Investigators Step Up Search for 3 Suspects in Hate Crime Murder of NYC Man: VIDEO

Last October, Louis Rispoli, a well-known gay rights activist in New York, was beaten unconscious by a blunt object, dying several days later in the hospital. He was 62 years old, and only a couple blocks from the Sunnyside, Queens home he shared with his husband, Danyal Lawson. 

After controversy surrounding the case, including the police assumption that Rispoli was drunk and naming the crime scene as such nearly two days after the attack, the NYPD is doubling up on their effort to locate three suspects, one of whom has no description. 

NBC 4 New York reports:

Police believe at least three different suspects were involved in the attack, and have released sketches for two of them. There was no description for the third suspect. They may have gotten away in a gray or white sedan with a noisy muffler, police say. 

 

"The fact that he was hit over the head -- I always feel like, it's one thing if you shoot somebody," said Lawson. "But to hit somebody, you have to have such anger and such hatred, and what brings people to that point?"

 

Police are investigating the case as a bias crime. Rispoli was a well-known gay rights leader, and one of the first to marry in New York when it became legal.

Ray Kelly, New York's police commissioner, assured reporters that the officers who responded to the case were reprimanded for their assumptions and the length of time it took to name the crime scene. A $22,000 reward has been offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest. As for Lawson, the crime, and the loss of his husband, still hurts.

"It's really hard," said Lawson. "A person who's been with you 32 and a half years, that's more than half my life, and they took my husband away and I miss him." 

Watch NBC New York's report, AFTER THE JUMP...

Gay Man Runs for Mayor of Tel Aviv, Hopes for Historic First in Middle East

Just yesterday, Towleroad posted about Sheka and Teka, sexually ambiguous puppets who set off a firestorm of excitement when a baby was brought into their lives. Are they gay? Should they "come out" in order to raise awareness for LGBT families? Well, Israelis will not have to second guess one of Tel Aviv's mayoral candidates, Nitzan Horowitz who, if elected, would become the first openly gay mayor in the Middle East.

It is an exciting prospect, but one that is unlikely to happen. Horowitz's bid though, much like the puppets, reveals much about gay life and culture in the socially diverse country of Israel.

Reuters reports:

The left-wing legislator is not predicted to defeat the incumbent, the well-established ex-fighter pilot Ron Huldai, in an October 22 municipal vote.

But the 48-year-old remains upbeat, pointing to an opinion poll his dovish Meretz party commissioned last month that gave Huldai only a five-point lead.

...

"I'm going to be not only the first gay mayor here in Israel, but the first gay mayor of the entire Middle East. This is very exciting," Horowitz told Reuters.

Horowitz's prominence in Tel Aviv is not altogether surprising. In a region better known for its religious and social conservatism, it is dubbed the "city that never sleeps".

With a population of 410,000, it was also ranked in a poll by Gaycities.com last year as a top gay destination.

Huldai, Horowitz's opponent, has done much for the gay population of Tel Aviv. The city hosts an annual pride parade and LGBT film festival, as well as a cultural center accessible to older and younger citizens alike. However, Horowitz hopes that this lofty public position could end some of the lingering homophobia in Tel Aviv and the larger Middle East. 

The task of improving policy toward gays in the Jewish state is "very challenging, because this is a country, a region with a lot of problems concerning the gay community, discrimination, even violence," the candidate said.

...

Gay marriage - and civil ceremonies in general - that take place in Israel are not recognized by the authorities. Horowitz, who has lived with his partner for more than a decade, wants that to change.

"I hope once I'm elected this will contribute to tolerance and understanding, not just in Israel, but in the entire region," Horowitz said.

Good luck to Horowitz in the coming election! 

November Workshop Will Pinpoint LGBT Historical Sites In San Francisco, Asks For Public Input

San Francisco has long been a gay mecca in the United States, and for the entire global community. Now, things are going to become a little more official.

The San Francisco Historic Preservation Fund Committee has issued a grant to the GLBT Historical Society to catalogue a comprehensive listing of all the locations associated with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender history amongst the city's backdrop of steep hills, rainbow houses, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The project is to be unveiled on November 14th at a workshop where patrons are asked to share their own experiences and favorite locations. 

The officlal media release for the workshop reports:

The workshop will bring together community members to share their recollections of places that have been important to their past experiences of LGBT life in San Francisco. "We're eager to hear from everyone who has participated in the community in any way up through the 1980s," says Graves. "Where did you go to house parties? What was your favorite bar or club? Where did you shop for books, music and fabulous clothes? Where did you attend activist meetings or go to cultural events?

"We are particularly interested in hearing from people with information about sites important to LGBT communities of color, transgender people, the bisexual community and others who are underdocumented in LGBT history," Graves adds.

The project is expected to take a year to complete, with extensive archival research, further interviews with groups and individuals, and a final community meeting at the end of the study. The outcome will be a formal document known as a historic context statement, which will be distributed publicly and will be used by community history advocates and city planners.

"Remember LGBT Historic Sites in San Francisco: A Community Workshop" will take place on Thursday, November 14th from 6-7:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Womens Building's Audre Lorde Room. Admission is free and participation is encouraged. 

For more information regarding the project, check out the full media release and the GLBT Historical Society's homepage.

