As Puerto Rico Votes Down Gay Marriage Ban, Caymans Proposes One

Late last week, Puerto Rico voted down a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, the Advocate reports:

"Rep. Victor García San Inocencio says Resolution 99 failed on Thursday to make it to the house floor for voting, effectively killing the proposal for this legislative term. The measure would have amended the U.S. territory's constitution to establish that marriage is between a man and woman and that no other types of unions could be recognized. Thus, it would have made it harder to allow civil unions or grant marital rights to unmarried couples."

Meanwhile, a Cayman Islands lawmaker has proposed a sinister measure:

"Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush has filed a Private Members Motion proposing an amendment to the Marriage Law that would define marriage in the Cayman Islands as being between a man and woman. The motion also proposes the Marriage Law only recognise a person’s gender at birth and that no other form of civil union be allowed in the Cayman Islands to recognise same–sex partnerships. The motion was filed with the Legislative Assembly Monday and Mr. Bush wants House Standing Orders suspended to allow the motion to be dealt with during the current meeting of the House."

Given recent events, it's a surprise a ban on same-sex kissing wasn't proposed as well.

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Cayman Islands Dept. of Tourism Apologizes to Gay Kiss Arrestee

Cayman Islands Director of Tourism Pilar Bush sent a letter of apology to Aaron Chandler, the 23-year-old Massachusetts man I posted about yesterday. Chandler was arrested last Thursday in the Caymans after kissing his partner on a dance floor while vacationing there.

Said Bush in the letter, which Chandler received on Friday: "On behalf of the entire Department of Tourism, I apologise for your upsetting experience and want to assure you that the Cayman Islands is a welcoming jurisdiction to all people. What happened to you was an isolated incident, and is not representative of Cayman. We know that thousands of gay and lesbian visitors travel to the Cayman Islands every year and enjoy their vacation."

Chandler told the Cay Compass that he appreciated the response: "I should say that, yes, her prompt decision did ease the anger for me a bit. In addition, it’s just good business sense for Ms Bush to have apologised to me. The [Department] of Tourism surely doesn’t want to have someone leave the Cayman Islands not wanting to come back."

Bush had reportedly told Chandler that she would call him at his hotel, but he did not receive the call prior to leaving on Saturday. There has been no word from the Royal Cayman Islands Police, to whom Chandler also complained.

Previously
Cayman Islands Police Arrest Massachusetts Man for Gay Kiss [tr]

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Cayman Islands Police Arrest Massachusetts Man for Gay Kiss

Aaron Chandler, 23, from Amherst, Massachusetts, was arrested in the Cayman Islands last week after kissing his partner on a dance floor. The arrest was preceded by two confrontations with an unidentified local who asked them to stop what they were doing.

The Cay Compass reports: "About a half hour later – about 11pm – an unidentified woman approached the two men and asked Mr. Chandler to follow her to meet a friend. The friend turned out to be an off–duty police officer. 'He told me he did not want me to show public displays of affection,' Mr. Chandler said. 'He said it was against the law for two people of the same sex.' Mr. Chandler said he kissed his partner again, just before his party was going to leave the Royal Palms. 'The officer grabbed my wrist and told me he was placing me under arrest.' Mr. Chandler said a crowd of people – some tourists and some residents – followed the police officer while he was leading him away. 'They were asking him why he was doing this and one asked how he could do this in a British territory.' The officer called a superior, who arrived about five minutes later, Mr. Chandler said. On the way to the George Town police station, Mr. Chandler said the superior officer told him the 'law was stupid' but that he had to enforce it. Once at George Town Police Station, Mr. Chandler was made to wait to speak to an inspector. The inspector never came, but the original officer came back and gave him a stern talking to, telling him he didn’t care what he did in private, but that he could not kiss his partner in a public place. He attempted to make Mr. Chandler promise not to kiss his partner in public again and then released him."

Said Chandler: "I do display affection when I’m with my boyfriend, publicly. “It’s never anything most people would consider obscene however; usually it’s in the form of holding hands or a quick kiss."

