendant in the case.

Three of the students, two men and one woman, died at the scene from gunshot wounds to the head. A fourth student, a woman, was also shot in the head and left for dead, but survived and is cooperating with authorities.
The Essex County, N.J., prosecutor’s office today charged Shahid Baskerville, 16, with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated sexual assault, and one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, among other charges, in a crime that shocked the Newark community and attracted international media attention.

Paul Loriquet, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, said the victim of the sexual assault was a female but declined to disclose whether she was the female student who died or the one who survived the attack. Loriquet said the sexual assault, allegedly committed by Baskerville, involved “sexual penetration during a robbery and sexual penetration while armed.” He was also charged with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon – a machete.

Statements last year by Newark police and the city's mayor, Corey Booker, that the sole motive behind the murders appeared to be robbery drew sharp criticism from gay activists, who demanded that authorities investigate the incident as a possible anti-gay hate crime.

Friends said at least one of the victims, Dashon Harvey, 20, was an openly gay student at Delaware State University. The other slaying victims, Terrance "TJ" Aeriel, 18, and Iofemi Hightower, 20, were also enrolled at Delaware State. All three were lined up against a wall and shot in the head at point blank range while kneeling, police said.

Natasha Aeriel, who was shot in the head and left for dead, survived the attack and has been cooperating with police and prosecutors.

Within a month of the incident, police filed murder and robbery charges against six males, three of whom were juveniles. In January of this year, at the request of prosecutors, an Essex County judge ruled that one of the juveniles, Alexander Alfaro, 16, could be charged and brought to trial as an adult.

After months of deliberations by the county's juvenile court system, a judge today ruled that Baskerville, who was 15 at the time of the murders, and Gerardo Gomez, now 15, could also be charged and tried as adults. The two are scheduled for arraignment on April 24, where more details of their alleged role in the murders is expected to be released by prosecutors.

The others charged in the case are Melvin Jovel, who was 18 at the time of his arrest; Jose Carranza, who was 28 at the time; and Rodolfo Godinez, who was 24.

Steven Goldstein, executive director of the statewide gay rights group Garden State Equality, joined Laquetta Nelson and James Credle, co-founders of the gay group Newark Pride Alliance, in criticizing Newark authorities for not responding to their repeated calls for investigating the Newark schoolyard murders as anti-gay hate crimes.
All three said they were outraged when they learned from the Blade today about the latest development in the case, that a sexual assault had allegedly been an element in the murders.

"We have been talking to the mayor's office and the police for months, asking them to keep us abreast of what is going on and whether any of this involves a hate crime," Nelson said. "Now we find out about this, and they didn't give us the respect and courtesy of calling us."

Nelson and Goldstein said the fact that one of the attackers allegedly sexually assaulted one of the female victims does not lessen the possibility of a hate crime because lesbians are sometimes sexually assaulted by male perpetrators in hate crimes.

"They say all we need is a good man to turn us around," Nelson said. "Many lesbians have been raped and beaten, and that's still a hate crime, even though it involves someone of the opposite sex."

Nelson and Credle said they were especially concerned that authorities were not investigating the possibility that a hate crime could be a part of the schoolyard murders because the victims' parents and the city's establishment don't want to grapple with the possibility that the victims were gay.

Police and the mayor's office have said the motive for the murders appears to be robbery because Natasha Aeriel reportedly told police that one or more of the six accused assailants stole some belongings from some of the victims.

But friends of the victims have said little of value appeared to have been taken and that all of the victims' wallets were left at the scene.

One of the victims' friends told the Blade that all four of the students, who were enrolled at Delaware State University, planned to join him in attending a black Gay Pride event in Queens, N.Y., the day following their deaths.

The friend, who spoke on condition that he not be identified, said Dashon Harvey was openly gay and was out to his family. The friend said Iofemi Hightower did not identify herself as gay but "was pretty much like a tomboy."

The friend, who is also openly gay, said he and other friends find it hard to believe that the six assailants, some of whom had guns, would choose to kill the victims over a petty robbery. According to the friend, the mother of one of the victims said police told her that one or more of the assailants slashed the two male victims - Terrance Aeriel and Dashon Harvey - before shooting them to death.

"She thought it was more than just a robbery," the friend said.

Telling Sakia Gunn's Story

2008-04-11T18:35:00.001-04:00

By: CHRISTOPHER MURRAY
Source: Gay City News

Director and producer Charles Brack is in the final, frenzied stages of completing a feature-length documentary about the 2003 bias crime murder of 15-year-old Newark resident Sakia Gunn. Media coverage of Gunn's murder was paltry compared with that of Matthew Shepherd -- though Gay City News was a notable exception -- raising questions about the way race and gender play out in discussions about bias crimes against queer people.

Brack, 48, who is called Chas by his friends, grew up in Chicago and has youthful memories of the disorder during the 1968 Democratic National Convention there. The June day he left Ohio's Antioch College in 1983 with a degree in communications, he drove through the night to arrive in New York for the Gay Pride celebration.

Brack worked for the New York City Commission on Human Rights in its Lesbian and Gay Discrimination Unit and later the AIDS Discrimination Unit as a human rights investigator, eventually becoming an associate producer in the Education Department.

In 1992, he joined Gay Men's Health Crisis where he was the co-coordinator of the Media Unit and associate producer of the "Living with AIDS" cable news magazine program. In 1996, he returned to the Commission on Human Rights, in its Community Relations Bureau, where he worked closely with the police on bias cases.

Click here to read the full interview.

DA: Suspect Shouted Anti-Gay Taunts, Deadly Stabbing Came After Chasing Fleeing Victim

2008-03-26T14:39:00.000-04:00

By Charles Sweeney
Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle

JAY STREET — Hate was on the docket Friday when an 18-year-old charged with intentional murder in the stabbing death of a 20-year-old gay man last spring appeared in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Wednesday. He appeared at a pre-trial hearing as the case moves toward a trial.

