Yes, Discrimination Against HIV+ Employees Still Exists

The US has laws on the books that prevent on-the-job discrimination against employees working in the States who are living with HIV. It's fantastic legislation that I have been grateful for since my positive test result in January, 2009. I have felt secure since then because I felt that I would be be protected in the workplace.  Maybe I shouldn't have that false sense of security, as it is plain that discrimination is still taking place.

One former employee isn't smiling.

One HIV-positive man in a Michigan dental office called Great Expressions is now alleging that his employees and coworkers, once they found out he carried the virus, created a horribly uncomfortable environment at work. They sprayed him with Lysol, ordered him to not touch doorknobs, and eventually fired him over his serostatus.

Lawyers for James White have called his case the worst case of alleged HIV-related job discrimination they have ever handled. According to White, who was an office assistant at Great Expressions Dental Center, his superiors leaked news of his HIV-positive status to fellow coworkers, several of whom began spraying White with Lysol, prohibiting him from touching doorknobs, and wiping down office furniture and equipment after he used it. Finally, during a stint in the hospital to seek care for his HIV, Great Expressions allegedly called White and told him not to return to work.

White has already sought legal action against Great Expressions, with the Detroit chapter of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling that there was probable cause to believe that the office discriminated against him because of his serostatus. Great Expressions has ignored the ruling, however a Change.org petition has been created with 37,500 signatures at the time of this writing demanding an apology from the administrators of the office.

Just to be clear about the law in the US regarding HIV-positive employees, I got this clarification from the website for the National Association of Social Workers:

Individuals with disabilities are protected under the Americans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA). Persons with HIV, whether they have outwardly manifested symptoms or not, are considered to have physical impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities. Therefore, the ADA covers them.The ADA gives federal civil rights protection to individuals with disabilities. It also guarantees equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. Recent court decisions and pending legislation may affect this protection of HIV-positive people against discrimination.

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws (EEOP) cover all private employers, state and local governments, and education institutions that employ 15 or more individuals. They also cover private and public employment agencies, labor organizations, and joint labor management committees controlling apprenticeship and training.

[Employment practices covered by the ADA] include hiring, firing, job application procedures, job interviews, job assignment, training and promotions, and wage benefits, including health insurance, leave, and other employment related activities.Employers who know an employee is HIV-positive are required to make "reasonable accommodations" for that person.

Great Expressions is clearly violating the law as mandated by the federal government.

People are often taken aback with my willingness to disclose my status, and James White is a perfect example why. People can't hold prejudices or unfair stigma against people living with HIV when someone they like or respect is open about their serostatus. I look forward to the day when this sort of disgusting harassment ends.

 

 

Attacker Sentenced To 5 Years In McDonald's Trans Assault

April 18th, a 19 year old woman attacked a transwoman in the restroom of a Baltimore area McDonald's in an incident that was captured on a cell camera by an employee and was posted online.  The attacker was sentenced today to 5 years in prison in the beating of Chrissy Lee Polis:

The video shows Teonna Monae Brown and a 14-year-old female, whom authorities have not identified, repeatedly punching and kicking Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, in the head and body while dragging her by her hair across the floor of the restaurant. 

Mark Scurti, Polis’s attorney, said Polis planned to attend the sentencing hearing on Tuesday but was unable to do so after experiencing recurring symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, for which she was diagnosed following the beating. 

Scurti said Polis checked herself into a crisis counseling facility last Friday, which has provided assistance to Polis since the incident occurred in April. 

“I continue to suffer seizures, bouts of crying, mental anguish and anxiety,” Polis said in a victim impact statement submitted to the judge prior to Tuesday’s sentencing. “I fear being alone. I have flashbacks about the attacks. I have twice now been admitted to a crisis center, and I am having extreme mental difficulty.”

While I am glad justice has been served, it breaks my heart to hear of the continued mental anxiety suffered on the part of Polis as a result of the attack.  OAQ wishes her well and hopes she has a speedy recovery.

Iran Executes Gay Men, Even Though They Don't Have Any

Does anyone else remember this?

