The cause of AIDS: damage to immune system caused by STDs and drugs taken to heighten sexual experience (amyl nitrites). — Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) October 3, 2014
If AIDS is caused by the HIV virus, then it’s a disease someone caught.
But, if it’s caused by “immoral” behavior like those dirty, nasty, popper-using homos do, then it’s the victim’s own “fault”…
See what Bryan wants you to buy into there?
#ShutTheFuckUpBryan
#TakeYourMedsBryan
More from “Dr. Fischer” below.
Ebola illustrates why HIV is NOT the cause of AIDS: viruses don't lie in wait for 10-12 years. They attack upon exposure.— Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) October 3, 2014
You may recall the tale of former Republican Senator Larry Craig of Idaho, who had to retire from the Senate after being busted in an airport bathroom stall during a 2007 sex-sting.
Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that Larry “Wide Stance” Craig has to pay the U.S. Treasury $242,000 for the improper use of campaign funds during his legal defense.
In the current legal action, Craig argued that Senate rules permit reimbursement for any costs while on official travel. But the Federal Election Commission filed suit, saying Craig converted the campaign funds for personal use in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the District agreed.
“The Court finds that defendants violated the FECA when they converted campaign funds to pay for legal expenses related to Senator Craig’s efforts to withdraw his guilty plea, which was a personal matter that was not connected to the Senator’s duties as an officeholder,” Jackson wrote.
At the time of the arrest, the Washington Post was able to ascertain that – judging from what sources told us were the usual arrival and departure gates for his flights — Craig strolled past four bathrooms at the airport before choosing the one where he was eventually busted. It just happened to be the one an airport official deemed “the biggest hotspot” for sexual encounters.
Oh – it should be noted that during his 28 years in Congress, Craig voted against the LGBT community 100% of the time. He had a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign.
Mat Staver, speaking at the Values Voter Summit this weekend, expressed his deep hurt he feels that he has somehow been labeled an “anti-gay extremist.”
Just because he campaigns against equal rights for LGBT people. Just for that, he’s called a “hater.”
It’s exactly the hate that he does propagate that resulted in civil rights groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and People For The American Way writing a joint letter to the Republican National Committee asking the GOP members to not take part in the weekend’s hate summit.
Staver’s organization, Liberty Counsel, is among those very sponsors and he is not very happy about being labeled an anti-gay extremist, despite this long and documented record of being one. Staver fumed that he is being attacked merely for believing “in God’s natural created order of male and and female and marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
“For me believing in something that is that obvious,” he complained, “I am considered by some groups to be a hater. But I hate no one. I hate no one, but I believe in God’s truth and I will not be silent in the face of intimidation.”
In an effort to prove that he is not an extremist, Staver then went on to liken himself to Jesus when he turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple before declaring that marriage equality teaches that children do not need mothers or fathers.
Yesterday in Belgrade, over 1,000 people took part in the first gay pride event in four years.
The past three years saw pride events cancelled due to threats and protests. Only small outbreaks of violence occurred thanks in great part to the protection by thousands of riot police.
Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic warned yesterday that ‘whoever tries to provoke incidents will be very, very severely punished.’
Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali and Michael Davenport, the head of the European Union’s delegation to Serbia, were among the politicians and dignitaries in attendance.
‘Belgrade is an open city, which means it is open to all and that everyone here is equal,’ Mali said, as reported by Radio Free Europe.
The country, which is pursuing EU membership, has reportedly come under pressure from the Union, which says the event is a test of Serbia’s commitment to the fundamental freedoms promoted by the bloc.
Homophobia is widespread in Serbia, often supported by right-wing parties and church leaders.
According to police, the victim was dressed as a woman and walking down the street with two other men in Bushwick Saturday morning, when the three suspects approached them and began making anti-gay comments.
A dispute ensued and one of the men shot the victim in the buttocks.
Tavon Johnson, 17, and Cody Sigue, 22 were charged with third degree menacing as a hate crime. Matthew Smith, 21, was charged with first degree assault and was also charged in a separate shooting Friday night.
(L to R) Kevin Harrigan; Kathryn Knott; Philip Williams
According to recently released court documents regarding the violent gay bashing in Center City two weeks ago, the victims were punched and repeatedly called “faggots” by the three charges suspects.
It should be noted that nowhere in the report is there any mention that the three acted in “self-defense.”
Now that Kathryn Knott, Kevin Harrigan and Philip Williams have been charged with the crime, an affidavit of probable cause describing the incident has been made available by the court.
According to that document, the incident began when “words were exchanged” between the two groups of people, with suspect Kevin Harrigan allegedly calling the victims “faggots” several times before a “heated argument developed.” The affidavit also alleges that Knott screamed “faggots” at them and hit one of them in the face.
