Miami Police Hunt Killer Said to Potentially Target Gay Men

Miami's first homicide in 2008 remains unsolved as police search for a 21-year-old Mexican national who is a suspect in the bloody killing of a 68-year-old man. Details of the murder have not released but they have apparently led authorities to believe the killer is targeting gay men.

CBS4 reports: "On January 3rd, a caretaker found the body of 68-year old Alexio Bello inside his ransacked El Lago Condominium in the 55-hundred block of Northwest 7th Street. Bello's murder was the first recorded homicide of 2008. During the investigation, Bello's friends told police he had recently befriended 21-year old Jorge Espinoza Navarrete a few days before his death. Navarrete, who grew up in Mexico, had recently moved to South Florida from North Carolina and Georgia. Thursday a warrant was issued for Navarrete's arrest based on forensic evidence found at the scene; a blood finger print and DNA. 'We believe he likes to target gay men,' said Miami homicide Sgt. Confesor Gonzalez to CBS4's news partners at the Miami Herald. 'He may still be in South Florida.'"

According to the Miami Herald, "Police quickly zeroed in on Navarette, labeling him as a 'person of interest.' But the curly-locked young man disappeared. Navarette hails from the town of Las Vigas in the Mexican state of Guerrero. He came to Miami from Georgia and the Carolinas. In May 2007, he was arrested in Georgia for beating up his mother, who lives in Atlanta. That charge is still pending. 'This is a very dangerous individual,' said Miami Detective Orlando Silva."

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News: Larry Craig, Big Bird, Al Sharpton, Gun Ruling, Vogue

No joke: Larry Craig and David Vitter key sponsors of Marriage Protection Amendment.

Never-before-seen photos of David Bowie revealed.

Guy "Richie" stands to gain $100 million:
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Al Sharpton told Gay City News that his statement about sin to Anderson Cooper earlier this week was not aimed at Anderson but was hypothetical: "I have no idea of his sexuality. I was not talking about him as an individual anyway. It could have been anybody...I support same-sex marriage and have been lambasted by the right for it."

HIV cases "skyrocket" among young gay men: "A new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that between 2001 and 2006 gay male sex was the largest HIV transmission category in the U.S. and also the only one which recorded an increasing number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses. The most affected are gay boys and men between the ages of 13 and 24 years, with minorities even more. The findings were released in this week's issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Other factors such as genital herpes could actually double a person’s risk for contracting HIV."

Beckham blogs about bulge.

NewNowNext covers New York's HX Awards.

Prince Harry discovers source of global warming at County Fair.

Miami lesbian suing South Florida hospital because she wasn't allowed to see her partner who had suffered a stroke. Her partner later died: "Janice Langbehn, Lisa Marie Pond and three of their four children planned a cruise in February 2007 to celebrate the couple's 18 years together. But Pond suffered a massive stroke before the ship left port and was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Hospital workers refused to let Langbehn into Pond's hospital room - even after a power of attorney was faxed to the hospital -- because they were not legally related. Langbehn filed a federal lawsuit in Miami on Wednesday charging hospital employees with negligence and "intentional infliction of emotional distress." The suit seeks damages in excess of $75,000. Pond was pronounced dead of a brain aneurysm about 18 hours after being admitted to the trauma center. Langbehn said she was only allowed in to see her partner for a few minutes when a priest gave Pond the last rites."

Bishop Gene Robinson and Sir Ian McKellen to make joint appearance at screening of For the Bible Tells Me So in London...

Gay creator of Big Bird costume, Kermit Love, dies at 91.

More from the set of Gossip Girl...

Log Cabin Republicans applaud Supreme Court gun ruling.

Juice: The background on bigot Bolthouse and Bolthouse farms.

London police hunt "thug" after homophobic attack: "Sahin Rahman is one of four thugs sentenced this week following the attack at Hackney-road, Bethnal Green, in London's East End, two years ago. Police say Rahman (pictured), who had been living in Mckenzie-road in Holloway, north London, is currently at large after failing to appear at Snaresbrook crown court on June 16 and remains wanted. His accomplices, all from Holloway, have appeared in court."