That's right. That's the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, telling a crowd of Ivy-league students, reporters and diplomats that Iran doesn't have gay people.  Naturally, they laughed in his face. 

So why is it that three men were just executed in his country for "Hadd," which translates to sodomy?  From Iran Human Rights:

According to the reports from Iran, six people were hanged in the Karoun prison of Ahvaz (southwest of Iran) early Sunday morning September 4th.

The state run Iranian news agency ISNA reported that three of those executed were sentenced to death by the Ahvaz revolution court, convicted of "unlawful" acts and acts against Sharia, based on the articles 108 and 110 of the Iranian Islamic penal code. Articles 108 and 110 of the Iranian Islamic Penal code are part of the chapter covering the punishment of "Hadd" for "sodomy". Article 108 says: "Sodomy (or Lavat) is sexual intercourse between men”, and article 110 says:”Punishment for sodomy is killing; the Sharia judge decides on how to carry out the killing".

While I am naturally very angry over this, it's nothing new.  Those laws have been on the books (and have reportedly been enforced) for years.  While many are angry over Uganda's pending legislation to begin executing citizens for homosexuality, the ongoing government mandated murder of Iranian gay men begs the question: what's being done to stop it?
 
The quick answer is not much.  One recourse is available to Iranian gays seeking to avoid death:  seeking asylum elsewhere.  However, deportation laws in the UK, Europe, and here in the US have prevented many from finding asylum, dooming the thousands of gay Iranians to a seemingly hopeless situation.

Mistrial Declared In McInerney Trial

The weeks-long trial of Brandon McInerney, the killer of gay student Lawrence King, has ended in a hung jury, resulting in a mistrial.  This development comes after repeated attempts on the part of the defense to confuse the jury as to McInerney's intent (or lack thereof) in the murder, which appears to have worked.

The defense spent a large portion of the proceedings painting Lawrence King as a sexual predator who harassed McInerney, casting doubt as to whether it was a crime of passion or premeditated murder.  McInerney was charged with first degree murder, implicit in which is premeditation.

Bloggers and pundits in the LGBT community are largely reacting with outrage.  Witness accounts clearly testified that McInerney had stated to classmates that he intended to kill King, supporting the position that crime was planned carefully beforehand.  The mistrial has raised one question: what the hell was the jury thinking?  From Bilerico:

My guess as to the likely reason that the jury could not reach a verdict is that there was disagreement as to whether McInerney acted in the "heat of passion." The other potential interpretations don't make any sense. The "heat of passion" defense, when the "passion" offered is that the victim was gay or transgender, is what we colloquially know as the "gay panic" defense, or "trans panic" defense. (Although there is some evidence that King was questioning his gender identity and even referred to himself by a female name at times, the crux of the defense is based on alleged sexual advances and McInerney's homophobia, and so I refer to the defense employed here as a "gay panic" defense rather than a "trans panic" defense.)

The charge against McInerney was first degree murder. The definition of first degree murder in California law is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought. "Malice aforethought" essentially means, in this context, that the defendant formed the intent to kill prior to the act that caused death. First degree murder is punishable by death (not applicable here due to McInerney's age), imprisonment in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole, or imprisonment in the state prison for a term of 25 years to life, depending on aggravating or mitigating circumstances. (If the crime was committed because of the actual or perceived sexual orientation of the victim, then the minimum punishment is life imprisonment without parole.)

So what's next for McInerney?  Either he faces a retrial or the prosecution may reach a plea deal with McInerney's defense team.  It's unclear what the next chapter in this years-long case will look like, but I can't help but be uneasy and wonder: will justice ever be served for Lawrence King?

DC: Police Inaction Could Lead To Firings In Lesbian-Bashing Case

Last week OAQ reported an incident in Washington DC in which officers in the DCPD ignored a gay-bashing incident and refused to file a report regarding the slurs and attacks on a group of lesbians in the Columbia Heights area.  After the incident was brought to the attention of the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, a report has since been filed and an investigation begun into the actions of the seven officers that responded at the scene.

DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier

It's clear that some measure of lazy policing had taken place in the incident, and department spokespeople are warning that it could have dire consequences, to include termination, for the officers involved.  This response is largely at the prompting of the organization Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, headed by AJ Singletary.

