SMH! Massachusetts teen, eight juveniles accused of attacking gay man

Nine youths are facing hate crime charges in the attack of an openly gay man in Springfield, Massachusetts.

According to Springfield Police Sergeant John Delaney, the 30-year-old victim was beaten and robbed at a park early Tuesday morning.

“He was knocked to the ground and punched in the face with closed fists, and kicked in the head and abdomen,” Delaney said. “During the beating, the females encouraged the males to beat up the victim.”

Delaney said the suspects also yelled anti-gay slurs at the victim.

Shay Andre Edwards, 19, was arrested on unarmed robbery and violation of civil rights with injury charges. Eight other suspects, ranging in ages 12 to 19, are also facing charges.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated for head trauma and released. His MP3 player was stolen during the attack but was later found on one of the suspects.

The victim and the alleged attackers all live in the same neighborhood. Authorities say while none of the suspects knew the victim by name, they were familiar with him.

Edwards was released on his own recognizance pending a competency hearing set for Friday.

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VEGAS BABY!!!! Vegas officials consider marketing gay honeymoons

Tourism officials are looking for a way to cash in on the growing gay wedding industry by making Las Vegas a honeymoon destination for same-sex couples.

The Las Vegas Sun reported Thursday that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's director of diversity marketing has already discussed the possibility with his staff.

Gay marriage is illegal in Nevada, but more states are allowing same-sex weddings, with New York becoming the latest. 

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia also allow gay marriage.

Las Vegas is widely recognized as a wedding destination because of the relative ease in obtaining a marriage license.

The visitors authority estimates that 83,000 room nights have been booked in Las Vegas by gay couples this year, Reyes said, resulting in $10.7 million in revenue given average rates.

Besides rooms, gay travelers are estimated to spend $25.9 million in Sin City.

Thomas Roth of Community Marketing Inc., a San Francisco-based firm that specializes in reaching gay consumers, said companies need to make sure they're gay-friendly to employees before reaching gay customers.

"You need to do the 'inreach' before you do the outreach," he said. "The community isn't going to be fooled. They know that tourist destinations are going to be inviting, but it gets around if the workplace doesn't have gay-friendly policies."

Reyes said several Las Vegas casino companies specifically market to gay travelers, including MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts, Ltd., Caesars Entertainment Corp. and the Tropicana Las Vegas.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Vegas-officials-consider-marketing-gay-honeymoons-1447170.php#ixzz1QrlrLuly

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Top 7 places to get married in New York State!!!

Now that New York state is the latest marriage hot spot, why not get married there? Or perhaps you could just spend your honeymoon basking in the glow of The Empire State!

Here are the seven top places to get married in the great state led by Andrew Cuomo. As they say, if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere. We hope that this starts a trend for the rest of the states to follow suit… or a tux!

Seneca Falls – Back in 1848, Seneca Falls was one of the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. Also it’s the gateway into New York’ s gorgeous Finger Lakes region. If you are a wine connoisseur this would be a perfect place for a reception, since there are over 100 vineyards and wineries in the region.  It’s the birthplace of women’s rights, so make sure you lift your glass of local Pinot Noir to them!

Nyack – This lovely village may be best known as the home of Rosie O’Donnell, but is also referred to as the Gem on the Hudson. If your wedding party arrives on a Thursday, then they can enjoy Nyack’s lovely Farmer’s Market and may gaze upon the waterfront views of the Tappan Zee. If those visiting are into art, they can stroll to the Edward Hopper House Art Center, where you can see his work and the work of other local artists.

New Paltz – New Paltz has been fighting for marriage equality since 2004, when their then mayor, Jason West married 25 same-sex couples. If you’re really into nature, you could scout a gorgeous wedding location in the Mohonk Preserve or the Minnewask State Park Preserve. You can get an eye-full of vistas and spend hours winding in trails looking for a place to say “I do.”

