Marc Lange and Carl Blea, possible hate crime survivors (Photo: Provided by the family)
A man and his husband were walking through Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, while on vacation. They’d had a night of dancing and were heading back to the condo where they were staying when they heard a man shout something and shoot at them.
It was 2:30 a.m. and the bullet struck Carl Blea, going through his thigh, the Palm Springs Desert Sun reported. His husband, Marc Lange, said that the two were lucky as Blea acted quickly and tried to pull the two to safety.
Speaking by phone from the hospital, Lange confessed he feared they would both be dead if they didn’t act so fast. The two both believe that they think they were the target of a hate crime because they are gay. Lange went on to call it “a random act of hatred.” Despite local news reports claiming it was a robbery, he said he’s told the police what happened multiple times.
Local news even reported that there was a struggle between the gunman and the couple, but Lange said that he’s concerned local authorities are attempting to cover up the incident because it would hurt tourism. The city is a popular beach town for American travelers.
“We never uttered a word to [the gunman],” Lange said.
“This was not a robbery went bad. It was a hate crime as Carl Blea and I were walking hand in hand,” Lange later wrote on Facebook. “We never spoke to the man who shot us. He yelled at us and then pulled out a gun and shot at us. This is not correct. We told 3 different set of police officials the same story. There were no witnesses, the street was empty.”
The trial of the wife of Pulse shooter Omar Mateen has taken a dramatic twist – after it emerged that Mateen’s father was an FBI informant.
Forty-nine people died at Orlando’s Pulse gay club during a horrific mass shooting in June 2016, when Omar Mateen, who had pledged support for ISIS, opened fire at the crowd.
At the time it was the most deadly mass shooting in recent US history, though it has since been surpassed.
Mateen was killed in a shootout with the local police during the attack, but his wife Noor Salman is currently standing trial over allegations that she knew about the attack in advance.
But there was a dramatic development in the case this week, as Salman’s lawyers pushed for a mistrial – alleging that prosecutors failed to provide information to their client.
The defence alleges that Omar Mateen’s father Seddique Mateen was an FBI informant between January 2005 and June 2016 – details they claims were concealed ahead of the trial.
The FBI had previously confirmed it investigated Omar Mateen twice ahead of the attack but concluded he was not a potential terrorist.
The Intercept reports claims that FBI agents consulted Mateen’s father, who was already an FBI informant at the time of the investigation into his son.
Salman’s lawyers claimed: “Because the government violated Ms Salman’s Fifth Amendment right to due process and Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial, this Court must dismiss the Government’s case.
“In the alternative, if this Court does not dismiss this action, it should order a mistrial in order to safeguard these fundamental constitutional rights. Indeed, an analysis of the government’s conduct in this case establishes a consistent pattern of withholding evidence that directly impacted presentation of Ms Salman’s defense.”
(Getty)
However, the motion was dismissed.
Judge Paul Byron denied the motion, saying: “It doesn’t change the dynamic about this case involving Noor Salman.”
Salman, 31, stands accused of obstruction of justice and of aiding and abetting Mateen over the attack.
She stands accused of knowing about the plans for the attack in advance, but her attorneys and family insist she did not know what her husband was planning.
Prosecutors believe that while planning the shooting, Mateen asked Salman whether attacking a Disney site would have a bigger impact than attacking a nightclub.
It was also previously alleged she had “driven him to the gay nightclub, Pulse, because he wanted to scope it out” and “was with him when he bought ammunition and a holster”.
But Salman’s uncle Al Salman insists that the 30-year-old was “simple and innocent”, and that she had been abused by Mateen.
On the first White House news briefing after President Trump reaffirmed his ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military, White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah declined to address the issue, nor did any reporters from mainstream media outlets ask about it as part of their questioning.
The main focus from reporters on Monday during the 20-minute briefing, characteristically abbreviated for the Trump White House, was instead the “60 Minutes” interview Sunday night with porn star Stormy Daniels and the details she revealed about her alleged sexual affair with Trump. Other questions were about the U.S. expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats as a result of Russia’s apparent use of a military-grade chemical weapon in the United Kingdom, which killed a former Russian spy.
The Washington Blade was seated in the third row and had a hand up during the briefing, but Shah declined to recognize the LGBT outlet for a question. At one point, Shah looked directly at the Blade, but skipped the publication for another reporter. That’s consistent with the Trump White House record of virtually ignoring the Blade during the White House briefings.
