News Round-Up: December 14, 2017

Ben Cohen

Some news items you might have missed:

• Some #ThrowBackThursday action as I’m reminded of my major man crush on rugby champ and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen (above). Check out his 2018 charity calendar here.

• Researchers say having older brothers could increase the likelihood of being gay.

•  Failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore threw more anti-LGBT shade even as he refuses to concede his race to Democrat Doug Jones. Moore says he lost due to “sodomy” sweeping the nation.

• Just six months after legalizing same-sex marriage, Bermuda’s lawmakers have reversed course and outlawed marriage equality.

• Gay porn star sentenced to life in prison for “brutal and vicious” murder of his millionaire boyfriend.

Afterglow, the controversial off-Broadway hit one-act play, celebrates 200 performances tonight and has added a new block of tickets through March 2018.

Via press release: The play explores the emotional, intellectual, and physical connections between three men and the broader implications within their relationships.

The Advocate called the play “compelling and raw” and “not to be missed.”

Huffington Post wrote, “It’s clear Afterglow will be a must-see among New York theatergoers.”

Afterglow (photo: Mati Gelman)

Jurors Recommend Death Penalty For Man Who Killed 8-Year-Old He Suspected Was Gay

8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez

Jurors in the case of Isauro Aguirre, found guilty of first-degree murder of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, have recommended the death penalty for the 37-year-old man.

Aguirre was convicted of first-degree murder on November 15. According to prosecutors, Aguirre hated the boy because he suspected he was gay.

From the LA Times:

Jurors on Wednesday voted for the death penalty for a man convicted of fatally torturing his girlfriend’s young son — a savage slaying that led to sweeping reform within Los Angeles County’s child-welfare system.

The verdict ended a murder trial in which jurors heard and saw disturbing evidence about how 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez suffered repeated abuse at the hands of Isauro Aguirre, 37, who stared ahead expressionless as he heard the pronouncement.

When paramedics arrived at the boy’s Palmdale home on May 22, 2013, Gabriel was unconscious and had a cracked skull, broken ribs, burned and bruised skin, missing teeth and BB pellets lodged in his groin. He died two days later after being removed from life support.

During closing arguments in the penalty phase of Aguirre’s trial, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jonathan Hatami told jurors that in the months leading up to the boy’s death, the defendant had reveled in his brutalization, forcing Gabriel to eat cat feces and his own vomit. The boy slept in a small cabinet, the prosecutor said, with his ankles handcuffed, his hands bound and his mouth gagged with a sock.

Aguirre is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8.

California: Man Found Guilty In Beating Death Of 8-Year-Old Boy He Thought Was Gay

8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez

Isauro Aguirre, 6-foot-2, 270 pounds, has been found guilty of first degree murder in the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.

Aguirre tortured the young boy for months because he suspected Gabriel was gay.

From the LA Times:

A 37-year-old man accused of torturing and beating his girlfriend’s 8-year-old son to death in a case that prompted far-reaching reforms of the county’s child welfare system was convicted Wednesday of first-degree murder.

Jurors deliberated for about six hours before returning the verdict against Isauro Aguirre, also finding true a special allegation that the murder was committed with the infliction of torture.

The jury must next determine whether Aguirre should be sentenced to death for the May 2013 death of Gabriel Fernandez, who was found unconscious with a cracked skull, three broken ribs and BB pellets embedded in his lung and groin when paramedics reached him at his Palmdale home. He was declared brain-dead and taken off life support two days later.

Prosecutors will begin presenting evidence in the penalty phase of the trial on Nov. 27.

The boy’s mother, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, is facing a separate trial. She has pleaded not guilty to murder.

The mother apparently took part in the torture by beating the boy with a belt and shooting him with a BB gun.

For months, Aguirre would make young Gabriel to eat cat litter and feces, and would force Gabriel to sleep tied up in a small cabinet.

According to court records, the home was visited several times by L.A. social workers and sheriff’s deputies in the months leading up to Gabriel’s death.

Yes, I hope he gets the death penalty.

