Nine activists stood in the chilly temperatures on Wednesday to bring awareness to and protest Uganda's "Kill the Gays Bill" that is expected to pass before the end of the year.
J.R. Rich, 28, from Midtown, held a "Shame on Uganda" sign at the Georgia State Capitol. He said he wanted to raise awareness among lawmakers as well as citizens of what is taking place in Uganda, located in East Africa.
"We are trying to raise awareness to anyone we can, especially our Congressmen on the Hill," he said.
Well, we knew it was coming, didn't we? Gay people are the reason for the Frankenstorm hitting the Northeast, at least according to a Pennsylvania preacher who just happens to be in the path of Hurricane Sandy.
Called the "perfect storm," Hurricane Sandy has forced New York and Washington, D.C., to close their public transit systems today, the New York Stock Exchange has closed physical trading and people in Manhattan and New Jersey have been told to evacuate to safer areas. It's going to be one major mess. You would think prayers for those in the path of the hurricane would be in order by people of God.
Students and alumni at Atlanta's Emory University are ramping up concerns about the school's connections with Chick-fil-A, the chicken chain known for funding anti-gay causes.
"Make chicken, not judgements," reads an anti Chick-fil-A flyer now posted on campus.
Most Emory students were not on campus when the latest round of controversy over Chick-fil-A heated up in mid-July, when Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy told a Christian media outlet that his company is “guilty as charged” on opposing marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Now that fall semester is underway, opposition to the relationship between Emory — arguably one of the most LGBT-inclusive campuses in the Southeast — and Chick-fil-A is growing.
Reports surfaced this morning that a security guard working at the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the Family Research Council was shot in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Some media outlets have reported that the alleged gunman posed as an intern to enter the building.
Here's what Fox News reported this afternoon:
State Rep. Simone Bell says she signed onto a letter that was provided by several LGBT activists to Fulton Judge Jackson Bedford during Thursday's sentencing hearing seeking leniency for two of the defendants in the anti-gay assault on Brandon White because she wants the case moved to federal court and pave the way for a state hate crime law to be passed in Georgia.
In a press statement released late Thursday, Rep. Bell said she sees the Feb. 4 attack on Brandon White, 20, an openly gay man, "centered in hate due to his sexual orientation."
Charged in the beating are Dorian Moragne, 19, and Darael Demare Williams, 17. A group of LGBT activists are asking Fulton Superior Court Judge Jackson Bedford sentence them probation rather than a lengthy prison sentence.
Christopher Cain, 18, also charged in the attack, pleaded guilty Thursday to the same charges Moragne and Williams pleaded guilty to on May 29: being part of a gang, two counts of aggravated assault, and robbery by force.
A group of Atlanta LGBTQ activists wrote a letter to Fulton Superior Court Judge Jackson Bedford asking a light sentence be imposed on two young men who pleaded guilty to the Feb. 4 beating of gay man Brandon White, the GA Voice has learned.
According to the letter, the activists believe the attack was motivated by homophobia, but they do not think it will be helped by the attackers serving further time in prison.
A hearing in the case is underway now at the Fulton County Court House, with several of the activists present. Please check back for updates throughout the day.
State Rep. Rashad Taylor (D-Atlanta), the only openly gay man in the Georgia General Assembly, claims homophobic tactics are being used by his opponents, including distributing what he called an anti-gay flier in predominantly African-American neighborhoods in southwest Atlanta.
The flier, provided to GA Voice by Taylor via email, reads: “The Real Rashad” with a photo of Taylor. Below the photo the flier states: “The only openly gay male in the Georgia General Assembly [AJC 5/27/11]; Accused of using his position in the Legislature to solicit sexual relationships [AJC, 5/27/11]; Former roommates with Khaatim El [APN, 1/20/11]; Possibly lived with a male lover on Moreland Ave [APN, 6/11/12].”
The statements come from articles published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta Progressive News.
Alleged anti-gay flier targets state Rep. Rashad Taylor
It seems a targeted campaign to have One Million Moms removed from social networking site Facebook because of “hate speech” was a success. Either that, or the anti-gay group was so tired of reading pro-gay posts on its Facebook page that it voluntarily removed itself from the site.
As of this weekend, the group's Facebook page is no longer active. Links on the organization's website still direct to Facebook, only there's nothing there. Poof! Just like that, it's gone.
OMM calls itself “a network of Christian moms and grandmothers taking a stand for our children who are being exploited by the entertainment industry.” They lead a boycott charge against JC Penney over its decision to hire openly-gay Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson. They weren't too happy when the retailer included a happily married gay couple in its Father's Day catalog either. Oh, and don't get them started on the gay Green Lantern.