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi will reportedly be married at Palm Springs' Riviera Resort and Spa in October.

Real Vogue interns tell New York magazine that their internships were nothing like New York Ranger Sean Avery's: "Sean Avery eats enormous lunches in the cafeteria and gets away with spilling them on people. Elizabeth: 'I never got lunch. I didn't get lunch breaks. We had to eat in the closet.' Ashley: 'I was able to get lunch. It was like, very quick, go down get your lunch, eat it, and come back up. There was a sense of having to get permission for a lot of things. I don't remember if we had to tell them we were going to the bathroom, but that could've been possible.'"

Self-described YouTube superstar Tricia Walsh-Smith and estranged husband Phillip Smith meet in court: "I will cut your balls off and have them for breakfast."

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Miami-Dade Commission Passes Domestic Partner Ordinance

Some great news coming out of South Florida...

Chip Arndt just wrote in to say that the Miami-Dade County commission just voted 8-4 to extend health insurance benefits and other legal rights to the domestic partners who live with county employees, including gay couples. The measure establishes a domestic partner registry for the county.

Said Chip, who serves as the President of the Freedom Democrats and Executive Board of Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus: "I commend the commissioners on their vote to extend benefits to all registered domestic partners in Miami Dade. It is an historic day for all families. It has been 10 years of hard work by all citizens who believe in fairness. We together now can say to all Miami Dade employees that your family unit matters, that your community respects your family, and are you too deserve medical benefits and visitation rights for your loved ones."

One commissioner was reportedly absent from the vote. He was expected to vote against it.

According to the Miami Herald: "The bill would give all Miami-Dade residents the right to visit their partner in jails and hospitals. It would also allow county employees to buy insurance coverage for their partner and that partner's children."

Earlier this month, Anthony Verdugo, executive director of the Christian Family Coalition threatened county commissioners if they should vote for the measure: "Every commissioner who does vote for the proposal will be held accountable."

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Iran's 'cure' for homosexuality: financial assistance for a sex change operation. Cleric: "Islam has a cure for people suffering from this problem. If they want to change their gender, the path is open."

Jane Russell shows Hollywood how a real movie star works Oscar's red carpet.

Singer-songwriter Ne-Yo may not be gay, but he is fast.

Elton John talks to CBS about his AIDS Foundation and recent reports that cases among young gay men are on the rise: "We are facing an uphill battle again in countries that you thought you'd crossed, you'd done that, you've covered that territory. Because people think, 'Well, you know, even if I do get HIV, I'm going to be OK.' They don't realize the toxicity of the drugs they have to take. And I just think it's so reprehensible, with the information available to them. But they do it and so we have to help them."

Da-Tah: a Scissor Sisters mash-up album, free for download. (via arjan writes)

Gay couple told to cool the PDA at swank New York restaurant Cipriani? "A gay editor was dining with another young man recently when a Cipriani staffer asked the duo to turn and face the bar. The waiter conveyed to them that Cipriani is a 'family restaurant' and they might offend other diners. The restaurant contends their actions were less gay bashing and more preserving the sanctity of fine dining from what one witness called 'blatant crotch-grabbing.' 'There was an unfortunate incident a few weeks ago where two individuals were acting inappropriately in a sexual manner at the bar of an upscale restaurant. It should go without saying that this behavior is completely unacceptable for anyone, regardless of sexual orientation,' a spokesman for the restaurant asserts."

That other awards show, The Independent Spirit Awards, was a touch less formal than the Oscars.

The Miami Herald talks to Gay American Heroes project founder Scott Hall.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams backing secret plans to create "parallel" church for American conservatives defecting over the church's gay policy: "According to insiders, Dr Williams has given his blessing to the plans to create an enclave for up to 20 conservative American bishops that would insulate them from their liberal colleagues. The scheme would allow them to remain technically within the Episcopal Church but under the care of like-minded archbishops from abroad. The Primate of the West Indies, Archbishop Drexel Gomez, a moderate conservative, has agreed to participate, and other primates could be recruited. However, the initiative is likely to infuriate liberal leaders of the Episcopal Church, who will see it as an attempt to undermine their authority and interfere in their affairs."

