Fallout: A Minister's Story Of Police Brutality

In the last video video I posted on OAQ, if you watch carefully you can see a minister being knocked to the ground by police. Now Rev. John Helmiere alleges that the incident was a clear case of police brutality:

Yesterday evening, I was brutally beaten by my brothers on the Seattle Police force as I stood before an entrance to Pier 18 of the Seattle Port in my clergy garb bellowing, “Keep the Peace! Keep the Peace!” An officer pulled me down from behind and threw me to the asphalt. Between my cries of pain and shouts of “I’m a man of peace!” he pressed a knee to my spine and immobilized my arms behind my back, crushing me against the ground. With the right side of my face pressed to the street, he repeatedly punched the left side of my face for long enough that I had time to pray that the crunching sounds I heard were not damaging my brain. I was cuffed and pulled off the ground by a different officer who seemed genuinely appalled when he saw my face and clerical collar. He asked who I was and why I was here, to which I replied, “I’m a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I believe another world is possible.” He led me shaking to a police van where began a 12-hour journey of incarcerated misery.

Click here to get his full account.

Tragedy: Man Dies Waiting For Marriage Equality

The one thing Ed Watson wanted to do was marry his partner, Derence Kernek, before he died. Unfortunately, due to the machinations of anti-gay groups that mired California in the legal nightmare that is Proposition 8, he was unable to fulfill his dream and passed away Wednesday. In a sad ironic twist, he died the day before hearings on the controversial "Prop H8" began.

Gay rights activists lamented Watson's death as a reminder of the harm inflicted on same-sex couples throughout the state because they are denied the right to marry. 

"It's ironic that he died on the eve of appeals about peripheral issues around a case that should have been settled more than a year ago," said Richard Jacobs, chairman and founder of the gay rights advocacy group Courage Campaign, as he was en route to San Francisco for a hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "None of this will matter to Ed or Derence." 

U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled on Aug. 4, 2010, that Proposition 8 violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians to due process and equal protection under the law. Sponsors of the initiative passed by 52% of Californians who voted in November 2008 have appealed Walker's ruling and won a suspension of it pending the 9th Circuit's ruling.

This is sad. How many more LGBTs have to die disappointed before people just admit, like Hillary Clinton did before the UN, that gay rights are human rights?

The Most Heartbreaking Thing I Will Ever Show You

If you're not sold yet on anti-bullying legislation, you need to watch this.

Confirmed: Jennifer Fox Has Miscarried

About a week ago I broke the story that Jennifer Fox has alleged that she miscarried her child due to an attack she sustained by police on November 15th, the same night that Dorli Rainey suffered the indiscriminate pepper-spraying on Occupy Seattle's peaceful protest.

Since my initial report, numerous news outlets, to include the Stranger's online blog, have cast doubts on Jennifer's story.  She is a homeless youth, and many have used past incidents in her troubled history to indicate that she has not told the truth regarding her assault and the ensuing loss of her child.  Pair that past with her inability to provide medical records proving her assertion, and an unclear picture of her credibility has cast doubts on her story.

Since I released her initial account, a story which has now gotten international attention, I have cautioned Jennifer on multiple occasions that she has no obligation to show her medical records to anyone.  Keep in mind that, should her assertion prove true, she is in a time of both physical and emotional stress.  Issues related to reproductive health are very sensitive, and if Jennifer feels she does not want to share private information, she frankly does not have to.  Her case, ultimately, will be decided by a judge, not the Stranger, and not the public.


However, she was eager to confirm her story to me and obtained her discharge summary for my review.  After I once again reminded her that she was under no obligation to show me details of her physical well-being, she disclosed the document to me.

The paperwork she showed me was not a complete medical record.  It was a discharge summary, and it confirmed two facts to me: that she was seen at Harborview after November 15th and that she has indeed suffered what is called a retained miscarriage, meaning that the fetus has yet to be dispelled.  She will be seeking further medical treatment in order to facilitate removal of the fetus from her body.

The discharge summary, however, does not mention the reason for her miscarriage nor the time of death of the fetus.  Frankly, I don't know if that is determinable.

A lot of people have asked me if I believe her story, and now I can say for certain that I do believe two essential key points in her story.  One, she was assaulted by police.  She knows too many details and facts that can be corroborated and has given a statement to the Office of Professional Accountability regarding the incident.  Two, I definitely now have confirmed that she has miscarried since the incident.

