Tag: homophobia

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Seattle: Admitted New Years Day arsonist of gay club sentenced to 10 years in prison

Musab Masmari, who has admitted to setting a fire at a gay bar in Seattle on New Year’s Day, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

About 15 minutes after midnight, Masmari poured gasoline in a stairway to Neighbours’ balcony and lit the pool of fuel. The fire was quickly doused with a fire extinguisher; there were about 750 people in the club at the time.

Masmari, a California native also known as Musab Musmari, was arrested days later on his way to Sea-Tac Airport after buying a one-way ticket to Turkey.

In a letter to the court, Masmari, 31, explained he’d consumed a bottle of cheap whiskey in the hours before he set the fire. He claims not to remember setting it, though he recognized himself on a surveillance video.

“I do not believe that I am a bad man but when I get drunk I have done bad things,” Masmari said in a letter to the court. “I swear that it is my intent to never drink again.”

The prosecutors and defense team agreed to ask for a 5 year sentence, but U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez doubled the term to 10 years in Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

While Masmari stated that alcohol led to the crime, prosecutors pointed to interviews with people who know Masmari and said the fire was set due to homophobia.

“One of Masmari’s close associates was interviewed by investigators and reported that Masmari confided in him that he ‘burned a gay club’ and that he did it because ‘what these people are doing is wrong,’” Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg said in court papers.

Surveillance video made public after the fire clearly showed Masmari entering a club next to Neighbours, setting the fire and leaving.

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Minnesota Vikings coach Priefer to be suspended for confirmed homophobic remarks

Minnesota Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer

In a statement released late Friday evening (good way to bury the story), the Minnesota Vikings announced special teams coach Mike Priefer will be suspended for three games in the coming season for confirmed homophobic remarks.

The comments were brought to light by former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, who said his activism on behalf of LGBT rights made his superiors at the Vikings unhappy, leading to his release.  Kluwe waited until  the end of the football season to share his thoughts on the homophobia he felt he saw and heard while a member of the Vikings team.

Kluwe’s accusations were responsible for a months long investigation into whether a hostile or homophobic environment existed in the Vikings training sessions.

In a January essay for Deadspin, Kluwe contended that his 2013 release from the team was the result of his outspoken support for same-sex marriage.

He also said that former head coach Leslie Frazier pressured him to stop his public activism and that Priefer engaged in anti-gay taunts. Priefer repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegations, but the team’s investigation concluded that the coach made a “single homophobic statement to Kluwe.”

Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler confirmed Kluwe’s account that Priefer once said, “We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows.” Priefer owned up to the remark after Loeffler’s confirmation, according to a summary of the report that was released by the team.

Priefer’s penalty could be reduced to two suspended games should he choose to attend sensitivity training. In addition, the team also announced there will be a $100,000 donation to LGBT rights charities.

It should be underlined that when Preifer’s comments first came to light this past spring, he adamantly denied making them:

“I vehemently deny today’s allegations made by Chris Kluwe.

“I want to be clear that I do not tolerate discrimination of any type and am respectful of all individuals. I personally have gay family members who I love and support just as I do any family member.

“The primary reason I entered coaching was to affect people in a positive way. As a coach, I have always created an accepting environment for my players, including Chris, and have looked to support them both on and off the field.
The comments today have not only attacked my character and insulted my professionalism, but they have also impacted my family.”

Now, confronted with Loeffler’s confirmation, Priefer said, “If [Loeffler] remembers me saying something on the practice field, I am not going to disagree with it.” 

How light-weight and dodgy is that?

Kluwe maintains that the Vikings promised to release the full investigation and not merely the summary provided.  Through Twitter he’s made clear he intends to file a lawsuit against the team for $10 million, which all proceeds going to charity.

You can read the 29-page report of the investigation below:

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Actor fired for confronting heckler during performance of “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof”

Actor John Lacy as “Big Daddy” in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

At a performance of Cat On a Hot Tin Roof Saturday at the Repertory East Playhouse in Santa Clarita, California, one of the actors was fired for taking matters into his own hands when a heckler continued to yell “fag” from the audience.

From The Wrap:

John Lacy, who played Big Daddy in Tennessee Williams’ classic play that tackles homophobia among other themes, was fired after jumping off stage and physically confronting an audience member who repeatedly made noise and yelled “fag” during emotionally tense scenes, according to audience members’ accounts of the incident on Facebook.

The show apparently continued following the confrontation and concluded to a standing ovation. Lacy was apparently not let go until after the performance.

Lead actor Anton Troy resigned in solidarity with Lacy, writing on the social networking site that the show’s producers should have handled the unruly patron, who had apparently been drinking before the show and returned to the audience after consuming more alcohol during intermission.

“I will not support homophobia or an establishment that doesn’t support its talent,” Troy wrote. “Hate in any form is not something I choose to subscribe to. John is a seasoned professional and an honorable man. It should never escalate to a point where the talent has to handle an unruly drunk in the audience themselves regardless of the outcome. Producers dropped the ball, the fish stinks from the head on down.”

John Lacy has issued this statement:

Amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience at the theatre last. Wish I could say it was positive.

An audience member took it upon himself to heckle us all the way thru Act I, when it persisted in Act II and the producers did NOTHING about it, after admitting to me moments before I walked on stage it was “the drunkest audience they ever had,” and then he called our lead actor a “fag,” I took charge and showed him what was what.

And, get this, the producer, Michael Ovington Michael Owston FIRED ME! Insert laugh track!

Sorry for those who planned on attending. Right is right. Stood up to bullies my entire life, not gonna stop now

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Rugby stars Sam and Thomas Burgess on Homophobia

Rugby league stars and brothers Sam and Thomas Burgess encourage you to help end homophobia in sport. Says brother Sam:

“I don’t see why there should be any discrimination about color, sexuality, your heritage or where you’re from.”

