News: Courtney Love, Provincetown, Mario Lopez, Woodpecker

Archbishop Desmond Tutu honored by International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in San Francisco. Tutu: "How sad, how tragic, that the Church be so concerned with this issue when God’s children all the world over are suffering. I ask for your forgiveness for the way the Church has ostracized you."

Sotheby's photography auction off to strong start.

Is Courtney Love rehearsing for a Valley of the Dolls remake?

The artist known as Prince has joined the line-up for this year's Coachella Music Festival.

More on the gay Yale impostor!

Anti-gay Christian group in Maine launches referendum aimed at banning same-sex marriage and gay adoption: "The referendum also would eliminate sexual orientation as a protected class under the Maine Human Rights Act and would take away funding that supports civil rights teams affiliated with the state Attorney General’s Office. Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, said that if the Secretary of State’s Office approves his petition, he’ll begin recruiting organizers to gather signatures. Putting a referendum on the state ballot requires about 55,000 signatures, or 10 percent of the turnout for the last gubernatorial election."

First gay bar outside of Ireland's major cities opens in Strabane, Northern Ireland. Rainbow Project leader: "What the opening of this bar is saying is that, yes, our small towns have a gay community too and they are welcome and they are valued. I have been a gay rights activist for 25 years and when I started out, gay people were moving away in their droves because they were deemed socially unacceptable. But now we have this development and it is one of the biggest steps I've seen for the gay community. What it is saying to us is stay, there is something here for you."

Hey bird lovers: woodpecker with freakishly large beak photographed.

Rosie O'Donnell fighting tabloid claim that she abuses her kids.

Gay domestic abuse survivor Pedro Velazquez Fernandez to speak at rally in Des Moines, Iowa: "I feel like when I'm getting to know somebody, I can't trust him. I hate to say it, but I think ... love doesn't exist."

New York magazine has 21 questions for Simon Doonan.

Singapore cable operator fined for showing lesbian kiss: "Singapore's Media Development Authority, which regulates and censors media and the arts, said on Wednesday it fined StarHub S$10,000 ($7,246) for airing a commercial for a song that featured 'romanticised scenes' of lesbians kissing and portrayed the relationship as 'acceptable'. The music video of the song, titled 'Silly Child' by Mandarin singer Olivia Yan, shows an intimate kissing scene before one of the women rejects her boyfriend at the end of the clip. 'This is in breach of the TV advertising guidelines, which disallows advertisements that condone homosexuality,' the media authority said."

New ferry route launches between Gloucester, Massachusetts and Provincetown.

Mario Lopez about to hit the Broadway stage in A Chorus Line.

Gavin Newsom punks protestors with seismic bait-and-switch at San Francisco Olympic torch procession: "'I am very upset,' said Rosie Salis, 51, who came in from Foster City to see the relay. 'There were lots of people here with their kids. They had to wait for four or five hours, and it's very disappointing.' Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, a vocal critic of Newsom's administration, was equally unhappy, as was the local ACLU chapter. 'Gavin Newsom runs San Francisco the way the premier of China runs his country - secrecy, lies, misinformation, lack of transparency and manipulating the populace,' Peskin said. 'He did it so China can report they had a great torch run.' Newsom emphatically denied those accusations. 'We felt it was in everyone's best interest that we augment the route,' Newsom said. 'I believe people were afforded the right to protest and support the torch. You saw that in the streets. They were not denied the ability to protest.'"

Was the universe that came before our own its identical twin?

Parents in Eau Claire, Wisconsin upset that a teacher told five health classes that she's gay: "At least one parent said Rowe had no business talking about her sexual preference. The parent agreed that Rowe is an outstanding teacher, but she should stick to the curriculum."

Poll shows Clinton-Obama "dream ticket" beaten by McCain-Rice ticket in New York state: "According to the poll, McCain/Condi would earn the votes of 49% of registered voters in New York State compared with 46% for a Clinton/Obama ticket, and the same 49% against an underwhelming 44% for an Obama/Clinton ticket."

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Oliver Stone's Bush Flick: Fade in on Turdblossom, Frat Hazing

The Hollywood Reporter has published the opening scenes to Oliver Stone's W flick which you can read above, and AFTER THE JUMP.