The defendant, Omar Willock, is charged with a hate crimes offense for the May 12, 2007 murder, a distinction that raises the charge against him to first-degree murder, according to Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes.

Read more.

Victimization of gays get little attention in the media

2008-03-21T14:54:00.001-04:00

By William Butte
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

"Are you looking at me, you faggot? You know what I do to faggots? I break their necks!"

Melbourne Brunner heard this expression of irrationality, fear and hatred just moments before he was attacked by a stranger last month in front of a restaurant on Fort Lauderdale's toniest street. Brunner's partner had the temerity to say "Good morning" to the would-be assailant when they made eye-contact as he passed by their table.

But Brunner was lucky, so to speak. He survived the assault, since his assailant only used his fists, not a gun.

Across town, Simmie Williams Jr. wasn't as fortunate. The day before Brunner was attacked, the 17-year-old who favored the name Beyonce and was dressed as a woman, was shot and killed on a stretch of Sistrunk Boulevard known for transgender prostitution. Witnesses had heard an argument between Williams and two men that may have included anti-gay slurs.

That Fort Lauderdale's mayor hasn't said anything about either incident isn't surprising, since he still seems more passionately obsessed with men's rooms than Larry "Wide Stance" Craig.

But if you're surprised that these two incidents could happen on the supposedly über gay-friendly streets of Fort Lauderdale, perhaps it's because very few gay-related hate crimes receive mainstream media attention.

Ten years ago, the media's focus on the murder of Matthew Shepard made him an iconic symbol of hate crimes against the GLBT community, but since then, some equally shocking crimes have flown beneath the national media radar.

Ten days before Williams was killed, a 15-year-old boy, Lawrence King, was shot in the back of the head in his eighth-grade junior high school classroom in Oxnard, Calif., by a 14-year-old classmate. While he had been taunted throughout the year in every class as a "faggot," most of his teachers ignored the ongoing abuse.

Inexplicably, this horrific, tragic story has yet to receive the national media attention it deserves. If it had, perhaps the public would be less susceptible to the claims that an organization such as GLSEN wants to enter the public schools to "indoctrinate children into the homosexual lifestyle." Perhaps more people would realize instead that GLSEN wants to educate administrators and teachers that ignoring their students' homophobia can have deadly consequences.

Students at several school shootings — including Columbine, for example — admitted they'd taunted their killer classmates as gay, though this was rarely mentioned by mainstream media.

If the media paid more attention to King's murder and the homophobia behavior that permeates our public schools, perhaps there'd be a public outcry here in the Sunshine State against the Legislature's removal from the proposed Safe School bill language that addresses harassment of GLBT students.

Off-campus, gay-related hate crimes continue to pollute our society, yet go almost unseen by national media. One year ago in Polk County, 25-year-old Ryan Skipper was abducted and stabbed 20 times before he died; 19-year-old Steen Keith Fenrich of New York was murdered by his stepfather, who wrote an anti-gay, racist slur on his skull; and 3-year-old Ronnie Paris of Tampa died of child abuse at the hands of a father who feared his baby might become gay.

If the same level of attention given to Shepard's murder were given to these and all the gay-related hate crimes that have occurred since, our society might be shocked and perhaps outraged that Congress hasn't passed a GLBT-inclusive hate crimes bill.

And perhaps even more Americans would be repulsed by Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern's recent remark that homosexuality poses a bigger threat to the United States than terrorism.

Speaking about Lawrence King's murder on her TV show, Ellen DeGeneres said, "…when the message out there is so horrible that to be gay you can be killed for it, we need to change the message."

But that will only happen when the violent deaths of people killed for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender receive the same national media attention as the rants of the homophobic.

William Butte is a commentator on issues affecting the GLBT community. His column appears the third Friday of each month. E-mail him at wmbutte@bellsouth.net.

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Years later, two mothers shed tears for slain gay sons

2008-03-12T14:45:00.005-04:00

The mothers of two slain gay men have been close friends — and grieving — for years

BY SOFIA SANTANA
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Five years and a half-mile separate the violent deaths of two young gay men who were dressed as women along Sistrunk Boulevard.

Timothy Broadus: 22, shot dead on Jan. 8, 2003.

Simmie Williams Jr.: 17, shot dead on Feb. 22, 2008.

Their mothers have been close friends for years.

"I can't believe it happened again," said Broadus' mother, Veta Calloway, 66. Now, she is hoping Williams' case will draw attention to her own son's death.

She tries to comfort Williams' mother, Denise King, 38, whom she met around the time Broadus was killed. Both families lived in the same Hollywood apartments at the time, and King dated Broadus' brother.

Williams was just 12 when Broadus died, and the two young men never met, the mothers said.

Both cases remain unsolved and do not appear to involve the same killer, police say, although there were similarities. Both victims identified themselves as gay and sometimes dressed as women, and they were both shot by killers who may have made anti-gay slurs.

Both victims were careful to use street names to shield their families from their activities on Sistrunk Boulevard. Broadus was known as "Cinnamon," and Williams was known as "Chris," "Beyoncé" and "Lil' Rick."

Broadus worked as a prostitute along a portion of Sistrunk favored by cross-dressing prostitutes and their customers, and Williams may have been doing the same, police said.

There is a suspect in Broadus' case, police said, and King said she has received several anonymous phone calls from people who think they know who shot her son. Williams' death is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Police say it's possible that Broadus' death may also have elements of a hate crime.

Williams was dressed as a woman when he was killed, wearing a white T-shirt knotted up to reveal his midriff, police said. His black Addidas bag, which he took everywhere and contained his ID, is missing, King said.

Both mothers recall how their sons, rather than go out with friends, surprised them shortly before their deaths with a day of close bonding.

