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Lawmakers In Ghana Propose 10 Year Prison Sentences For LGBTQ People & Allies

(image via Pexels)

New anti-LGBTQ legislation proposed in Ghana has been described as “one of the most draconian and sweeping anti-gay laws proposed around the world.”

A draft of the legislation proposes up to 10 years in prison for LGBTQ+ people in the West African nation.

Intersex people could be ordered to undergo “gender realignment” surgery by the government.

The penalties would also apply to any straight allies who “advocate for (LGBTQ+) rights, express sympathy or offer social or medical support,” according to The Guardian.

Additionally, media companies or online sites that share information “which could be deemed to encourage children to explore any gender or sex outside of the binary categories of male and female could face 10 years in prison.”

The new law would also specifically define marriage as between a man and a woman.

While human rights activists have expressed outrage over the bill, it has been hailed by several members of Parliament. Figures in President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration have also reportedly expressed their support.

A PDF of the bill, titled “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanian Family Values Bill,” was leaked online and confirmed by diplomats as authentic.

Ignatius Annor, a TV journalist in Africa for EuroNews who came out as gay in February, tweeted that he couldn’t read past a few paragraphs calling the bill “inhumane.” He added that, “If passed, Ghana is DOOMED.”

One MP who co-authored the legislation, Sam ‘Dzata’ George, took to Twitter to defend his bill and dismiss criticism as “uninformed.”

“Homosexuality is not a human right. It is a sexual preference,” wrote George. “Take your perversion and let me speak my truth!”

Over the past several months, authorities have stepped up pressure on anyone or anything that could be perceived as being part of an “LGBTQ+ agenda.”

In February, the country’s first LGBTQ+ community center was forced to close following a wave of anti-gay outrage.

In May, 21 people were arrested at an event in Ho city which was held to provide training for paralegals and activists who would support LGBTQ+ causes.

There are already laws on the books in Ghana which make it illegal to have “unnatural carnal knowledge,” which is often understood to mean anything other than heterosexual sex.

(Source: The Guardian)

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First Capitol Riot Felony Sentencing – 8 Months In Prison

(screen capture via YouTube)

Paul Hodgkins, 38, is now the first insurrectionist convicted of a felony to be sentenced.

After pleading guilty last month to obstructing congressional proceedings on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol building, the Florida man was sentenced to 8 months in prison.

That falls well below the recommended sentencing guidelines of one to two years. Prosecutors had asked for 1.5 years.

But District Judge Randolph Moss chose to ignore that recommendation. Moss noted that, while Hodgkins contributed to a grave offense against democracy, he deserved some leniency because he pleaded guilty “exceptionally early,” wasn’t involved in violence and issued a “sincere” apology.

According to CNN, almost 550 rioters have been charged, and the Department of Justice says at least 230 of them have been charged with the same obstruction-of-Congress crime to which Hodgkins pleaded guilty.

Read more at CNN.

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News Round-Up: July 7, 2021

A pic I snapped during a performance of Uncensored the Show in Las Vegas

Some news items you might have missed:

• Uncensored The Show: I hope everyone’s Hump Day was as fab as the woman above attending Uncensored the Show here in Las Vegas.

• Irish News: A gay rights group is planning a legal challenge to a ban on sex and condoms at Maghaberry all-male prison in Northern Ireland.

• NowThis News: Eric Adams has won New York City’s Democratic primary making him a near-guarantee to be the next mayor of the city.

• The Advocate: The Food and Drug Administration is warning gay men about potential adverse effects of poppers (aka alkyl nitrate). Typically inhaled and offering a short, intense high that often includes sexual arousal, using poppers may lead to severe headaches, dizziness, increase in body temperature, difficulty breathing, and/or extreme drops in blood pressure.

• LGBTQ Nation: A new study analyzed records for 83,000 adults being treated for HIV between 1999 and 2017 and compared them to a similar group of people without HIV. For those who started treatment from 2011 to 2017, the difference in early death rates for those with HIV has dropped to just 2.7%.