While I cannot say for certain that the assault and her miscarriage are related, it is very likely, in my mind, that injuries sustained the night of the 15th could very well cause this tragedy in her life.  In early pregnancy it is extremely believable that a kick and strike from a bicycle to the abdomen could result in the death of a baby.

In the end, we must realize that this story hasn't ended.  There are still facts that need to be confirmed, and we may have to wait until civil litigation is completed before we know those facts.  Fox, on the advice of her lawyer, has stated to me that she does not intend to show her medical information to the press at large.  However, she asked me to report my findings as generated by the discharge summary.  More updates as they come, and as Jennifer and her lawyer decide the best course of action in the development of this controversial and tragic case.

How Troy Davis Changed My Mind

I have long hemmed and hawed over the death penalty.  Everyone who reads this blog knows that I am, without a doubt, one of the most liberal people you could possibly know.  I support a woman's right to choose in regards to both abortion and her right to dress anyway she wants without fear of rape, I support full equality for LGBT citizens, and I stand firm in the idea that America became great because of immigrants and will continue to become great by allowing foreign nationals to become Americans.  I think unions are the backbone of our workforce, and I think social programs are necessary for the continued functioning of a free society.

The death penalty, however, is something I've never really decided on.  It seemed to be a big black mark on my progressive "resume."  You see, I have long felt that there are people who just deserved to die.

It is true that there are people who commit despicable, heinous crimes.  Many of these criminals most likely had nothing left to contribute to society aside from lasting harm, death, and horror.  The death penalty, I thought, provides a solution to the Jeffrey Dahmers, Charles Mansons, and John Wayne Gacys of the world.  These people were irredeemable and seemed not only a drain on our nation's resources, but a genuine danger to its citizenry.  Should they not be put to death?

Troy Davis changed that for me.

If you haven't heard of Troy Davis by now, you likely live under a rock.  His story, marked with tragedy and heartbreak, is a long one I won't repeat in full here, save for some few salient points.

He was first arrested in 1989 for the shooting of an off-duty police officer, Mark MacPhail, in the idyllic city of Savannah, Georgia.  He was given what many called a fair trial, though it seemed marked by inconsistencies.  Evidence was barred due to alleged police brutality in its gathering, conflicting testimony was given, and a lack of murder weapon seemed to throw the proceedings into doubt.  However, it took a jury of his peers only two hours to decide his guilt and an additional seven to sentence him to death.

He maintained his innocence the entire time.

His conviction started a long-drawn out saga that stretched decades.  He, of course, appealed his sentence numerous times on numerous terms.  All of his appeals were denied, and he was scheduled for death.

His first execution date was set for July of 2007.  At the last minute, a stay of execution was ordered, as there had been several key witnesses who recanted their testimony, stating that they did not believe Davis committed the crime for which he was convicted.  All of these recantations and considerations were discarded, clemency was denied by the state of Georgia, and Troy Davis was scheduled to be executed in September of 2008.  Once again, just two hours before he was due to be put to death, a stay of execution was ordered in order to examine pertinent facts.

Those pertinent facts, however, weren't deemed pertinent enough, and his third execution date was for October 2008.  Once again death was averted, as his lawyers won a third stay in order to examine further documents proving his innocence.  The evidence was barred, as the judge ruled that recantations that late in the game were highly suspicious.


And so on and so on.  For years Davis was brought to the brink of death and snatched back, a traumatic process that many exclaimed was cruel and unusual.  The case went to the Supreme Court and back, with Justices Scalia and Thomas declaring that Davis' claim of innocence was "a sure loser."  The court case dragged on and on, with the defense repeatedly attempting to have evidence examined that could exonerate Davis and the State dismissing it out of hand.

He maintained his innocence the entire time.

His fourth execution date was September 21st, 2011.  He once again sought clemency and was denied.  He once again waited to die.  The White House refused to intervene and he filed a petition for the US Supreme Court to hear his case.  This gave him scant few extra hours as his execution on the 21st was delayed, waiting to hear whether the highest court in the land would deign to sit for the case.

It refused.  At 11:08 on September 21st, Troy Davis was put to death.  Witnesses to his execution reported that his last words were simple appeals maintaining his innocence, one last time.  He then prayed to God that He would bless his executioners.  He was injected with a fatal dose of drugs, he yawned, and then he died.