Broadus did not live with his mother at the time but made a daylong visit to her home on Christmas Eve to talk and watch TV together.

"He said, "Momma, I'm going to spend the day with you,'" Calloway recalled, smiling.

Williams spent the day before his death cooking for his mother and talking about food, King said.

"My son was my best friend," she said, sitting on a couch in Calloway's Dania Beach home, wearing a white T-shirt printed with her son's photo and date of death. "You could tell him anything and he would tell you anything," she said, crying.

While Williams' recent death made headlines locally and in the national gay media, Broadus' killing garnered little attention.

Broadus died along Northwest 21st Avenue wearing a blond weave in an elaborate up-do that he had someone style the night of his death, Calloway said.

A man driving a gray or silver Honda Accord cruised Sistrunk, waving over a couple women and then motioning them away when he saw Broadus, police said. Broadus, about six feet tall and 200 pounds, strutted up to the car, put his arm up the roof and ducked down to the window. The driver fired a .38-caliber gun, and the bullet pierced Broadus under his arm, traveling through to his chest, Calloway said. Broadus fell dead in the street, his purse and cash scattered behind him, police said.

Over the course of the next month, police investigated anonymous tips and ran forensic tests on a seized car and the bullet that struck Broadus. But they never had enough evidence to warrant an arrest, officials said.

Detectives suspect Broadus may have been targeted in retaliation for a fistfight he had with another man at a gas station about two weeks before he was killed. It's unclear what that dispute was about, but Broadus' mother is convinced that someone was picking on her son because he was gay.

Mark Broadus, Timothy Broadus' brother who dated King, agrees about the possible motive. He had seen his brother working in the Sistrunk neighborhood. "A lot of people in that area don't like gay people," he said. "I was definitely worried something was going to happen."

Police arrested Broadus 15 times since 1998, six of the arrests involving prostitution charges, according to state records.

When news of Williams' death reached both families last month, each was collectively thinking "not again."

Both mothers say they find solace and strength at Lighthouse Church of God & Christ, in Fort Lauderdale.

As they sat together in Calloway's home earlier this week, both looked to the ground and shook their heads.

"They're dead," Calloway said.

"And they're not coming back," said King.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mark Breen at 954-828-5708, Detective John Curcio at 954-828-5529 or Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

Staff researchers Barbara Hijek and Bill Lucey contributed to this story.

Sofia Santana can be reached at svsantana@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4631.

Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Uniting To End Hate Violence

2008-03-04T21:49:00.002-05:00

Author: Nadine Smith
Source: The Daily Voice

We have to make ending hate violence - no matter the target - a national priority. We have to speak up, at the top of our voices every time. We need a national hate crime law that sends a new and unmistakable message that we as a society will not allow any class of people to be terrorized by hate violence.

Two weeks ago, 17 year-old Simmie Williams, Jr. was gunned down on a street corner in Broward County. According to family and friends, the African-American teenager identified as gay and had reportedly reached out to transgender support groups in recent weeks. Police are investigating Simmie's murder as a possible hate crime based on the words they say were exchanged before the shooting.

On Friday, hundreds of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Broward residents gathered along with civil rights leaders, elected officials and Simmie's family and friends to remember the slain teen. Speakers offered condolences, denounced hate violence and passed the hat to help Denise King cover the cost of burying her son and offered reward money to help find his killers.

It was a beautiful display of love and unity in the face of unspeakable tragedy. It is the kind of unity and outrage that we need every day if we are going to end the epidemic of hate violence in our country.

Days after Simmie's murder, a gay man was beaten while leaving a local restaurant by an assailant who screamed "You know what I do to faggots? I break their necks."
The same day a noose was left in a nearby school cafeteria in what may have been a hate crime aimed at a student who'd done a report on Black History month. The student said she'd heard a joke going around campus earlier in the week: 'What do an apple and a black man have in common?'" The answer : '"They both look best hanging from a tree.'"

Simmie's murder came in the wake of national attention drawn by the classroom murder of Oxnard California 15 year-old Lawrence King, a constant target of harassment and ridicule because he wore makeup. Lawrence was shot in the back and in the head by a 14 year-old classmate who told friends in advance that Lawrence was "having his last day."

Now comes news that another Black transgender teen has been murdered in South Carolina.
"That Adolphus Simmons dressed like a woman was of no consequence to his neighbors at the Bradford Apartments in North Charleston. To them, his shooting death Monday night was a senseless loss of a beloved friend."-

Police would say these crimes are unrelated, carried out by different people but we know they are tied together by a common enemy: a willingness to do harm to those who are different. The brutal acts spring from common attitudes that are too often going unchallenged. For every national outcry in the wake of a hate crime, hundreds of equally brutal hate motivated attacks and murders occur without condemnation.

We have to make ending hate violence - no matter the target - a national priority. We have to speak up, at the top of our voices every time.

We need a national hate crime law that sends a new and unmistakable message that we as a society will not allow any class of people to be terrorized by hate violence. But we must do more than seek harsher punishments, we must address hate violence at its root, in the place it is thriving right now, our schools.

We know the perpetrators are overwhelmingly teenagers and young adults.
What begins as taunting, teasing and harassment at school quickly escalates into violence on our campuses and in our streets. Too few schools address the problem, instead waiting until blood is spilled and police are called.

We can begin to end hate violence by passing a federal anti-bullying bill that requires schools to address hate violence through prevention and education. By preparing teachers so they know how to respond and create a safe learning environment for all students.

We can change the culture of hate in society by banding together and refusing to be silent even when the victim doesn't look like us, believe what we believe or come from the same background.

Teen Trans Gunned Down in Florida

2008-02-27T14:29:00.001-05:00

by Kilian Melloy
Source: EDGE
Tuesday Feb 26, 2008

Authorities are investigating the Fort Lauderdale shooting death of a male teenager who was dressed as a woman with the possibility that the murder was a hate crime in mind.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel carried a story on Feb. 23 that reported on the shooting death of 17-year-old Simmie Williams, Jr., which took place in the early hours of Feb. 22 on Sistrunk Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale.