As we fade in, a couple of speechwriters as well as Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rice's assistant Stephen Hadley, and Karl Rove attempt to come up with the "Axis of Evil" moniker. The scene then shifts to Bush at a drunken frat party at Yale.

Says the Reporter: "According to four Bush scholars who read a draft of the script, the tale has elements that are unquestionably accurate (like when George Jr. comes home drunk and nearly gets into a fistfight with his father) and elements that are just plain made-up (like when the president and his advisers discuss high-level policy in a casual, even frat-house, sort of manner)."

No doubt. But with lines like "Don't get cute, Turdblossom," I can't wait to see it.

Josh Brolin as Elizabeth Banks have been cast as the first couple. Check out pages two and three of the script, AFTER THE JUMP...

First Showing has a rundown of the cast so far.

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Man Who Faked His Way into Yale Outed by Gay Lover

Akash Maharaj, a Trinidad and Tobago native who last spring transferred to Yale's Morse College Class of 2008, reportedly duped his way into Yale University after forging a Columbia transcript and then scammed the university out of thousands of dollars in financial aid. The ruse was discovered after his boyfriend, another Yale student whom he had threatened, reported him.

The New York Post reports: "Maharaj, 26, had been enjoying spring semester 2007 at Yale - even copping a prestigious literature prize there - after lying on his admissions application, according to the Yale Daily News and the school. Maharaj allegedly told of being a straight-A student from Columbia and waved a bogus letter of recommendation from one of Yale's own profs. But the alleged scheme came tumbling down last June, when his Yalie lover filed a harassment complaint against him. The beau said Maharaj had threatened to kill him when he tried to get the unstable student admitted into a Manhattan psych ward."

The boyfriend has not been named.

The Yale Daily News reports: "After allegedly defrauding Yale’s admissions office, the student received $46,789 — by the Yale General Counsel Office’s calculation — in scholarships that he would not have obtained 'had it been known that he provided false and misleading information during the admission application process,' according to an affidavit signed by Yale Police Department Detective Thomas Mullen, who declined to comment for this article, in the Connecticut Superior Court in New Haven. That figure includes $31,750 in Yale financial aid, as well as $7,400 in federal scholarships, $6,739 in federal loans and $900 from a federal work-study program."

According to the YDN, "Last June, according to the document, the YPD was called to the Asian American Cultural Center, where the suspect’s ex-boyfriend told officers that the suspect had threatened to kill him. The ex-boyfriend, who still attends Yale, had broken up with the suspect after discovering that he had lied to him about his age 'and other issues relating to his identity,' the affidavit says. The suspect allegedly responded by threatening to kill himself, and the boyfriend took him to a New York City hospital. The suspect then allegedly threatened his ex-boyfriend, who filed a complaint with the YPD. He was then admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital for psychiatric evaluation at the YPD’s request, according to the affidavit. The ex-boyfriend, who did not respond to numerous messages left on his cell phone seeking comment, tipped off Associate Dean of Yale College Rosalinda Garcia, the director of the Latino Cultural Center, about apparent inconsistencies related to the suspect’s identity, the affidavit says. That prompted an internal investigation that uncovered extensive discrepancies in his application to Yale."

Maharaj is reportedly living in Brooklyn and is expected at a court date next month in New Haven. According to affadavits he has applied for "accelerated rehabilitation," a program which allows first time offenders to have the charges dismissed if it's determined that the offense isn't serious or likely to be repeated. If that motion is rejected, the case would go to trial.

Student arrested for defrauding Yale [yale daily news]
Ex-Student Duped Yale [hartford courant]
SKEEVY IVY 'SCAMMER' [ny post]

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News: John Krasinski, Lobsters, Bavarian King, John Barrowman

Former employee of Goodyear wins $4.4 million in sexual orientation harassment lawsuit: "According to the suit, Sheffield neither hid nor flaunted her sexual orientation until her former manager encouraged her to bring her partner to an annual company dinner, where she received an 'adverse reaction' from another store manager, In 2003, her former boss was replaced by a new district manager, defendant Randy Reich, and a new service manager, David Johnson, was assigned to the store, the suit claims. Johnson 'immediately let it be known ... that he knew Sheffield was gay and did not like gays,' the suit claims. When Sheffield learned that Johnson carried a gun to work she confronted him about it and he confirmed it and threatened to pull it out and to urinate on her, she claimed in the suit."