Had the Blade been called on during the briefing, the LGBT outlet would have asked about the transgender military ban, which was made public late Friday night just as the weekend started at a time when media coverage was limited and the White House wasn’t taking questions on the issue.
At the close of the briefing, another non-mainstream media standing in the aisle sought comment from Shah on the transgender military ban by shouting out an inquiry. Shah looked at the reporter as he exited the briefing, but had no response.
The Blade followed up with Shah after the briefing by submitting two questions via email to him and other staffers in the White House.
Here are the questions:
1. Did the president, Vice President or anyone at the White House seek to influence the findings in the report from Secretary Mattis made public Friday?
2. Multiple courts have ruled prohibiting transgender service is unconstitutional. Isn’t the policy a non-starter?
Trump announced he’d keep his ban on transgender service in the military following a report signed by Defense Secretary James Mattis recommending limited access to transgender people in the armed forces. The expectation is the policy will be unenforceable because six courts — four trial courts and two circuit courts — have determined barring transgender people from the U.S. military is likely unconstitutional.
The study, which tracked more than 500 couples in Vermont over the course of 12 years, also revealed that women in same-sex marriages were the most likely to break up.
Lesbian unions are twice as likely as gay marriages and 1.5 times as likely as straight marriages to end, according to the research.
Professor Esther Rothblum, the study’s author and a visiting scholar at the Williams Institute who also teaches women’s studies at San Diego State University, said that one explanation was the results was that women expected more than men.
“Other studies on heterosexual couples have found that women have higher standards for relationship quality than men,” she said.
“We suspect that similar dynamics may be at play with the lesbian couples in our study, leading to the higher dissolution rate.”
The Williams Institute research also revealed the reasons why same-sex unions last.
For lesbian couples, with every extra year that the relationship lasts, the odds of a breakup are reduced by a huge 13 percent.
If you’re a learned pair of female lovers, you’re also better-suited to the world of relationships, with each year of education causing the odds of a split to plummet by 16 percent.
Older couples are also less likely to break up.
If you’re wondering whether having children will help or damage your marriage’s chances of lasting, the study found that having a baby has no effect.
Another author of the study, Kimberly Balsam from Palo Alto University, said the study was “crucial in combating stereotypes about same-sex couples,” adding that she hoped it would “inform policy and program development to support healthy relationships for all couples.”
The author of the research, Ritch C. Savin-Williams, explained that the study proved sexuality was a “continuum,” adding that he wants it to help clear up misconceptions and stigma about bisexual people – in particular, bisexual men.
“Men have gotten so much cultural crap put on them that even if a man does have some sexual attraction to guys, they would never say it,” Savin-Williams said.
The hometown of anti-gay Vice President Mike Pence will host its first ever Pride festival in an effort to distance themselves from the former governor.
Erin Bailey, a high school student, has organised the Columbus Pride Festival in an effort to prove that Mike Pence does not represent all of his hometown.
“I feel it is important for members of the LGBTQ community to know that Columbus is a welcoming and diverse community,” Bailey said to Huff Post.
“Even though Mike Pence is openly anti-gay, that doesn’t mean that all of us in his hometown are.”
The controversial vice president has one of the worst records on LGBT rights of any US leader in history.
The event is planned for April 14 and will be the first of its kind to be hosted Columbus, a small city with under 50,000 people.
Organiser Erin Bailey, a student of Columbus Signature Academy-New Tech, also said that as well as welcoming LGBT people to Columbus, the event could help distance the liberal-leaning town from the ultra-conservative Veep.
The 18-year-old said: “We are so much more than just a small town that he grew up in.”
“It is important for this event to be happening now so that others know that even in this time of hatred, we don’t all agree with it. This is an opportunity to show support for an all-inclusive community.
“This is something incredibly important to me, and I want to make a difference in not only our small Indiana community but in the world as well. Gay rights are human rights.”
Other LGBT+ groups in Columbus have welcomed the plans as the first of their kind, though they are by far the first pro-LGBT movement in Columbus, according to Pride Alliance Columbus.
“As an ally, it’s very important to me that Erin’s event, as wonderful as it is, is not seen in a vacuum. PAC has been in existence for almost 20 years, and our mission is inclusion for all,” said Pride Alliance Columbus’ president Jill Tasker.
This isn’t the first bit of potentially bad news for the anti-LGBT Vice President this month.
