Saturday, April 27

US

The Human Rights Campaign Warns LGBTQ+ People Against Visiting Florida
24May By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

The Human Rights Campaign Warns LGBTQ+ People Against Visiting Florida

The largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the U.S. issued a Florida travel/relocation advisory Tuesday. This comes as newly passed Florida legislation may pose a threat to minorities according to the organization. The Human Rights Campaign’s travel advisory comes just days after the NAACP and the League for United Latin American Citizens issued similar warnings.  The LGBTQ+ advocacy group stated that they aren’t calling for a boycott of the Sunshine State. They claim that the purpose of the advisory is to highlight new policies that have been passed by the Florida GOP, that they consider to be “hostile” to the LGBTQ+ community. The Human Rights Campaign also criticized recent efforts by the DeSantis administration to restrict abortions and to allow Floridians to carry concealed we...
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Texas Senate Pass ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
23May By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

Texas Senate Pass ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

The Texas Senate advanced a bill mirroring Florida’s infamous “don’t say gay” bill without much debate.  In a 19-12 vote on Monday, the senate’s upper chamber decided to preliminary advance House Bill 890. The legislation seeks to drastically limit teacher guidance, classroom lessons and school programming about gender identity and sexual orientation.  If signed into law, the bill will ban discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in Texas classrooms from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. While critics are accusing the Texas GOP of mirroring Florida’s efforts to suppress the LGBTQ+ community. Texas republicans claim that the bill is an effort to protect parental rights. "This bill takes a stand by enshrining parental rights and ensuring that Texas parents ar...
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NAACP Warns Against Visiting Florida in New Travel Advisory 
21May By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

NAACP Warns Against Visiting Florida in New Travel Advisory 

According to the organization, Florida is “openly hostile” to the LGBTQ+ community & people of color. The NAACP issued a travel advisory Saturday claiming that the Ron DeSantis administration has made “aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.” The travel advisory comes just days after LULAC (the League of United Latin American Citizens) issued a similar one in response to DeSantis’ new immigration law.  In the advisory, the NAACP warns that “Florida is openly hostile towards African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.” “Before traveling to Florida, please understand the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African American...
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Pentagon to Reevaluate How To Rectify Past Discharges for Being Gay
17Feb By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

Pentagon to Reevaluate How To Rectify Past Discharges for Being Gay

The Biden administration announced on Thursday that they will “reevaluate & assess” how the Department of Defense may rectify discharges that were made under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Reports have revealed that many of the veterans who were kicked out of the military for being gay still haven’t been able to receive their honorable discharge status. Making them ineligible for any type of benefits that veterans typically receive.  The announcement was made during Thursday’s press conference by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. "It's concerning, it is very concerning that veterans who were unfairly discharged under the don't ask, don't tell have been facing these challenges to upgrade their discharges, denying them benefits they have earned," she said. "It's somethin...
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Florida Man Who Targeted Gay Men Convicted for Series of Kidnappings & Robberies
16Feb By Ernesto FernandezNo Comments
US

Florida Man Who Targeted Gay Men Convicted for Series of Kidnappings & Robberies

A Miami man has been convicted of kidnapping & robbing several gay men that he targeted on Grindr, prosecutors revealed Thursday. 21-year-old Stevenson Charles, pled guilty to 17 counts related to the crimes that took place between Oct. 23 and Nov. 6, 2022. In his plea, Charles admitted to targeting five different people that he met on the LGBTQ+ dating app.  The first robbery consisted of Charles inviting his victim over to his Miami home for sex. Once the victim arrived, he was threatened by Charles who was holding a gun, and then forced to drive to two different ATMs to withdraw money. Charles stole more than $1000 from the victim according to prosecutors Charles later invited a different man that he had met on the app to a Miami location for sex. When the man arrived, Charle...
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Anti-LGBTQ+ Protesters Target Drag Story Hour at New York Library
18Dec By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