The Caribbean has never been a safe place for gays and lesbians. While I certainly sympathize with Chandler's situation, it's important to remember that displaying same-sex affection can get you much worse than an arrest. Be careful out there.

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St. Maarten Gay Bash Victim Sues, Says CBS Fired Him for Speaking Out

Dick Jefferson, the CBS News producer who was gay bashed with a group of friends in St. Maarten in April 2006, has filed a $50 million lawsuit against CBS, according to Kenneth Walsh of Kenneth in the 212.

Jefferson says that after the incident he was warned by CBS News Senior Vice President Linda Mason not to speak out about the incident because it was too controversial. After Jefferson suggested to Mason that she was violating the network's anti-discrimination policies, by "controlling what he wrote in his e-mail messages from his personal account, requiring him to ask for permission to testify in open court against his attackers (they were eventually caught and convicted) and banning him from having contact with his friend and colleague, Ryan Smith, who was still hospitalized from the attack," he says she engaged in a systematic campaign of retaliation which eventually led to his being fired.

Reports Walsh: "When he first complained about the corporate interference in his personal life, Jefferson says Mason warned him that she could force him to take a leave of absence -- which would cause him to lose not only pay but critical health care insurance -- if he continued to pursue his "gay rights" cause. After his complaint of discrimination, Jefferson says Mason embarked on a retaliation campaign. Within weeks, she attempted to terminate his contract. Failing her first attempt, he says she began a fishing expedition, and built a fraudulent case against him, placed him on probation and then ultimately fired him. 'Surgeons repaired the damage the criminals did,' Jefferson said. 'Now, it is time to ease the pain and suffering CBS News executives inflicted. I felt like I was attacked again.'"

In response to Jefferson's plans, CBS released a statement to Fishbowl NY:

"The complaint that a press release from Dick Jefferson states he will file on Monday (25) is unequivocally baseless. Mr. Jefferson was terminated at the conclusion of his employment agreement due to legitimate issues with his performance that had been previously discussed with him. His allegations that Linda Mason discriminated against him could not be further from the truth. This complaint reveals a stunningly selective recall of the "facts," both real and imagined, including omission of the extraordinary lengths to which CBS News and, specifically, Ms. Mason, went to airlift him to safety and better medical treatment -- at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars paid for by the Company -- after the attack, which Mr. Jefferson suffered while on a personal vacation. Additionally, contrary to Mr. Jefferson's claims, CBS News also supported Mr. Jefferson's right to discuss the attack publicly and to seek justice, which he clearly did. CBS policy forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the company regularly educates its workforce about complying with that and other employment policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment. We will vigorously and aggressively defend ourselves against Mr. Jefferson's unwarranted complaint and his regrettably vicious and unconscionable attack on Ms. Mason's character."

CBS Eye on Homophobia? [kenneth in the 212]
Ex-CBS News Producer To File $50M Sexual-Orientation Discrimination Lawsuit Against Network [fishbowl ny]

Backstory
TOWLEROAD EXCLUSIVE: St. Maarten Gay Bashing Victim Ryan Smith Speaks About Verdict [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Trial Awaits Ryan Smith [tr]
Lead Attacker in St. Maarten Gay Bashing is Arrested [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bashing: Two Months Later [tr]
St.Maarten Gay Bashing Case Lost in Translation? [tr]
Update: Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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TOWLEROAD EXCLUSIVE: St. Maarten Gay Bashing Victim Ryan Smith Speaks About Verdict

Four French nationals were found guilty of public violence and grievous bodily harm by Judge Jan Bosch on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten for last April's brutal gay bashing of CBS journalists Dick Jefferson and Ryan Smith, and friends with whom they were traveling.

The ringleader of the attack, Michael Javois (aka "Duracell") received a sentence of six years in prison for using the tire iron that cracked Jefferson's skull and injured Smith's brain, leaving him unable to speak for months. Glen Cockly and Allan Daniel received three-year terms for their lesser roles. Micheline Delaney, who kicked the victims when they were on the ground but reportedly tried to stop the attack, received six months in jail.

I talked to Ryan Smith this morning about how he has been progressing since the attack and whether or not he is satisfied with the verdicts that have been handed out.