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Wolverine shows off his washboard abs.

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Brit tabloid News of the World charges Diana butler Paul Burrell of leading 'secret gay life': "Paul IS a greedy liar, a devious snake. He's also ruthless and selfish. He's always made out that he's this happily-married family man when in reality he's gay and only interested in sex with men. He told me he hadn't slept with Maria for years. He's constantly on the lookout for gay pick-ups all over the world. And he shamelessly uses his back catalogue of Diana stories to hook his targets. He tells them all sorts about her to get them in the sack. His taste is for pretty, younger guys. He'll brag about his wealth and royal connections. There are plenty out there who fall for it."

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Elton John to play gig in Abu Dhabi: "Sir Elton John has surprised fans by announcing he will play his first gig in the United Arab Emirates later this month. The flamboyantly gay star, who has sold 250m albums in a four-decade career, will perform at an open-air concert in Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel. The decision could leave Sir Elton open to charges of hypocrisy, because of the UAE's poor record on human rights. Homosexuality is illegal: those convicted of it face jail sentences, or compulsary psychiatric 'treatment', including the injection of hormones designed to 'cure' them."

HuffPo's Alex Geana finds Clinton online presence strong among Iowa's gays and lesbians: "All the Iowans I talked to are still greatly undecided, but I was able to garner some interesting mentions. Such as Clinton volunteers and campaign workers in the chat rooms, not only to connect and be social but to actually champion her as their choice. Is Hillary the only one that fosters being 'out' on the campaign trail? No one mentioned other campaigns so comfortable with the online world, apparently Obama and Edwards staffers don't identify with both their sexuality and campaign, but that's just a theory."

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Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on Gene Robinson and out clergy: "He is certainly not alone in being a gay bishop; he's certainly not alone in being a gay partnered bishop. He is alone in being the only gay partnered bishop who's open about that status."

Miami commissioner Marc Sarnoff fends off resident bothering him about his sexuality: "Let me state that bringing the persons sexual preference to bear in a conversation is not only wrong, but it denigrates all the progress we as a tolerant society have made. It reminds me of the Boy who cried Wolf. When the Wolf arrives no one believes them. Equally when race is brought into an issue and it is not present it belies the credibility of the story teller the next cry for wolf. No one will believe their stories. You demonstrate today that we have a great deal more to achieve as a society before we can call ourselves tolerant. As long as one of you is out there we have much prejudice to stamp out and in time we will."

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South Korean police officer comes out, vows to fight prejudice: "On Dec. 30, Private Kim Hyun-jong (not his real name) posted an article about his homosexuality on the online riot police community Web site. He is the second policeman from the squad to have openly come out after YooJeong Min-shik identified himself as being gay and refused to finish his service term for which he was prisoned in 2006. In South Korea, men can serve in the riot police as part of their mandatory military service. In the article, Kim said that coming out was not easy, but what was more important was that he faced discrimination and insults, that should be outlawed at military camps. Kim, who works at a police station in Yongsan, Seoul, said his coming out was almost an 'outing' (forced to make a coming out by others) after some fellow policemen read some private information he had saved on his computer. He said he first tried to deny it, but later made up his mind to declare his sexual identity."

Roman Catholic bishop in Spain claims that underage boys want abuse: "There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you."

Gayhane: Gay Muslims find nightlife in Berlin. "European Muslims, so often portrayed one-dimensionally as rioters, honor killers or terrorists, live diverse lives, most of them trying to get by and to have a good time. That is more difficult if one is both Muslim and gay. 'When you’re here, it’s as if you’re putting on a mask, leaving the everyday outside and just having fun,' said a 22-year-old Turkish man who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear that he would be ostracized or worse if his family found out about his sexual orientation. Safety and secrecy come up regularly when talking to guests, who laugh and dance, but also frequently look over their shoulders. To be a gay man or lesbian with an immigrant background invites trouble here in two very different ways."