"'I was appalled when I heard about the incident and the conduct of the officers,' [DC Police Chief] Lanier said in a statement she released on Aug. 5. 'Obviously, this is not the kind of service that the Metropolitan Police Department provides,' she said. 'I have spoken with victims in this case and I want to assure them and the public that the incident and the conduct of the officers are being investigated thoroughly.'

"Singletary said that while GLOV officials don’t dispute Lanier’s characterization of the officers’ conduct as lazy policing, he and former GLOV Chair Chris Farris asked Lanier to look into whether anti-gay sentiment on the part of the officers played a role in the case.

"Singletary said Lanier also told GLOV officials at the Aug. 4 meeting that police were close to obtaining warrants for the arrest of the two suspects and that arrests would be made possibly within days."

I'll be watching the story with interest.  Washington DC is one of the gayest cities in the world, and the idea that some of their police officers might be engaging in anti-gay sentiment is not only surprising, but exceedingly abhorrent.

DC Police Refuse To Report Anti-Gay Attack On 5 Lesbians

The Washington Blade reports an anti-gay assault that took place outside the Columbia Heights Metro station at 3 AM on July 30th.  The incident started when two men flirted with one of a group of five women, who turned him down and indicated she was with her girlfriend.  At that point, the man began screaming about "dyke bitches" and physically attacked them while a third videotaped the encounter.

The police were called and they responded, restraining the man but outrageously letting him go.  When the women requested to file a report, the officers on scene refused to hear their story and left the incident un-addressed.

"According to Morse and the other victim, six or seven officers arrived on the scene in four police cars after responding to an apparent 911 call from a bystander. The two women said the officers, who are assigned to the Third District police station, refused to take a report of the incident, ignoring the women’s repeated requests to make a report.

"'The police grabbed one of the attackers and restrained him,' Morse told the Blade. 'Then they let him go. And then they said they didn’t want to hear our stories.'

"An officer assigned to the D.C. police Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit did make a report of the incident three days later, on Aug. 2. Morse said the GLLU became involved after her mother called police to complain about the refusal of the officers on the scene to report the attack.

"The GLLU report lists the incident as an anti-gay hate crime."

The DC GLLU is the first unit of its kind in the United States, and you would think in our nation's capital situations like this would be addressed promptly and appropriately.

Catholic Anti-Pedophilia Tsar Caught With Reams Of Child Pornography

This is both terrifying and disgusting.

Christopher Jarvis, father of four and former social worker, has been employed by the Diocese of Plymouth for the past nine years.  He has been tasked with monitoring church groups in order to ensure that sex offenders did not gain access to children through church functions.  Imagine his community's shock when, in March, he was discovered with over 4000 images of children being sexually abused on his home computer and work laptop.

"He admitted 12 counts of making, ­possessing and distributing indecent ­images when he appeared before ­magistrates in Plymouth and is likely to face jail when he returns to court for sentencing next month

"Jarvis, who has been sacked from his job as child safeguarding ­officer, worked the Diocese of ­Plymouth for nine years.

"Church spokesman ­David Pond said: 'Mr Jarvis was suspended from his position as soon as the diocese became aware in March of the police investigation.'"

This is shocking and dismaying.  One wonders how this kind of oversight could have put this man in his position?

Trial Watch: Prosecutor Asks Jury To Disregard King's Orientation

As previously reported, the defense for Brandon McInerney is attempting to paint the defendant as a victim of sexual harassment on the part of the slain Lawrence King.  Broadly referred to as the "gay panic" defense, McInerney's lawyers are hoping to downgrade his charge to voluntary manslaughter with the excuse that shooting King was a crime of passion perpetrated by a humiliated and harassed teenager.

I personally find that defense disgusting.  Just because I hit on a straight man is no reason to end my life.

The prosecution is attempting to use laws enacted since the murder of Gwen Araujo, in which her killers won a mistrial after the panic defense was used.  The statutes prevent the gay panic defense from being used.

"Ventura County Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Maeve Fox this week said she would invoke the Araujo law when the case is sent to the jury, asking that the panel of nine women and three men be instructed not to let biases toward the victim's sexual identity influence their deliberations.

