A quick rundown of the day’s hottest topics in the gay and lesbian community.
After taking a break for the 4th of July to celebrate our country, we are back with more news!
Parole Granted for Killer in Attack on Gay Man – A man serving a 45-year sentence for a murder he committed while on a joy ride to “beat up some queers” will be released on parole after 18 years behind bars, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Jon Buice was part of the infamous Woodlands 10, a group of mostly high school–age boys who tracked Paul Broussard and two friends in the summer of 1991 after they left a gay nightclub called Heaven. The boys unloaded from two cars and began beating Broussard, including with a 2-by-4, and Buice admits stabbing him. The two friends managed to escape.
Although Buice once testified that the group intended to “beat up some queers” and were carrying “queer rocks” for throwing at passersby, he later apologized in an open letter to the gay community, saying “it was never my intention to harm anyone.”
For Gay Couples Eager to Wed at First Possible Moment – Gay couples seeking to marry in New York State at the first possible moment will have at least one option to do so — but, right now at least, it would require a trip to the state’s Southern Tier.
The city of Binghamton is planning to open its municipal offices to accept marriage applications on Sunday, July 24, when the same-sex marriage law takes effect, officials there said on Wednesday.
“It just seemed like, if that’s the first day that this is allowed, then we should allow people to take advantage of that,” said Sean Massey, a Binghamton city councilman.
Mr. Massey said that opening the office would allow city officials to avoid a huge rush of applications the following Monday, when the clerk’s office would normally open for the week. Binghamton is only a few minutes from the Pennsylvania line, so city officials expect to receive marriage applications from a number of out-of-state couples, too.
California Gay Textbooks: Proposal Would Require LGBT Lessons In Schools – California lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that would make the state the first to require public schools to teach lessons on historical and current contributions of gays and lesbians.
The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who has not indicated whether he will sign the document, the Associated Press Reports. The regulation would also prohibit the use of any materials that reflects negatively on gays.
From the AP: “This bill will require California schools to present a more accurate and nuanced view of American history in our social science curriculum by recognizing the accomplishments of groups that are not often recognized,” said Assembly Speaker John Perez, the first openly gay speaker of the California Assembly.
Gay Marriage Advocates Miss the Boat … Again– I’ve always believed gay marriage advocates, by and large, had an arrogance typified by people who think it’s their way or the highway. You come across these folks everyday while driving, at the grocery store, and I bet some of you even live with men and women who see the world only through their lenses.
Many gay marriage advocates are up in arms over the General Assembly’s passage of a civil union billed signed into law by Governor Chafee this past week.
Many gay marriage supporters criticized civil unions as discriminatory. In particular, MERI opposed language in the new law that allows religious hospitals, cemeteries and schools to refuse to recognize the rights granted through civil unions. Sullivan said his group will urge lawmakers to repeal the religious exemption.
Putting gay black men on safer path is their cause – It’s Saturday night, and the city’s young gay black men have plenty of options.
A sex party is percolating in a private home, the “gyms” that have replaced bath houses are open for business, and an underground voguing competition is under way.
Noel Ramirez and Quincy Greene know where the action is and understand its allure. But they understand the danger, too.
Young gay black men are contracting HIV at twice the rate as their white and Hispanic counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And nearly half of all Americans with HIV are African Americans.