• Pink News: A gay son has shared a poignant tribute to his two adoptive gay dads, who both tragically died of AIDS just five days apart. “They never got a chance to see the men we are today but they cared for us very much and gave us a life that we wouldn’t have known otherwise. It’s incredible even now, after all these years, I can still feel what it felt like to be loved that much.”

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Asked To Wear Face Mask Properly, Iowa Man Commits Assault & Gets 10 Years In Prison

Shane Wayne Michael (mug shot)
Shane Wayne Michael (mug shot)
Shane Wayne Michael (mug shot)

Back in November, Shane Wayne Michael, 42, apparently became irate when he was asked to adjust his face mask to properly cover his nose and mouth at a eyewear store in Des Moines, Iowa.

Michael followed the victim out of the business and assaulted him.

From the Des Moines Register:

The victim told police that, as he walked to his car, Michael cornered him, began to assault him and took him to the ground. While on the ground, Michael began gouging the victim’s eye and kneed him in the genitals, according to the report, so the victim bit Michael to get him off of him.

The victim also said that Michael coughed in his face, spit on him and said “‘If I have it, you have it,'” according to the report.

Three witnesses identified Michael as the aggressor in the fight, according to the complaint. The victim suffered a swollen left eye, according to the complaint and court records.

In February, Michael was reportedly offered a plea deal which would have resulted in two years probation. Michael refused the offer saying he had merely defended himself. Instead, he chose to take his chances with a jury.

Because he was found guilty of assault causing bodily injury, the conviction comes with a mandatory 10 year prison sentence.

Just throwing this out there but… Michael COULD have just responded “sure” when asked to adjust his mask and none of this would have happened.

Or – he could have chosen to ignore the request altogether.

But Michael chose to become the aggressor. And there you have it.

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Teen Insurrectionist Begs: ‘I Just Want To Go Home To My Mom & Dad’

From The Daily Beast:

The youngest rioter to be charged with the storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 had begged a judge let him to go home after being denied bond, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Bruno Joseph Cua, 18, is facing multiple charges including assaulting a federal officer, and has been in jail since Feb. 5. His parents drove him from Atlanta to D.C. for the so-called “Stop the Steal” rally.

Prosecutors say the teen shoved a cop and made it all the way to the Senate floor. Videos show him carrying a baton through the halls of the Capitol.

In a letter submitted to the judge on Thursday, Cua said he is “deeply remoursefull [sic] and regretful. After all, that’s what jail’s for, right? Teaching people a lesson?” He added, “I just want to go home to my Mom and Dad, I am truly sorry.”

Sorry. I have no sympathy. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

Check out some of the screen captured tweets in the second tweet below. He was being tough guy then, he can summon some of that toughness now.

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2-Year Prison Sentence For White Supremacist Who Plotted To Bomb Gay Bar

Conor Climo (screen capture)

Regular readers may recall I reported on a 20-something white supremacist who had been “self-patrolling” my own Las Vegas neighborhood last year. He was arrested in August 2019 after telling an undercover FBI agent he planned to firebomb a Las Vegas gay bar or synagogue.

The young man, Conor Climo, has now been sentenced to two years in prison. Now 24-years-old, he will receive credit for time served since his arrest and will then be bound to home confinement for six months with electronic monitoring. Federal prosecutors had originally requested a 30-month prison sentence.

From Edge Media:

“I was truly wrong for all of this,” Climo said. “I even have come to really regret everything, everything that I was involved with.”

The judge gave Climo credit for the jail time he already has served since his August 2019 arrest and agreed to recommend that he serves his prison time in Louisiana, near grandparents whom he plans to live with after his release.

Defense attorney Paul Riddle said his client is grateful that FBI agents arrested him when they did because he knows that he was on a “very dark path.”

