Questions arise about police response to murder of gay man in October. "But it was not until about 5 p.m. the next day — 39 hours after the attack — that the police established a crime scene near the corner of 43rd Avenue and 42nd Street. Detectives canvassed for what witnesses they could still find. Mr. Rispoli died four days later."
3-D printing saves a boy's life: "In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day."
Trans pageant queen Jenna Talackova to star in Canadian reality show: " Tentatively titled Brave New Girl, its planned eight half-hour episodes are set to air in early September, with shooting starting next week."
The NYT looks at the architecture of Fire Island Pines: “My line to people is that the Pines is to gay people what Israel is to Jews,” Andrew Kirtzman, a longtime Pines resident and real estate developer, said recently. “It’s the spiritual homeland. There’s just a sense of history in the air, almost tangible but not quite. You just feel like you’re part of some kind of grand creation meant solely for gays.”
Matthew Rettenmund's full wrap-up of this week's sexy Broadway Beauty Pageant.
Daft Punk album sells 300,000+copies in first week. Duo plans remixes.
Behind the Candelabra's Debbie Reynolds talks about being Liberace's date: "I have never had a better time than being Liberace's date. We all knew he was homosexual. That was a friend: You know what they love and the people that they love, and what they are. I don't want him to be remembered just for being homosexual. He should be remembered as a great entertainer and loved by so many. And this picture does do that."
Brad Pitt surprised fans at a screening of World War Z: “The crowd went wild when he showed up and he had t-shirts to hand out to his fans. He made sure to give New Jersey a big shout out before the movie started!”
Plans for NYC's ginormous ferris wheel in Staten island:
"a 630-foot tall structure that will be open almost 365 days a year,
will hold about 1,400 people per hour in its 36 capsules, each of which
will make 38-minute rotations at a rate of about 10 inches per second."
$2 million was spent lobbying lawmakers on marriage equality in Minnesota: "Minnesotans United for All Families leader Richard Carlbom provided the figure to The Associated Press ahead of a mid-June deadline to report lobbying during the just-completed legislative session. About $400,000 to $500,000 was spent on TV ads, he said. Minnesotans United likely will rank at or near the top of 2013 legislative lobbying, if historical spending is any guide."
Neil Patrick Harris to introduce USA Network broadcast of Milk: "The feature marks the fourth film in USA's Characters Unite quarterly film series dedicated to using the power of storytelling to increase awareness of social injustices, stimulate dialogue and encourage progress."
The New York Daily News reports that a Manhattan Criminal Court has indicted Elliot Morales, 33, who shot Mark Carson, 32 (pictured), in the West Village on Saturday night in a hate crime murder. Morales did not appear in court, but his attorney did. Writes the Daily News:
The lawyer, Kevin Michael Canfield, later said Morales is not guilty of the slaying and is "devastated by the charges."
"He didn't murder anybody," Canfield said, suggesting there were other factors at play.
"He was sexually abused as a child by a male authority figure which led to a lifetime of alcoholism and drug abuse," Canfield told the Daily News, adding, "It's a terrible tragedy."
Despite other factors which may have contributed, Morales was caught soon after he shot Carson, and the gravity of the situation is very real. Towleroad previously reported on Morales' charges which included murder as a hate crime and weapons charges, as well as the massive march and rally which followed on Monday.
The Daily News recalls the incident:
"Look at you faggots, you look like gay wrestlers," Morales allegedly told victim Mark Carson and his friend minutes before policed say he shot Mark Carson, 32, in the head.
Authorities said he callously laughed as he confessed to the random killing. His gleeful expression came as he allegedly told investigators, "I shot him in the face."
The US Peace Corps said today it would begin accepting gay domestic partners and married couples who wish to serve together overseas, CBS News reports:
Married couples have been serving together in the Peace Corps since the organization was founded in 1961. About 7 percent of overseas assignments are currently filled by married volunteers who serve together.
Same-sex couples, however, will only be placed in countries where "homosexual acts are not criminalized" for safety reasons, press director Shira Kramer told CBS News.
"The Peace Corps will foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples and provide them with guidance for maintaining their safety and well-being. The agency will provide country-specific information to applicants once they are invited to serve, and Peace Corps staff will provide additional information and training once volunteers arrive in-country," Kramer said.
Applications will begin on June 3, and an affadavit verifying the relationship must be provided.
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Landry Jones spoke with Outsports reporter Cyd Zeigler at the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Rookie Premiere. He discussed his Christian beliefs and the novel perspective that they shouldn't interfere with having a gay player on his team. Asked about how Christian and gay players would mesh on the field, Jones had this to say:
"There's not a conflict," Jones said. "People are people and God tells us to love everybody. And so that's what I do."
"Now, do I condone what they're doing? No, I don't think it's right," he continued.
"But, am I going to go out there and not talk to them? Am I going to go out there and be hateful and mean to them? I think that's ignorant. I think we respect and love everybody. But, there's also a moral standard there for me, and I'm going to take a stand on that. I don't think it's right, but it's their life and I'm not going to go up because someone is gay and be mean or hateful and say terrible things to them. I'm going to treat them like a human being."
Jones recalls other NFL players, the notorious Tim Tebow in particular, with his strong Christian background. During their interview, Zeigler noticed a Biblical passage from Philippians printed on Jones' hand. But Jones also respects the gay community, and gay players:
"It doesn't matter if you're gay or if you're straight," Jones said. "If you can play the game of football, you're going to be on a team and you're going to have a job. Just like if you're in a regular business setting. If you can do your job well, you can do your job. You can get paid and earn a living and provide for your family, whatever your family looks like."
Jones' words echo the recent outspoken support of former NFL player Kurt Warner and recently dismissed-and-resigned punter Chris Kluwe. And though Landry is hesitant to fully support the gay community, Zeigler suggests that his may be the halfway-there perspective we need to embrace in the sports world:
If we're going to open sports for everyone, Jones' willingness to put his personal feelings aside and treat people equally is the kind of perspective we must be willing to hear. Just as we want men like Jones to accept us, we must accept them.
Recent Comments