Iggy, the dog Ellen DeGeneres cast off to much publicity, is about to bark off in a new PSA to bring awareness to the importance of pet adoption.

Yale University Dramatic Association targeted by homophobic graffiti: "At approximately 1:30 a.m. last Wednesday morning, a group of undergraduates involved in the Yale Dramatic Association found the words “drama fags” on the wall, located near the York Street side of the theater. 'It’s unacceptable,' Drama School Dean James Bundy said. 'It is deeply disturbing. I hope we find out who did it and I hope we can do everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.' Bundy said he was unaware of the incident before he was informed by the News on Sunday. Although most of the spray paint has been removed from the building, traces of the words are still visible five days later."

Next time you decide to broil that crustacean alive, you might want to think about whether or not you're causing it pain. The debate continues...

Australian gay activist dumped from Labor Party after physically intimidating the wife of the Environment Minister: "Mr Burns later described Mrs Turnbull in an email to Mr Turnbull as a 'fag hag impersonator of a wife' and condemning the minister as 'a weak and pathetic excuse for a human being'. The tirade came as the battle for the gay vote heats up in Mr Turnbull's Sydney seat of Wentworth, where Labor's candidate George Newhouse is polling strongly."

North Carolina Baptists set to expel church that welcomes gay people: "If all goes as expected, the 4,000-plus attendees at the Baptist State Convention will vote Tuesday morning to cast out Myers Park Baptist -- but only after short speeches from two of the church's leaders. One -- Nancy Walker, secretary to the church's board of deacons -- is a lesbian."

Some NSFW preview news on the upcoming season of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency.

John Krasinski shoots some retro hoops for Men's Health.

New evidence surfaces suggesting "gay, wildly eccentric" King Ludwig II of Bavaria was murdered: "The real cause of King Ludwig's death has been a mystery ever since his body, together with that of his psychiatrist, was dragged from Lake Starnberg on 13 June, 1886. But the official version, which holds that he committed suicide by drowning, has never been completely refuted. Now, 111 years after the king's death, new evidence has surfaced which suggests that the builder of Neuschwanstein castle and many other bizarrely romantic architectural follies was murdered. The details are convincing enough to increase calls for the House of Wittelsbach, King Ludwig's family, to allow his body to be exhumed from its tomb in St Michael's Church in Munich to enable a new and conclusive post-mortem examination to be conducted."

Congratulations to Joe.My.God for winning the Best LGBT Blog at the 2007 Weblog Awards.

Queerty pays a video visit to the OUT 100 celebration.

POETRY: Is Pakistan's educational curriculum the target of a plant by the Bush administration? "In December 2005, a Pakistani youth discovered that the first letter of each line of a poem in his English primer spelled out the name of "P-R-E-S-I-D-E-N-T G-E-O-R-G-E B-U-S-H." The anonymous poem -- called "The Leader" -- listed the qualities of a great statesman in a series of painfully stiff rhyming couplets."

AfterElton takes a critical listen of a new musical offering from openly gay actor John Barrowman: "...most fans of the openly gay Torchwood and Doctor Who actor are likely to be aware that he has a background in musical theater, having appeared in shows from Anything Goes to Sunset Boulevard in London’s West End. The new album, a set of covers which put an easy-listening spin on classic pop, soft rock, and yes, musical theater numbers might therefore seem to be displaying a fairly recognizable side of Barrowman, as opposed to, say, an album full of heavy-metal music.

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News: Britney Spears, Yale, Plaza Hotel, Lou Pearlman, Lost

High school student paper editorial "characterizing homosexuals as victims of reproductive error or an unwanted upbringing" causes firestorm in Georgia: "Principal Trudie Donovan said Monday that she had reviewed the article before it was published last Friday, but said she had no authority to censor it. 'My job is the safety and security of the school, not censorship,' she said. Cobb County schools spokesman Jay Dillon said principals have no legal standing to say articles of student opinion can't be printed. Under court rulings and school district policy, students can express their opinions and ideas publicly, privately, orally and in writing. 'There may be no interference with that, even if a student's opinion is unpopular,' he said."