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STUDY: Gay seniors rely on friends for medical care when ill. " Those who were helped were suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, muscular/skeletal illnesses, cardiovascular disease, or other afflictions associated with aging, according to the Rockway Institute. Thirty-eight percent of the survey participants reported to have received care within the past five years from people who weren't health care professionals. Of the group who received help, 76% said that they had also assisted others in their time of need. The sample comprised 199 LGB adults ages 40–85 who were located through elder care agencies in New York City and Los Angeles."

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Tim Hardaway Turnaround: Becoming an LGBT Youth Advocate

In the months since Tim Hardaway reacted to John Amaechi's coming out by declaring "I hate gay people," comments that reverberated through the media and caused him to lose a place at the NBA's All Star Festivities, the former Heat player has been attending and working with the YES Institute, an advocacy center for LGBT youth.

According to the AP, "The group, founded in 1996, seeks to prevent teen suicides while boosting the self-esteem of children and keeping them free of violence and discrimination."

When he learned of the institute, Hardaway decided to check it out. Says the former pro: "I was scared out of my ... mind. I didn't know how they were going to act toward me. But you know what? They welcomed me with open arms. That eased a lot of my nervousness."

Hardaway says he wanted to take steps following the homophobic incident to change himself. He says he has not given interviews for many months because he did not want people to think his work with YES was a "publicity stunt or a quick fix to an image problem."

Says Hardaway: "I just wanted to go in and get educated, that's all. Get educated on what I said and why I said those things. I'm working on understanding it now. I'm not really trying to make amends. I've been there trying to get help. "I had no idea how much I hurt people. A lot of people."

Martha Fugate, the director of YES, has praised Hardaway in a press release: "Thanks to his honest albeit misguided reaction, Tim did find his way to YES Institute and the education he got was not just about others, but about himself. Because he is a role model, perhaps other people will also learn -- hopefully before bad consequences happen to them."

A contrite Tim Hardaway now embraced by some in gay community [ap via sports illustrated]

Background
Former NBA Star Tim Hardaway: "I Hate Gay People" [tr]

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Exclusive: Gay Judge David Young Takes the Bench Next Month

Here comes the gay judge. Judge David Young will be hosting a new daily half-hour series beginning on September 10th, doling out sentences with the assistance of his sidekick, Bailiff Tawya Young.

Young was born and raised in Miami (and lives there currently with his partner of 12 years), served as assistant state attorney in Miami-Dade County under Janet Reno, and was re-elected twice as a Circuit Court judge there before leaving to hit the national airwaves. Among his more well-known cases is one in which he sent two America West pilots to jail in 2005 for attempting to operate a commercial airliner while intoxicated.

Tawya Young, his bailiff, served as a lieutenant in Brooklyn Civil-Small Claims Court.

Find out more about the show at its official website. We'll be talking to Judge Young in the weeks to come.

Here's an exclusive clip on the upcoming show.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #128

ESCAPED BEAR: One of my favorites from LOGO's "Big Gay Sketch Show".
(source: joe.my.god)

MIAMI: Trailer spot for the 9th Miami Gay & Lesbian Film festival.

VIDEO GAME DOG: Would this breed be called a Wiimeraner?

TRICKS OF THE EYE: Or should we say these guys are just throwing shade?

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Tim Hardaway's Gay Spinout: North Miami Mayor, All-Stars React

In an attempt to help Tim Hardaway understand gay people, North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns has extended an invitation to the former NBA player. Burns has asked Hardaway to spend a day with him at his office and home, where he lives with his partner of 23 years, Rob Flint, and their daughter Autumn.