The article said that Williams was wearing a dress at the time of his murder. Two men reportedly exchanged words with Williams prior to his 12:45 a.m. shooting.

Williams was taken to Broward General Medical Center, where he died.

Williams, who the story said was known locally as "Chris" or "Beyonce," was killed several miles from his home. One theory was that he was working as a prostitute, the Sun-Sentinel article said. The corner where the young man was shot is known as a locale where transgendered sex workers ply their trade.

The article cited a killing that took place in 2003 not far from where Williams was gunned down

In January of that year, Timothy Broadus, who was also known as "Cinnamon," was shot and killed on Northwest 21st Avenue. Police said Broadus had been killed after approaching a man in a car. The killing was never solved.

The victim’s mother, Denise King, was quoted in the article as saying, "I gave him $2 for the bus and he never came back."

Continued King, "He was a quiet person, kept to himself. He had a lot of friends. He wasn’t a troubled child. He was a happy person."

King said that only two days before his murder, Williams had put his name in with the federal employment skills program Job Corps.

According to King, Williams had planned to earn his GED and then pursue training in the culinary arts, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Said King, "That’s what he really wanted to do. That’s all he talked about."

Continued King, who spoke with the media the day of the young man’s killing, "He spent the whole day with me yesterday, played with his nephew and cooked dinner."

The spokesperson for the local police, Detective Katherine Collins, said, "We’re looking into the possibility of a hate crime."

Said Collins, "There were some words exchanged prior to the shooting," though she did not offer details on the content of those words.

If the killing is determined to have been motivated by bias based on race, religion, sexuality, or other factors, it will be catalogued as a hate crime and be subject to enhanced sentencing, the Sun-Sentinel article noted.

In the case of Williams, the killing, if it was a hate crime, might have been spurred by any of several factors. Sunshine Cathedral’s dean, Grant Lynn Ford, was quoted in the Sun-Sentinel article as saying that Williams was effectively "a minority within a minority within a minority," given that he was a gay black man who cross-dressed.

Equality Florida, a GLBT equality organization, issued a news release on Feb. 25 decrying the killing and calling for meaningful anti-bullying legislation.

Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s executive director, said, "We can be horrified, but we cannot be surprised."

Continued Smith, "Just 10 days ago, 15 year-old Lawrence King was gunned down in California."
Smith went on, "Nearly a year ago, Ryan Skipper was brutally stabbed and his body dumped on the roadside here in Florida. And a week after Ryan’s murder, 20 year-old Sean Kennedy was killed outside a gay bar in South Carolina."

Said Smith, "All of these deaths were preventable. We all must have the will to act and compel our schools and our legislature to confront the harassment and violence directed at gay and transgender young people."

According to the news release, studies nationwide suggest that those who commit hate crimes are typically male, 18-24 years of age, and have a history of bullying others in school.

The news release said that for this reason, Equality Florida supports statewide Safe Schools legislation.

The news release quoted Michael Emanuel Rajner, who co-founded Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives.

Said Rajner, "It is time we demand our government to act and implement policy to decrease the risk factors affecting LGBT youth."

Continued Rajner, "Of the 900 youth in Broward County transitional living facilities, an estimated 25% are LGBT, many have been banished from their homes simply for being LGBT."

The news release announced that a memorial for Williams would take place on Feb. 27 on the 1000 block of Sistrunk Blvd., where the young man was murdered.

A town hall meeting is also scheduled to follow, at 6:30 p.m., at the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of South Florida 1717 N. Andrews Avenue, in Fort Lauderdale. The town hall meeting will convene to address to discuss hate crimes in Florida.

The Sun-Sentinel article said that those who might have information in the killing of Williams is asked to contact Detective Mark Breen by calling 954-828-5708.

Anyone with information is also encouraged to contact Broward Crime Stoppers by calling 954-493-8477.

Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor.

Queer, Dead and Nobody Cares

2008-02-26T17:34:00.003-05:00

By Kai Wright TheRoot.com
Why two violent deaths produced two totally different reactions.

A note left by a student is seen at a makeshift memorial honoring fifteen-year-old Lawrence King at E.O. Green School, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 in Oxnard, Calif. King was declared brain dead Wednesday after being shot in the head in class by a fellow student on Tuesday, February 12, 2008.

Feb. 26, 2008--Little Lawrence King was queer. Not just in some identity politics way, but literally. Despite the innocence of his round, brown cheeks and puppy dog eyes, the kid was a threatening oddity at his Ventura County junior high school. Either because he was brave or naïve, or because he just couldn't help himself, Lawrence reveled in the fact.

By all accounts, Lawrence delighted in the beauty of defying gender rules. He wore jewelry and lipstick, playfully changing up the colors from day to day; he strutted about in black, high-heel boots. And he had the audacity to admit he was sweet on one of his male classmates. That one act of vulnerability—a banal mainstay of middle schools everywhere—cost 15-year-old Lawrence his life. According to friends and news reports, the object of his affection walked into a computer lab Feb. 12 and shot Lawrence in the head.

National gay youth advocates are now valiantly trying to get the nation to recognize Lawrence's death, to draw an emotional line from the 1998 murder of Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard to this latest attack. It's an appropriate linkage: Both Matthew and Lawrence share a profile of youthful innocence that is in stark contrast to their violent deaths. But America has witnessed dozens of equally grisly anti-gay murders and violent attacks since Shepard's killing. These executions are routinely ignored—and I have always suspected that's because, like Lawrence, the victims rarely share Matthew's blonde hair, blue eyes and college education. Nonetheless, they reveal a brutal reality lurking below the surface of our nation's increasing "tolerance" of gay people.