“Sport is a great thing, and it brings people from all different aspects of life together, so why should your sexuality be a problem? The only way we are going to understand the issue is if people get out there and tell their story so we can help fix it.”

Take a ten minute survey that’s part of the world’s first study on homophobia in sport at www.outonthefields.com.

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Tennessee: Two Iraq war veterans told to take commitment ceremony elsewhere

US veterans Anthony Wilfert and Brian Blas of Nolensville, Tenn., say Mint Springs Farm, which makes a point on it’s website to say it is “an all-inclusive venue,” agreed to host their commitment ceremony.

Unfortunately, days later the owner rescinded the agreement, reports WSMV-TV.

“I made it clear from the get-go that it was a same-sex ceremony,” said Wilfert. “He explicitly made it clear that it was not an issue, that they would host that type of ceremony.”

Wilfert and Blas said days after two employees told them it’d be fine to hold their ceremony at the venue, they got an e-mail from an owner at Mint Springs Farm reading, “Unfortunately, until same sex marriage is legal in the state of Tennessee, we cannot participate in this ceremony at our venue. I wish we could help, I truly do, but our hands are tied in this situation.”

“It is a private venue,” said Wilfert. “We purposefully chose a place that is not tied to a religious organization for that reason, so to mention something about state law is baffling.”

Wilfert also added, “To have fought in the military for freedoms and liberties of all Americans, it can be quite deflating to come back to fight a whole new set of obstacles.”

What is of interest to me is that the ceremony was NOT being described as a “marriage.” The couple was very clear it was a “commitment ceremony” which carries no legal weight. Commitment ceremonies are not illegal in Tennessee. So, what is really the issue here?

(via LGBTQ Nation)

WSMV Channel 4

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Ireland: Drag queen’s brilliant response to homophobia

Rory O’Neill aka “Panti Bliss”

Ireland’s “most fabulous” drag queen has spoken out against homophobia at the Irish national theater, the Abbey, with such passion it got even Madonna’s attention.

Rory O’Neill’s (aka Panti Bliss) inspirational call to those who bully gay people has touched people around the world.

“Sometimes I hate myself. I f*cking hate myself, because I check myself when I stand at pedestrian crossings. And sometimes, I hate you for doing that to me.”

The statement came about due to an appearance last month on the Saturday Night Show when O’Neill alleged that the Institute and several associated journalists were homophobic. Irish Communications Minister Pat Rabbite had warned against using the term “homophobe” to describe opponents of equal marriage, saying it was “too loaded” a term to describe opponents of marriage equality.

As such, Ireland’s state broadcaster RTÉ has been forced to pay out €85,000 (£70,000) in damages to those journalists and members of the Catholic Iona Institute who were accused of homophobia.

More at PinkNews

(tipped by TRR reader Karla)

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Chris Kluwe talks to Anderson Cooper about Vikings homophobia

Former Minnesota Vikings player Chris Kluwe discusses his allegations of homophobia in the Vikings organization which may have led to Kluwe’s release from the team.

Kluwe: “I made sure that I had witnesses because that’s a very easy defamation of character case and it would be pretty easy for him to prevail in a court of law…I am 100% confident in everything I related is how it happened and really encouraged by the fact that the Vikings are taking it seriously and opening an investigation because I think once they talk with people they’ll find out what happened.”

Anderson noted that the investigation does not have subpoena power so it’s up to players to cooperate and asks Kluwe if he thinks players will come forward.

Kluwe responded: “I’m confident because it’s the right thing to do. One thing that I’m going to push for is there must be anonymity for these witnesses because being black-balled in the NFL is a very real possibility and this is not something I’m going to force my friends to submit to…”

I love that Chris makes a statement by wearing a hat from the Principle 6 Campaign.

Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter states that any form of discrimination is incompatible with the Olympics, and the IOC has confirmed that this includes sexual orientation.

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BBC’s “EastEnders” Johnny & Danny kiss

This kiss on the British soap Eastenders between characters Johnny Carter and Gary Pennant (Sam Strike and Gary Lucy) is causing a bit of controversy after dozens aired homophobic reactions on Twitter following the episode.

Via OUT:

Although the BBC says it has received very few complaints through official channels to the kiss between Eastenders characters Johnny Carter and Gary Pennant (Sam Strike and Gary Lucy), Twitter reactions have taken a disappointingly homophobic tone to the romantic interlude on a recent episode of the British soap opera.

Some called for killing the “faggots” and complaining that the show was filled with them.

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Chris Brown arrested for another alleged violent attack

Singer Chris Brown appears to be in trouble yet again for an alleged violent attack. This time some homophobic slurs are alleged to have been slung around by Mr. Brown:

The Grammy Award-winning singer allegedly punched the man in the face early Sunday morning outside of the W Hotel in Washington, D.C., after the victim, Issac Adams Parker, tried to jump into a photograph being taken of Brown and a witness, reports to the Associated Press.

The report notes that Brown, who was in D.C. to perform at a club, said, “I’m not into that gay shit,” and “I feel like boxing,” before punching the 20-year-old man in the face. Brown’s companion and supposed bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, 35, also stepped into the fray and punched Parker in the face. Officials say the incident occurred at around 4:30 a.m.

Parker was treated for his injuries, including a broken nose, at a local hospital and released Sunday. Police say the felony charge is related to the extent of the damage Parker sustained.

The R&B singer is currently on probation, which he initially received for assaulting Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time, in 2009. The probation was reinstated in August, after his involvement with an alleged hit-and-run occurrence.

(source)