Said Burns: ''We're just trying to show him that there are living, breathing people that just happen to be gay. 'I don't expect [Hardaway] to be waving a peace flag anytime soon, even after this. But maybe he'll be less likely to say something bad about people if he knows them and understands a little more." Burns says Hardaway has accepted the offer, but no official announcement has been made, and Hardaway's spokesperson told the Miami Herald that an announcement would be premature.

Hardaway apologized again on Sunday for his comments, telling CBS affiliate WFOR, "I don't hate gay people. I'm a good-hearted person. I interact with people all the time. ... I respect people. For me to say 'hate' was a bad word, and I didn't mean to use it."

Despite the contrition, comments Hardaway made last week, that he "hates gay people" and would feel uncomfortable playing on a team with another gay player, are still reverberating through the sport.

During All-Star weekend media sessions in Las Vegas over the weekend, players, including some from Hardaway's former team, the Miami Heat, were asked about the incident.

Heat center Shaquille O'Neal (pictured joking around during All-Star practice with LeBron James) said he would stand up for a gay player: "I was always taught as a youngster to never judge people, so I never judge people and to each their own. If he was my teammate and people ridiculed him and jumped on him, I would probably have to protect him."

Heat guard Dwyane Wade did not refer to Hardaway specifically, but offered this: "Anybody who knows me knows I'm a guy who loves his teammates and if anything ever comes up like that, I don't look at that. I look at what guys can do for you on the court. And in the locker room you have great relationships with guys. I don't have any negative views."

Heat forward Jason Kapono (seen here after winning the trophy for the three-point competition Saturday night) said Hardaway's views put him in the minority: "Everyone has their own views on life, and that's something that's obviously his point of view, but that's definitely not the point of view of all the rest of us."

NBA star Bill Laimbeer avoided the question entirely: "Who is Tim Hardaway? Next question."

Memphis forward Mike Miller offered support for former teammate Amaechi: "He's a great person. Everyone has the right to be how they want be. It would be difficult [having an out player on the team], but at the same time our league is a league that has taken on anything. We bring on and accept anything, and I think that's what's special about the NBA."

Scottie Pippen: It was pretty shocking. You hate to see that happen to one of your colleagues knowing the damage he's caused to himself, his family and friends ... I'm very disappointed it happened."

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash said: "I think, probably, there's a player or two out there who believes what he believes. That probably would be fair of every cross section of society. But in general, I think he spoke for himself. I don't think you'd catch many guys feeling that way...Maybe 10 years ago. But in our locker room [now]? I think guys are over it. Guys are like, 'I don't care what you do.' I don't know about other locker rooms. I don't know if it's peer pressure is contagious or just being in the right place in the right time to get that type of virulence. But in the Phoenix Suns' locker room, it's not like that."

Sacramento Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said a bigoted player would not have a place on his team: "What he said was uncalled for. What he said was wrong. I'm sure he apologized for it, but the damage has been done. He should have never said that. Because we don't want to be judged by race, creed, color, sexual preference. I mean, people are people. And that's the way it should be."

In addition to having his name dropped from the car wash he co-owns in south Florida, Hardaway was taunted and flaunted on several websites over the weekend, which published YouTube footage of a naked Hardaway in the locker room. Said sports blog Deadspin: "Tim Hardaway might not enjoy gay people, but I really think it could give us all a chance to heal if gay people had a chance to enjoy Tim Hardaway."

Here are a few recent notable articles on Amaechi:
The Loneliness of the Gay Basketball Player: John Amaechi's Man in the Middle, the memoir of an NBA misfit. [slate]
Amaechi's Good Morning America appearance [newsbusters]

Gay Mayor Reaches Out to Hardaway [miami herald]
Shaq: I'd protect a gay teammate [palm beach post]
Anti-gay comments find no backing [tr]

You may have missed...
Former NBA Player Tim Hardaway: "I Hate Gay People" [tr]
Former NBA Player John Amaechi on Outside the Lines: I'm Gay [tr]
Amaechi: Hardaway Anti-Gay Comments "Illustrate the Problem" [tr]
Tim Hardaway's Gay Hate Speech Brings Swift Reaction [tr]

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