gay – The Philadelphia Observer

3 Adults Arrested After Viral Video Shows Assault of Boy, 12, Because He’s Gay

Juan Ignacio — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 14:49:24 +0000

Three adults have been arrested in Atlanta for allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old boy because of his sexuality.

We previously reported, a 12-year-old Georgia boy named Tyler was removed from his home in June and placed in DFCS after a disturbing video went viral showing him being abused because he’s allegedly gay. His abusers even shaved the word “gay” into his scalp.

According to meaww.com, the boy is seen in the video “getting abused and beaten by at least four people towering over him while another person films the Instagram live.”

Here’s more from the outlet:

The frame focuses on Tyler’s head shaved in messy fonts to spell the word “gay” as those around him accuse him of liking “this s**t” and “still doing gay s**t.” It is believed that Tyler’s older sister and brother were among the people abusing Tyler.

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Posted originally by the outlet Gaye, the video of Tyler’s abuse begins with at least two men in the frame of the video, with one wearing white — hand wrapped around the back of Tyler’s neck, grabbing and shaking the boy as the older man talks. “You say you’re what?” one of the men asks Tyler, referring to his sexuality, to which the boy replies, “Nothing.” The man asks him to repeat the answer as a woman says in the background, “And he like this s**t.”

Social media expressed outrage before someone notified the authorities. Per SandraRose.com, a number of Atlanta residents helped police locate the boy and the was immediately removed from the home. According to reports, the boy was relocated to a temporary new home.

Per Complex, 19-year-old Lorkeyla Jamia Spencer, 35-year-old Brittney Monique Mills, and 18-year-old Jordan Jarrode Richards-Nwankwo have been charged with cruelty to children after the footage was shared online, as reported by NBC News.

Source: 3 Adults Arrested After Viral Video Shows Assault of Boy, 12, Because He’s Gay

Gay Civil Rights Activist Bayard Rustin, Who Was Arrested Under A Law Punishing Homosexuality, Might Finally Be Pardoned

Juan Ignacio — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 12:27:54 +0000

Bayard Rustin may receive a posthumous pardon from California legislators for a charge of lewd vagrancy. Due to the “morals charge” which was used to target homosexuals, Rustin was forced to register as a sex offender. He died in 1987 while still bearing the label, reports the Washington Post.

In January 1953, Rustin was charged when he was caught having sex with two men in a parked car. He’d just completed a speech in Pasadena as part of a lecture tour centered on anti-colonialism advocacy in West Africa, according to HuffPost. He served 60 days in a Los Angeles County jail before returning back to his home base located in New York.

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The anniversary of his arrest was marked on January 21. To highlight that day, State Sen. Scott Wiener, chair of California’s legislative LGBTQ caucus, and Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, chair of the state’s Legislative Black Caucus, formally asked Gov. Gavin Newsom during a news conference to pardon Rustin.

As a result of Rustin’s arrest and charge, many publicly distanced themselves from the activist. Subsequently, he was removed as a member from the Fellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith peace organization. It didn’t help matters when Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina read Rustin’s Pasadena’s arrest file into the Congressional Record.

Source: Gay Civil Rights Activist Bayard Rustin, Who Was Arrested Under A Law Punishing Homosexuality, Might Finally Be Pardoned

Miss Universe celebrates its first openly gay contestant

Juan Ignacio — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 13:58:26 +0000

The Miss Universe beauty pageant has featured an openly gay contestant for the first time — and she hails from a country where homosexuality is criminalized.

Twenty-year-old Swe Zin Htet competed as Miss Myanmar at the event on Sunday night in Atlanta, Georgia. Though she failed to advance to the top 20, fans say she has already made history by representing the LGBTQ community on a global stage.

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Htet, also known to fans as “Superman,” reportedly came out as gay in an interview posted on a pageant forum, Missosology, shortly after she arrived in Atlanta for the competition.

“I want the world to accept the LGBTQ+ community and their right to choose their own path and pursuit of happiness,” she is quoted as saying. “We should always have the freedom of choice and promote equality.”

The following day, she posted a photo collage on Instagram that was overlaid with a rainbow flag and the word “Proud.”

Source: Miss Universe celebrates its first openly gay contestant