Smith told Towleroad that he was thankful the attackers have been put in jail for their crime, but criticized statements by St. Maarten authorites that the attack was not about sexuality.

The statement Smith has issue with is one made by chief prosecutor Taco Stein, who said: "Being gay was not the issue here. But meaningless violence to annoy other people. These suspects were out there to cause trouble."

Smith says that "meaningless violence" was not what happened at all: "All along the way it's clearly about being gay. It's not some sort of fight. It was pure aggression, based on being who you are. It's very clear in all of the court documents. The last thing that we need is to have a public offical saying that being gay had nothing to do with it. This is exactly what happened. We are very gratified that people are in jail now. And we are also thankful for the work of the public prosecutor Taco Stein. We will though, have our difference about what this was."

Smith also said that he is concerned about tourist destinations such as St. Maarten which market directly to the gay community but refuse to back those invitations with proper protection for visitors:

Said Smith: "I pray that something good will come out of this. We all go on vacations to escape the harsh world that is our lives and we oftentimes escape to places that vow they are friendly to our community. St Maarten is certainly one of those places that advertises as such. Here you have people who are seeing [a place] in a gay magazine that calls itself 'the friendly island'. You go to the quintessential tourist bar next to the airport and you give someone a hug and then you are attacked as a result. Let's cut through some of the rhetoric and get to the heart of whether you're going to be protected where you go. I'm not asking St Maarten to rise up and compare to the court system of the United States, but if you're going to welcome diverse groups to your island, also be there to protect them, and if something does happen, then call it like it is, and the world will be better for it."

Since the attack, Smith, who has become involved with New York's Anti-Violence League, says he has made what many people would term a full recovery, though the experience has changed him, opening his eyes to the legal injustices of hate crime victims and to their needs.

Said Smith, "I'm actually better than I was before as far as my spirit and soul. I was held down by those people one night. I am not going to let them have any more of me beyond that. There are things that I am working on to nail home, but who would have thought that I could have gone from almost dead at the hospital to being able to exercise [physically] and exercise my brain at work? I really credit it to the people behind me because I don't know how you can go through this without a lot of help. The unfortunate reality is that a lot of people do. A lot of people die. I think it's my responsibility to really do what I can on their behalf."

To gays and lesbians considering travel to a destination like St. Maarten, Smith says this: "If youre considering going somewhere don't just look into the area sentiments but try and see whether or not if something were to happen, whether there is a police and judicial system that understands and lives up to the lip service of the advertisements to our community."

Dick Jefferson released a statement following the verdicts, expressing relief at a resolution to the case but raising questions about the way the case was handled and cautioning other gay tourists about traveling to St. Maarten.

Jefferson's statement:

"I am happy that the justice system of St. Maarten reached a guilty verdict for the group that attacked my friends and me. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Prosecutor Taco Stein and the investigators to pursue the case. I am particularly pleased the judge decided the cause of the attack was discrimination - - a hate crime - - not based on any rational reason.

Now, the Prosecutor and the people of St. Maarten have to decide whether the sentence handed down today was fair. Is six years, or three years, or six months, the proper penalty for permanently changing the lives of two tourists who came to “the Friendly Island?” Instead of friendliness, a pack of residents greeted us, as the judge noted, with vicious contempt and almost killed us.

The people of St. Maarten should also ask whether the sentence sends the clear message that if you wrongly attack visitors, the punishment for endangering the Island’s lifeblood will be steep. Also, does today’s sentence sooth the anxiety of visitors who now worry if they will be treated fairly should they become a victim of a crime?

St. Maarten citizens cannot answer many of those questions until Police Commissioner Derrick Holliday issues his long overdue report on why the Police failed to respond to the crime, denied its occurrence the next day, and when it finally did respond, greeted us with the same contempt as the attackers. His contempt of the order to deliver the report sends a clear message to residents that he is above the law. It sends a clear message to tourists to stay away until he provides some answers."