Troy Davis has changed my mind.  This is... more than a disappointment in our judicial system.  It is a genuine, tragic, and murderous failure of Justice.  It is one of the cornerstone tenets of our court system that we cannot put a man to death unless we are sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is guilty.  His guilt, while asserted as fact by that first jury, countless judges, and the Chatham County prosecutor, was called into question dozens of times in the last twenty years.

He maintained his innocence to the last, and the evidence piled up, sky-high, indicating that he actually might be.  It was disregarded and he was executed, and I have unease.  I believe we may have executed an innocent man.  That is unacceptable.

How is it that his evidence, over and over again, was discarded as irrelevant?  I can't help but think that the people who put him to death through their refusal to hear his story are now guilty of the worst sort of callousness.  Perhaps, after so many stays and so many delays, they just looked at this human being and said "Oh, kill him already.  He's wasting our time."

Is this bloodlust?  Or just a lack of concern for the life of one man?

That is why I now can firmly say that I am against the death penalty.  Do I think some people deserve to die?  Yes.  I do.  I think some people's crimes are heinous enough that they should no longer be on planet Earth.  Do I think our system is perfect enough to judge whether or not a person should die?  No.  No way.  Clearly, miscarriages of justice can and will occur.  Our methods of prosecuting criminals are imperfect, and when the lives of men and women are at stake we cannot use imperfect means to consider their deaths.

Troy Davis maintained his innocence to his last minutes, and we didn't listen.  He asked God to forgive us that sin, but we are as yet unabsolved.  The only way that we, as a society, can excise this stain on our collective conscience is to ensure that this does not happen again.  In order to safeguard the lives of the innocent, we must cease to slay the guilty, or Troy Davis' last words, asking God to bless us, his executioners, may fall on deaf ears.

Ron "Let The Uninsured Die" Paul's 2008 Campaign Strategist Died Uninsured. Also, Here's A Drunk Guy.

Wolf Blitzer's cornering of Ron Paul on the rights of Americans in regards to health care has now become legendary: he asked, and Ron seemed to agree, whether society should let uninsured sick people just die.  While Ron's position on the matter seemed shocking, what was even more sickening and disappointing was the audience, who shouted "Yes!" and burst into applause.

The incident has had repercussions through the GOP, with a Huntsman staffer exclaiming that the incident made her "sick and sad" for the Republican Party, while Rick Perry admitted himself, after being raked over the coals for a few of his more liberal policies, that he was "taken aback" by the crowd's reaction.  

Ron Paul, who is a medical doctor, took what many feel is a callous stance, stating that it would be up to churches and charities to take care of people who don't have the appropriate insurance to deal with a life threatening illness.  Before he said that, unfortunately, he should have thought back to his own past, when his campaign chairman-- his uninsured campaign chairman-- died of pneumonia complications.  Because he was uninsured, Kent Snyder (who is widely credited with being the man who pushed Ron Paul to run in the first place), left his mother a whopping $400,000 medical bill, leading some to express shock that the campaign didn't have a health plan.

“I can’t believe he didn’t have health insurance,” said one political activist who read about Snyder’s unpaid medical bills in a story published last month in the Wall Street Journal. “I can’t believe that Ron Paul didn’t give him health insurance,” said the activist, who asked not to be identified.

As far as we know, charities have only covered a fraction of the cost of Snyder's hospitalization and subsequent death, leaving the rest to the responsibility of his family.

At least we can say he is consistent, as he didn't lift a finger to financially help the Snyder family.  However, one wonders-- if he's such a fan of private insurance companies, why didn't he have a private health plan for his campaign employees?

In much lighter Ron Paul news, this Paulitician was arrested for drunk driving and spent the whole time shouting "Ron Paul 2012 First Amendment!"  You have to give him this: he knows how to keep idiots on-message.

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.

What In Trans Hell Is Going On In Washington DC?

Since July, a rash of armed attacks has broken out in our nation's capital, with the third shooting of a transgender person taking place this morning at 2AM, resulting in serious injuries and a hospitalization for the victim.  From the Washington Post:

Police are investigating the shooting of a transgender person early Monday morning in Southeast D.C. 