In response to the Senate passing H.R.1865, an anti-online sex trafficking bill that has the potential to seriously harm consenting, adult sex workers, Craigslist has shuttered its all of its personals sections. Even the platonic ones.
Early Friday morning, Craigslist made a public post regarding the bill commonly known as FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) that explained the logic behind their decision to shut down one of the most widely-used subsections of the platform. The message was straight and to the point:
“US Congress just passed HR 1865, “FOSTA”, seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.
Any tool or service can be misused. We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day.
To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through craigslist, we wish you every happiness!”
In a post-FOSTA world, websites like Craigslist where sex workers commonly posted ads for their services would be legally responsible for the whatever kinds of illegal interactions users ultimately took part in.
In the most ideal of situations, a bill like FOSTA could play a role in fighting off sex trafficking. In reality though, the bill (as is the case here) is causing a chilling effect that gooses sites like Craigslist to close up at least part of their shop and actively hurts consenting sex workers who rely on the website. As drastic as it may seem, it’s easy to understand the why of Craigslist’s decision to avoid the consequences of FOSTA, but the question now is whether other sites frequently used by sex workers will follow suit.
The mission and focus of March For Our Lives (Santa Rosa) is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address gun violence. Our only agenda is to make sure our voices are heard by the people we have elected to represent us and demand that they take action to ensure that all students, teachers, parents, ……all community members feel safe in our schools.
On March 24 students of Sonoma County along with Mom’s Demand Action and the Santa Rosa Junior Commission of Human Rights will host a March for Our Lives event to advocate for gun control and to demand our safety at school becomes a priority. Our event begins at 10:00am and will take place at the Santa Rosa Old Courthouse Square. We will host an intersectional group of student speakers, opportunities for students to pre-register to vote, and other opportunities for concerned citizens of all ages to get involved in advocacy. To get involved or ask further questions contact student organizer Lucia Garay at luciagaray@gmail.com or Moms Demand Action liaison Heather Jennings at hlbjennings@gmail.com .
On Saturday, March 24, the Sonoma Valley Democrats will host a March for Our Lives Rally to advocate for gun control and to demand that safety at school becomes a priority. Our event will be from noon to 2pm and will take place in front of Sonoma Plaza. Please bring signs! To get involved or ask further questions contact Beth at bethh@sonic.net.
9am – 11am: Town Hall In response to the shootings at the Yountville Veterans Home, the Jefferson Starbucks and West Park shootings in January, the Parkland Florida School shooting on Valentine’s Day and the countless school and non-school shootings that occur daily in every corner of the country, please join Representative Mike Thompson, Griffin Dix of the Brady Campaign and Napan Jane Williams, both of whom lost children to gun violence, students, local law enforcement, mental health and other officials at a Town Hall to hear about ideas for next steps on solving the gun violence epidemic. Hosted by a group of concerned Napa parents, Women’s March Napa Valley and the League of Women Voters of Napa County, this Town Hall seeks to engage and challenge local, state and federal officials to exhibit leadership on issues vital to student safety, public health and community well being. 11am – 1pm: Rally and Concert After the Town Hall, Napa Students will lead a Rally and Benefit Concert to support the “March for Our Lives” protest in Washington, D.C. Students from Napa High, Vintage, Justin Sienna, New Technology, and American Canyon High School will perform and speak on gun violence prevention and school safety issues of concern to them. Attendees are encouraged to wear orange as a symbol of their support for the national effort and donate to the national “March for our Lives” campaign. Bring a blanket, signs and your friends and enjoy the “Napa Student Rally and Benefit Concert for our Lives.”
The LGBT Fund supports both deep engagement in select countries as well as rapid response grants, which are distributed to grassroots organizations to respond to emergencies facing LGBT people across the continent. To date, the Fund has already helped nearly 23,000 people in 20 countries, most of which criminalize same-sex relations. Through these grants, 6,500 LGBT people have received an HIV test, and 100 grassroots organizations have been able to continue providing HIV treatment, human rights protection, emergency shelter, and legal services to LGBT people facing barriers to treatment and care.