Previously
St. Maarten Gay Bash Trial Awaits Ryan Smith [tr]
Lead Attacker in St. Maarten Gay Bashing is Arrested [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bashing: Two Months Later [tr]
St.Maarten Gay Bashing Case Lost in Translation? [tr]
Update: Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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St. Maarten Gay Bash Trial Awaits Ryan Smith

The trial underway for four men accused of attempted murder and manslaughter in the gay bashing of Dick Jefferson, Ryan Smith, and their companions, has been postponed in order for Smith to be able to testify.

Smith, who suffered a crushed skull and some brain damage which left him unable to speak properly, will be able to travel to the island to testify when his financial situation allows it. Chief prosecutor Taco Stein has promised help from the island of St. Maarten: "The government of St. Maarten has...stated its willingness to assist. After all, this case was not good promotion for the island." Ya think?

Gay beating trial delayed so U.S. victim can testify [ap]

Previously
Lead Attacker in St. Maarten Gay Bashing is Arrested [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bashing: Two Months Later [tr]
St.Maarten Gay Bashing Case Lost in Translation? [tr]
Update: Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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News: Fountain of Youth, Bear Kiss, and Jennifer Hudson

Wireless iPods, soon?

In the latest addition to Jason Statham's body of work, Crank, he hits the road on a motorcycle in a hospital gown and lets it all hang out...

David Copperfield says he has found the Fountain of Youth on an island he owns in the Southern Bahamas: "I've discovered a true phenomenon. You can take dead leaves, they come in contact with the water, they become full of life again. ... Bugs or insects that are near death, come in contact with the water, they'll fly away. It's an amazing thing, very, very exciting."

Watch out for bears. New Marc Jacobs campaign features bearded men macking in the woods.

The Pet Shop Boys have announced that they'll be touring the United States this fall.

People having too much fun? Chairman of Public Safety Committee: NYC nightclubs a "modern day Sodom and Gomorrah."

MO: The three-step rule to street cruising.

According to Tom O'Neil at The Envelope, Jennifer Hudson is already being tipped for an Oscar nom in the Dreamgirls role that will turn her into a major superstar: "A test-screening audience not only went crazy for the pic recently in San Diego, but viewers went utterly bonkers over Hudson. Now she can laugh off her loss on 'American Idol.'...Already, she's the frontrunner for the supporting-actress Oscar. Actually, it's surprising she's not a frontrunner for best actress considering Holliday beat her costar Sheryl Lee Ralph (who portrayed Deena) for the top acting honor at the Tonys, but studio chiefs plan to separate the film Dreamdivas at the Oscars, demoting Hudson to supporting because Beyonce has more screen time. And, well, probably just because she's Beyonce."

Joe Scarborough asks, is Bush an idiot?

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Lead Attacker in St. Maarten Gay Bashing is Arrested

Cooperation between the French and Dutch sides of St. Maarten has finally resulted in the arrest of the main suspect in the brutal anti-gay attack on Dick Jefferson, Ryan Smith, and their friends more than two months ago. "Duracell" turned himself in after supposedly fleeing the island for neighboring Guadaloupe.

I received an email yesterday from Jefferson (which I share below) talking about the arrests and the effect the case has had on other investigations on St. Maarten. The slow but steady progress will have its conclusion in the coming months when a Dutch judge presides over Duracell's trial.

From Dick Jefferson:

Duracell is back on St. Maarten/St. Martin! Dutch officials have him locked up and are interrogating him.

Two weeks after officials revealed that the 21-year-old thug Duracell had escaped the island, Netherland Antilles Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein announced today (June 13) that Duracell surrendered, and will face charges resulting from his “barbaric” attack on my friends and me.

But, the convicted felon—whose previous weapon of choice was a machete--brought along an attorney and denied that he cracked my head with a tire wrench before he and his buddies swarmed and crushed Ryan Smith’s skull—resulting in even more severe damage. While I have returned to work, Ryan continues his rehabilitation.

Duracell’s surrender has been a slow, but sure, victory for cooperation between the Dutch and the French sides of the island. Since the attack on the Dutch side, it was well known that the culprits drove to the safe haven of the French side. It took weeks for Stein to convince his French counterparts to accept the fact their citizens were out to kill that night. The pack remained on the loose--capable of attacking again--because the French then demanded that all documents be translated from Dutch.

