Did Calum McSwiggan lie about a Hate Crime?

So, some gay YouTube star named Calum McSwiggan claimed to have been attacked at WeHo. He shared a photo of himself in the hospital, saying it was “the worst night of my life.”

I saw this float around social media and thought... Maybe this happened, maybe it didn't. It looks like it didn't.

The WeHo Sheriff’s Station are saying Calum’s claims are false. In fact, Calum was examined in the parking lot of Pavilions grocery store on Santa Monica Boulevard, and the cops saw no signs of injuries. Then, some interesting tidbits came out that shook up his story.

The cops said that Calum vandalized car, and they police arrested him. Calum was booked, photographed and placed into a cell. So, you may be asking about the injuries from the pics, well, according to the cops... he did it to himself.

The cops said that Calum by himself beat himself with the handle and receiver to a payphone inside the cell.

Here's a statement from the sheriff's department:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has an affirmative duty to fully investigate all assaults and reports of violence in our community. Deputies from West Hollywood Station responded to and investigated the report by Calum McSwiggan that he was assaulted by three males after leaving a local nightclub early Monday morning. Responding deputies were unable to substantiate the assault. Mr. McSwiggan, who had no visible injuries, was subsequently arrested after deputies observed him vandalizing a car in the 8900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. After being booked and photographed, Mr. McSwiggan was placed into a cell by himself at West Hollywood Station. Mr. McSwiggan was then observed injuring himself with the handle and receiver to a payphone inside the cell. Medical personnel were summoned and Mr. McSwiggan was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Mr. McSwiggan’s booking photo was taken prior to deputies seeing Mr. McSwiggan injuring himself. That booking photo is attached.

Lord... And then these tweets came out about his vandalism

Looks like somebody's lyin'!

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In Atlanta: Gay Student attacked by Classmates

CBS46 News

In Tennessee: A Man attacked by 3 Individuals, Writes 'Fag' on his face - VIDEO

I went to college, 10 minutes away from this town.

In Queens: A Man was Brutally Murdered because he was believed to be Gay

22-year-old Steven Torres killed a man because he thought he was gay. Steven brutally stabbed 69-year-old Edward Orozco in daylight. In frakking daylight, in Elmhurst, Queens!

According to the police, Steven said that Edward was blowing kisses at him. For what ever reason, that set Steven off and he attacked Edward. Edward was screaming for help and no one helped him at all. That poor man died and no one tried to stop Steven.

The police caught Steven and took him away. He will be charged with a Hate Crime.

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A Vigil for Islan Nettles is set for Tomorrow

A vigil for Islan Nettles is scheduled for tomorrow in Harlem. If you don't remember my post, Islan was a trans woman who was brutality beaten across the street from the police station in Harlem.

Harlem Pride posted this message on their FB page:

Thank you so much for your patience and support. We now have the information for the vigil. Please keep in mind that this is a celebration of Islan Nettles, her love of life and an opportunity for the community to come together in unity and peace.

Date:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Location:
Jackie Robinson Park
Entrance on W. 148th Street @ Bradhurst Avenue
Harlem, NY
(This is down the street from the location of the incident.)

Time: 6PM

Thank you all for your care and attention to this matter. Please feel free to forward this email to other individuals/organizations.

Best wishes,
Harlem Pride, Inc.

WATCH a LGBT Hate Crime in a New York Subway

This is so disgusting

Closure to the Brandon White Case

It's been awhile since I talked about Brandon White. Way back in February 2012,  Brandon was attacked by three men because he was gay.

Well, after court dates and hearings, Christopher Cain and Dorian Moragne were sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. And the other dude, Darael Williams was also sentenced for 5 years in state prison.

They were charged with a hate crime.

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Another Anti-Gay Attack in NYC

Eugene Lovendusky was attacked this weekend by a group of gay-bashers in Hell's Kitchen.

Alan L. Bounville, an activist, posted this on Facebook

Last night, Friday, May 24th, a group of 9-10 men attacked one of my dearest friends, Eugene Lovendusky. They yelled "faggot" at Eugene as he was punched in the jaw. There have been a half-dozen, publicized violent anti-queer crimes in New York City in May 2013, including the cold-blooded murder of Mark Carson, 32, for being a "faggot."