Five Favorite Men of TV's Period Pieces

Tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern the CW premieres Reign, a period drama focusing on a young Mary, Queen of Scots. Since this is the CW, there will be lots of scandalous teenage sexuality. This series is also boasting a buzzy soundtrack featuring current artists like Mumford & Sons and Santigold. They're hoping the juxtaposition of cool, contemporary tracks against bodice-ripping melodrama will be enough to add a little spice to the historical soap.

Reign isn't the first television period piece and, with shows like The Gilded Age in development, it certainly won't be the last. Sure, the secret to success is in the storytelling, but, come on, a handsome leading man to get your petticoats all tied in knots certainly doesn't hurt.

Travel through time with five favorite men of TV's period pieces, AFTER THE JUMP ...

 

Spartacus (Liam McIntyre), Spartacus

After tragically losing Spartacus originator Andy Whitfield, Liam McIntyre proved a worthy follow-up to fill his gladiator sandals. 

King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), The Tudors

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is set to appear in another period piece, NBC's Dracula (set in Victorian London), Oct. 25. But we doubt he'll be baring as much skin as he did in this Showtime original series.

 

Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth), Pride and Prejudice

Who knew a wet undershirt could be as titillating as an Andrew Christian video?

Jimmy Kent (Ed Speleers), Downton Abbey

As the ever-fabulous Dowager Countess once pointed out, "He looks like a footman in a musical revue." It's no wonder he caught Thomas' eye.

Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Mad Men

Not to discount the incredible work of the rest of the cast of Mad Men, but the beloved '60s period drama would be nothing without its handsome anti-hero.

Who are your favorite men of TV period pieces?

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1446

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL: Classic Wes Anderson.

JOE LHOTA: Releases NYPD scare ad against Bill De Blasio.

ANTI-GAY PASTOR KEN HUTCHERSON: Coming to Glenn Beck's network The Blaze. More on this nutjob here.

SAROO BRIERLY: Google shares story of orphan who found his way home to India using Google Earth.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: Sean Patrick Maloney, Air Pollution, Tan Mom, Jonas Brothers

Are 'trans rights' and 'gay rights' still allies?

FOX News's Todd Starnes says that Obama plans to turn the military against the people and attack Christians.

London Natural History Museum's wildlife photographs of the year.

Behind the scenes of 'Tan Mom''s gay adult film debut.

Air pollution definitively linked to cancer: "Sources of air pollution identified by the agency include emissions from motor vehicles, industrial processes, power plants and household heating and cooking fumes and while the chemical makeup of outdoor air pollution varies around the globe, the IARC was clear that 'the mixtures of ambient air pollution invariably contain specific chemicals known to be carcinogenic to humans.'"

Support pours in for Scott Jones, the gay man paralyzed in Nova Scotia stabbing over the weekend. Help Jones HERE.

eBay founder Pierre Omidyar describes new Glenn Greenwald venture: "In an interview with Jay Rosen, media critic and NYU professor of journalism, Omidyar said he was committing an initial $250m to the as-yet-unnamed venture. Omidyar told Rosen the decision was fuelled by his 'rising concern about press freedoms in the United States and around the world'. Omidyar said he hopes the project will promote 'independent journalists with expertise, and a voice and a following' while using Silicon Valley knowhow to build an audience. 'Companies in Silicon Valley invest a lot in understanding their users and what drives user engagement,' Omidyar said. The company will be online only and all proceeds will be reinvested in journalism."

Break-up rumors begin after Jonas Brothers delete Twitter account.

Not sure who Midnight Red are, but they're shirtless in Miami.

Attitude honors Alan Turing with commemorative cover. “The gay man who saved the world".

Rare saber-toothed whale washes ashore in Venice Beach: "Covered in bites from so-called cookie-cutter sharks, which feed by gouging round plugs of flesh from larger animals, the carcass was extremely well-preserved, Fash said. The whale was probably alive when it washed ashore, he added."

Help protect children from bacterial meningitis!

Ken Cuccinelli donor linked to kidnapping case, anti-Semitic newspapers.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) under fire for shutdown votes: "Since the shutdown, Maloney has sided with the Republicans 11 times, breaking with the Democratic strategy to vote against legislation that would have funded government agencies selectively and incrementally. And early in the morning of October 1, Maloney was also one of only seven Democrats to vote for a rules change in the House that now prevents anyone but the majority leader — Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia — from forcing a vote on a bill that cannot be reconciled between the Senate and the House, effectively preempting one key Democratic procedural maneuver to end the shutdown."

Miley Cyrus album Bangerz debuts atop Blllboard chart.

Saturn's hexagon storm system captured in true color.

ACLU of Wisconsin files court brief in support of Domestic Partner Registry.

A day in the life of Prince Harry.

Diamonds fall as rain on Jupiter and Saturn: "Diamond rain on Jupiter and Saturn begins in the upper atmosphere. Lightning strikes methane, turning it into soot (carbon). As the soot falls, pressure increases, and it turns into graphite. After falling for another 4,000 miles or so, the pressure is so great that the graphite turns into diamond. The diamonds then continue to fall for another 20,000 miles or so (no one knows how far it is to core of Saturn or Jupiter) — almost three times the diameter of Earth — until they reach the core."