"Legislators and advocacy groups that pushed hard to see the law passed say they are gratified to see the jury instruction invoked.

"'We can't restrict the free speech rights of the defense and the ability of a defendant to mount their defense,' said Sally Lieber, the former assemblywoman who wrote the Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act. 'But the judge should instruct juries that a person's gender or sexual ID is not an invitation to assault or murder.'

I hope this gross defense falls flat.

Trial Watch: King, McInerney's Teacher Testifies

The trial of Lawrence King's murderer, Brandon McInerney, continued today with testimony offered from the teacher that witnessed the shooting.  In fact, Dawn Boldrin appears to be shaping up to be a key witness.

She further illustrated the differing personalities of the two students, giving insight into who they were at the time of the shooting (and in Larry's case, at the end of his life).  She professed to have warm feelings for both the students, and even smiled at McInerney when she entered the courtroom.

She was quick to assert that McInerney was a good student who didn't cause trouble, stating that although he had once made a white-power statement in the classroom, he wasn't necessarily racist and spent most of his time with minority students.  This echoes testimony given by students last week.

However, she didn't appear to take sides in the conflict between the two students, as she also told the courtroom that she and her daughter gave Larry a dress to wear for homecoming in addition to nail polish and a leopard print gift bag.  While she cautioned King (just minutes before the fatal shooting) to be careful about being "pushy" about his orientation, she supported his right to be who he wanted to be.

From the Advocate:

"'I also told him he needed to respect others as much as he wanted their respect for being gay,' Boldrin said of making public his growing gay identity. 'Your classmates are young and this is hard on them and you maybe need to not be so pushy with it.'

"As far as encouraging King’s growing interest in female attire by providing him with dresses and makeup, she said on Monday that she didn’t feel she was crossing a line, since he had started wearing make-up and high heels before the gifts were given.

"'It seemed like the foster care he was in was not condoning it per se but at least allowing him to finally do what he wanted to do instead of fighting him on it,' Boldrin said, obliquely referring to strife between King and his adopted family. At the time of his death, King was living at a center for abused, neglected, and severely emotionally disturbed children."

She had some harsh words for the the officials at E.O. Brown, the Oxnard County school where the shooting took place, stating that they've done nothing to prevent further violence in the classroom.  She no longer works there, and said "I wouldn't want to go back to the school where they treat students and me like that."

I will be having continued daily updates on the trial.  View previous posts:

[Opening Statements]
[Prosecution Details King's Injuries]

Religious Cult Leader Faces Death Penalty For Murdering Two, One Due To Suspected Homosexuality

Peter Lucas Moses, 27, of Durham, NC faces two charges of murder stemming from his time leading a cult.  One, a woman, was allegedly killed in retaliation for leaving their group marriage.  Even sadder, the other death was a four year old boy that Moses suspected might be gay.

The cases came to the attention of the police when a woman escaped the house where the organization lived, to include Moses, four other women, and eight foster children.  The women were considered to be in a marriage-type situation and called Moses "Lord."

The victims: Jadon Higganbothan and Antoinetta Yvonne McKoy.

"Sometime in October 2010, Smith told Moses that Jadon had hit another child's bottom, and Moses became angry and started walking around the house with a gun that belonged to Sisk, prosecutors said.

"'He starts screaming, "I told you to get rid of him!"' and told Sisk, "How am I going to do this?"' Cline recalled the witness' account.

"Moses ordered two of the women to set up computers and speakers in the garage, prosecutors said they were told by the witness. They said he started playing music with the Lord's Prayer in Hebrew, took Jadon in the garage and shut the door, and the women then heard a gunshot."

This is depraved.  I normally shy away from knocking religion-- I'm religious myself-- but this illustrates perfectly how religion can be abused to exploit, oppress, and harm people.

Trial Watch: Students Testify About Shooting

Today was an emotional day in the courtroom of the Brandon McInerney murder/hate crime trial, with the prosecution calling witnesses to the stand to describe the actual shooting of Lawrence King.

While no motive was given for the shooting during testimony, one female student wept and clung to her mother's hand while describing the scene.