Please by safe, fam

Mark Carson's Killer Laughed and Bragged about the Murder in Greenwich Village

Mark Carson's killer was proud of what he did. Elliot Morales reportedly laughed about the murder.

From the NYP:

“Yeah, I shot him in the head,” sneered Elliot Morales, 33, while “laughing on the ground” when cops were handcuffing him for shooting Mark Carson, 32, early Saturday morning.

Elliot Morales is being held without bail on charges for second-degree murder with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. The incident is also charged as a hate crime.


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Gay Man was Shot Dead in Greenwich Village

Horrible news from NYC. Recently, the city has been experiencing a lot of hate crimes toward gay men. Late last night was really bad.

Here's the scoop:

A gay man was shot dead in Greenwich Village early today after he was chased out of a restaurant and called homophobic slurs, authorities said. 

The 32-year-old Brooklyn victim was shot in the head at about midnight at West 8th Street and Sixth Avenue and died at Beth Israel Hospital. 

His name was not released pending family notification, cops said.
The gunman ran five blocks before cops collared him at West Third Street and MacDougal Street, according to police radio transmissions. 

The shooter appeared crazed and confessed to the shooting after he was nabbed, a police source said. 

“It was a quickie. He shot him and he went straight to the ground,” said a bouncer at a nearby club. 

“Half his body was lying on the sidewalk and half was on the street.” 

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said she was horrified by the attack. 

“There was a time in New York City when two people of the same gender could not walk the street arm-in-arm without fear of violence and harassment,” she said. “We refuse to go back to that time.”

This is the pic of the suspect

more to come as the story unfolds

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Mississippi Congressman wants FBI to Review Marco McMillian’s Death

A Mississippi congressman Bennie Thompson asked the FBI to look into the murder of the openly gay mayoral candidate Marco McMillian. There is belief that some federal laws could have been violated.

Here's more:

Thompson, a Democrat, said Tuesday that he has confidence in the sheriff investigating the death but that he wants the FBI to get involved because that’s what McMillian’s family wants.

"If another set of eyes looking at it would provide additional information, I think it would be helpful to the McMillian family," Thompson told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Also...

Mississippi’s hate crimes law covers acts motivated by bias against a victim’s race but not sexual orientation. However, a federal hate crimes law covers bias against sexual orientation. Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the FBI could determine if a hate crimes charge should be considered.

I don't care who says what, this is a hate crime. Marco's death is a hate crime. Pure and simple.

Was Terrance Wright's death a Hate Crime?

On Friday, Terrance Wright was killed during a robbery in the Chicago's South Side. However, his family believes he was killed because he was gay.

On Top magazine reports

Wright's family claims that the teen was murdered because he was openly gay.

“I believe they only did that to him because he was gay,” said Javone Wright, Terrance's 16-year-old brother.

“What they going to rob him of – his books?” rhetorically asked Wright's uncle, Tywan Bouldin, who also believes his nephew died because of his sexual orientation.

Bouldin said Terrance was bullied at school and in his neighborhood.

“They had to kill my cousin because he was gay,” said Kenyatta Rogers. “That's crazy.”

Police have yet to charge anyone with the crime.

WATCH the news video after the jump

A Brooklyn Teen was left Blind in One Eye after an Anti-Gay Attack

At Roy H. Mann Junior High School in Bergen Beach, 14-year-old Kardin Ulysse was beaten by bullies so bad that he is blind in one eye.

Kardin has had two surgeries on his right eye since the beating in the school's cafeteria. Now, his parents are suing the city.

NY Daily News has more on the story:

Kardin, an eighth-grader, was set upon by a pair of seventh-graders who were calling him a “f-----g f----t,” a “p----,” a “transvestite” and “gay,” according to a Department of Education occurrence report.

While one schoolmate pinned the victim’s arms, the other rained punches on Kardin’s face, head and neck.

Kardin broke away and the fight continued in the cafeteria until school safety officers and school aides finally intervened.

The boy’s family has retained lawyer Sanford Rubenstein, who will file a notice Tuesday to sue the city for $16 million for failing to properly supervise the students.

