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Analysis of hate crime laws finds limitations, opportunities, rising hate violence
--From a Movement Advancement Project, National Center for Lesbian Rights press release
With a rise in hate violence across the country, a new report from the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and 16 leading civil rights organizations provides a groundbreaking analysis of state and federal hate crime laws. The ...
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WORLD Anti-LGBTQ crimes, conversion therapy, out prime minister, Pakistan school
In England, police are treating the painting of a homophobic slur on an LGBTQ Pride mural as a hate crime, the BBC reported. The wall in St Helens, Merseyside, which was painted by volunteers and artists ...
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NATIONAL Panic defense, VP Kamala Harris, Black LGBTQ app, crime items
Four states and the nation's capital have taken action to ban the so-called LGBTQ "panic defense," which is a legal strategy used by defendants to cite a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity as an excuse ...
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Employee fired for using gay slur at Indiana Arby's
An employee at an Arby's restaurant in Lafayette, Indiana, was fired after writing a homophobic slur on the receipt of a gay couple, NBC News reported. Craig Gray and John Burns were dining at the restaurant ...
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When crime goes viral
Activists say Illinois's law that makes it illegal to expose others to HIV is racist and homophobic. Now they're close to changing it.
In early 2016, Jimmy Amutavi had what he considered a happy life. More ...
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Incarceration for HIV crimes in Georgia cost the state $9 million
--From a press release
Between 1999-2020, as many as 133 people were incarcerated in Georgia prisons for HIV-related crimes New analysis from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that as many as 133 people have been incarcerated ...
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WORLD Myanmar activist, Cyprus official, brutal crimes, UK youth
In Myanmar, Equality Myanmar Executive Director Aung Myo Min broke another barrier, becoming the first LGBTQ person to become sworn in as a member of cabinet after being appointed by the National Unity Government as its ...
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President Biden signs historic hate crimes bill into law
WASHINGTON — Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement after President Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which included the Khalid ...
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BOOKS Lesbian author Amanda Kabak to release hate-crime novel July 20
Lesbian author Amanda Kabak—a Chicago native who now resides in Lakeland, Florida—is releasing the novel Upended on July 20. In Upended, Maddie, a driven entrepreneur, finds her world thrown into disarray when she survives a hate ...
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Refugee Coalition of East Africa calls for attention to anti-queer violence
--From a press release
On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia will be observed worldwide, followed by many celebrations of Pride in the month of June. We at the Refugee Coalition of East Africa will raise ...
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The National Black Justice Coalition mourns death of Mikayla Miller
--From a press release
MASSACHUSETTS — The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the loss of Mikayla Miller, a Black 16-year-old girl and member of the LGBTQ+ community. Miller was found dead on April 18th in Hopkinton, Massachusetts one day ...
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WORLD Caribbean group, hate crime, 'Queen of the Pacific,' volcano wedding
A Caribbean advocacy group launched a fund to help LGBTQ people who have been impacted by the eruption of a volcano on the island of St. Vincent, The Washington Blade reported. The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for ...
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Warrant issued for Joliet teacher accused of inappropriate communication with teen boy [UPDATE]
Joliet police issued an arrest warrant for a former Catholic school teacher accused of inappropriately communicating with a teenage boy, a. Fox32Chicago.com item reported. Jeremy M. Hylka is facing charges of traveling to meet a child ...
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Former, current Chicago aldermen facing multiple charges
On April 29, former 22nd Ward Ald. Ricardo Munoz was indicted on federal charges alleging he spent cash from a political fund he controlled on sports tickets, travel, meals and other personal expenses, The Chicago Tribune ...
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Deputy shoots Virginia gay man 10 times
Police in Spotsylvania County, Virginia are under intense scrutiny after a sheriff's deputy gave out Black man Isaiah Brown a ride home after his car broke down—only to return minutes later and open fire, shooting him ...
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Senate passes COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, NMAC responds
--From a press release
April 22, 2021 - Following is a statement from NMAC Executive Director Paul Kawata on Senate passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. "NMAC applauds the Senate passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in an ...
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Ex-cop Chauvin found guilty of murder, manslaughter; LGBTQs react
On April 20, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder as well as second-degree manslaughter in his case involving George Floyd. Floyd died in May 2020 after Chauvin placed ...
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Bennett, Noriega named to Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes
On April 13, Gov. JB Pritzker announced appointments in his administration—including noted LGBTQ Chicagoans Jim Bennett and Mona Noriega to the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. Bennett currently serves ...
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WORLD Uzbek activist, hate-crimes report, Ghana arrests, Chely Wright
Uzbek activist Miraziz Bazarov was hospitalized after he was attacked by unknown men hours after his public event was disrupted by dozens of aggressive men in Tashkent, RFERL.org reported. Physicians at the Tashkent Traumatology Hospital said ...