I live in New York, and in this metropolitan area alone we've had a startling level of gay bloodshed in recent years. There was 15-year-old Sakia Gunn, a black teen who was stabbed to death in 2003 at a Newark bus stop, after she rebuffed a guy's flirtations by outing herself and her friends as lesbians. And there was 19-year-old Rashawn Brazell, whose dismembered black body the cops found scattered around Brooklyn in February 2005, his limbs shoved into a plastic bag and tossed onto the subway tracks, his torso similarly deposited in a recycling plant near the East River waterfront. They never found his severed head, or his killer.

The victims are not all teens. There's 29-year-old Michael Sandy, whom three white guys lured into a rendezvous by posing as a single gay man on a chat site in October 2006; they jumped him and chased him into highway traffic, where he was struck and killed. Then there's 27-year-old Dwan Prince, who was stomped into a coma at a Brooklyn bus stop because, in his attackers' words, "he came at me wrong." And just two days before Lawrence was gunned down in the computer lab for having a crush, 25-year-old Sanesha Stewart was stabbed to death in the Bronx, reportedly by a date who discovered she was transgender.

That's all just in the New York area -- and just a handful of the cases. In 2006 alone (the most recent data available), the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs counted 11 people murdered for being gay around the country. The organization's tally is considered a vast undercount, as it culls only incidents in the dozen or so states in which it has chapters. But the group's research is enough to make clear that anti-gay murders are far more commonplace than we acknowledge as a society. The victims are easily dismissed because they rarely evoke adjectives like "angelic," used so often to describe Matthew Shepard. Instead, in reporting on Sanesha Stewart's murder, the New York Daily News described her as "a 6-foot man in high heels and lipstick" and speculated she was a hooker. No wonder such a bizarre creature got itself killed, the report seemed to suggest.

We shrug off this sort of casual defining of gay lives as freakish in all corners of our society, from media to politics to schools. In 2005, a schools advocacy group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, surveyed just over 1,700 gay high school students. Eight out of 10 reported hearing words like "faggot" and "dyke" used "often" or "frequently" at school by other kids. Nearly a fifth said they heard it from school personnel as well. Two-thirds reported being harassed themselves because of their sexual orientation, and nearly half said they got picked on because, like Lawrence, they didn't act appropriately boyish or girlish.

All of this goes on with impunity: Just 16 percent of the kids said staff "frequently" did something when they overheard hearing homophobic slurs or harassment.
Even more common than explicit slurs are phrases such as "that's so gay" and "you're being queer." They aren't directed at homosexuality itself but are simply meant to identify something as particularly bad— gayness and queerness representing awful enough ideas to be catchall adjectives for anything unwanted. These putdowns are widely considered innocuous, but the kids who are actually gay and queer find them difficult to dismiss. Two-thirds of students in the survey felt stung by the remarks. Overall, 64 percent said they simply felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.

According to Lawrence's classmates, he had every reason to feel unsafe as well. He'd been moved around between gym classes because he got picked on, one friend told a local paper. "Every corner he turned around, people were saying, 'Oh, my god, he's wearing makeup today,' " another classmate told the Los Angeles Times. Lawrence's ability to stand up and be himself, despite being defined as an outcast for it, was nothing short of heroic. When we all ignore efforts to stomp out that sort of heroic existence—whether it comes in the form of bullying or murder—we are complicit in the act.

Kai Wright is author of the newly released Drifting Toward Love: Black, Brown, Gay and Coming of Age on the Streets of New York.

Damage to victim's brain permanent

2008-02-02T04:33:00.000-05:00

By Ray Huard
Source: UNION-TRIBUNE

A Lakeside man labeled a white supremacist by police was sentenced to 17 years in prison yesterday for beating a black man and someone he thought was gay in separate hate crimes at bars.

Timothy Michael Caban, 40, pleaded guilty in January to battery with serious bodily injury and personally inflicting great bodily injury.

The first attack, in October 2006, injured Eric Socorro Brunk on the patio of the 67 Bar and Grill in Lakeside.

In July 2007, Caban struck Sylvester Wilson outside Don's Cocktail Lounge in Lakeside. Wilson, who is black, suffered permanent brain damage, and doctors testified at an earlier hearing that he would never fully recover.

Wilson is paralyzed on one side, can barely speak and has trouble remembering and comprehending what is going on around him, his brother Ronald Wilson said in El Cajon Superior Court.

“I don't know if he (Caban) really realizes what he has done,” Ronald Wilson said. “I just hope there is some kind of lesson in this for him other than being in jail and wasting his life away.”

Advertisement Witnesses told investigators that Caban sucker-punched Wilson outside the back door of the bar July 8, 2007, after a bartender stopped serving Caban and his companions and they became rowdy.
As Caban left the bar, he took off his T-shirt to reveal a swastika tattoo across his shoulder and chest, then punched Wilson unprovoked with an uppercut, knocking him down, witnesses said. Wilson hit his head on the pavement and was bleeding from his ears and head when paramedics arrived minutes later.

On Oct. 10, 2006, Caban beat Brunk to the ground on the patio of the 67 Bar and Grill after asking Brunk and a friend, “Are you guys gay?”

Brunk was sitting with his wife and friend at the time, Deputy District Attorney Leon Schorr has said.

Brunk suffered a dislocated shoulder and facial cuts and bruises but has recovered, according to court records.

Caban has previous convictions dating to 1995 for crimes including battery, possession of drugs and domestic violence.

Choir Director Killed

2008-01-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

2008-01-02

Donald Young, 47, a choir conductor at the Trinity United Church of Christ, 400 W. 95th, was found dead in his South Side apartment Dec. 23. He suffered several gunshot wounds and police are investigating his death as a homicide.

It was the second major loss at the church in the past two months. Anthony Hollins, a Hazel Crest resident who helped lead the HIV/AIDS support ministry at Trinity, passed away Nov. 25 in Stroger Hospital of complications from AIDS.

