Jarell Sears, Akino George, Gregory Archie and Gerard Johnson have all pled guilty to attacking gay recording artist Kevin Aviance last June, according to the Associated Press. During the attack, Aviance, 39, suffered several injuries, including a broken jaw, while they yelled anti-gay slurs at him. ( In a statement, Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, 'We applaud the state of New York for having hate crimes laws in place to help prevent and combat these acts of terror. Kevin's courage and strength in the face of his attack only motivates us to increase our urgency in passing enhanced national hate crimes legislation this year.' ) The attackers—who range in age from 17 to 21—will be sentenced separately over April and May.
Col. Margarethe Cammermeyer, the highest-ranking U.S. military official to openly serve, is mourning the death of her 32-year-old son, Andrew Hawken, according to GayWired.com . Hawken died in a tragic snowmobiling accident on March 2. Moreover, Cammermeyer has said that the accident would not have occurred if the path Hawken traveled on had been maintained properly.
Forget Schwarzenegger versus Predator; it's now Schwarzenegger versus Rush Limbaugh, according to the Associated Press. On a recent interview on the morning show Today, the actor-turned-politican replied to a question about his conservative critics by saying, 'All irrelevant. Rush Limbaugh is irrelevant. I am not his servant.' Limbaugh responded by saying that Schwarzenegger would have remained conservative if he had the proper 'leadership skills.'
Tony Dungy, coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, expressed his support of a same-sex marriage ban when he recently accepted an award from the conservative Indiana Family Institute. Dungy said that his comments should not be considered gay-bashing, although some LGBT-rights activists have disagreed.
In Colorado, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput has come to the defense of Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace, who recently called homosexuality 'immoral' and compared it to adultery, 365Gay.com reported. In the Denver Catholic Register, Chaput wrote, 'Note that Pace did not say, 'homosexual persons are evil.' He said that homosexual acts are wrong. And of course he's right.' The archbishop also stated that most U.S. citizens agree with Pace's view of homosexuality.
In Denton, Texas, a fire that destroyed the gay nightspot Mable Peabody's Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair has been ruled to be arson, The Dallas Morning News reported. Owner Kelly Sanders said that the perpetrator ( s ) vandalized the club before torching it, but is not sure if it was a hate crime.
LGBT organization Family Pride is again planning to participate in The White House Easter Egg Roll, which will be held on April 9, according to an organizational press release. Jennifer Chrisler, the group's executive director, said that the majority of the administration and other families welcomed them last year and that 'we must continue to introduce ourselves in a visible way to the American public.'
A lawsuit challenging a literary account of a 1989 explosion aboard the USS Iowa that killed 47 sailors has been settled. According to the book A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the USS Iowa and Its Cover-Up, the Navy initially said that a gay sailor upset over a failed romance with another man caused the incident.
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) has lauded the introduction of the Responsible Education About Life Act in both houses of the U.S. Congress, according to an HRC release. The act would create a grant program for comprehensive sex education. HRC President Joe Solmonese said, in part, that 'It's time to ensure that states can provide comprehensive sex education that gives students the tools they need to make responsible decisions.'
In Waco, Texas, six people—five riders and a Baylor University student—were jailed during Equality Ride 2, in which 50 young LGBTA people are traveling the country to talk with people at Christian colleges and universities, Advocate.com reported. They were charged with criminal trespassing, and bail was set at $2,000 for each person.
In Palm Springs, Calif., two gay business owners—Kurt Barrie of Echo Gallery and Dale Bergland of Chair Gear—contend that they were forced to close their shops after being harassed and intimidated because of their sexual orientation, The Desert Sun reported. Another says he is often called derogatory names by teenagers. Barrie said that people would do different things that were disruptive, including 'pound their fists,' put cardboard in front of their store windows, and call them names.
In California, testimony has end in a discrimination-based lawsuit against a high school student who repeatedly said 'That's so gay' to classmates, according to United Press International. Kathy and Elden Rice, who are seeking financial compensation, filed the suit after their daughter, Rebekah, was disciplined for using the phrase almost three years ago at a school in Santa Rosa.
Dutch scientists have discovered that the human genitalia produces a protein, Langerin, that devours HIV, according to Yahoo! News. The researchers hope to eventually learn to use the compound to curb the transmission of the virus.
In California, retired judge James Randal Ross, who was responsible for Disneyland lifting its ban against gays, passed away at 80. Ross was also the great-grandson of the famed outlaw Jesse James.
here!TV will stop sponsoring the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) award programs because of the organization's policy of only honoring mainstream programs, according to DailyNews.com . Stephen F. Macias, a senior vice president for here!TV said that 'Media has changed dramatically over the years because of the blood, sweat and tears of brave LGBT activists, yet GLAAD has not adjusted its policies and strategies to account for this as it relates to the high profile Media Awards.'
In promoting 'Colt Studio Day' in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom has raised the ire of conservatives, according to The Washington Blade. Newsom and two other elected officials recently issued official proclamations commemorating the 40th anniversary of the studio, which produces gay male pornography. 'San Francisco has proven yet again why [ it remains ] the mocked city of the country,' said Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of the Anaheim-based Traditional Values Coalition. 'No other major city in the nation has gone so far as to blatantly glorify a homosexual porn producer and company.'
Terry McMillan—the author of several books, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back—has filed a $40 million lawsuit against ex-husband Jonathan Plummer, stating that he attempted to damage her reputation during their divorce two years ago, according to Contra Costa Times. McMillan, 55, contends in a complaint that Plummer, 32, only married her to become a U.S. citizen and alleges that he and his attorney, Dolores Sargent, engaged in a 'malicious, reckless and intentional plan to leak false information to the media.'