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OP-ED: An AAPI hate crime we dare not say
On March 16, Robert Aaron Long killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. Long's action has not yet been classified as a hate crime because the motive, he stated, was his sex ...
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SAAPRI vehemently condemns murders of Asian American women in Atlanta
--From a South Asian American Policy & Research Institute press release
Stop AAPI Hate: Together, we must work to stand in solidarity and stop AAPI hate and all hate crimes against people of color. On Tuesday, March 16th, six Asian American women were killed in a series ...
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Pritzker: Almost 500K cannabis arrest records expunged
On Dec. 31, 2020, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced 492,129 non-felony cannabis-related arrest records have been expunged at the state level by the Illinois State Police. The announcement happened four years in advance of the deadline ...
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NATIONAL Federal rule, anti-LGBTQ crimes, restroom case, Karamo
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced a final rule that dramatically expands the ability of federal contractors to claim religious exemptions from federal nondiscrimination ...
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Hate crimes rise to highest level in a decade
The FBI revealed that hate-crime reports in the United States surged in 2019 to the highest level since 2008, CNN.com reported. The new figures indicate that hate crimes reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies ...
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NATIONAL Texas board, intersex portfolio, hate crimes, beauty queen dies
A Texas regulatory board reinstated protections that bar social workers from refusing services to LGBTQ people and people with disabilities, NBC News reported. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, or BHEC, on Tuesday unanimously reversed an ...
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NATIONAL Attacks, TGNC emojis, lawsuits, 'Divas for Democracy'
A 24-year-old man was punched in the face and called an anti-gay slur while filming a TikTok video with a female friend in lower Manhattan, and police are investigating the attack as a hate crime, according ...
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Study: LGBTs nearly four times more likely than non to face violent crime
--From a press release
LGBT people are nearly four times more likely than non-LGBT people to experience violent victimization, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated or simple assault, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School ...
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NATIONAL Anti-Trump ruling, crime items, Equality California, Texas school
A federal judge slapped a hold on a Trump administration rule that allows healthcare providers to refuse services to LGBTQ people on religious grounds, Bloomberg reported. In a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said ...
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Aurora garden damage seen as possible hate crime
In Aurora, a garden that included a shed painted rainbow colors to support the LGBTQ community was destroyed recently after someone smashed it with a pickup truck—and local authorities are viewing the attack as a possible ...
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Annual event spotlights trans lives lost
On Aug. 30, Valerie Griffin celebrated the life of her daughter—Dejanay Stanton, a trans woman of color—with an annual summer get-together billed as "The Main Event Part 2." The event, in its second year, was also ...
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Quigley introduces Reducing Nefarious Crimes (RNC) Act
On Aug. 25, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois) introduced the Reducing Nefarious Crimes Act, or RNC Act, to increase penalties for violating the Hatch Act. The introduction happened while the Republication National ...
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Night three of DNC highlights women, gun violence, anti-trans crime
Emma Gonzalez, a bisexual student who became one of the leaders of a youth movement against gun violence after a 2018 shooting at her high school in Parkland, Florida, was one of the first voices heard ...
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NATIONAL Bakery situation, tribal marriage, anti-LGBTQ crimes, Penn. lawmakers
Extreme right-wing organization the Church Militant requested that Detroit bakery Good Cakes and Bakes co-owner April Anderson (who's LGBTQ) put on a cake, "Homosexual acts are gravely evil. (Catholic Catechism ...
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Restorative juvenile courts coming to Avondale, Englewood
The Circuit Court of Cook County is set to launch its latest effort to address nonviolent crime and prevent recidivism with the opening of new Restorative Justice Community Courts in Chicago's Avondale and Englewood neighborhoods, Chief ...
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Judge tosses Smollett prosecution lawsuit
On April 22, U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall dismissed a suit by embattled actor Jussie Smollett in which he alleged he was the victim of a malicious prosecution over his allegedly staged January 2019 hate-crime ...
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Man behind memorial crosses diagnosed with terminal cancer
Greg Zanis—the Aurora man who has built more than 27,000 white crosses to commemorate victims of gun violence—has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, The Chicago Tribune reported. Also, despite surgery to remove the tumor, the disease ...
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NQAPIA denounces racist attacks stemming from COVID-19 fears
The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) issued a statement denouncing "racist attacks, discrimination, and blatant xenophobia that has occurred in light of COVID-19 CoronaVirus." NQAPIA said, "While the ...
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ELECTIONS 2020:
COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY Bob Fioretti talks crime labs, LGBTQ issues
Bob Fioretti is certainly no stranger to politics. He's a former Chicago alderman who has also run for mayor, Illinois state senator and Cook County board commissioner president. Now he's one of the candidates vying to ...