The shooting took place just before 2 a.m. in the 2300 block of Savannah Street SE, police said. The attack appears to be non-fatal; the victim was conscious when transported to the hospital.

This appears to be the only information released thus far about the victim, with neither the name of the individual nor his or her gender stated in any articles I've seen.

This could perhaps signify a disturbing trend in DC for violence against trans residents of the District, with two shootings, one fatal and one not, popping up just 11 days and 1 block apart from each other in July:

On July 20, 23-year-old Myles Mclean was shot about 4:30 a.m. in the 6110 block of Dix Street. Police said two men approached Mclean and one asked a question. Then, before waiting for an answer, one of the men pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and opened fire. Mclean, who was also known by friends as Lashay, was killed. 

On July 31, at about 2:45 a.m., a man approached a transgender person in the same neighborhood, asked for change and pulled a semiautomatic handgun without waiting for a response.

Please note that Myles Mclean was Lashay's birth name, which clearly indicates the Post needs to revise their policy in reporting on trans issues.  Regardless, police and LGBT residents are wondering if these attacks are related, with another story of anti-trans violence surfacing in an August incident where an off-duty police officer assaulted and fired on transwomen:

In addition, an off-duty D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer has been arrested for an Aug. 29 incident in which he got into an argument with a group that included two trans woman. He later stood on the hood of the group’s car and fired multiple times through the windshiled. One man in the car — said to be the brother of one of the trans women — was injured in the attack. 

The officer, 20-year veteran Kenneth Furr, is alleged to have been drunk at the time of the attack, and trans advocates who spoke to the victims said the argument started when Furr propositioned one of the trans women and then got angry when she turned him down.

While the officer's misconduct appears to be unrelated to the other attacks on trans people in DC, now is certainly a scary time to be trans in the District.  Be safe, friends, especially after dark.

Sally Kern: Gays Are Worse Than Terrorists

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is tomorrow, meaning the usual jokers are taking the opportunity to amp up the crazy in the usual hateful rhetoric and feverish claims about terrorism.

While 9/11 is typically the time for right-wing nutjobs to claim that Sharia law is taking over American government and advocate for the senseless slaughter of Muslims, Sally Kern has instead decided to use what has become a sacred day of remembrance for many Americans to bash LGBT Americans.  In a radio interview with Peter LeBarbara (the head of the SPLC certified hate group Americans for Truth About Homosexuality), Kern claimed that gays are far worse than terrorists by comparison.  Why?  HIV:

You know if you just look at it in practical terms, which has destroyed and ended the life of more people? Terrorism attack here in America or HIV/​AIDS? In the last twenty years, fifteen to twenty years, we’ve had maybe three terrorist attacks on our soil with a little over 5,000 people regrettably losing their lives. In the same time frame, there have been hundreds of thousands who have died because of having AIDS. So which one’s the biggest threat? And you know, every day our young people, adults too, but especially our young people, are bombarded at school, in movies, in music, on TV, in the mall, in magazines, they’re bombarded with ‘homosexuality is normal and natural.’ It’s something they have to deal with every day. Fortunately we don’t have to deal with a terrorist attack every day, and that’s what I mean.
…
It’s more dangerous, and yes I think that it’s also more dangerous because it will tear down the moral fiber of this nation. We were founded as a nation upon the principles of religion and morality, if we take those out from under our society we will lose what has made us a great nation, we will no longer be a virtuous people, which we see happening already. And without virtue this nation will not survive.

Of course, terrorists choose to kill and maim, while gay folk do not choose to "murder" people with HIV, so her statement is not only guilty of the worst sort of propagandist assertions, but is entirely nonsensical to the topic at hand.   Sadly, we've come to expect this level of crazy from Kern, who in 2009 created and signed the "Proclamation for Morality," a document that blames all the economic ills on our country not on Wall Street, but instead consensual relationships between gay adults. 

I found this story on Facebook, ironically right next to another 9/11 story.  The story of Mark Bingham is a sad one, but tells of an American hero who intervened in on flight United 93 on that day, preventing possibly thousands of more deaths by storming the cockpit with other passengers and crashing the plane which had been intended to strike yet another target.  Mark Bingham was gay.  Was he worse than a terrorist? 

Or what about FDNY chaplain Mychal Judge, who died while giving last rites to a firefighter during the fall of the Twin Towers?  He was the first recorded victim of 9/11 and was gay.  Is he worse than a terrorist?