New York's Plaza Hotel celebrates 100 years: "After the park-facing façade of the Plaza Hotel had glowed with the number '100,' after white and gold jets of light had been launched from the roof into the dark October sky, and after a pigeon and a heart-shaped balloon had flown past the 12th floor, suddenly flashes of white light, syncopated to the strains of 'One' from the Broadway hit 'A Chorus Line,'burst from the windows of the venerable hostelry-turned-hotel-and-condominium."

Sexual orientation hate crimes bill launched in Scotland.

Britney Spears has what some might call her darkest day yet but goes out partying anyway.

Queer Eye stages "Straight Guy Pageant" to kick off new season.

Elton John asks gallery to shutter exhibition that showcased the Nan Goldin portrait seized in a child pornography probe.

Lost writers/producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof give up some tidbits about the show's upcoming season.

After appeals court ruling, Yale to allow military recruiters on campus: "At question is a statute called the Solomon Amendment, which allows the federal government to withhold funds from universities that do not extend the same welcome to military recruiters as they do to other recruiters. Since 1978, Yale Law School has required recruiters to sign a pledge of nondiscrimination. Military recruiters would not do that because of the Defense Department’s 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy, which permits homosexuals to serve in the armed forces as long as they keep their sexual orientation private."

Vanity Fair to tell the completely unsavory and unsurprising tales of boyband manufacturer Lou Pearlman.

The next 25 years of video games.

Chris Crocker speaks out about nude pictures circulating on the net: "I obviously did this behind my parents backs and I am truly embarressed for myself and my family at this time, but I just wanted to clear the air and let anyone and everyone know, that has saved these pictures that it is illegal seeing as though I was 17 at the time, so when you brag that you 'saw Chris Crocker naked!!!'..what you're really bragging that you saw a 17 year old me naked."

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Arrest Warrants Issued in Yale Baker's Dozen Assault Case

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of 19-year-olds Richard Aicardi (left) and Brian Dwyer for felony assault and battery in the New Year's Eve Baker's Dozen case that we've been following. The SF Chronicle reports: "Dwyer's bail was set at $80,000 and Aicardi's at $120,000. If convicted, the accused face as much as four years in prison on the assault and three more for inflicting great bodily injury in the attack. The battery charges carry a four-year maximum term."

Though the Chronicle continues to report that "the alleged attack drew wide attention in part because the singers reportedly were set upon after being heckled during a rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and after homophobic slurs were hurled at them," there has been no mention so far of hate crime charges.

The charges come after a two month investigation. Aicardi and Dwyer are expected to turn themselves in today.

Video report at ABC. [abc]

You may have missed...
Atty: U.S. Marines Were Among Attackers of Yale Baker's Dozen [tr]
Yale Singing Group 'The Baker's Dozen' Hurt in Homophobic Attack [tr]

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Atty: U.S. Marines Were Among Attackers of Yale Baker's Dozen

The ongoing investigation into the San Francisco New Year's Eve brawl in which members of the Yale singing group the Baker's Dozen were assaulted by a group of men reportedly hurling anti-gay slurs has revealed a new twist. Three U.S. Marines were allegedly among those who attacked the singing group:

"In a Feb. 9 letter to Lt. General Robert R. Blackman, Jr., the head of the corps, attorney James Hammer named only one of the Marines allegedly involved, saying that he 'was one of the men at the center of the attacks and we believe (he) personally participated in the brutal attack on both students.' The Chronicle is not naming anyone suspected of being involved in the attack as they have not been arrested or charged with crimes. Sgt. Neville Gittens, a spokesman for San Francisco police, said the department's criminal investigation is ongoing. 'We're aware of the letter, we are not commenting on the letter.' The Marines headquarters in San Diego, where the marine named in the letter had been based, had no immediate comment."

Background
The Latest on the Baker's Dozen Case [tr]
Investigation Continues in Baker's Dozen Case [tr]
Yale Singing Group 'The Baker's Dozen' Hurt in Homophobic Attack [tr]

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News: Top Design, David Cicilline, Yale Tennis, Federline

Captain of Yale tennis team apologizes to gay group for inappropriate initiation ritual: "During dinner on Nov. 10, team members wearing women’s underwear and fishnet stockings had posed as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and entered several residential college dining halls, where they sang and danced on tabletops, students who saw the incident said. The witnesses said the team’s initiates had signs on their backs that read, 'I’m a faggot. Insert Here.'"

Openly gay Providence mayor David Cicilline lauded for city improvements despite a ne'er-do-well family: "Last year, news broke that the mayor's brother, John M. Cicilline, had racked up $5,880 in parking tickets and fines, making him one of the city's biggest scofflaws. The older brother eventually paid $2,300 in August to settle the matter. Then, earlier this month, the older brother and a now-disbarred lawyer were indicted on federal corruption charges. Prosecutors said the two men requested more than $100,000 from a couple facing drug charges. According to the indictment, the two lawyers said they would use the money to set up a drug deal so their clients could expose it to authorities in the hopes of winning a lighter prison sentence." Folks are speculating Cicilline may make a run for Rhode Island governor. Says the mayor: ''I think people judge you on who you are and what you stand for.''

A meditation on top chefs and E-Z Bake Ovens: does cooking make you gay?

Overexposed: 18 actors you won't be able to avoid in 2007.

Would you like fries with that Federline?

New Jersey schoolteacher Daniel Curcio settles with school district for $270,000 in lawsuit over discrimination claims: "In the lawsuit Curcio filed in October 2004, the Spanish teacher said he was reprimanded for telling his students in March 2002 he was gay. Curio also said his colleagues called him a 'troublemaker' and made jokes about his sexuality and the school district erased his Web page because it mentioned he is gay. In November 2002, Curio said he began experiencing stress-related panic attacks and in January 2003, he took a paid leave of absence from his job. 'That's all because of the fact that the harassment got so bad that I couldn't take it anymore,' he added."

Air America bought by New York realtor Stephen Green.

New York magazine criticized for refusing to extend health benefits to the domestic partners of its employees. "[Spokeswoman] Torrey did not explain why New York has been so uniquely hobbled by government red tape. But another staff member wryly notes that even though long-time partners of gay and single staffers don't qualify for health care, the magazine does offer its employees 'bereavement leave' for the death of 'significant others.' In other words, if your partner drops dead because he or she couldn't afford to see a doctor, you won't be docked for taking the day off to attend the funeral. Now that's progressive!"

Bravo's Top Design off to "shaky start"? "...the show faces a dramatic challenge. Shows such as American Idol and Project Runway have a built-in theatricality that is difficult to replicate in a show like Top Design. The Project Runway model strutting her designer's stuff down a catwalk serves as a dramatic climax to each episode, and Top Design's before-and-after shots of the design space just don't have the same emotional kick."

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News: Wanda Sykes, Baker's Dozen, Anti-war Rally, Matthew Rhys

Blogger Lane Hudson reports from the anti-war rally in DC over the weekend: "The most striking thing that I noticed was the diversity of people present. Young and old, rich and poor, all kinds of races and cultures, and liberals and moderates. Heck, maybe there were even a few Republicans present! (I did see a fur coat!) These are the faces of our progressive movement. We are like herding cats, yet we always manage to come together for a cause. Not everyone there had the same opinions on the war. We didn't all agree with every speaker. But, we all agree on one thing. We need a change of course on Iraq policy."

Thieves aren't the only ones targeting the sought-after graffiti of street artists like Banksy. Now, vandals are after it too: "The passion for destruction is a creative passion. We are all capable of manifesting our desires directly, free of representation and commodification. We will continue manifesting ours by euthanizing your bourgeois fad."

Clay Aiken caught on webcam again?

AfterElton talks to Matthew Rhys of Brothers & Sisters about his gay character Kevin. Recently, his co-star, actor Jason Lewis, told Extra that kissing a man onscreen was "scary". Does Rhys feel the same? "I don't think it's ever really problematic. I just think if you're fortunate enough to be confident and secure in yourself, and you know it's a role you play, I don't see where the problem lies, really. Actually, my first theater job was a gay part with a lot of kissing it in it. So, I wouldn't say it was a hurdle really, but I got over that really early on. You realize there's nothing to it."

Happy two-year anniversary to our friends Josh & Josh.

Prince Harry back with his regiment.

Wanda Sykes on Ellen: "Gay is the new black."

The New Year's Eve Baker's Dozen assault — the latest: "At midnight the partygoers formed a circle in the dining room with the Baker's Dozen members, who were dressed in blazers, ties and khakis. They locked arms and sang 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' Fairman recalled the uninvited guest being annoyed and announcing, 'This is the gayest s -- I ever heard. What a bunch of fags.' 'I think he was envious of these boys who were talented, likable and having a good time. I think that's why it all started,' she said."

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News: Brandon Flowers, Yale Tennis, Grant Show, Nigeria

Yale tennis team under fire for alleged initiation activites: "During dinner on Nov. 10, team members wearing women’s underwear and fishnet stockings posed as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and entered several residential college dining halls, where they sang and danced on tabletops, students who saw the incident said. The witnesses said the team’s initiates had signs on their backs that read, 'I’m a fa**ot. Insert Here.' The captain of the men’s tennis team could not be reached for comment last night, but Director of Athletics Thomas Beckett said his department is investigating the incident."

Brandon Flowers wants to read your mind!

Gay man jailed in Nigeria for wanting sex with a man; tells court: "It is the work of Satan but I promise that I will not do it again."

Jonathan Plummer, the ex-husband of author Terry McMillan, says he plans to write a tell-all about the couple's bitter marriage and divorce. Said McMillan: "He is like a f***ing Duracell, and I want him out of my f***ing life, and he won't let me out of his life. I can't live like this."

Isn't it time gay people were part of the marriage discussion?

Scientology leaders have reportedly dubbed Tom Cruise the religious sect's "Christ" figure: "Tom has been told he is Scientology’s Christ-like figure. Like Christ, he’s been criticised for his views. But future generations will realise he was right."

Pop phenom Mika ships in Freddie Mercury's piano for acoustic recording of "Grace Kelly": "He felt totally inspired. He felt the spirit of Freddie surround him and Mika said he felt more creative than he ever had."

Former Melrose Place hunk Grant Show offers another dude his services on Dirt...

Lance and Reichen on the outs? Malkin: "The latest from the slopes of Sundance has it that they've called it quits. This is not the first time that the lovebirds of eight months have broken up. This time around, Bass showed up solo at last night's Blender Sessions party at Tao. Later on, a source spotted him sulking at a party at the Village at the Lift's Heineken Lounge. Bass left the bash around midnight after hanging there for a measly twenty minutes, the party-goer says. Another source reports that Lemkuhl is still in Park City, but has told friends he is cutting his trip short. He says he wants to get on the earliest flight out tomorrow morning."

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The Latest on the Baker's Dozen Case

The Baker's Dozen New Year's incident is turning out to be very twisted as the facts come out. Lots of politics, lots of drinking, and lots of covering of asses. Surely, more to come.

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Investigation Continues in Baker's Dozen Case

Although sources tell the SF Chronicle that on Tuesday police recommended criminal charges against up to six people in the New Year's Eve bashing of Yale singing group 'The Baker's Dozen', prosecutors have sent police back for more investigation, according to the paper.

From the Chronicle: "It is unclear what more police need to do to complete their investigation. The police have been faulted for not acting to make arrests on the night of the incident, but have said that they did not have enough information to go on."

District Attorney Kamala Harris released a statement on Wednesday: "The SFPD provided the D.A.'s office with information gathered to this point, and their investigation continues. The case will be reviewed for charging when the investigation is complete."

A former prosecutor and policeman, and now attorney for two brothers detained but released by the police, Frank Passaglia, expressed little surprise that the D.A. had sent the case back to authorities: "If I was the D.A., I'd send it back too.The Police Department, because of all the pressure, wants to put it in the lap of the D.A. The fact of the matter is that it's not ready for reviewing or for charging. Everyone was intoxicated. The Baker's Dozen is not the angelic choirboys they are being made out to be -- they were drinking, too."

With three sons of a prominent San Francisco pediatrician accused in the beating, is there any hope for this political hot potato to become anything but a 'blame the victim' incident in which the attackers, who allegedly pulled their punches while shouting anti-gar slurs, get off easy? Wait and see.

D.A. returns Baker's Dozen case to police: Investigation will continue before any decision on charges [sf chronicle]

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SF Police Chief Speaks Out About Yale Baker's Dozen Assault [tr]
Yale Singing Group 'The Baker's Dozen' Hurt in Homophobic Attack [tr]

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SF Police Chief Speaks Out About Yale Baker's Dozen Assault

Heather Fong, the San Francisco Chief of Police, defended her department's handling of the New Year's Eve assault on Yale singing group The Baker's Dozen. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Fong said that officers on the scene couldn't find anyone to substantiate the charges: "When the facts are there and we have individuals providing information specifically saying this person did this, then we ... act. But those individuals weren't there for the officers to interview."

Fong said that police logs on the night of the incident suggest that "at least some of the officers dismissed the incident as minor."

The investigation is still clearly in its early stages, as Fong says the department still has 50 or 60 interviews to conduct as well as photographic and video evidence from the scene to review.

SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's spokesman, Peter Ragone, said that the mayor is "deeply concerned" about the incident: "He is confident that the Police Department will engage in a thorough, swift and fair investigation and take the appropriate action. If any laws were broken, that should be dealt with appropriately. If any conduct was unacceptable, that will be dealt with appropriately as well."

Anti-violence groups in the city are keeping a watchful eye on the investigation. Said Tina D'Elia of Community United Against Violence: This is really serious on a very public level. [The incident shows] a level of targeted rage and hatred that is really scary and to me just screams that it is a problem that's not going away. ... If that's not addressed, then what do we have? We have dead bodies."

UPDATE: SFPD coming under increased scrutiny over handling...

Fong defends handling of Yale singers' beating case [sf chronicle]

You may have missed...
Yale Singing Group 'The Baker's Dozen' Hurt in Homophobic Attack [tr]

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Yale Singing Group 'The Baker's Dozen' Hurt in Homophobic Attack

Several members of the Yale all-male singing group The Baker's Dozen were injured in San Francisco on New Year's Eve in a homophobic attack that left them bruised and bloody.

During a performance at a New Year's Eve party, their attackers taunted them with gay slurs — "fag" and "homo" — according to one member, and then five or six men ambushed them outside the party, leaving them with scrapes, sprained ankles, black eyes, and concussions, according to ABC affiliate KGO (PHOTOS):

"The trouble started at midnight after The Baker's Dozen sang "The Star Spangled Banner." Witnesses say a few local young men didn't appreciate the attention the Yale students were getting, made fun of their conservative dress and began taunting them and making threats.

Leanna Dawydiak, Hosted Party: "They had something here special that these other fellas obviously didn't have and that irritated them."

Witnesses say 19-year-old Richard Aicardi was the most aggressive.

Sharyar Aziz: "'You're not welcome here,' he called a few members of the group, whether it was fag or homo, very, I would say, juvenile taunting."

Aicardi took out his cell phone and called in reinforcements.

Reno Rapagnani: "He said, 'I'm 20 deep, my boys are coming.'"

One of the victims, Sharyar Aziz, a member of the varsity squash team, was rushed home for reconstructive surgery which included the insertion of two titanium plates in his face. He'll miss the athletic season. Said Aziz: "I can't just look back at that incident and be depressed for the next two months. I have to learn to deal with what's been given to me."

The sick part of this incident is that even though the police detained four men at the scene of the incident, they were released and no arrests have been made in the case. Police did not bother to take photographs of the victims either. Some have accused the police of treating the perpetrators lightly because three of them are the sons of prominent SF pediatrician Eileen Aicardi.

An investigation is now underway.

Yale Choir Assaulted; No Arrests By SFPD [kgo]

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