For the past two decades, Young, who was gay, led the choir at Trinity, which is the home church of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their family.

Young was also a teacher, guiding fourth-graders at Guggenheim Elementary School, 7141 S. Morgan, The Chicago Tribune reported. He was planning to become a Chicago Public Schools principal.

According to The Chicago Sun-Times, Michelle Obama called the passing “sad,” adding “ [h]e was very well-known in the church family.”

A wake and funeral for Young were held Sat., Dec. 29, at the church. Over 3,000 people attended.

Chicago police have released a Crime Stoppers poster offering a $1,000 reward for information in Young's slaying. Anyone with information should call 311 or 800-535-STOP.

South Side march against hate

2008-01-02T15:46:00.000-05:00

Story and photos by Tracy Baim and Amy Wooten
Source: Windy City Times

Outraged that last year's New Year's Eve shooting at a party primarily attended by Black gay men on the city's South Side remains unsolved, members of the African-American LGBT community and their allies marched against anti-gay violence.

The Dec. 31 march, taking place over a 2.8-mile stretch of 79th Street between Wabash and Jeffery, was in cold and snowy conditions. The march was organized by Critical Caucus; Chicago's Black Gay Lesbian Bi Transgendered Leadership Council; and the Coalition for Justice and Respect.

About 20 people managed the distance, receiving strong protection from Chicago police.

Prior to the march, participants received words of strong support from political allies, including Alderman Ed Smith ( 28th ) , State Rep. Karen Yarbrough and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, followed by a prayer.

“It's warm enough for all of us to stand up against any kind of injustice,” Yarbrough said.

Smith expressed his anger at violence against “minorities of a minority,” and said something needs to be done to “stop this madness.” He vowed to stand with his community and see that justice is served.

“We're all here because we have to understand we have to stand up and not tolerate this inhumanity,” Sufferdin said, adding that until the hate and violence stops, the community and allies need to continue to march. Longtime activist Willie Barrow did not end up joining the effort, despite organizer's statements saying she would be there.

The march mostly included African Americans, plus four white supporters. Along the route, there were mostly stares, plus a few raised fists and honks from cars in support. There were a few jeers, and one obsessed fiftysomething African-American male screamed about the Bible condemning gays. However, once was not enough, as he kept moving his car along the route, getting out, hollering and pointing his finger, saying everyone in the march was going to hell. “Get out of our neighborhood!” he shouted, not acknowledging that some of the marchers were, in fact, from this area of town, and that the march was held there because of anti-gay violence committed in a gay-occupied home on Woodlawn and 79th.

The marchers shouted, “Stop the violence, stop the hate,” and “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” to patrons of beauty shops, liquor stores, Sears and small retail shops along the busy business district on New Year's Eve. The group ended its cold trek on the steps of the Winnie Mandela Alternative High School, 7847 S. Jeffery, feeling confident from the reception and emboldened by the statement they made in the community. Some had feared for their safety, and felt that completing the march was in itself a heroic act.

Black Gay Activists Fear Violence Pattern

2008-01-01T16:08:00.000-05:00

Black Gay Activists Fear Violence Pattern
by Amy Wooten
Source: Windy City Times

Local Black LGBT activists are concerned about the recent murders of two openly gay Black men on the South Side, and in light of the passing of the anniversary of last year's New Year's Eve South Side shooting, they are calling for the city to step up on combating what they fear is a pattern of violence against the community.

“We are calling on the police department to let the community know what's going on,” said the Coalition for Justice and Respect's Mark Loveless. He and others feel that the city and police haven't adequately responded to the killings.

Critical Caucus—a coalition of LGBT organizations such as the Coalition for Justice and Respect—as well as event planners and businesses, held a press conference at City Hall Dec. 27 to issue a community alert in response to the news of the murder of an openly gay choir director as well as the mid-November killing of a Black gay man. Loveless feels that the killings show a continued pattern of violence against Black gay men on the city's South Side.

Since the press conference, the Chicago Police Department has contacted Critical Caucus and requested a meeting. Loveless said that the meeting will take place early January.

“We are here because we are scared,” Loveless said. Black gay activists are calling on the Chicago Police Department to provide the community with more information. They also want city officials to help stop what they consider a pattern of violence, although police have no information linking the cases, which are still under investigation. Police also have no information as to whether or not the killings were motivated by hate.

On Nov. 17, 24-year-old Larry Bland was shot to death in his Englewood home. His family has voiced concern that he was possibly targeted because he was openly gay. Donald Young, 47, was found shot to death in his South Side apartment Dec. 23, and several items from his home were stolen. He was the choir director for Trinity United Church of Christ, which recently confirmed his sexual orientation to a local news station.

African-American Gay Community Scared Over Deaths

2007-12-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Activists fear gay African-Americans are being targeted for murder. Two openly gay men were killed recently on the South Side, as CBS 2's Mike Parker reports. African-American gay and lesbian groups are talking about the murders of two openly gay Black men in the past month.

Read more and watch the report.

Paramedics credited with saving gay stabbing victim’s life

2007-12-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

Source:The Washington Blade

Police and fire department paramedics have been credited with saving the life of a gay man whose jugular vein was slashed by an attacker who stabbed him multiple times on Nov. 21 after the two had sex in the victim’s D.C. apartment, according to police and court documents.

Responding within minutes of receiving emergency calls by sixth floor residents of River Park Apartments at 1311 Delaware Ave., S.W., paramedics and emergency medical technicians from the nearby Engine Company 7 firehouse staunched the bleeding neck of Lindley Murray before rushing him to the Med Star Unit at Washington Hospital Center, court records show.