“But he’s not on that path anymore, and he’s the not same person that was arrested,” Riddle said.

The FBI said it began investigating Climo in April 2019 after learning of his encrypted internet chats with members of Feuerkrieg Division, an international offshoot of a U.S.-based neo-Nazi group called Atomwaffen Division. Climo told FBI agents that he joined Feuerkrieg Division but left because he “became bored with the group and their inaction,” according to a court filing.

Climo pleaded guilty to a firearm charge after discussing his bombing plans with an FBI agent and informant. In searching his home, authorities found multiple rifles and bomb components.

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Blogger Sentenced To Prison For Saying ‘Gay People’ Have Rights

(image via Google Maps)

For the “crime” of telling Twitter followers he believes LGBTQ people have rights and “should be able to practice them freely,” a Yemeni blogger has been sentenced by a Saudi court to 10 months in prison, a fine equal to $2,700 and eventual deportation.

Human Rights Watch reports that Mohamad al-Bokari, left Yemen in June 2019 after receiving death threats. He’d been living in Saudi Arabia as an undocumented migrant when he was arrested on April 8.

The 29-year-old was asked on Twitter for his views on same-sex relations and in a video, he answered, “Everyone has rights and should be able to practice them freely, including gay people.”

A spokesman for Riyadh’s police department issued a statement saying the video contained “sexual references” that “violate public order and morals.” He was charged with violating public morality by promoting homosexuality online, and “imitating women.”

Prior to his trial, al-Bokari was held in solitary confinement in a cell with no windows, air conditioning or proper ventilation. He was provided no legal counsel for his trial.

After his sentencing, he was placed in a cell with other prisoners who harassed and verbally abused him saying he “deserves the death penalty.”

Human Rights Watch says his health has declined since the trial as he suffers from a chronic heart condition. Tests were administered but he was discharged without learning the results. Doctors reportedly denied he has any heart condition and have refused him any medication.

Bokari was sentenced on July 20 and has 30 days to appeal.

While Saudi Arabia has no laws on the books regarding sexual orientation or gender identity, judges often reference uncodified Islamic law to punish people accused of having sexual relations outside marriage, including adultery, extramarital and homosexual sex, or other “immoral” acts.

It has been ranked as one of the ‘most dangerous’ countries in the world for LGBTQ people.

(source: Human Rights Watch)

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OnlyFans Performer Secretly Records, Uploads Sex Scene With Ex

Fabricio Da Silva Claudino (Instagram)

An OnlyFans performer has agreed to plead guilty to recording consensual sex with his ex-boyfriend and then uploading the four-minute clip to his account without consent.

Fabricio Da Silva Claudino, a former flight attendant for Emirates, reportedly filmed the episode without the boyfriend’s knowledge last year in July at their home in Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

ABC News in Australia reports that Claudino indicated he will plead guilty to 11 counts of recording and distributing without consent several explicit images and a video clip.

“The victim is clearly unaware of this activity being recorded and can be depicted in the recording as face down throughout,” read the police report entered into evidence.

“At one point the defendant positions the mobile phone towards a mirror where his face is depicted … at no stage, did the victim consent to the defendant taking this recording.”

Prior to posting the video, Claudino shared photos with the Australian boyfriend on the beach in Brazil with the caption, “Video coming up soon – stay tuned.”

The 31-year-old amateur porn performer also shared graphic images of the victim naked in promoting his OnlyFans account to his social media accounts. He reportedly had 30,000 Instagram followers and over 100,000 Twitter followers at the time.

Fabricio Da Silva Claudino (via Instagram)

According to ABC News, the men met in Brazil, fell in love, and continued their relationship in Sydney. But the romance came to an end within five months.

Claudino chose to remain in Australia after the affair and supported himself by modeling for life art classes as well as uploading content to his OnlyFans account.

The Australian boyfriend told ABC News in February he discovered the videos while Claudino was visiting a friend in Melbourne. Apparently, distinctive body tattoos made it evident it was him.