Rubenstein also called for the authorities to investigate whether the attack is a hate crime and upgrade the criminal charges to felonies. Because they’re minors, the two alleged bullies were charged with misdemeanors in Family Court.


The city’s Corporation Counsel did not immediately return a call for comment.

Those bullies need some serious discipline and this school needs to be investigated. A school should not be a war zone.

2 Men pleaded Guilty for the attack on Brandon White

New movement in the Brandon White assault. Two men pleaded guilty for attacking Brandon back in February.

GA Voice has the story:

 Dorian Moragne, 19, and Dareal Demare Williams, 18, pleaded guilty today in Fulton County Superior Court in the brutal assault Brandon White, a black gay man, on Feb. 4 in the Pittsburgh community.  Sentencing hearing will be held in July and the men face up to 15 and 20 years on each count.

During the hearing today before Fulton Superior Court Judge Bedford Jackson, prosecutor J. Gabriel Banks said the assault was instigated by another suspect, Christopher Cain, who alleged that the victim, White, 20, made a sexual advance toward him. Another suspect, Javaris Williams, was also allegedly involved in the attack that was videotaped and uploaded to a hip hop website.

"If this case were to go to trial the court would prove that the victim was walking to 'The  Pink Store' with a friend to get something to eat. They passed these defendants [Moragne and Williams] and the codefendants. At some point … Mr. Cain believed Mr. White made a sexual advance against him. Mr. white has firmly said no he did not,” Banks said.

“The sexual advance toward Cain led to Cain being offended. Cain got upset as Mr. White exited the store and struck him from behind. These two defendants [Moragne and Williams] began to hit stomp and kick Mr. White," Banks added. Moragne was also identified as the person who threw a tire on White as he was on the ground trying to shield himself from the constant blows.

“It is important to note that was all being videotaped as they all said, 'No faggots in Jack City,” Banks said. “Clearly in the state's view this is a hate crime.”

I'm glad to see this go forward and Brandon, possibly getting some closure.

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FBI may charge Zimmerman with Hate Crime - WATCH

Transgender Woman Brandy Martell was Murdered, could be a Hate Crime -VIDEO

We lost another one. Brandy Martell was shot to death a block away from Oakland's City Hall. Her friends believe it was a hate crime.

37-year-old Brandy Martell was sitting behind the wheel of her car around 5:15 a.m. Sunday when one or two men walked up and began a conversation. A witness told ABC7 the conversation was cordial, but then a few minutes later, one of the men became angry and fired into the car right where Martell was sitting. 

 Until late last year, Martell worked as an outreach worker at the Tri-City Health Center in Fremont which serves the transgender and transsexual community. "When you don't provide a space in society for people who you think are the other or different, especially transgender women, especially transgender women of color, when you don't provide spaces for them to be in a safe environment or a safe space, whether it's socializing or services, this is what happens," Martell's friend Tiffany Woods told ABC 7

Friends gathered on Sunday to remember Brandy.

A Man Convicted in the Murder of Marcellus Andrews

A man was finally convicted for the murder of 19-year-old Marcellus Andrews. Marcellus was beaten to death while being taunted by gay slurs in August.

Here is the latest news:

A Black Hawk County jury has convicted a man of voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of a college student in Waterloo. 

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier  says the jury returned the verdict Friday afternoon in the case against 20-year-old Paris Anding. He was charged in the August beating death of 19-year-old Marcellus Andrews during a fight.

Prosecutors say Anding swung a baseball bat and hit Andrews in the head. The defense claimed Anding was protecting his aunt.

Andrews’ death drew nationwide attention from gay rights activists after witnesses were quoted in local media saying Andrews was taunted with anti-gay slurs. Waterloo police said there was no indication of a hate crime. Andrews’ family and friends downplayed the idea and said he wasn’t gay.

Voluntary manslaughter has a max of 10 years, and there is no minimum. I hope this helps the Andrews family. Paris should pay for this horrible crime.


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In Mississippi: A Teen gets 2 Life Sentences for Racial Murder

Last June, Deryl Dedmon killed James Craig Anderson because he was Black. He was encouraged by friends to find a Black person and attack them. This foolishness led to Deryl running over James in his pickup truck and killing him.

Today, Deryl was sentenced 2 life terms in prison.