On Nov. 24, detectives with the D.C. Police Department’s First District charged Tyrrell Jefferson, 23, with assault with intent to kill Murray following an intense, three-day investigation over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. A police affidavit in support of Jefferson’s arrest states that Murray played a key role in helping investigators identify and locate Jefferson after Murray made a “miraculous” recovery at the hospital. It states that Murray provided police with a digital photo of Jefferson, which Murray had stored in his cell phone.

The affidavit says Murray told police he had been an acquaintance of Jefferson for six years. He told investigators he picked Jefferson up from a location in Southeast D.C. on the night before the attack and drove him to his apartment after Jefferson expressed an interest in seeing him, the affidavit says.

“The complainant said that the two of them had sex together and that he fell asleep,” the affidavit says. “While sleeping, the complainant said that for no apparent reason, Tyrrell attacked him with a knife.” Murray told police Jefferson stabbed him repeatedly in the head, face and neck and that Jefferson retrieved a second knife from the kitchen after the first knife he used broke, the affidavit says. The affidavit says Jefferson fled the apartment after Murray ran outside the apartment into the hallway and screamed for help, prompting neighbors in nearby apartments to call police, according to the affidavit.

“Upon arriving on the scene, uniformed patrol officers located the complainant lying nude in the 6th floor hallway in front of his own apartment, suffering from multiple lacerations to his face, head, and neck,” the affidavit says. It says Jefferson drove away from the scene in Murray’s car, which police reported as stolen. Police found the car a short time later in Southeast D.C. and were able to locate Jefferson through a witness who was observed by police inside the car, the affidavit says. Jefferson is being held without bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday.

Sgt. J.B. Wallace, the gay liaison for the D.C. Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department, said records show that a fire truck with a paramedic and an ambulance with two medical technicians arrived on the scene five minutes and 27 seconds after the first call came in, a development that likely played an important role in saving Murray’s life.

Video: Man Claims Being Black, Gay Led To Attack

2007-12-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

click here for the NBC10.com video.

A man says his sexual orientation and race led to an ugly confrontation outside a Phoenixville, PA convenience store.

Robbery Plot Unfolds in Hate-Crime Murder Trial

2007-10-01T15:52:00.000-04:00

Gays are "easy to get." That was what the three men on trial for the murder of Michael Sandy allegedly thought when they planned to lure him for money and marijuana on Oct. 8, 2006.

Source: TheAdvocate.com
Read the full story here.

Newark triple murder may be anti-gay hate crime

2007-09-28T15:59:00.000-04:00

Victims' friends 'driven to despair' over alleged police, media cover-up
Source: ExpressGayNews.com
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.

A close friend of three college students who were shot to death execution style in a Newark, N.J., schoolyard in August said the students planned to join him in attending a black Gay Pride event in Queens, N.Y., the day following their deaths.

News of the students’ plans to attend the Aug. 5 event at New York City’s Riis Park Beach surfaced after a New Jersey gay group released a letter last week calling on Newark authorities to investigate the murders as possible anti-gay hate crimes.

The murder of the three students and the shooting of a fourth student, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, shocked Newark’s citizens and became the subject of international news coverage.

“[W]e want to know why, although the murders were committed more than a month ago, the fact of the sexual orientation of the youth has never been a part of the media or public discourse of the murders,” said Newark gay activist James Credle in a letter to Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

“This happened despite the fact that several sources, including friends, boyfriends/lovers of at least one of the victims and perhaps one of the parents knew that one or more of the murdered students were gay,” Credle wrote.

He sent the letter on behalf of Newark’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Two-Spirited Concerns Group. The group released the letter to the press. On the day the group released the letter, Credle and other activists met with members of the mayor’s office and several members of Newark City Council, including lesbian Council member Dana Rone, to urge city officials not to ignore a possible anti-gay hate crime angle to the murders.

Rone released a statement calling for “further investigation” to bring “clarity as to the motives” of the assailants in the crime.

“I urge the Essex County prosecutor’s office to explore these concerns brought forth by the gay and lesbian communities in Newark,” she said in her statement.

“Several young people, friends and classmates of [victims] Terrance Aeriel, Dashon Harvey, Iofemi Hightower and Natasha Aeriel have come forward,” Credle said in his letter. “In their fear and grief, they are further driven to despair by the refusal of the city administration, the police and the media to acknowledge the fact that some of the deceased were members and friends
of their community.”

Credle called on police and the Essex County, N.J., prosecutor’s office to investigate the case as a possible hate crime, based on the victims’ sexual orientation or race.

Police said Terrance Aeriel, 18, Dashon Harvey, 20, and Iofemi Hightower, 20, were lined up against a wall on the grounds of Mount Vernon Elementary School and shot point blank in the head. Authorities said Natasha Aeriel, Terrance’s sister, was also shot in the head and left for dead.

Aeriel survived the shooting, remained conscious on the night of the incident, and gave police a full account of what she saw, according to a report in the Newark Star-Ledger. After undergoing several surgical procedures, she is said to be recuperating.

Within a month of the incident, police filed murder and robbery charges against six males in connection with the case. Three of the six are juveniles.
Police and the mayor’s office continue to suggest the motive for the murders was robbery, pointing to a statement by Natasha Aeriel that one or more of the six accused assailants appeared to have announced a robbery.

However, Paul Loriquet, spokesperson for the Essex County, N.J., prosecutor’s office, said authorities are still investigating the case and his office has not disclosed an officially determined motive for the murders.

“We know robbery was a factor because they were all charged with robbery,” Loriquet said. “But was that the motive? That is still under investigation.”

Credle and other activists have said police and city officials appear to be ignoring evidence suggesting that the killings were hate crimes related to the victims’ actual or perceived sexual orientation. Credle told the Blade that he and others in the gay community have learned from friends and relatives of the victims that little of value was taken from the victims. He said friends claim all of their wallets were left at the scene.

Credle and others have questioned why the attackers, wielding guns, would have killed the victims if robbery alone was the motive.