Despite the seemingly endless delay in our case, the cooperation that started there is already paying off in the investigation of the brutal murder last week of Angelique Chauvire. Last seen on the French side, her mutilated body was discovered near a Dutch beach. In her case, the two sides which speak the language of commerce daily, did not delay to translate. I hope leaders on both sides of this unique two nation island formalize this working relationship and its value in preventing the Duracells of the future from terrorizing one side only to retreat to the sovereign sanctuary of the other.

The surrender--and the arrest of another assailant last Friday—is also a big victory for the people of St. Maarten/St. Martin. Since the bashing, I have said that police departments are only as successful as the people they serve. I urged those who knew those that tried to kill my friends for their innocent display of affection--and me for stumbling into the conflict--had a duty to either inform police, or to convince the assailants that the only way to save the island’s tourism economy was to face justice. I appreciate all those who braved to do the right thing.

In the end, the French decision to prosecute may have prompted Duracell. Despite his denial, he has chosen to possibly spend up to 16 years in St. Maarten’s Pointe Blanche prison rather than endure a possible shorter sentence in the French dungeon on neighboring Guadeloupe. Or maybe his family and friends wanted to be closer to him than the facility that is reputed to rival the conditions made famous by the book, and movie, Papillion.

With Duracell’s surrender, justice will soon be decided under the Dutch legal system by a single judge. It will be a true test of how the island treats crimes against tourists who are gay.

One newspaper on St. Maarten, TODAY, glorified our beating. The other, THE HERALD, called the attack “a despicable and barbaric act,” but then suggested “if the culprits felt the need to prove their manhood . . . they at least could have had the guts to fight them fairly, with their bare hands.”

I hope that whichever judge gets this case does not hold a similar opinion that violence is ever justified--with a speeding car, a rusty tire wrench, or even bare fists.

While Duracell and his posse may have committed the most violent crime, St. Maarten Chief Police Commissioner Derrick Holliday has committed the most serious one. The people of St. Maarten, and the millions of tourists the island invites each year, are the victims of his contempt.

He has so far refused to comply with an order by his Government’s top leaders to explain why his department repeatedly denied an attack took place or even take my statement before I was airlifted to the safety of Miami.

Today, he continues that silence. His contempt is so loud now, the people of St. Maarten should demand answers before his screech reverberates across the world, and silences the brand new airport that would welcome visitors to the so-called Friendly Island.

Jefferson has worked aggressively and persistently, pressuring officials on this case. His hard work appears to have paid off, and if Duracell receives the proper sentence, gays and lesbians will have won an important victory in this homophobic region of the world.

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St. Maarten Gay Bashing: Two Months Later [tr]
St.Maarten Gay Bashing Case Lost in Translation? [tr]
Update: Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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St. Maarten Gay Bash: Two Months Later

Some good news and some bad news came from Dick Jefferson this week, regarding the ongoing case of the brutal gay bashing of Dick and his friends on the island of St. Maarten two months ago.

Dick says that most of the perpetrators are still loose on the island, but the individual who specifically attacked him has allegedly fled the island altogether and is rumored to be hiding on the island of Guadeloupe. The other news is that Ryan Smith will soon have surgery to have a steel plate put in his head. "It is not fun, but it is progress," says Dick.

The full text of Dick Jefferson's email follows after the jump.

--TEXT of email from Dick Jefferson--

There is good news, but first the scary. “Duracell” got away!

The tire-wrench-swinging animal that crushed my skull is still on the prowl--ready to try to kill again. Only he is no longer on St. Maarten/St. Martin. He escaped the island!

His escape should embarrass all those who let him flee, and scare away all thinking about visiting the island. Most of the others who also attacked my friends and me are still on the loose.

It is almost too easy to blame the unique nature of the island--shared between the French and the Dutch. The attack took place on the Dutch side. From the beginning, the St. Maarten police—once they responded to the crime—have known the assailants were hiding on the French side. Despite boasts of “350 years of cooperation," and of “two nations, one people,” neither side has come up with a solution to one crime, two nations.