Today's actions were fairly cut-and-dry, with a small twist that might damage the prosecution's case that McInerney was a white supremacist.  The cross-examination for the defense revealed an interesting fact: even though materials on Nazi philosophy were found amongst McInerney's belongings, student witnesses mentioned that the defendant mostly hung out with black student athletes.

Will this actually damage the proposition that he had white supremacist leanings?  I don't know.  I think it's plausible, however, for a young man of his confused background to justify espousing such philosophy while maintaining relationships with minorities.  After all, isn't it a favored meme with religious conservatives to spout, "Some of my best friends are gay!  However, they're still sick, diseased, evil, sinning human beings who should have their rights taken away."

Trial Watch: Prosecution Details King's Injuries, Defense Makes A Big Deal About Nail Polish

The prosecution brought the medical examiner in the Brandon McInerney/Lawrence King murder case to the stand today to detail the injuries received when McInerney shot him in the head.  Although he could not verify which of the two gunshot wounds came first, he was able to determine that the attacker stood at least a foot and a half away from the victim, since there was no gunpowder on the wounds.

"Oxnard student Larry King died from two gunshots to the back of his head, although a Ventura County medical examiner Wednesday morning could not say which shot came first.

"As a second day of testimony got underway in the trial of King's classmate, Brandon McInerney, Chief Examiner Ronald O’Halloran demonstrated to jurors how the bullets penetrated King's skull and entered the back of his head."

The defense made a special point during their cross-examination to make sure the examiner testified that King was wearing finger/toenail polish and had a small moustache.  I have to wonder, is this going to be part of their plan to paint King as the aggressor?  Do they really think they're going to convince anyone that because a teen boy paints his nails he is a sexual predator?  

Orlando Activists Shrug Off Arrests, Continue Feeding Homeless

Food Not Bombs continues to do amazing work in Orlando despite having been arrested some weeks ago for distributing food to people without a permit, as they fed about 100 people at City Hall on the Fourth of July.  Their usual site and location of their arrests is Lake Eola, which they avoided on Independence Day to spare the homeless that come for food the throngs that gather there on the Fourth.

Their arrest has raised the ire of some high profile groups, with famed online hacktivism group Anonymous targeting Orlando tourism sites.  Food Not Bombs moved their operation to the City Hall at the invitation of the Mayor.

"'What happened was, Mayor [Buddy] Dyer was quoted as saying that he offered to let Food Not Bombs gather at City Hall any time they like, and he'd donate some of the peppers he grows on his mayoral balcony to the chili pot,' Markeson said. 'So, we wanted to see if he would live up to his word.'

"Markeson added that while mayor did not make an appearance on Monday, they were not harassed by police and 'at least 100' people turned out for oatmeal, grits, pancakes, potatoes, bread and coffee.

"He also said that City Hall had not been used in the past because it lacks easy access to basic sanitation facilities, unlike the public park which has running water outdoors."

However, the organization has vowed to not be deterred with the draconian arrests of their organizers, promising to return to their Lake Eola venue.  They are urging attendees to bring cameras in case someone tries to arrest them.

Trial Watch: Opening Statements

The McInerney trial's opening statements were delivered today, with some very differing opinions offered by the defense and prosecution.

The defense was quick to paint Larry King as a sexual predator and oppressor, with McInerney turning to the only possible solution to ending a tragic school-time victimization: shooting his tormentor. 

 

"McInerney’s lawyer, Scott Wippert, argued that King -- and not his client -- was the aggressor. He said King targeted McInerney for sexual harassment, making flirtatious remarks, and had humiliated him.

"King was encouraged in his effeminate behavior and dress by school administrators who said he was within his rights to dress that way, Wippert said.

For his part, McInerney was 'a confused, emotionally torn 14-year-old from a violent home who saw no other way out than to shoot Larry,' Wippert said. 'It was a heat-of-the-moment decision.'"

This story casting King in the role of the bully has serious problems, with the defense outlining upcoming testimony from fellow students indicating that the defendant was overheard giving threats to shoot King the day before.

