Gay Couple Beaten by Group in Pittsburgh Hate Crime: VIDEO

Ben Stoviak and his boyfriend Aaron were attacked outside of Remedy Bar on Butler Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday night after being taunted by a group of men.

Wrote Stoviak on Facebook:

Last night, a group of men attacked me and my boyfriend on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. After yelling, from across the street, "Faggot!" at us, I replied, "yes, we're faggots!" Immediately after, the group of men ran across the street and began hitting, kicking, and stomping me. The mark on my right cheek is a bootprint. Aaron threw himself on top of me to discourage them from continuing the assault, but they began kicking him in the head, as well.

To the women who saw the ordeal, wrote down their license plate number, and stayed to talk with the police, thank you.

Three of these men have been arrested since the assault. Aaron and I were in the hospital until almost 10 am so that the doctors could take MRI, CT scans, and x-rays to make sure there was no internal bleeding.

I don't ask you to cheer on my romantic and sexual lives. I do, however, expect people not to act violently against one another because they do not share tastes and preferences.

Watch a CBS Pittsburgh news report on the attack and interview with Stoviak,
AFTER THE JUMP...

Police report here.

Paris Selected As Host of Gay Games X

Paris beat out Limerick, Ireland and London and will host the Gay Games X in 2018.

Organizers report via press release:

The international delegates and board of directors of the Federation of Gay Games voted at the end of a three-day meeting featuring site inspection reports, question-and-answer sessions, committee reviews and, a highlight of the event, the oral presentation by each bidding organization. This meeting was held in Cleveland, host with Akron, of the 2014 Gay Games, presented by the Cleveland Foundation next year from 9-16 August.

David Killian, co-chair of the FGG Site Selection Committee, noted some factors that may have influenced voters in their choice: “The vote is the result of dozens of individual choices, but some points stood out for many voters. Paris proposed a wide range of sports in quality venues, many of which offer good visibility for the event. French LGBT sport organizations already have a great deal of experience hosting international multisport tournaments, and their LGBT community presents outstanding cultural events. They are already well advanced in planning, for example, with the designation of a dedicated sports manager. They arrived with demonstrable political support, including Minister for Sport Valerie Fourneyron and five-time Olympic fencing medalist Laura Flessel, who were part of the presentation team. And of course Paris is a great destination to visit or revisit.”

Actor T.R. Knight Marries Boyfriend

Former Grey's Anatomy actor T.R. Knight married his boyfriend Patrick on Friday, US Weekly reports:

"It [was] very small and quiet," an insider reveals to Us. One of the more famous faces to attend? Knight's former ABC costar and close friend Katherine Heigl flew in for the ceremony, the source says. No other details on the fete were immediately available.

Several Lives Intersect in Toronto in the Short Film 'Cold': VIDEO

Toronto-based filmmaker Waseem Shaikh has released his latest work, the award-winning short film Cold, online for free. The film "is about one night in Toronto where several lives intersect—each of them oblivious to the loneliness that connects them all," said Shaikh. He also said the film speaks to "the feeling of isolation one often deals with in gay circles."

Towleroad previously linked to another work by Shaikh last year for an AIDS prevention campaign by the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention. 

Watch the entire film AFTER THE JUMP...

Trailer: 

 

Entire film:

New Clip of Daniel Radcliffe as Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg in 'Kill Your Darlings' - VIDEO

In a newly released clip for John Krokidas's Kill Your Darlings, beat poet Allen Ginsberg (played by Daniel Radcliffe) and Lucien Carr (played by Dane DeHaan) meet for what appears to be the first time. Still no word on when a clip of Radcliffe's much-talked-about gay sex scene will surface though.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

The film is scheduled to release on October 18 and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, and Elizabeth Olsen.

Check out the full trailer HERE.

 

National Cathedral Dean: Homophobia is a Sin

As part of a weekend honoring LGBT young people at the Washington National Cathedral, Rev. Gary Hall (pictured right) spoke out against homophobia and heterosexism, denouncing both as 'sin.' The Huffington Post reports:

"We must now have the courage to take the final step and call homophobia and heterosexism what they are. They are sin. Homophobia is a sin. Heterosexism is a sin. Shaming people for whom they love is a sin," said Dean Hall. He continued, "Only when all our churches say that clearly and boldly and courageously will our LGBT youth be free to grow up in a culture that totally embraces them fully as they are."

He criticized the role that some churches have in advancing oppression of LGBT youth, saying, "It's more than tragic - in fact it's shameful - that faith communities, especially Christian ones, continue to be complicit in putting out children at risk and abetting the attitudes that oppress them, thereby encouraging the aggressors who would subject our children to pain, humiliation, and violence."

Hall's sermon marked the 15th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard and the third anniversary of the suicide of Tyler Clementi. Both Judy Shepard and Jane Clementi were at the Sunday service to honor their sons' lives. 

Back in January, Rev. Hall announced the prominent Episcopal cathedral would begin celebrating same-sex marriages.

(photo via National Cathedral)