It took weeks for Netherland Antilles Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein to convince the French to cooperate, and even more time wasted in translating documents before the French would act. Then it was too late.

And “one people” didn’t help either. I knew “Duracell” was the leader of the gang since the first week. I agreed not to use his name publicly, before now, at the request of authorities who feared it would interfere with his arrest. As I have said from the beginning, the police are only as good as the citizens they serve. Somebody helped him get off the island. He did not swim off. He did not grow wings and fly off. He did not board a plane without an official checking his documents, either.

And Duracell had been convicted before. His weapon of choice the last time was a machete! Duracell is now believed to be on the island of Guadeloupe. If it is any consolation, and if the French track him down, Duracell will be closer to the courthouse and the prison where he belongs--before he attempts to kill again.

If you want to let the French know how you feel about letting a criminal escape, contact the Director of Tourism on the French side, Bernadette Davis: b.davis@st-martin.org. The Mayor of the commune of St Martin is Alfred Fleming, but he does not appear to have a public email address.

For contacts on the Dutch side, go to www.sxmprivateeye.com The website has been very supportive, and is a great source of information about the case, the current crime wave (yes, more murders) and police negligence.

Now the good news, if having more surgery is good news. Ryan Smith, who also had his skull crushed in this attack, is scheduled to get his steel plate this week. It is not fun, but it is progress. Ryan, welcome to the really hard-headed club!

--END text of Dick Jefferson's email--

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St.Maarten Gay Bashing Case Lost in Translation? [tr]
Update: Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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Natalee Holloway Case Gets Gay Twist

Dutch authorities have released the latest suspect held in the Natalee Holloway case, 19-year-old Guido Wever, although he is still under suspicion. Wever's lawyer told FOX News that his client did not make a good suspect.

Why?

"'My client is gay,' lawyer Gerard Spong told FOX News, adding that Wever sometimes wears makeup."

Why that eliminates him as a potential witness is unclear, but is there any evidence that serious crimes in the Caribbean will end up as anything other than a bungled circus?
(thanks lane)

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St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case Lost in Translation?

The first suspect held in the savage St. Maarten gay bashing incident that injured news producer Dick Jefferson and his companion Ryan Smith on April 6 has been released after being in custody for 26 days. Prosecutor Taco Stein said that the man "probably went back to the French side" of the island, but remains a suspect in the case. Dutch and French authorities began working together on the case, after an unforgivably long delay of several days after the attacks took place.

Two suspects remain in custody, according to Dick Jefferson, who communicated by email to Towleroad this afternoon. Jefferson noted that "at least four others, including the man who crushed [his] skull with a tire wrench, remain at large," and expressed frustration with the sluggishness of the investigation, part of which has to do with bureaucracy between the French and Dutch sides of the island.

Writes Jefferson:

"Part of the delay has been the unique nature of the island, which is split between the French and the Dutch (Netherland Antilles). I appreciate that the French Prosecutor has agreed to pursue the case. But, Mr. Stein informed me today that his office has just now been able to complete translation of all the documents of the investigation into French. This diplomatic formality has allowed the would-be killers to remain at-large, and possibly escape.

Now that the paper has been shuffled, I hope the people on both sides of the island come forward with information that will lead to the arrest of these monsters, who repeatedly tried to kill us simply because we were gay. As I have said before, the police are only as good as the people they serve. The longer the people of St. Maarten/St. Martin continue to aid and abet the criminals, the more severe the damage will be to the island's tourism."

As troubling than the slow progress, adds Jefferson, is that it continues even after "numerous witnesses have identified the violent assailants."

Jefferson supplied Towleroad with the emails of both the Governor of St. Maarten (governor@governorsxm.com) as well as the Tourism Bureau (info@st-maarten.com) for anyone interested in voicing concerns about the investigation and about the treatment of gay people on St. Maarten.

Previously
Update: Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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United Nations votes to block two more gay rights groups from "consultative status" at the UN following motions by Iran. This is the second time this year gay groups have been denied the status. Voting "no" both times were Cameroon, China, Iran, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Voting against rejection were Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Peru, Romania and the United States. India and Turkey abstained." After voting "no" the first time, the United States has changed its position on the issue.