“I felt sick to the stomach when I recognized my body and then my face,” said the ex-boyfriend. “I didn’t know what to think, I couldn’t believe it.”

Australian Federal Police arrested Claudino at Sydney airport when he returned from Melbourne after being contacted by the ex calling the privacy breach ‘revenge porn.’

Additionally, Claudino pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 15 counts of obscene and indecent exposure between September 2019 and February 2020. He had filmed himself exposing his penis while standing on the balcony of his apartment in full view of a Sydney high school and public park.

He’s been held in Silverwater prison for the last five months having previously pleaded not guilty to the revenge porn charges.

Claudino is due to be sentenced in court next month.

(source: ABC.net.au)

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Judge Rules No New Trial For Trump Confidante Roger Stone

Roger Stone (screen capture)

Donald Trump’s longtime friend and ally, Roger Stone, has failed in his quest for a new trial after he was found guilty on seven felony counts including obstructing the congressional inquiry, lying to investigators under oath and trying to block the testimony of a witness whose account would have exposed his lies.

From the New York Times:

The federal judge overseeing the criminal case against Roger J. Stone Jr. refused on Thursday to grant him a new trial, rejecting the defense’s argument of juror misconduct that President Trump has also repeatedly trumpeted.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington ordered Mr. Stone to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons as soon as he is notified to do so. She also released him and his lawyers from a gag order she imposed months ago.

The judge’s decision appears to end one of the most politically fraught federal criminal cases in recent years. In a last-ditch effort to keep their client out of prison, Mr. Stone’s lawyers had claimed that the jury forewoman had improperly concealed a bias against Mr. Stone, justifying a new trial.

The jury convicted Mr. Stone, 67, in November of seven felonies for an attempt to thwart a congressional inquiry that threatened his longtime friend Mr. Trump, and Judge Jackson sentenced him in February to 40 months in prison.

Additionally, CNN reports, “All 12 of Roger Stone’s jurors wrote in a series of powerful, anonymized statements this week that they feel harassed, afraid and do not want more information about them revealed to the public, especially after President Donald Trump and right-wing media criticized them for their conviction of the longtime Trump friend.”

Donald Trump is certain to pardon Stone. Mark my words.

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Ellen Jokes Quarantining In Her $24 Million Mansion “Is Like Being In Jail”

Ellen DeGeneres at home (screen capture)

Ellen DeGeneres began hosting her talkshow from her living room this week in an effort to lift the spirits of her television audience.

She began by acknowledging all the folks who are still at work helping to keep the world running including “doctors, hospital staff, first responders, supermarket employees, truck drivers and everyone who keeps us going.”

Ellen shared doing the at-home edition of her show is for not only her viewers stuck at home but also for her staff and crew: “I love them and miss them, and the best I can do for them is to keep the show on the air.”

But things went a bit awry when she cracked a joke comparing her experience quarantining in her $24 million mansion with folks who are incarcerated.

“This is like being in jail, is what it is,” said Ellen. “Mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for ten days and everyone in here is gay.”

The moment the words escaped her lips you could almost sense she regretted the reference as she clapped her hands and dropped her face as she said, “Ah, the jokes that I have.”

The Emmy Award-winner went on to say she wants to “spread light where there’s shade,” which is a good thing because a LOT of shade was thrown her way on Twitter after the joke fail.

Ellen has caught some flack in recent months for seeming to be out of touch with the average person after standing up for her comedy pal Kevin Hart during the Oscar hosting debacle, and then palling around with former President George W. Bush.

As I was writing this article, the video on YouTube was removed, which is probably for the best.

At the end of the day, I don’t think an unfunny joke makes Ellen a bad person. Every comedian has a clunker every now and then.

But perhaps cracking wise about a pandemic that’s killed thousands and comparing home situations with prisoners who barely have basic necessities might be put on the ‘no joke’ kill list.