Dear Sally: I know you are really trying to drum up publicity for your new book about the horrible liberals who victimize you, "The Stoning of Sally Kern," but if you really gave a shit about what happened 10 years ago, you would stop slandering the good names of these and other American heroes who were, incidentally, gay.  While they are dead and probably don't care, you dishonor the memories others have on them and worse?  You dishonor yourself with such despicable rhetoric. 

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?

Will The Obama Administration's New Stance On Deportations Save This Couple?

Brian Andersen and his Indonesian husband Anton Tanumihardja may have the singular distinction of being the first couple to test the Obama administration's "kinder, gentler" stance on deporting non-criminal immigrants.

A legally married couple that now lives in Philadelphia, Anton and Brian are anxiously awaiting word from the ICE that could spell disaster or salvation for their marriage.  Anton does not have the proper documentation to stay in the United States, and under previous direction for Immigration was a candidate for deportation.  In fact, last February, he was three hours away from boarding a plane to Jakarta when an emergency appeal from politicians and advocacy groups stayed the decision to deport him.

Now the clock is ticking once more, as unless his case is dismissed, he will be due for deportation on October 7th.

From Stop the Deportations:

Unlike the two history-making cases (Henry & Josh, Doug & Alex) in which Stop The Deportations has won “administrative closure” this year, Anton’s case is significantly further along in the legal process. Anton has exhausted all his appeals and recently received a final denial of his last appeal. Because Anton has a “final order of removal” ICE has the power to put him on a plane and deport him at any time. 

Will ICE Deportations and Removals Officers apply the prosecutorial discretion guidelines to protect this married gay couple from being torn apart? As part of the Stop The Deportations campaign, Brian and Anton will use every day that remains to ensure that Anton is granted "deferred action" and to ensure that the Obama administration's commitment to same-sex binational couples facing deportation has tangible results.

Indonesia is a fairly conservative country with no protections for LGBT citizens.  It is very likely that were he to be deported, he wouldn't just face the heartbreak of separation from his husband, but also discrimination in his daily life.

Anton is not a criminal, and this makes him a prime example of the sort of individual who should be kept in his adopted country.  I pray that his family stays together.

OneAngryClotheshorse: Wesley Darling is mad at Zara - you should be too.

Hello lovers! Since Ian Awesome is in transition (and no, he's not becoming a woman) I thought I'd bring some serious fashion news to your attention. Spanish fast-fashion* chain Zara, makers of some of the most consistently cute (and relatively inexpensive) clothing known to bargain-hunters anywhere, have broken my heart a little bit.

According to Brazilian newspaper Reoporter Brasil, Zara has recently come under investigation for using a third-party supplier who contracts slave-like child labor to make their garments. Among their findings were reports of children as young as 14 and 15 working in unsanitary conditions for periods of 16 hours at a time, and being paid as little as 274-460 Brazilian Real a year (Between 175 and 285 USD).

This hearkens back to the dark days of the '90s, when everyone from Kathie Lee Gifford to The Gap was under investigation for using child labor. It was THE hot-button topic for some time, and while the media has not focused on this subject recently, clearly it is still a major problem. The rhetoric from retailers has always been "We had no idea our garments were produced this way," but isn't it the brand's responsibility to find out where their clothes are coming from?

The presence of suppliers like the one found in Brazil also bring up a serious question for the consumer - is that $12 top really too good to be true? Maybe doing a bit more research about where your super el-cheapo fashion finds were constructed would be helpful in discouraging further human rights violations. As yours truly puts it, "Perhaps my jeans WERE exorbitantly expensive, but they weren't made in a sweaty windowless box by children."

*Fast-fashion is a generic term for the inexpensively produced, trendy garments that are inspired by the most current runway looks. Usually shopping in these stores requires lots of screaming, grabbing, and occasionally fist-fighting with other savvy fashionistas, in order to secure the perfect outfit.

We Messed Up

One of my big stories from yesterday that outraged my readers was the unfortunate story of Christina Santiago, an lesbian advocate that died in the tragic collapse of a concert stage at the Indiana State Fair.  I initially didn't report on it, as I don't particularly care to politicize tragedy.

