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Recent local ‘hate crimes’ show danger of incomplete information

The Georgia Voice Editors
AtlantaNews
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When two lesbians told a local TV station they were attacked over Atlanta Pride weekend because they were gay, people reacted with shock and empathy.

How could something so awful happen in Atlanta, much less during Pride weekend?

But when the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department released its report on the incident that happened at about 3:30 a.m. Oct. 13 in front of the W Hotel in Midtown, it raised questions about whether the two women told the whole story when they spoke to Fox 5 reporter Kaitlyn Pratt before the report was released.

Lesbian couple Kathryn Katalinich and Brooke Creef told Fox 5 they were called an anti-gay slur and pushed to the ground by men who also laughed at them.

Transgender woman robbed in possible Atlanta bias crime

The Georgia Voice Editors
AtlantaNews
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A 16-year old male is under arrest after he allegedly beat a transgender woman and stole her purse in a March 12 incident that is being investigated as a possible bias crime by the Atlanta Police Department.

The victim, 22, whose home address is listed as being in Baltimore, Md., told police the suspect and friends with him shouted "faggot" and "Are you even a woman?" at her, according to the APD police report. 

The LGBT Unit, including Officers Patricia Powell and Brian Sharp, was notified of the incident immediately after it occurred and the APD's Homeland Security Unit is investigating the robbery as a possible bias crime, said Carlos Campos, spokesperson for the APD.

U.S. Marine faces lesser charge in attack on Savannah gay man

The Georgia Voice Editors
GeorgiaNews
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One of the U.S. Marines charged in the beating of a gay man in Savannah will not face a battery charge, a judge ruled today.

The Savannah Morning News reported today that Sgt. Keil Cronauer, 22, “will definitely not go up as battery,” as ruled by Chatham County Recorder’s Court Judge Claire Cornwell-Williams.

The other U.S. Marine charged in the attack on Kieran Daly — Christopher C. Stanzel, 23 — was sent to Chatham County State Court on the battery charge after a preliminary hearing, the newspaper reported.

Alleged gay bashing by Marines not considered hate crime

The Georgia Voice Editors
GeorgiaNews
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The alleged beating of a gay man in Savannah by two Marines is no longer being considered a hate crime, according to a spokesperson for the Chatham County District Attorney.

Christopher Stanzel, 23, and Keil Cronauer, 22, of Beaufort are charged with misdemeanor battery in the attack on Kieran Daly, 26, on June 12 in Savannah. Daly, who is gay, alleged that he was attacked because one of the Marines said he winked at him.

Why Georgia needs a Hate Crimes law

The Georgia Voice Editors
Politics
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As I sat to write, the City of Atlanta is gearing up for a busy weekend of queer activity. The headlining event of Labor Day weekend, Atlanta’s Annual Black Gay Pride celebration, is sure to attract tens of thousands of the “Children” to what is considered the largest Black pride festival in the world.

Throw on top of that a joint Georgia Equality/HRC sponsored protest and picket of local Target and Best Buy retail stores taking place on Saturday, bringing awareness to their recent flush donations to support a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate running on an anti-gay platform, and the fact that many will be toasting the end of summer in style during the ensuing three-day weekend, and it seems like every queer in the metro area will have something do.

Teens arrested in anti-gay crime charged as adults

The Georgia Voice Editors
AtlantaNews
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Rev. Josh Noblitt and APD LGBT liaison Patricia Powell

The six male teens charged with felony armed robbery in the bias crime against a gay pastor and his friend will be charged as adults and face a bond hearing Aug. 19.

The teens, ages 13 through 19, have been indicted for felony armed robbery and were arraigned Aug. 2 in Fulton Superior Court when the bond hearing was set.

Those charged are Sam Johnson, 17; Benjamin Johnson, 16; and Daequan Lewis, 15, who are all listed as living at the same residence in Stone Mountain. Also charged is Jarvis Johnson, 19, of Parkway Drive in Atlanta. Sam Johnson was identified by APD as the gunman. Atlanta Police reports identified Jamal Bryant, 13, and Tyrone Smith, 16, as two other suspects who are also charged as adults.

Charges against teens in anti-gay bias crime spark community debate

The Georgia Voice Editors
Community
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The six teens charged with a bias-crime attack on a gay Atlanta pastor at Piedmont Park will be tried as adults. Four of the teens are minors. The youngest is 13 years old.

Several readers have reached out to us to express their views on the charges. Some readers, like Twitter user @jcstarr are happy with the decision to charge the teens as adults. “GOOD!!! I hope the judge throws the book at them,” he wrote via Twitter.

Several of our Facebook fans supported the charges, as well.

[Photos] Fenuxe flies, ‘Monsters’ art and community picnic in the park

The Georgia Voice Editors
Photo Gallery
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This weekend was full of LGBT events and gatherings. The GA Voice was on-hand at several events, including the Fenuxe Launch Party and benefit for The Kid in all of Us, ‘Monsters’ at Kai Lin Art featuring the work of “Best of Atlanta” award winner Jon Arge and a community picnic in Piedmont Park held to discuss public safety in the wake of the bias crime against Rev. Josh Noblitt, social justice minister at St. Mark United Methodist Church.