“The donation by Phil to EJAF is in keeping with the special connection and consistently supportive, collaborative relationship I have developed with AEG for more than a decade. We will put his donation to work to ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Elton John. “This funding will help our programs provide life-saving work for LGBT communities around the world, starting with the LGBT Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
“My gift to the Elton John Foundation is intended to emphasize that we support freedom of all people to live their lives peacefully, without interference from others,” Anschutz said in a statement. “Sexuality is among the most personal of issues, and it has never been my intent to weigh in on people’s private lives. I support the rights of all people and oppose discrimination and intolerance against the LGBTQ community. I see this as a matter of basic human rights. Our Foundation supports a broad range of philanthropic causes. I regret if any money given to a charity for other purposes may have indirectly worked against these values. That was not my intention, it does not reflect my beliefs, and I am committed to making sure our internal processes are strengthened so that it does not happen again.”
According to Freedom for All Americans and Snopes.com, the Anschutz Foundation donated nearly $200,000 to the Alliance Defending Freedom, the National Christian Foundation, and the Family Research Council between 2010 and 2015. The Alliance Defending Freedom has advocated for anti-sodomy laws; the Family Research Council describes LGBT “lifestyles” as “unhealthy and destructive;” the National Christian Foundation has been accused of funding anti-LGBT groups around the world. Anschutz has long maintained that he supports the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation, and one of his attorneys told Pitchfork that the executive had stopped donating to such organizations after 2015.
The release states that Anschutz’s donation “celebrates Sir Elton John’s legacy and the impact he has had bringing people together, as well as over 25 years of work by the Elton John AIDS Foundation to create a global, AIDS-free generation.”
An anti-gay pastor who based his campaign on opposing same-sex marriage has a strong lead in Costa Rica’s Presidential election.
The Central American country’s Presidential battle has been largely defined by a battle over same-sex marriage, with fringe evangelical Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz receiving a surge in support after running an aggressive anti-gay marriage campaign – besting a string of traditional candidates to make the run-off against centrist candidate Carlos Alvarado Quesada.
Alvarado Muñoz has vowed to withdraw Costa Rica from a pan-American human rights treaty that could require it to provide recognition to same-sex couples, while his opponent says the country should respect the human rights of LGBT people.
Fabricio Alvarado, presidential candidate of the National Restoration party (Photo by EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Ahead of next month’s run-off election between the two candidates, polling suggests that Alvarado Muñoz has built a lead.
An Opol poll this week has Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz on 36.5 percent, while his rival Carlos Alvarado Quesada is on 27.7 percent of the vote.
CID Gallup poll found a smaller lead, with Alvarado Muñoz maintaining a 4.5 percent lead.
The key to the election will likely be voters who backed other candidates in other rounds, with a massive 35.8 percent still undecided or not planning to vote.
With less than two weeks until the April 1 election, however, the two candidates do not have long to make their pitches.
The court had found Costa Rica is in violation of its treaty obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) by not providing marriage equality.
The human rights court has jurisdiction over 16 countries, and six of them – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay – signed a statement welcoming the news.
While Alvarado Quesada has said that Costa Rica should accept the ruling and “advance the agenda of equality”, Alvarado Muñoz has pledged to revoke the treaty altogether rather than comply.
Costa Rican frontrunner presidential candidate, Fabricio Alvarado, of the National Restoration party (Photo by JORGE RENDON/AFP/Getty Images)
Following his strong performance in the first round, he declared the results a victory for the “traditional family”.
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The candidate said: “We propose the sovereignty of the family as the fundamental basis of society.”
“Costa Rica has sent a message to traditional parties – never again will they meddle with the family.”
Meanwhile, his rival Carlos Alvarado Quesada had stood firm over his commitment to human rights laws.
He said: “The Costa Rica of the 21st century requires a government that knows how to move forward with vigor, love, happiness (and) the agenda of equality.”
While there has been much pan-American solidarity around the court ruling, notably the US has shied away from pressing Costa Rica over the issue, and recently refused to take part in a statement welcoming the ruling.
The US was the only member of the Organization of American States (OAS) LGBTI Core Group that refused to sign on to a statement supporting the court’s opinion.
The seven nations that signed the statement are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay.
Fabricio Alvarado, presidential candidate of the National Restoration party (Photo by EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP/Getty Images)
The statement says: “Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, as members of the OAS LGBTI Core Group, welcome the Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights reiterating that sexual orientation and gender identity are protected categories under the American Convention on Human Rights and affirming that States have the responsibility to recognize, guarantee and protect the rights that derive from a family bond between persons of the same sex.