Norway grants protection to gay Iranian asylum seekers.

In a veiled reference to the evils of gay marriage, Pope Benedict lectured a Spanish ambassador over the weekend: "The church proclaims without reserve the primordial right to life, from conception to natural death, the right to birth, to create and live in a family, without it being substituted or confused by other forms or different institutions."

James McGreevey's Confession: Former New Jersey Governor will appear on Oprah this fall. Admits he cruised rest stops for sex: "All I knew was that my behavior was getting crazier and crazier. With each new encounter, I was getting nearer and nearer to being caught - which surely would have generated headlines, especially after I became executive director of the state parole board. The closet starves a man, and when he gets a chance he gorges till it sickens him."

What's on Hillary's Clinton's iPod?

LOGO rejects second Provincetown reality special.

Jamaican who stabbed gay activist 77 times is sentenced to life in prison.

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UPDATE — Arrests Made in St. Maarten Gay Bashing Case

Two new arrests have been made in connection with last month's gay bashing of Dick Jefferson and Ryan Smith on the island of St. Maarten. Prosecutor Taco Stein said that a man and a woman, both of whom live on the French side of the island (St. Martin), have been taken into custody under suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm to the two men. One man is already being held.

Stein says more arrests are probable.

I heard from Dick Jefferson a week ago. He was on his way back to the island to pursue the case further. Jefferson told me then that an agreement between the Dutch and the French to work on the case is very rare and offered some information on the man already being held: "Under the Dutch system you can hold anyone as long as you want as long as they are relevant to the case. The guy 'may' have been in the car, but doubt it. More likely, he was with them inside the bar."

UPDATE:

I heard from Dick Jefferson today.
He writes:

"The arrests are a direct result, according to the Prosecutor, of the continued news coverage of the events and the agreement between the French and Dutch to cooperate. The suspects who turned themselves in were pressured by their families to do so, otherwise be caught and have to spend time in the French prison on Guadeloupe, rather than the Dutch prison in St. Maarten. I hope the friends and family of the other assailants will see the wisdom in helping the island recover from this brutality and cooperate with the authorities, or even better, convince them to turn themselves in. If the entire island works as one, they will realize there is no where to run, no where to hide, and no way to win."

Thanks, Dick. I'm glad to hear they are making progress and bravo to your efforts. With continued attention I hope the rest of these criminals will be caught soon.

For those of you wanting an update on Ryan, Dick pointed me to this recent piece in the Miami Herald which includes an audio interview. Ryan is staying in Miami Beach during his recovery and still has trouble writing and speaking. Towleroad wishes him a speedy recovery...

Previously
St. Maarten Gay Bash Update II [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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St. Maarten Gay Bash Update

Two suspects are reportedly being held in connection with the gay bashing of CBS News producer Dick Jefferson and his friend Ryan Smith on the island of St. Maarten.

From The Daily Herald:

"First reports that two men had been arrested Thursday in connection with the incident reached The Daily Herald Friday night. Dutch press agency ANP reported over the weekend that two arrests had been made at Bamboo Bernie’s and that a third suspect, apparently the main suspect, was still at large."

Said Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein: "I say to you as I said to all other reporters, I cannot deny nor confirm the arrests." Stein also told the Herald that "the investigation was 'very touchy' and 'delicate' and that he would give a statement 'as soon as this is possible.'"

The recent gay bashings have thrust St. Maarten and the Caribbean in general into the limelight, prompting Time to ask, in an article published this week, if the region is the most homophobic place on earth?

The Time article focuses mainly on Jamaica, punctuated with a description of hate crimes that have happened there recently:

"In 2004, a teen was almost killed when his father learned his son was gay and invited a group to lynch the boy at his school. Months later, witnesses say, police egged on another mob that stabbed and stoned a gay man to death in Montego Bay. And this year a Kingston man, Nokia Cowan, drowned after a crowd shouting "batty boy" (a Jamaican epithet for homosexual) chased him off a pier."