News Round-Up: November 9, 2017

Some news stories you might have missed:

• Yes, it’s calendar season! Whoo-hoo! Today’s charity calendar (above) is from former rugby champ and total LGBT ally Ben Cohen. Ben’s StandUp Foundation works to bring awareness to the long-term effects of bullying and strives to bring an end to bullying.

Justice League star Ezra Miller was told by entertainment insiders he’d “made a mistake” by coming out. He’s not too worried 😉

• Embattled Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore told reporters yesterday that “Transgenders don’t have rights.”

• Folks are so over Kevin Spacey in the wake of the numerous sexual harassment allegations that Ridley Scott has recast Spacey’s supporting role in the upcoming All the Money in the World with Christopher Plummer. The entire movie was already filmed, edited and ready to be released in six weeks, but Sony is so freaked out they are going back into production to remove Spacey from the film.

• Gay adult film actor Ali Liam has been arrested for the stabbing death of his boyfriend.

• In case you missed it, check out Maroon 5 performing their latest single, “Like Lovers Do” from the new album Red Blue Pills on ELLEN this week. #ILovePopMusic

Joe Biden Urges Trump Administration To Address Torture/Murder Of Gay Men In Chechnya

My man, former Vice President Joe Biden, issued this statement today via Facebook regarding the horrific human rights abuses against gay men in Chechnya:

“I am disgusted and appalled by reports from both the Russian media and non-governmental organizations that authorities in the Russian republic of Chechnya have rounded up, tortured, and even murdered individuals who are believed to be gay. When faced with such crimes of hate and inhumanity, it is the responsibility of every person of conscience to speak out—to oppose this campaign of violence before it continues further.

“Every man or woman on this earth is entitled to be treated with dignity—to live without fear and to love freely. Unfortunately, the human rights abuses perpetrated by Chechen authorities and the culture of impunity that surrounds them means that these hate crimes are unlikely to ever be properly investigated or that the perpetrators will see justice. But that does not mean that we should fail to defend basic human rights, fundamental freedoms, and universal values.

“I hope that the current administration lives up to the promises it has made to advance human rights for everyone by raising this issue directly with Russia’s leaders. The United States must lead the way to demand an end to these egregious violations of human rights.”

Where is President Trump on this?

We’ve heard nothing from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson nor United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Why so silent?

NYC: Killer Of Mark Carson Sentenced To 40 Years To Life

Elliott Morales, convicted of the 2013 murder of Mark Carson, a 32 year old gay black man in the West Village of Manhattan, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

Morales shot Carson at point blank range in the face after spewing homophobic invectives at Mr. Carson and his companion.

From the New York Times:

“I can’t help but perceive or observe the parallel tragedy in Orlando,” the judge, A. Kirke Bartley Jr., said as he imposed the sentence in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. “That parallel is revealed in hatred, self-loathing, fear and death.”

Mr. Morales, 36, was convicted after a two-week trial during which he represented himself, assuming the dual roles of defendant and defense lawyer. Addressing Mr. Morales, Justice Bartley said that the defendant’s ability to appear in the courtroom “calm, intelligent, well-prepared, well-behaved” could not deter from the fact that he was “something worthy of a character in a Stephen King novel, in short, a monster.”

Morales defended his own case in court. At the time, he argued that the murder should not be considered a hate crime because he had had sexual encounters with transgender women in the past.

Donald Trump’s Butler Calls For The Murder Of President Obama

Donald Trump’s long-time butler at Mar-A-Lago, Anthony Peter Senecal, has posted on his Facebook a call to execute President Obama.

To all my friends on FB, just a short note to you on our pus headed “president” !!!! This character who I refer to as zero (0) should have been taken out by our military and shot as an enemy agent in his first term !!!!! Instead he still remains in office doing every thing he can to gut the America we all know and love !!!!! Now comes Donald J Trump to put an end to the corruption in government !!!! The so called elite, who are nothing but common dog turds from your front lawn are shaking in their boots because there is a new Sheriff coming to town, and the end to their corruption of the American people (YOU) is at hand !!!! I cannot believe that a common murder is even allowed to run (killery clinton) OR that a commie like bernie is a also allowed to also run !!!! Come on America put your big boy pants on—this election you have a choice—GET YOUR ASS OUT AND VOTE !!!! Thank you !!!!