Anti-LGBTQ+ Protesters Target Drag Story Hour at New York Library

A group of anti-LGBTQ+ protesters assembled outside of a New York special needs library Saturday morning to disrupt a Drag Story Hour event. The protesters held signs against “grooming” and hurled slurs at people entering and leaving the Chelsea library. While the protesters reportedly were relentless, the event was able to continue on uninterrupted. There were counter demonstrators standing in between the anti-LGBTQ+ protests and the entrance. Yet no one was injured and the property remained unharmed. No arrests were made at the protest.  The event was organized by the non-profit New York City Drag Story Hour, at The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. A library that seeks to provide blind New Yorkers with talking books and braille.  The New York Public L...
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Grindr Cannibal Gets Life Sentence
17Dec By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

Grindr Cannibal Gets Life Sentence

Michigan cannibal, Mark Latunski, sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the 2019 murder and mutilation of 25-year old Kevin Bacon. Latunski pleaded guilty in September to killing and eating the victims genitals after having met on dating app Grindr. The killer received an additional 11 to 120 months for the mutilation of Bacon’s body.  Latunski met and murdered the 25-year old hairstylist on Christmas Eve 2019. He has confessed to cutting the victim’s throat before hanging him in the basement and eating his genitals.  Court documents unveiled that Bacon was aware that the murderer had violent tendencies. Bacon’s father said that “what was released shows that Kevin had a dark side." Adding that, "he obviously got into something that he wasn't prepared for. I'm going to remember hi...
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Anti-LGBTQ Protests Increase by More Than 340%
11Dec By Ernesto FernandezNo Comments
US

Anti-LGBTQ Protests Increase by More Than 340%

Right-wing extremists in the U.S. have organized at least 55 anti-LGBTQ protests this year, the ACLED reports. This is an increase of 340% compared to the 16 anti-LGBTQ protests of 2021. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) is a group that monitors far-right activity, and warns that this trend is “strongly linked” to an increase in violent attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.  In 2022, a growing number of extremists have taken their guns to protest at churches & libraries in an effort to intimidate those attending drag queen story hours. Hospitals providing gender affirming care have been targeted by right-wing social media users who are then celebrated on right-wing media for their bigotry. With experts warning that anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is becoming more prevale...
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Los Angeles: Hate Crime Rate Reaches 19-year High
9Dec By Ernesto FernandezNo Comments
US

Los Angeles: Hate Crime Rate Reaches 19-year High

The number of hate crimes in Los Angeles reached a 19-year high in 2021 according to a report made by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR) that was published on Dec. 7. There were 23% more hate crimes in Los Angeles in 2021 compared to the year prior. The city has not recorded this many hate crimes since 2002.  Attacks that targeted people based on their sexual orientation rose by 15% and made up 17% of all hate crimes in the city, 85% of these attacks were on gay men. Transphobic attacks rose by 24% compared to the previous year and almost tied the highest number ever reported.  There was a 17% increase in racially motivated crimes in 2021. Attacks targeting Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Middle Easterners “all rose dramatically,” according to the re...
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DHS Issues Domestic Terrorism Warning to LGBTQ+ Community
1Dec By Sara BanksNo Comments
US

DHS Issues Domestic Terrorism Warning to LGBTQ+ Community

In a briefing about their new Terrorism Advisory Bulletin on Wednesday, a senior DHS official issued a warning concerning Americans with violent extremist ideologies. Domestic terrorists who pose a “persistent and lethal threat,” particularly to migrants, the Jewish & the LGBTQ+ community. The warning comes 11 days after a man in Colorado Springs killed five people and injured 18 others in a massacre that targeted an LGBTQ+ establishment. DHS warned that the threat of domestic terrorism has been growing in recent years while highlighting that foreign terrorism threats aren’t as persistent as they were before. As Al Qaeda & the Islamic State pose less of a threat to Americans, domestic extremists have been inspired by recent attacks, including the Colorado Springs massacre, and...
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