Niagara Falls – Here’s your chance to reinvent the cliche honeymoon.  Niagara Falls  is completely embracing same-sex couples. Grab your matching barrels, because The Falls Wedding Chapel is preparing to upgrade from a same-sex commitment certificate to a legal marriage license. Since Canada is right next door, you can also give a high five to our  neighbors to the north, who’ve had marriage equality since 2005.

New York City – Why not go all out and get hitched in the Big Apple? You can have a fast-paced wedding and then go see My Big Gay Italian Wedding off-Broadway, especially since it just happened to you! Another option is to tie the knot in the Pop Up Chapel by officiant Bex Swartz (of VH1 fame) on Saturday, July 30 in Central Park!

Hudson – One of the most eclectic places to find antiques and friendly faces is Hudson, New York. It’s now known as the new get-away for New York City gay professionals – who later become locals. Those new locals will be happy to take you on a historic tour of this beautiful town. You should just register at one of their many antique stores. Personally, if you don’t walk away with at least one item for your home, I would be surprised.

Albany – Why not support the place where New York State same-sex marriage was born? A great activity would be to go to the historic buildings of Albany to see how “the sweet corn state” got its start. Also know that you’re part of history getting married in a time when it’s not fully accepted in a country that fights for freedoms for other nations.

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LOVER OF THE KEYS! LESBIAN LOVE SONG

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KAOTIC MUZIK VIDEO "ECHOES OF HATE"

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G&G ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT "MY LIFE" STORY ABOUT B.O.I. SHA B4 THE MUSIC

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SURVEY SAYS! 1 in 5 Gay Minn. Students Has Been Bullied!!!!

According to a new survey produced by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, the majority of gay students in Minnesota have experienced some form of harassment in school.

The data, which was gathered from 181 Minnesota teenagers, revealed that among students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, 80% had experienced verbal harassment in school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As for physical mistreatment, 47% said they had been subject to harassment such as pushing, while 19% said they had been assaulted (kicked, punched, or violently injured).

In addition, nearly all of those surveyed said they regularly heard the word "gay" used in a derogatory manner.

"More needs to be done to ensure that LGBT students are safe and have an equal opportunity to learn," said Joseph Kosciw, a senior director with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, who released the results of the Minnesota study Monday.

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Chinese LGBT Groups Protest Online Censorship

The popularity of the Chinese social networking website Douban may be waning with gay groups due to apparent censorship, Time’s Jessie Jiang reports.

Some LGBT groups have recently reported that their posts for events on the website have been disappearing, sparking a boycott. "It's better than a month ago when they basically wouldn't publish any of our messages. Now they are letting through a selected few,” said Wang Qing, a spokeswoman for the Beijing LGBT Center.

But some groups have moved to smaller websites to communicate their messages: "We all know that LGBT groups love Douban," wrote one Beijing gay rights group in a letter to Douban. "You once aspired to freedom, independence and equality, but now you have broken our hearts."

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GAYS MISTREATED!!! Atlanta PD Mishandled Eagle Bar Raid!!!

Following an investigation into the mishandling of a gay bar raid, several Atlanta police officers have surrendered their badges and guns.

Six months after the city of Atlanta paid 28 people $1.025 million to settle a federal lawsuit in connection with the September 10, 2009, raid on the Atlanta Eagle Bar, a prestigious law firm was hired to look into what happened that night. The results of the investigation, which were made public Tuesday night, concluded that most of the officers involved in the operation violated departmental procedures, and disciplinary action is expected.

In addition to finding that the officers violated the fourth amendment rights of patrons, the Atlanta Police Department Office of Professional Standards determined that 10 officers were “not truthful” about the events of the raid and that antigay slurs were used during the incident.

According to the report, patrons were forced onto the floor as background checks were run, and the officers were questioned about this. The report quotes one of the officers as saying, “There’s a risk factor involved when you’re dealing with people you don’t know anything about. S&M, that has a stigma of some sort of violence.”

Remaining Atlanta police officers will reportedly undergo new training in the next three months.

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