"King was bullied by McInerney and other boys at the school, Deputy Dist. Atty. Maeve Fox said in her opening statement in the trial, which is being conducted at a courthouse in Chatsworth. But shortly before his death, King had begun wearing high heels, makeup and earrings to school and had become more confident in himself, she said.

"'Larry King for the first time in his life wasn’t taking it anymore,” Fox said. 'And he started to give people what I prefer to call the proverbial chin. Only it was more profane. The proverbial "f ... you."'

"The day before King was shot, the two boys had been bickering in a eighth-grade science class, she said. When King got up to get a drink of water, 'Brandon said "I am going to shoot him." And this is what a student will testify to.'"

McInerney's older brother has been banned from the proceedings, as before the trial he waited outside the courtroom and told jury members "My brother's life is in your hands." The judge declared it inappropriate and insisted the man, James Bing, stay out of the courtroom unless called to witness.

Unfortunately, this trial seems doomed to become a circus, with antics from the defense and McInerney's family aimed at smearing a dead 14-year-old's name.  More updates as the trial continues this week.

This Old Thing? Why, It's Just The Gay Panic Defense!

The trial of Brandon McInerney begins this week more than 3 years after the brutal shooting that cost fellow classmate Larry King's life.  The high-profile case which sparked outrage nationwide (and prompted Ellen to make a tearful plea for sanity on her show) has been in legal hell in the intervening time, leaving some to wonder if Larry King's murderer would ever really come to justice.

His defense team hopes not, deciding to pull out the tried-and-true "gay panic" defense, trying for a downgrade to voluntary manslaughter.  The "gay panic" essentially says that a criminal can't entirely be blamed for their insane actions; being hit on by a gay person can be so offensive that it might be understandable why someone would shoot their admirer.  The LA Times:

"McInerney's lawyers, Scott Wippert and Robyn Bramson, say their client doesn't deny the killing. But they argue it was voluntary manslaughter because the adolescent was provoked by King's repeated sexual advances.

"Fellow students say the two had clashed for days over King's expressing his attraction to McInerney. King, who was living in a children's shelter because of problems at home, had recently gone to school wearing eye makeup and women's accessories.

"McInerney was humiliated by King's advances, his attorneys said. He came from a violent home and decided to end his misery in a way that made sense to him — with a gun. He shot King 'in the heat of passion caused by the intense emotional state between these two boys at school,' Bramson said last week outside the courthouse, where jury selection was underway."

It was okay, because Larry was totally a sexual predator.

Supposedly, this disgusting attempt to excuse the murder of a young boy is going to involve painting King's advances as predatory.  I cannot believe that this ridiculous defense is still in use.  The idea that someone can explain away committing murder by saying "he's gay and he hit on me!" is outrageous.  

Gay Soldiers Attacked In Colorado

Two soldiers' Fourth of July won't be nearly as celebratory as the rest of us, as they are recovering from injuries suffered on Saturday night from an anti-gay, slur-filled assault that took place in the wee hours of the morning.

The two men, who chose to be identified as John and Ted (DADT still exists, people), had spent an evening in a local gay bar with a friend of theirs who was go-go dancing.  After the dancer's shift ended, they made an early morning run to local business Albert Taco, where they were accosted by a group of people who first insulted the go-go dancer's attire and then physically assaulted the whole group.

John's statement to the local ABC News affiliate tells an unhappy story:


"'A lot of racial slurs,' John told KRDO. 'A lot of hatred slurs towards like homosexuals.'

"The men said it quickly escalated to physical violence.

"'I ended up getting kicked in the head and in the ribs several times,' John said. 'I have six bruised ribs. And my right eye was completely swollen shut for about nine or 10 hours.'"

The suspects are described as five black males and two black females.  When the suspects are apprehended, the Colorado Springs Police Department plan to level hate-crimes charges against the group.

Idiot "Law Enforcement Officer" To Parade Female Chain Gang At Basketball Game

Joe Arpaio likes to be called "America's toughest sheriff."  His latest stunt, a clear abuse of the power granted him by Arizona voters, has instead led me to dub him "Big Fat Fucking Moron."