However, Bil Browning broke a story claiming that Christina's partner, Alisha Brannon, was being snubbed by the state and that she would not be able to receive her remains due to DOMA.  One of the other publications I write for, Queerty, picked it up as well, so I did.  After all, when Bil Browning and Daniel Villarreal say it's true, it must be, right?

Happily, no.  The state of Indiana isn't refusing to release Christina's remains to her partner, as it turns out.  Several of us were guilty of not fact-checking, and we ran a story that got a lot of people pissed off without any basis in fact whatsoever.  I'm sincerely sorry for the mistake.

The blogosphere can be viewed in two ways that basically equal the same thing: a cooperative group of citizen journalists who promote each other's stories or an incestuous group of sensationalists that will pick up big stories from another.  Either way, we flubbed on that one.  Bil has apologized and I find I must do so myself.  I pride myself on bringing you guys the news, and I'm heartbroken that I ran something that just wasn't true.

That said, I'm happy that the story turned out to be incorrect.  At least in one case, tragedy is not compounded by injustice, and I extend my condolences to Brannon and wish her a full recovery, as she is still in critical condition from injuries from the tragic event.  So, dear readers, put away the anger for now and join me in praying for her swift recovery.

Maine Marriage Equality Part Deux

One of the big shockers of the past decade in the struggle for LGBT equality in America was our defeat in a Maine referendum in 2009.  The Northeastern state had seemingly struck a victory for the good guys with a legislative bill legalizing same-sex marriage until NOM and friends intervened, successfully placing the bill on hold and then passing a voter-approved law banning gay nuptials.

Well, Mainers, get ready, because it's about to get rehashed again.

Today, same-sex marriage advocates in Maine announced that a citizen initiative campaign for a law allowing same-sex couples to marry cleared its first major hurdle with the Secretary of State’s approval of the language of the proposed statute. This allows campaign volunteers and supporters to begin collecting the signatures required to put “An Act to Allow Marriage Licenses for Same-Sex Couples and Protect Religious Freedom” on the November 2012 ballot.

“I’m grateful to Secretary of State Summers for promptly approving the language of the proposed law to let same-sex couples marry in Maine,” said Pastor Michael Gray of Old Orchard Beach United Methodist Church, one of six original signers of the initiative petition. “As campaign volunteers fan out across the state to collect signatures from their fellow Mainers I expect they will encounter thousands of willing signers who have changed their hearts and minds on marriage after getting to know their gay and lesbian neighbors, co-workers and community members – just as I have done.”

The Maine defeat was a crushing blow to equality, and many advocates are excited to see the referendum process start again.  In order to place the bill on the ballot, thousands of petition signatures are needed.  Then begins the grueling campaign to convince voters in 2012 to allow gays to marry.  However, with the passage of marriage equality in New York State, many are hopeful that Maine will signify a new victory in the countrywide fight to defeat bigotry and inequality.

Jesus, Barron. Really?

GOProud's own personal PR nightmare, President Chris Barron, struck again one Twitter yesterday as he took to the Interwebs to protest Michele Bachmann's linking to the teen suicide epidemic in her district.  Many of those suicides were gay or bullied on the perception of sexual orientation, and that has some concerned that Bachmann and her anti-gay allies in the area are fostering a climate of discrimination.

So the ever-thoughtful Barron made this unfortunate comparison in response, once again linking GOProud's name with the craziest person possible:

First, there's a big difference between gonorrhea and hanging yourself because you don't want to live, Chris.  Second?  Pelosi actually supports safe-sex initiatives.  She even paints it in terms that you might understand, saying that promoting contraception cuts on costs:   

"Well, the family planning services reduce cost. They reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."

Has Bachmann provided any examples of how she is defeating the problem of teen suicide in her district?

Lesbian Advocate Dies In Stage Collapse, DOMA Then Rears Its Ugly Head

UPDATE:  Turns out this story just isn't true.  Click on over to my retraction and apology.

This is a sick and sad illustration of why DOMA has to go.

The blogosphere has been in mourning for days at the news that LGBT advocate Christina Santiago, manager of programming for the Lesbian Community Care Project at Chicago's Howard Brown Health Center, died in the collapse of a stage at the Indiana State Fair during a storm.  A freak gust of wind toppled the stage while they were waiting for a Sugarland concert, killing five and injuring many others.