“The Court’s Opinion constitutes a valuable contribution to the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Human Rights System, as it reminds States of their obligations regarding guaranteeing and protecting the rights of LGBTI persons across the region.
“Furthermore, the Court understood that a person’s full autonomy to establish a permanent and marital bond is derived from the principle of human dignity, and that such a bond deserves equal rights and protection regardless of the sexual orientation of the parties.
“Likewise, the Advisory Opinion reaffirms the rights of transgender people by affirming that the change of name, image adjustment, as well as the rectification of sex or gender references, in registers and in identity documents so that these are consistent with self-perceived gender identity, is a right protected by the American Convention. As a consequence, States are obliged to recognize, regulate and establish the appropriate procedures for such purposes.
“Without prejudice to the sovereign right of all States to adopt policies and legislation in a progressive manner and to evolve on this matter at their own pace, we agree with the Court’s view that lack of consensus on respecting the rights of certain groups that are characterized by their sexual orientation or their gender identity or expression cannot be considered a reason to deny or restrict their human rights or perpetuate historical or structural discrimination against them.
“The aforementioned members of the Core Group are optimistic that this Advisory Opinion will provide elements for States to drive legislative, administrative and public policy reforms through which progress is made in the protection and guarantee, under equal conditions, of the rights of LGBTI people.”
LGBT activists made sure to give Vice President a nice hospitable Southern welcome on his trip to Savannah, Georgia this week – with a sea of rainbow flags.
The Veep, who has the worst record on LGBT rights of any US leader in US history, was in town for a visit and to take part in the annual St Patrick’s Day parade.
However, the local community banded together to make sure that everywhere he went, a rainbow flag went with him.
A group of protesters attended the St Pat’s parade route with rainbow flags, while even some local businesses decided to put up flags for the occasion.
Moon River Brewing Company, based in the centre of Savannah, was one of the companies that put up flags.
Owner John Pinkerton wrote: “Moon River Brewing Company is all dressed up for the unwelcome visit of the Prince of Darkness himself, Vice President Mike Pence. Please join me letting our leaders know that spending millions of our tax dollars on security for these kind of frivolous appearances.”
Addressing local leaders, he said: “Mayor Eddie DeLoach, despite my best efforts to reach you, or anybody else in your office, through numerous channels, you have failed to respond.
“How do you reconcile Pence’s long history of hateful policy and rhetoric toward African Americans, LGBT and women? Did you stop to consider the demographic of your own City?
“Let me remind you: Savannah is 55% African American. Women make up over 50% of the population, pretty much everywhere you go. And Savannah is probably (and thankfully) the gayist city in the southeast!”
According to LGBT activists, Pence spent less than an hour at the St Patrick’s Day festivities, pursued along the way by LGBT rights campaigners who “made sure there were rainbows in every photo op”.
Ahead of the event, Savannah Pride, First City Network, and Savannah LGBT Center issued a joint statement noting Pence’s record.
A group of protesters (Photo: Savannah Pride)
They wrote: “As members of Savannah’s LGBTQ community, we are troubled by our public officials’ welcoming of Vice President Mike Pence.
“Mr Pence has proved himself to be one of the most anti-LGBTQ political crusaders to serve in government. As governor of Indiana, he led a concerted effort to deny equality to LGBTQ people, opposing gay marriage and signing into law a bill that made it legal for businesses to turn away gay and lesbian customers.
“As a member of Congress, he voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, co-sponsored a bill to define marriage between a man and woman, and sought to cut off HIV funding to organizations that did not encourage the reprehensible practice of gay ‘conversion therapy’.
(Photo: Savannah Pride)
“These attacks have continued with at least two dozen actions by the current administration against LGBT people, including those serving in our armed forces.
“Ordinarily, there is no place for his brand of discrimination in Savannah. However, this weekend, he will feel right at home at the largest St Patrick’s Day Parade in America that discriminates against LGBTQ organizations.
“We Savannahians are proud of our diversity, so we welcome Vice President Pence to join our interracial gay families raising adopted children, trans service members proudly defending their country, queer artists inspiring creativity, immigrant students dreaming of a bright future with a same-sex spouse, and the many other faces of the Hostess City that will be proudly lining the streets this weekend.”
The Vice President banned media from the meeting with Mr Varadkar, after the leader said he would be raising LGBT rights.
Ever the diplomat, Mr Varadkar did not detail exactly what was said afterwards – but did reveal that Pence had offered to host him and his partner in future.