Senecal stood by his post when asked by Mother Jones:

Though Senecal’s Facebook page is public, this message could only be read by his Facebook friends. In an interview with Mother Jones, Senecal confirms that those were his words: “I wrote that. I believe that.”

A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign says, “This individual has not worked at Mar-a-Lago for many years.”

“I cannot stand the bastard,” Trump’s longtime butler says of Obama.”I don’t believe he’s an American citizen. I think he’s a fraudulent piece of crap that was brought in by the Democrats.”

Senecal, who is 84, says he has been employed at Mar-a-Lago since about 1959. Trump acquired the property in 1985, and Senecal remained on staff. “As [Trump] says, I came with the furniture,” Senecal remarks. About seven years later, he became the butler for the celebrity mogul who is now the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee. In 2009, Senecal informed Trump he wanted to resign as butler, and Trump persuaded him to stay on as the in-house historian at Mar-a-Lago. There is no salary for the job, Senecal says, but he makes money leading tours of the estate.

Senecal regularly posts screeds on his Facebook page from a far-right perspective in which he decries Obama and his wife—along with Hillary Clinton, other Democrats, and Republican leaders. He often refers to Obama as “zero,” and several times he has called for the president’s execution. He confirms that he has written all the posts on the page that have appeared under his name. “It’s all me,” he says.

The Mother Jones article documents several of Senecal’s many racist, right-wing screeds of the past. It’s quite the read.

The post can only be seen by Senecal’s Facebook friends, but you can see screen capture below.

I’m sure The Donald is thrilled.

News Round-Up: April 4, 2016

Amir Issa

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Twenty-nine year old Amir Issa was allegedly murdered by his father for being gay.

• Megyn Kelly says she wishes Bill O’Reilly would have moved to defend her from Donald Trump’s attacks sooner, calling it a “dark” moment.

• Caitlyn Jenner set to join the cast of Amazon’s streaming series Transparent.

Celebrated Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, and more) says none of his works will be allowed to be performed in North Carolina while anti-LGBT law HB 2 is in force.

•Tennessee legislators, believing they live in a theocracy, are considering making the Bible the official “state book” of Tennessee.

•CNN’s Chris Cuomo confronts hate group leader Peter Sprigg over anti-transgender “bathroom bills.”

• Tyson Beckford has VIP tickets to “the gun show.”

A photo posted by Tyson C. Beckford (@tysoncbeckford) on Mar 28, 2016 at 6:53pm PDT

NYC: Elliot Morales Found Guilty Of Murder As A Hate Crime In Mark Carson Shooting Death

Murder victim Mark Carson

Elliot Morales has been found guilty of second degree murder as a hate crime in the fatal shooting of openly gay Mark Carson in Greenwich Village in May 2013.

From the New York Times:

The jury of four men and eight women deliberated for two days after two weeks of emotional testimony in State Supreme Court, during which Mr. Morales represented himself and took the witness stand to declare he was not prejudiced toward gay people. Murder as a hate crime carries a minimum sentence of 20 years to life, five years more than a second-degree murder conviction.

Mr. Morales shook his head in disbelief and muttered under his breath as the jury foreman read the verdict sheet: guilty on all counts.

Several witnesses testified they saw Mr. Morales pull a silver revolver and shoot Mark Carson in the face after an argument during which he called Mr. Carson and his friend, Danny Robinson, “faggots” and “gay wrestlers.”

Mr. Morales denied that his motive had been bigotry and said he was bisexual. He claimed he acted in self-defense because he felt he was about to be attacked by Mr. Carson and Mr. Robinson. He said he raised his gun and fired after he saw Mr. Robinson pull what looked like a black pistol from his pocket. “I just reacted,” he said during his closing argument. “This was not a deliberate act.”

Morales was found guilty of all the charges filed against his: murder in the second degree as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees, menacing a police officer, and menacing in the second degree.

Morales, who has previously served 11 years in prison for a robbery involved three women who he tied up and beat with a lead pipe, was reportedly drunk the night of the shooting.

As he was being arrested, Morales was captured on video admitting to police that he shot Carson.

Morales, 36, represented himself in the murder trial. He now faces 20 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 11th.