Santiago and her partner, Alisha Brennon, had chosen to take advantage of Cook County's legalization of civil unions and had a ceremony planned for September of 2012.  Unfortunately, Brennon, who was injured in the accident, is keenly feeling the lack of any legal rights in her relationship with Santiago, as the coroner's office is now refusing to release her remains to Brannon.  Why?

You've guessed it.  The Defense of Marriage Act.

The Marion County coroner's office is refusing to release Santiago's body to her partner; the office cited the Defense of Marriage Act as the reason why they've turned down Brennon's request to pick up her loved one's remains. DOMA allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. 

Indiana has its own version of DOMA that outlaws same-sex marriage. Since Indiana law requires the next-of-kin to pick up Santiago's body, but the state won't recognize Brennon as the surviving spouse, Santiago's body is still laying in the morgue awaiting a solution. Brennon, who is still hospitalized, is now working with Santiago's aunt to pick up the body and make funeral arrangements.

This is worse than sad, it's disgusting.  Brennon is injured and grieving for the loss of the love of her life, and the state of Indiana is kicking her where it counts just in order to assert its right to discriminate against gay relationships.  I may have shed an angry tear over this one.

DOMA Is Still Alive, Folks

If you have any doubt that there needs to be a lot more work regarding the benefits of marriage for LGBT Americans, look no further than here.

Even though DOMA has seen a decided lack of support from the Administration in recent weeks, one couple still feels the pain of its oppressive policies.  Bradford Wells and Anthony John Makk, who have been together for 19 years and married 7 years ago in Massachusetts, are now slated to be separated as deportation proceedings have been completed against Makk.  He is going to be shipped back to his native Australia, which is doubly sad as he is his husband's primary caregiver.  Wells suffers from AIDS, and Makk's absence is sure to have an impact on his health.

And what is the immigration authorities justification for deporting Makk?  That's right, you guessed it!  The Defense of Marriage Act.

"Bradford Wells, a U.S. citizen, and Anthony John Makk, a citizen of Australia, were married seven years ago in Massachusetts. They have lived together 19 years, mostly in an apartment in the Castro district. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied Makk's application to be considered for permanent residency as a spouse of an American citizen, citing the 1996 law that denies all federal benefits to same-sex couples.

"The decision was issued July 26. Immigration Equality, a gay-rights group that is working with the couple, received the notice Friday and made it public Monday. Makk was ordered to depart the United States by Aug. 25. Makk is the sole caregiver for Wells, who has severe health problems.

"'I'm married just like any other married person in this country,' Wells said. 'At this point, the government can come in and take my husband and deport him. It's infuriating. It's upsetting. I have no power, no right to keep my husband in this country. I love this country, I live here, I pay taxes and I have no right to share my home with the person I married.'"

While I blog frequently about marriage equality, I never really felt exceedingly passionate about the struggle for gay couples to get married in this country.  I often felt that ENDA and the repeal of DADT were far more important to LGBT Americans.  In fact, when I get married in March, it will most likely not be a legal ceremony.  Adam and I are happy just confirming our love to each other in front of friends (though Dan Choi, our officiant, recently got ordained just in case).  However, for bi-national couples, the right to get married is an important one and extremely necessary to stay together.

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?

Amy Winehouse To Release Posthumous Album

After Amy Winehouse's death, I refrained from speculation about how she died and instead lamented that we would never again hear new material from the immensely talented (if troubled) songstress.  Now, we may get (sorta) one last album from the recently passed crooner, as an album detailing her feelings over her divorce is being put together from demos and contributions from her friends.

"A spokesperson for Winehouse's family said: 'Amy always had a notebook on her and would write down lyrics and ideas,' he said. 'People who have heard the new songs say that they are very, very good and that they are as autobiographical as ever.  The period after 2006 was when Amy went through the most emotional upheaval, with Blake going to prison and then their divorce.'

"A source told the Daily Mail that most of the tracks were just demos, where Amy had laid down a backing track and had written some lyrics, and the songs would be completed using Amy's vocals or contributions from friends. It is slated for release next year, with all proceeds going to a charity set up by Amy's father Mitch to help people struggling with addiction. Since her death last week, the album Back to Black has topped the iTunes charts in 17 different countries."

I was lucky enough to see Winehouse live in Philadelphia on my 25th birthday, and am hopeful that this last entry in musical history will do the gifted singer justice.