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NATIONAL Puerto Rico trans death, APA revisions, conversion therapy, LGBTQ gym
Puerto Rico's governor condemned the killing of a transgender woman—whose death ignited a dialogue about transphobia on the island—as a hate crime, HuffPost reported. The body of Alexa Negron Luciano, who was also known as Neulisa ...
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ELECTIONS 2020 COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY Bill Conway on money, LGBT issues, gun crimes
Bill Conway is in one of the most closely watched races locally: the electoral contest for Cook County state's attorney. Current attorney Kim Foxx has single-handedly put the office in the national spotlight—most notably for her ...
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Suspect in fatal stabbing back in custody, being questioned by police
Nearly two weeks after the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old bisexual barista Kenneth Paterimos Jr. outside Richard's Bar in West Town, first-degree murder suspect Thomas Tansey, a 30-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was taken into Chicago police ...
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Arrest warrant issued in case of bisexual man stabbed at local bar
A no-bail arrest warrant was issued Thursday, Feb. 27 for 30-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran and University Village resident Thomas Tansey in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old bisexual barista and Pilsen resident Kenneth Paterimos Jr. According ...
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NATIONAL Backlash in Tennessee, judge dies, voucher program, hate-crimes bill
More than 140 businesses signed a letter announcing their opposition to Tennessee's recent slew of anti-LGBTQ laws, which has been dubbed the "slate of hate" by activist groups, NBC News noted. The collective, known as the ...
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NATIONAL Fatal shooting, LGBTQ political news, Bayard Rustin, travel ban
In response to the ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Ja'Quarius Taylor, from New Orleans, as a possible hate crime, National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director David Johns and Executive Director of the Lawyers' ...
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Reports: Robber uses hook-up app to lure victims
Chicago police are looking for a man who used a hook-up app to meet—then rob—other men, according to ABC 7. The offender reportedly met their victim via Grindr the evening of Jan. 28 in the 900-block ...
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WORLD Trans activist killed, Israeli center, Brazilian priest, Netflix film
In South Africa, Limpopo police are investigating the death of transgender activist Nare Mphela, 28, whose decomposing body was found in a rented room, News24 reported. "The deceased was found with multiple stab wounds and was ...
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NATIONAL Anti-LGBTQ crimes, Richard Grenell, two-spirit marriage, Adam Rippon
A transgender man driving a taxi in McAlester, Oklahoma, was fatally shot early New Year's Day, Advocate.com reported. Dustin Parker, 25, leaves a wife, Regina, and four children, was a founding member of the McAlester chapter ...
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NATIONAL Lily Tomlin, St. Louis, activist slashed, LGBTQ political candidates
Iconic LGBTQ comedian Lily Tomlin joined with several other comedy legends for a PSA in support of aging pets, The Washington Blade noted. In the video that The Grey Muzzle Organization produced, Tomlin is featured alongside ...
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WORLD Marriage status in Cuba, Shigella outbreak, anti-LGBTQ crime
Cuba Justice Minister Oscar Silvera Martinez announced the Family Code—the law that could establish marriage equality in the country—will not be introduced in the National Assembly until December 2021, when ...
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Man behind memorial crosses retires
Greg Zanis—the Aurora man who has built more than 27,000 white crosses to commemorate victims of gun violence—has decided to retire, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Zanis started making those crosses in 1996— the same year his ...
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NATIONAL Blind trans woman attacked, Pantene ad, judges, Grindr crimes
Police in Washington are investigating what they believe may have been a hate crime against a blind transgender woman, NewNowNext.com reported. The King County Sheriff's Office said a trans woman was left motionless on the ground ...
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NU professor talks about delving into the heart of 'Infectious Blackness'
The tale of Michael Johnson took a turn this past July—when he was released from a Missouri jail 25 years early. In 2013, Johnson—a Black man who was a college student—was arrested in St. Charles, Missouri, ...
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NATIONAL Subway attack, Matthew Shepard, OUT100, Indiana hospital
In Manhattan, a man was hit with a hammer and pushed onto the subway tracks in what police believe may be a hate crime, LGBTQ Nation reported. The alleged attacker then approached the 21-year-old victim waving ...
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FBI report shows rise in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its annual report on hate crimes in the United States, finding that 2018 saw a rise in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes across the nation—up nearly a percent when compared to ...
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WORLD Pride events, UK hate crime stats, lesbian Colombian politician
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Taipei for the 17th annual pride parade, with organizers expecting a record turnout after the Taiwan government became the first in Asia to pass same-sex marriage ...
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Judge refuses to dismiss Smollett case
On Oct. 22, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall allowed the city of Chicago's lawsuit against embattled actor Jussie Smollett that seeks reimbursement for approximately $130,000 in overtime incurred by police to investigate his alleged Jan. 29 ...