Police have said all the victims were upstanding citizens who never had any run-ins with the law. Three were students at Delaware State University and one, Hightower, had planned to begin classes there this fall.

The friend of the student who spoke with the Blade, a 20-year-old Newark resident, said at least one of the victims was openly gay and all the others had gay friends and were known to hang out in “gay circles” at their high schools before going on to college.

The friend declined to disclose his name, saying he is concerned about possible negative consequences of speaking out openly about the sexual orientation of the deceased students.

He was put in touch with the Blade by Newark gay and AIDS activist Alex Williams, who manages a Newark drop-in center for young gay men sponsored by the Northern Jersey Community Research Initiative. The Initiative receives city, state and federal funding to carry out HIV-prevention programs, Williams said.

The friend of the murder victims, who said he is also gay, is a client at the Initiative, Williams and the student said.

He told the Blade that one of the victims, Terrance “TJ” Aeriel, 18, and one of the youths arrested in the case, Melvin Jovel, 18, each attended Newark’s West Side High School. He said it’s possible Jovel, who was a member of the school’s soccer team, recognized Aeriel during the fateful encounter in the Mount Vernon schoolyard on the night of the murders.

“A couple of other friends were talking and they think he had classes with TJ,” the friend said of Jovel. He said friends think the two might have been in the same Spanish class.

In addition to Jovel, who is a resident of Elizabeth, N.J., the others arrested and charged in the murders were Jose Carranza, 28, of Orange, N.J., Rodolfo Godinbez, 24, who was arrested in Prince George’s County, Md., and Alexander Alfaro, 16, who was arrested in Woodbridge, Va. Two others charged in the case, both 15, were not identified.

All four victims were close friends. The four were hanging out at the schoolyard on the night of the murders, as they often did, authorities said, because it was known as a gathering place for young people.

Police have said Natasha Aeriel told investigators that two of the six suspects were present on the school grounds when the four students arrived. Police said the other suspects arrived a short time later, a development that prompted the students to become worried and decide to leave. It was at that time that the suspects attacked the students, police said.

But police have declined to provide further details, other than to say that at least one of the suspects separated Natasha Aeriel from the others and shot her in the head, leaving her for dead.

The Newark Star-Ledger reported police sources as saying the other three students were led down some steps to a wall beneath a set of bleachers.

Authorities have said each of the three suspects has been linked to a local Newark gang, but they could not determine whether the murders were gang related.

News From the Michael Sandy Foundation

2007-09-28T11:28:00.000-04:00

The following message comes from our friends at The Michael Sandy Foundation. The RBMF proudly supports their efforts, and hopes that you'll join us in attending the events they've scheduled.

Dear Friends

Only one short year ago Michael was taken from us...and as this anniversary arises we'd like you to know the current status and updates from The Michael Sandy Foundation.

The Michael Sandy Foundation has been accredited with a 501(c)3 which makes us a NY Nonprofit Organization established with a Board of Directors. We've been very busy this past year finaling all the paperwork necessary to be given exempt tax status and become Incorporated, and now that we are the real work begins.

Please, dear friends, join with us in a one year memorial for Michael Sandy on Saturday the 13th of October 2007 at the St. Ignatius Church in Manhattan. The following day, October 14th, a candlelight vigil will be held where Michael was killed, Plumb Beach.

The events that are currently scheduled are:

Memorial Service
Sat. October 13th
St. Ignatius Loyola Parish
980 Park Ave. at 84th st.
New York, Ny 10028
Please arrive at 6:30, Service commences promptly at 7pm.

Candle Light Vigil and Public Statement
Sun. October 14th
Plumb Beach, Sheepshead Bay
Brooklyn, NY
Please arrive at 4:30, Event will commence promptly at 5pm.

This is serious, and we are committed. We know you are to.

All our love,

Michael Sandy Foundation
-Patrick McBride
-Keith Winsted
-Tony Bruce
-Michael Dudek
-Chelsea Tillett

All always donations can be made out to: The Michael Sandy Foundation
Mailing Address: The Michael Sandy Foundation PO BOX 20706 New York, NY 10011
Voicemail: 917 677 3108
Website: http://www.michaelsandyfoundation.org/
Email: michaelsandyfoundation@gmail.com

Georgetown Student Arrested In Possible Hate Crime

2007-09-28T10:13:00.000-04:00

Source: NBC News

WASHINGTON -- Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Thursday a man has been arrested in a possible hate crime in Georgetown.

On Sept. 9, a man was attacked in the 1400 block of 36th Street in Northwest by a group of men yelling homophobic slurs. On Wednesday, an arrest warrant was obtained for 19-year-old Phillip Anderton Cooney, a Georgetown University student from Texas. He is charged with simple assault.

Police said they identified Cooney from Facebook.com, a college networking Web site.

Authorities said that, suspecting his attacker was a Georgetown student, the victim scoured profiles and photos on the site. He said he found a picture that resembled the description of the man who had beaten him.

"The Metropolitan Police Department takes all crime seriously and is committed to bringing a swift end to crimes of hate and bias," Lanier said. "All members of the community should feel safe and welcome in our neighborhoods without the fear that they may become the victim of random violence. Investigating hate crimes often involves delicate and personal matters, and I commend these officers for staying on top of the case while ensuring the victim's well-being."

The Georgetown attack was the first of three possible anti-gay crimes in Northwest in September. On Sept. 13 a transgender person was attacked in Chinatown, and a man was attacked at about 1 a.m. Saturday after leaving a gay bar near the Convention Center.

Lanier said police have not seen a spike in reported hate crimes, despite the attention these three attacks have received.

Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for more information.

Previous Stories:
September 25, 2007: Man Beaten After Leaving Gay Bar In Northwest
September 15, 2007: Police Investigating Hate Crimes Against Gays
September 14, 2007: Transgender Woman Attacked In D.C.