Deryl, however, did apologized to the family of James during the hearing.

I hope he learned something from all of this.

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Change Atlanta apologizes for their Foolish actions against Brandon White

After their foolish actions blew up in their face, Change Atlanta front apologizes for 'appearing' to turn his back on Brandon White.

GA Voice reports

Many in Atlanta's LGBT community are criticizing Change Atlanta on Facebook and various websites for the group’s apparent about-face in its support of Brandon White, the young gay man who was beaten in a filmed attack that went viral on the internet.
Now one of the leaders of the fledgling group says he has “learned his lesson” in how he dealt with the incident, which he acknowledges included questioning whether White was lying about knowing the attackers, “cuddling up” with one of the suspect's defense attorneys on TV and not understanding that many in the LGBT community have been victims of anti-gay violence.

"Yes, we have gotten some flack. And I'm glad I'm learning this lesson at 21 rather and not at 41,” Devin Barrington-Ward said told the GA Voice in an interview Feb. 28. “My youth and immaturity played into this. I will always reflect back on this when I'm 60 or 70.”

Change Atlanta is not specifically an LGBT advocacy organization but has several gay leaders. Ward said he wants to take responsibility for his actions, and how he deals with his mistake will determine if he will be welcomed back into the larger LGBT community.

"This is a touchy subject in the LGBT community. Many people have told me they have been victims, their friends have been victims or their family members have been victims. I'm a young man and I made a mistake,” Ward said.

Yes, you did make mistake and it was costly. Change Atlanta's rush to judgment could have frighten many LGBT victims to stay silent. They should have known better to hold two televised press conferences using assumptions and rumors.

Perhaps next time, they will think before they act.

My Rant: Change Atlanta, What the F**k are you Doing?

Yesterday, I posted this clip from an Atlanta news program. 

The gay activist group called, Change Atlanta went on the air saying that Brandon White, the gay man who was beaten by three other men, was lying about his story.

The members of this group said that Brandon knew these men and he was beaten because he threatened to out them as gay. So, according to Change Atlanta, this wasn’t a hate crime. This was an act of revenge and Brandon had it coming.

I’m not making this up, y’all. Here’s a piece from the article:

Gary Nichols said he and several other members of the community searched for White's attackers before they were arrested.

Nichols said when they interviewed witnesses and those in the Pittsburgh community who know White and his alleged attackers, he found out new details about White's prior relationship with some of his attackers.

"I would tell the Atlanta community we were duped. We were all duped and it's a shame. It's a bitter shame," Nichols said.

Nichols said the attack was not a hate crime. The motivation was revenge.

"Brandon was agitating these young men about personally exposing them for being DL gay - on the down low possibly gay. The young men responded because they don't want their families to know," Nichols said.

Jackson said he spoke directly with one of the suspects, Dorian Moragne, who also confirmed that they knew White.

"He was very clear about being sure that Brandon White in fact knew the other attackers in question," Jackson said. Jackson and Nichols said the attack was centered around a video that's supposed to be on White's phone. The video of the attack shows one of the men grab White's phone.

"It's a video of somebody performing a sexual act with one or a few of these young men," Nichols said. "That's why the cell phone was a target. They didn't just beat him up because he was gay," Jackson said.

Seriously? This claim is based on rumors. Can I say it again, RUMORS! The funny part about this story is how they talked to one of the attackers, taking his word over Brandon’s. And the big winning belief... The attack was not a hate crime; it was an act of revenge, so it’s okay. Free pizza for everybody! 

Sorry, Change Atlanta, but you were wrong to go on TV and state this claim as truth. You were wrong in thinking this ‘act of revenge’ erases the fact that Brandon was beaten like a dog by three men. Change Atlanta, you were wrong to turn you backs on Brandon and somewhat take the side of the attackers.

Change Atlanta, you were just plain wrong!

Who appointed this group as the voice of the LGBT community in Atlanta? They just got started, so Change Atlanta have no true legs to stand on. Their attempt to ‘be seen’ has our community questioning their actions and their purpose. 

Seriously, what were you thinking?

I hope Change Atlanta take this misstep as opportunity to really think about what they stand for. Because if they are gay activists, I’d hate to see what anti-gay activists look like.