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Community reacts to Women & Children First anti-trans vandalism
Women & Children First bookstore, the Chicago Therapy Collective and Andersonville Chamber of Commerce joined forces Oct. 20 in a community activation event responding to multiple instances of anti-trans vandalism. During the event, speakers from the ...
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On 10th anniversary of law, Matthew Shepard's parents Challenge Barr, DOJ
Washington DC — On Wednesday, October 16th at the Department of Justice commemorative event to mark the historic 10-year anniversary of the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the ...
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Women & Children First targeted by anti-trans vandals
The windows at Women & Children First bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., have been vandalized on multiple occasions with stickers featuring anti-trans messaging, according to its staff. The Andersonville bookseller and others are planning an Oct. ...
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NATIONAL Donor arrested, trans worker fired, celebrities in pro-trans video
L.A. County prosecutors charged Democratic donor/LGBTQ activist Ed Buck with running a drug house and other crimes after a man overdosed on methamphetamine at Buck's apartment, NPR reported. The man survived, but two other men (26-year-old ...
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National Black Justice Coalition calls for action on murders of transgender teens
WASHINGTON— Bailey Reeves, at 17-years-young, and Bee Love, at only 18, became the 17th and 18th trans people murdered in the United States this year. Bailey, a trans woman of color, was found dead in Baltimore, ...
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Woman astronaut accused of hacking wife's account
Anne McClain, a former U.S. Army pilot who flew more than 800 combat hours during Operation Iraqi Freedom before joining NASA in 2013, has been accused of identity theft and improper access to estranged spouse Summer ...
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NCAVP Reports on Anti-LGBTQ Violence During Pride Season
August 14, New York, NY- A special report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), Pride and Pain: A Snapshot of Anti-LGBTQ Hate and Violence During Pride Season 2019, outlines incidents and trends of violence ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Elm Street,' 'Crime Story,' Tab Hunter, Lady Gaga
Gay actor Marc Patton is returning to the big screen, as himself, with the documentary Scream, Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street, The Washington Blade noted. The film tells the story of how his "big break" ...
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Reports: Would-be Vegas bomber targeted Jewish, LGBTQ communities
A man who authorities say worked as a security guard was arrested and accused of plotting to firebomb a Las Vegas synagogue or a LGBTQ-centered nightclub/bar, CBS News reported. An FBI-led anti-terrorism task force arrested Las ...
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Reports: Man to testify about role in suicide-murder plot
An Oxford University official will testify against a Northwestern University researcher with whom he carried out a murder plot as part of a plea deal, according to Chicago Sun-Times. Andrew Warren, who worked as a clerk ...
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NATIONAL Miss Major ailing, NAACP, crime items, Puerto Rico governor
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy—a Stonewall Riots veteran and staple in transgender activism for nearly 50 years—suffered a stroke July 4, Out.com reported. News about the 78-year-old's condition was first shared via ...
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NATIONAL Court briefs, flag burned, Amazon books removed
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Lambda Legal, Out & Equal, Out Leadership and Freedom for All Americans announced that 206 major corporations have signed a "friend of the court" brief that will be filed with the ...
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Handyman arrested in gay ex-actor's death
Oregon authorities arrested a man in connection with the death of actor Dennis Day, an original member of Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, Deadline noted. The former Disney star was 76 when his husband, Ernie Caswell, ...
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Convicted Lake View killer hangs himself
A Chicago man who'd been convicted of killing two gay men in 1987 has died after hanging himself in jail. The incident, which took place the evening of July 2, was reported on the CWB Chicago ...
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CPD unveils 'Pride Squad Car'
In advance of the Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has debuted a new vehicle, the Chicago Sun-Times noted. The car will be deployed to CPD's 19th District on the ...
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LGBT flags vandalized at Wicker Park church
Police are investigating a possible hate crime after a message was spray-painted on an LGBT flag at Wicker Park Lutheran Church, 1500 N. Hoyne Ave., WGN-TV reported. Surveillance video shows the vandal armed with spray paint ...
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Video, other items released in Smollett case
On June 24, Chicago authorities released a video of embattled actor Jussie Smollett wearing a noose on Jan. 29, the night when he was allegedly attacked—along with hundreds of other videos as well as hundreds of ...
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Boystown threats send man to prison
A man who invoked the Pulse nightclub shooting while making threats against Boystown nightclubs and various individuals has been sentenced to seven concurrent 42-month prison terms. The June 21 sentencing of the man making the threats, ...
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Another investigation ordered in Smollett case
In the ongoing saga that is the Jussie Smollett case, things have taken yet another turn as Cook County Judge Michael Toomin ordered a special prosecutor appointed to re-investigate the circumstances of the embattled actor's alleged ...
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