Via the Phoenix New Times:

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio's publicity stunt of choice for All-Star weekend: a female chain gang that probably will make a stop at Chase Field to pick up garbage as the national sporting press tries to cover a baseball game.

"We spoke briefly to MCSO Lieutenant Justin Griffin this afternoon. As the former head of Arpaio's chain-gang unit, he says he can't reveal where the chain gang will go because if people knew, they could stash contraband in the area for inmates to retrieve. He says that sort of thing's been a problem in the past."

Arpaio is no stranger to bad publicity over his stunts, as he has developed a reputation as a showboat official with a fondness for outraging just about everyone for his policies against undocumented workers and women in his care, in some cases refusing to feed them enough food.  This new stunt is just one more misogynist notch in his belt.

Jezebel notes, however, that Crazy Joe's "tough" (I say cruel) policies aren't effective, as violent crime in his county has risen 69% under his watch, with a whopping 116% increase in homicides.  Stop trying to get yourself on television, Arpaio, and do your fucking job.

Man Robs Bank In Order To Gain Access To Health Care

This gave me goosebumps.

James Verone, a 59-year old man with a depleted savings account and no job, walked into a Gaston County, North Carolina bank and delivered a note to the teller demanding money.  He had no gun, but the teller handed over the requested amount and called the police.  Strangely, Verone then took the money, sat down in a chair and waited for the police to arrive.

They arrested him, and listened to a sad story unfold.  For you see, Verone didn't have a gun on him, didn't attack anyone and demanded only a very small sum of money.  That sum?  One dollar.

Why the hell would he only rob a bank for $1?

Very simple.  Verone has a growth on his chest, two ruptured disks, and a problem with his left foot.  Prison, he reasoned, has good health care and he had no other options.  So he robbed a bank for $1, and is now hoping for a three-year sentence in order to get the care that he needs.


What.  The.  Hell.  How is it that now we have seniors robbing banks just to get the health care that they need?  This is what they're left with doing?  Thanks a lot, Congress, for ruling out the public option.

Michigan Court: "Gay Panic" Defense Unusable

Some sensibility came out of Michigan today with the appeals court ruling that the "gay panic" defense was no longer applicable in hate crime cases (PDF).

The term "gay panic" has come to be used in cases where someone violently assaults a gay person after that gay person has come onto them.  The case related to this ruling involved an attacker coming home with a gay man and then violently choking him near to death.

"This case arises from the beating of Ryan Young. In the early morning hours of June 11, 2009, Young was celebrating his birthday with friends at a local bar. Defendant was also at the bar. Young did not know defendant, but defendant joined Young and his friends at their table and defendant and Young talked and became acquainted. At about 3:30 a.m., Young and defendant were dropped off at Young's apartment. Young testified that he went into his bedroom to change and asked defendant: 'did you want to do anything or did you just want to go to bed,' to which defendant responded: 'yeah, I'm going to do something you fucking faggot.'"

The gay panic defense has been used uncounted times in order to get shitbag homophobes off the hook for committing violent crimes against gay people for years.  I'm glad to see the criminal justice system is starting to realize that me hitting on a straight person isn't an excuse for me get beaten or killed.

GA Sheriff Takes Lesbian Drug Offender To Ex-Gay Camp

In a shocking tale of illegal kidnapping and imprisonment, one Georgia lesbian alleges the local sheriff disobeyed a court order and chose to deliver her to an ex-gay reparative therapy program instead of the drug treatment she was supposed to complete.

Amanda Booker, a drug offender, was supposed to complete a court-ordered course of drug treatment but instead was taken to a residential program for people trying to pray-the-gay away.  She is now suing the authorities involved, citing violations of her constitutional rights.

"Sheriff Milsap told the GA Voice he had not seen the lawsuit and laughed at the allegations that were in it.

"'I haven’t been served. But, no ma’am, that is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my life,' Milsap said, chuckling before adding he had no comment.

"County Commissioner Clarence Brown also declined comment on the suit because he said he had not seen it. Bartow County attorney Boyd Petit said his office received a notice in November of a possible lawsuit being filed, but that he had not seen a copy of the suit and also could not comment."

If this is true it is a disgusting perversion of the office given these law enforcement officers.  

[GA Voice]