LGBTQ news and entertainment
Clément Méric, an 18-year-old student in Paris, was beaten by a group of three skinheads in Paris on Wednesday night and is now brain dead.
Méric was apparently a well-known progressive activist who advocated on behalf of the recent marriage equality legislation.
Read more at the Guardian.
Two more violent anti-gay attacks happened in New York City last night.
In Soho, a couple was assaulted in the early morning hours, according to NBC News:
A gay couple was attacked early Tuesday in SoHo, hours after thousands marched to protest the killing of a gay man and several other bias attacks that have shaken the community, NBC 4 New York has learned.
Law enforcement sources said the two men, 41 and 42, were walking on Broadway between Prince and Houston streets at about 5 a.m. when two men started yelling anti-gay remarks in English and Spanish. The victims are Hispanic. The men were both punched, and one suffered an eye injury, sources said.
Fabian Ortiz and Pedro Jiminez were arrested and are being charged with third degree assault as a hate crime, police said.
In addition, Nightlife Gay reports another anti-gay attack:
“Shock, outrage, anger sums up how I am feeling today as one of my very good friends was gay bashed last night in New York City. Dan Contarino, former promoter of Shampoo Nightclub’s “Shaft” Fridays, was jumped last night at Avenue D & 4th Street.
“Allegedly, witnesses are reporting the assailant was yelling “faggot” as he was kicking and beating Dan. Neighbors rushed to Dan’s aid and chased after the attacker but unfortunately he got away. The police are investigating the assault now and have not determine it a hate crime.”
(source)
JoeMyGod reports that the NYPD has closed the streets around the LGBT Community Center in the West Village as a massive crowd prepares to step off and march in honor of murdered gay man, Mark Carson.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and DOMA plaintiff Edie Windsor were spotted at the front of the march.
All photos via JoeMyGod.
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| Click to enlarge pic |
Ever wonder what Jesus would say about all this violence?
As folks admonish and attack gays and lesbians verbally, do you think those actions could lead others to escalate to this level?
Attacked, kicked, bones broken, people killed in the streets. Is this what Jesus would advocate?
In a word: no.
Think about what your words can do, haters.
(image via Memeographs)
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| All photos via JMG |
Late last night, hundreds attended a candlelight vigil in Greenwich Village to remember Mark Carson, who was shot and killed in a hate crime just hours earlier. Speaker after speaker exhorted the crowd: “Say his name! Mark Carson, Mark Carson, MARK CARSON!”
The event was organized by Adam Feldman and speakers included activists Eugene Lovendusky, Robert Pinter, and Brendan Fay. Among the local politicos in attendance were state Sen. Brad Hoylman, state Assemblyman Micah Kellner, and City Council candidate Corey Johnson.
According to Joe Jervis at JoeMyGod, speaker after speaker exhorted the crowd: “Say his name!” Everybody: “Mark Carson, Mark Carson, MARK CARSON!”
On Monday there will be a rally at the LGBT Community Center at 5:30PM, followed by a march to the scene of the murder.
CNN has named the alleged suspect in custody. He reportedly confessed to the NYPD early this morning.
Around 4 a.m., a police officer, responding to a radio alert of the shooting, came across the alleged gunman and apprehended him. The suspect turned over a silver Taurus .38-caliber six-shot revolver, according to police.
Police later identified the suspect as Elliot Morales, 33. Police said the suspect had forged identification and they used facial recognition technology to determine his true identity.
Morales faces a charge of second-degree murder as a hate crime, authorities said. The identities of the suspect’s two companions — at least one of whom Kelly said left the suspect before the shooting — are still not known.
(from JMG)
The NY Daily News has published the name and photo of last night’s victim of the fatal anti-gay hate crime last night in Greenwich Village.
Mark Carson, 32, was confronted, harrassed, then stalked and shot in the face by an as-yet unidentified assailant. The shooter was with two friends when he first approached Carson and his friend on Sixth Ave. about midnight, police said.
From the Daily News:
Sources said Carson and his 31-year-old friend were dressed in tank tops and cut-off shorts with boots. “Look at these faggots,” one of the suspect’s crew barked at the pair. “What are you, gay wrestlers?” The two groups exchanged words, but Carson and his pal decided it was better to walk away.
But as they turned the corner, the suspect and one of his cohorts confronted the pair again and taunted them by shouting “faggott” and “queer,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. One of the bigots got nervous and ran away as the suspect asked the two gay men, “Do you want to die here?” Kelly said. Suddenly, the suspect whipped out a silver .38-caliber revolver and shot Carson in the face. The shooter ran away as Carson collapsed on the sidewalk.
As emergency crews rushed Carson to Beth Israel Hospital, rookie cop Henry Huot was responding to the job and spotted the gunman at W. Third and MacDougal Sts. — where he ordered the suspect to stop.
The suspect was cuffed as Carson died on arrival at the hospital.
There will be a candle light vigil held at the scene of the crime tonight at midnight.
A survey of 93,000 Europeans taken by The European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and released to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia indicates that most LGBT Europeans are living in fear.
Check out the results of the survey in an interactive map.
According to the data collected:
• LGBT people start facing difficulties early at school, where they regularly experience bullying and harassment
• 47% of all respondents felt they had been discriminated against in the year preceding the survey, but 90% of those did NOT report to the authorities
• LGBT people face discrimination in many other walks of life, including work, housing, social services, and in access to goods and services
• LGBT people are frequently victims of hate crime and harassment: About a quarter of all respondents said they had been attacked or threatened with violence in the last five years.
• 2/3’s of the respondents were scared of holding hands in public with their same-sex partner. For gay and bisexual men this rose to about 75%.
• Half of the respondents avoided public places
• 80% were aware of hearing jokes being made about LGBT people
More from EuroNews:
SameSame is reporting the story of a Sydney Mardi Gras spectator who was slammed to the ground head first while handcuffed.
The victim has apparently stated he was trying to cross the road during the parade.
While we don’t know the full story, from the video we do see about a minute before the slamming to the ground. The victim doesn’t seem to be violent and he was already in handcuffs, so it’s difficult to imagine what the officer felt was so threatening to him that he had to slam the young man head first to the cement.
Near the beginning of the video, onlookers can be heard referencing would could have been earlier violence as the voices talk about the young man already having been slammed to the ground before.
Update:
It appears the incident did not begin with the young man attempting to cross the street. Jamie Jackson speaks to A Current Affair about the incident:
