Private at Fort Huachuca near Tucson assaulted in anti-gay attack by fellow soldier. Kyle Lawson’s attacker had reportedly discovered the 19-year-old soldier is gay. “A week after the first attack, Lawson said a second soldier threatened him with a knife outside a barracks as word spread about his sexual orientation,” according to KVOA Tucson.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) released a statement: “The Pentagon has found, in its own survey, rampant anti-gay harassment in the armed forces. Service members report harassment, violence and threats to SLDN on a regular basis. At least two service members have been murdered because of unchecked anti-gay harassment. Yet military leaders have utterly failed to send a strong, clear message that anti-gay harassment is unacceptable or that those who harass will be held accountable for their actions. The result is yet another anti-gay assault.”
Fort Lauderdale Police Department courting gay officers. Liaison: “We hope to send a positive message to the community that we’re not going to turn our backs on any group.”
Boy George court appearance on cocaine charges adjourned till ’06.