An editorial in St. Maarten's Daily Herald expressed concern about the consequences for the travel industry and urged people to see the gay bashing as an "isolated" incident, saying "The islands to a great extent depend on Americans visitors for their survival, but that does not mean they should be blackmailed. What happened to the two badly beaten visitors is horrible, but it’s obviously an isolated incident involving a handful of people and presenting it any other way simply misleading the public."

However, with attitudes like the one expressed in a second editorial that a reader scanned and sent in to me (allegedly from the Herald as well and not, as of now, available online), folks may agree with Time. The writer of this opinion piece blames the victim and longs for the days when gay bashing wasn't such a "no-no." It's pretty damn sickening. Here you go:

UPDATE: As I suspected, the editorial may not be from The Herald. As you'll see in the comments below, a reader seems to think it was from another, smaller paper called Today. In either case, the editorial is still illustrative of much of the homophobic thinking that pervades the Caribbean today.

Previously
St. Maarten Gay Bash update [tr]
St. Maarten Gay Bash Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

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St. Maarten Gay Bash Update

Finally, some action from the island of St. Maarten. But is it too little too late? St. Maarten's top tourism official called last week's attacks "barbaric and inhumane" on Wednesday, adding, "These kinds of crimes won't go unpunished on St. Maarten."

According to the island's Daily Herald, three detectives are investigating and a probe is underway by the public prosecutor into the police department's non-response to the attacks.

Here's another report on the condition of Jefferson and Smith after the St. Maarten gay bashing attack.

The incident also opened up a difficult situation for Ryan Smith's family. Smith's boyfriend Justin essentially had to out Smith to his parents when he called them to report the incident. Talk about your difficult phone calls! Smith's mother seems to be handling the news with tact and love, even if she may not be ready to deal with her son's sexuality: "Smith's parents did not know who he was and yet he had to tell them their son had been gravely injured. When he was pressed to explain why the assault happened, Swensen said, he finally explained that it was a hate crime because he and Smith are gay. 'Ryan hadn't told them that before,' he said. Patricia Smith is not ready to talk about those issues. She is unwavering in her love for her son and her sense of injustice. 'It doesn't matter if I know, if my husband knows,' she said. 'What's important is that these hate crimes are unjustifiable for any reason.'"

Amen. Our wishes are with Ryan and Richard.

Previously
St. Maarten Gay Bash Victim Speaks Out [tr]
Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

St. Maarten Gay Bash Attack Victim Speaks Out

Richard Jefferson talked to CBS news in Miami about the gay bashing incident in St. Maarten that left him with wounds from a wheel wrench on his head and back, and left his friend Ryan Smith with a fractured skull. Smith has not been able to speak properly since the incident.

"To have somebody pull a tire iron out from inside their car and go after you is just crazy," Jefferson told CBS. "They joke it was the friendly island. It was very unfriendly the other night. The car backs up and this little guy gets out with this tire wrench. And I'm going 'What the hell's going on around here?' And, quite frankly, that's the last I knew...So I called the police station and called the detectives bureau, and the detective on duty said, 'We have no report of anything happening.' So I was going, 'This is crazy. At least four of my friends called it in.'"

Based on the negligent response from the authorities on St. Maarten, I think it's time for a boycott.

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Brutal Gay Bashing on St. Maarten

Senior CBS Nightly News producer Richard Jefferson and his friend Ryan Smith were harassed and brutally attacked by gay bashers on the island of St. Maarten early Thursday morning after leaving a bar. Jefferson "sustained severe cuts on the back of his head and his lower back" while Smith "had a fractured head and has been unable to speak properly since the incident," according to the St. Maarten Daily Herald.

The two were beaten with a pipe wrench after leaving Bamboo Bernie's, where they had been harassed by the suspects, who apparently followed them in a car and jumped them.

The St. Maarten Police have so far neglected to even contact the victims: "Jefferson said he had learnt that many people, including management at Sunset Beach Bar, Maho St. Maarten, a nearby casino and Bamboo Bernie’s, had called the St. Maarten Police, but no one showed up. He said he had called the police station on Thursday around 1:00pm and had spoken to a detective, but no one showed up at the hospital or called."

Note: The news article says Jefferson is with NBC, but I have been informed he works for CBS; Smith works for 48 Hours.

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