See the affidavit below. Here is a transcript of the affidavit:
On September 11, 2014, at approximately 10:45PM, Conplainant #s 1 and 2 were walking east on the 1600 block of Chancellor Street when they encountered a large group of males and females who were walking north on 16th Street. Words were exchanged between the two groups and one male in the second group, later identified as Kevin Harrigan, called the complainants “faggots” several times. A heated argument developed and, during the resulting altercation, another member of the second group, later identified as Philip Williams, punched Complainant #1 in the face an undetermined number of times, causing Complainant #1 to fall to the ground. Complainant #2 approached Williams and Williams punched Complainant #2 in the face, also causing him to fall. The second group then left the area north on 16th Street.
Complainant #1 was transported to Hahnemann Hospital with extensive injuries to his face, including a broken orbital bone, a broken jaw and a deep laceration that required twenty-four stitches to close. Complainant #2 suffered injuries to his face that did not require hospital treatment.
Video was recovered from the surrounding area that showed the second group in its entirety. That video was aired on local news programs and on social media. As a result, the whole group was identified. Photo arrays containing individual photos of that group were shown to the complainants and several witnesses. Kevin Harrigan was identified by both complainants as initiating the incident and calling the complainants “faggots”. Complainant #2 also identifies Harrigan as striking him during the physical altercation.
Both complainants positively identified Philip Williams through photo arrays. Williams was identified by Complainant #2 as punching him. Williams was identified by Complainant #1 as being part of the group and being one of the “main aggressors”.
Another member of the group, Kathryn Knott, was positively identified by Complainant #1, after viewing a photo array, as calling them “faggots”. Complainant #2 identified Kathryn Knott from the video as screaming “faggots” at both complainants and striking Complainant #2 in the face. A witness at the scene who was interviewed by detectives further positively identified Knott from a photo array as striking Complainant #2.
Center City gay-bashing suspects Philip Williams, Kathrn Knott and Kevin Harrigan
The three suspects – Philip Williams, Kathryn Knott, and Kevin Harrigan (L-R in picture) – charged with the violent gay-bashing attack in Center City posted bail in the middle of the night and were released.
The accused are charged with Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, Reckless Endangerment and Criminal Conspiracy.
The brutal assault occurred on September 11 in Center City Philadelphia. Multiple witnesses say the beating was accompanied by shouts of homophobic slurs.
Both victims sustained severe injuries, and one was beaten so savagely he was left lying unconscious in a pool of blood and his jaw will have to be wired shut for eight weeks while he recovers.
All three were silent when asked if they had any message for their victims.
LGBT advocate Scott Wooledge has Storified several of Philadelphia gay-bashing defendant Kathryn Knott’s Tweets to give the public a glimpse into the 20-something’s mind.
According to Scott, “She seems nice. And a little racist, and a little homophobic. And frequently drunk or hungover.”
I think it’s interesting to note that Knott is the daughter of Chalfont, Bucks County Police Chief Karl Knott. Neighbors of the Knotts were reportedly “not surprised” by the charges brought against Kathryn.
UPDATE: All three defendant’s have turned themselves in according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Arrest warrants have been issued and charges filed in the brutal gay bashing incident of almost two weeks ago in Center City Philadelphia.
With charges ranging from aggravated assault, simple assault, conspiracy and reckless endangerment, three Bucks County residents – two men and one woman – will be charged for the violent attack of September 11, 2014, on two gay men.
District Attorney Seth Williams issued the arrest warrants for Philip Williams, 24; Kevin Harrigan, 26; and Katherine Knott, 24. No word yet if any of the trio surrendered to authorities.
“I would like to thank the police for their thorough investigation and the public for the outpouring of information and tips in this case,” said Williams. “This vicious attack shocked the entire country. An assault on people because of their sexual orientation has no place in Philadelphia.”
Police say one of the suspects also snatched a victim’s bag containing a cellphone, wallet and credit cards. The group then fled in an unknown direction.
“It was a bunch of screams at first,” said witness Geoff Nagle. “…a lot of punching and kicking.”
Another witness, who asked to remain anonymous, says he heard the group screaming homophobic slurs.
“It was surprising that it happened in front of me, I never witnessed a hate crime based on that,” the witness said.
Here’s a report from the local NBC affiliate summarizing the violent episode:
Drew Bratscher, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, got a face full of what it’s like to be an LGBT ally sometimes when he tried to stand up to a woman using a gay slur.
Bartscher, 27, says he was in crowd with two of his friends outside a local tavern around early Sunday morning when he heard a woman use a derogatory term for gays.
Bartscher, who is straight, says he politely told her she should not say that word.
What happened next blindsided him, reports KELO-TV.
“Then I hear this guy yell at me, ‘What the F did you say to my girlfriend?!?!’ I turned just a little bit and then the next thing I know, my friends are picking me up off the sidewalk, (because) I had gotten punched pretty good,” Bartscher said.
Though Bartscher says he’s a bit embarrassed about his shiner, he’s not ashamed of what he did to get it. He says he posted a photo of his injury almost immediately afterward, with the caption: “Stand up for what you believe in. Love everyone.”
No good deed goes unpunished, kids. I tell you what…
But props to Drew for standing up for the good guys. You get my respect.
