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State Rep. Kelly Cassidy denounces violent acts stemming from political speech
--From a press release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, along with members of the House Dobbs Working Group responded to increasing acts of violence and threats stemming from political attacks on reproductive rights and the LGBTQ community ...
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VIEWPOINT The Panama Papers: Rogue capitalism robs your wallet
On April 03, 2016, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists [ICIJ] started publishing almost 12 million files of leaked documents revealing the details of tax havens sheltering more than a ...
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Report reveals abuses against LGBTQ+, transgender community, people living with HIV in the criminal legal system
--From a press release
(NEW YORK, NY — April 20, 2023) Today, Lambda Legal, in partnership with Black and Pink National, released Protected and Served? 2022 [ https://www.protectedandserved.org/2022-report ] , a report that reveals ...
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WORLD Grindr in Egypt, police report, queer tango, Human Rights Watch, Gay Games
Dating app Grindr is warning its users in Egypt that police are allegedly using fake accounts to entrap those seeking dates on the platform, after a spike in recent arrests of LGBTQ+ people, MSN noted via ...
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ELECTIONS 2023 Mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson discusses religion, LGBTQ+ issues, holistic approach
Chicago mayoral candidates Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas seem to have little in common. Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, has embraced a more progressive platform that employs everything from a more holistic approach to crime to ...
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NATIONAL Drag shows, LGBTQ+ honors, Bragman memorial, Fred Karger
Video below
Dozens of supporters turned out outside the Crazy Aunt Hellen's restaurant in D.C. in anticipation of a drag show's planned protest by the far-right group Proud Boys—but police said members of the far-right, neo-fascist organization didn' ...
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Ex-Colts player accused of attacking son and his boyfriend
Former Indianapolis Colts lineman and radio personality Joseph "Joe" Andrew Staysniak was arrested on Feb. 21 after a domestic incident in which he was accused of assaulting his son and choking his son's boyfriend in the ...
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ILGA-Europe report: 2022 was the deadliest year for anti-LGBTI violence
ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association)-Europe's "Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of LGBTI People in Europe and Central Asia"— announced Feb. 20 in Brussels, Belgium—reveals ...
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WORLD Pope Francis, non-binary minor, athlete dies at 35, Taiwan
Pope Francis made headlines when he told the Associated Press on Jan. 24 that "being homosexual is not a crime," although he also described being gay as sinful, Gay City News noted. The pontiff called on ...
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NATIONAL Missing student, Utah bill, Atlanta Pride, crime items, Castro bar
A New York City law student has been missing for weeks—and his brother said his last known location was The Q, a gay bar in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, NBC News reported. Jordan Taylor, 29, a ...
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Equality Illinois responds to violence, murder of Black and Brown trans people on the south side
--From a press release
Statement by Myles Brady Davis, Director of Communications at Equality Illinois, the state's civil rights organization for LGBTQ+ people, regarding the violences and murders of Black and Brown trans people on the south side of Chicago: ...
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Pope says being gay no crime, cites anti-LGBTQ laws in 70 countries. LGBTQ leaders respond
--From press releases
(January 25, 2023) — Pope Francis called laws that criminalize same-sex relationships "unjust," stating that "being homosexual is not a crime" in an interview with the Associated Press today. The Pope also called for the Roman ...
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Rogers Park's R Public House's door destroyed by homophobic vandal
The lesbian-owned restaurant and bar R Public House, 1508 W. Jarvis Ave., was targeted by a hammer-wielding man yelling anti-LGBTQ slurs at about 5:40 p.m. during happy hour on Monday, Jan. 16. Owners (and married couple) ...
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LGBTs nine times more likely than non-LGBTe to be victims of violent hate crimes
-- From a Williams Institute press release
About one out of 10 violent victimizations against LGBT people are hate crimes, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. LGBT people are nine times more likely than non-LGBT ...
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NATIONAL 'Queer to Stay,' gay pol dies, drag-show attacks, 'Don't Say Gay' lawmaker
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Showtime announced the 25 recipients of "Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation Initiative" to support and uplift small businesses that focus on LGBTQ+ people of color, women and the trans+ community ...
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NATIONAL $1M donation, church departures, Harvey Milk, abortions, Grindr
In Ohio, Dayton-based insurance company CareSource is donating $1 million to United Church Homes to support the development of a senior living facility at the site of the former Longfellow School that will also aim at ...
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The Northalsted Business Alliance makes statement on Club Q Shooting in Colorado Springs
-- From a press release
The Northalsted Business Alliance shares its thoughts and prayers with our LGBTQ+ family in Colorado suffering from yet another senseless gun tragedy. We mourn the five lives lost and stand with those injured and traumatized ...
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OnePulse releases statement on Club Q mass shooting
-- From a press release
Orlando, FL — onePULSE Foundation, the not-for-profit established following the June 12, 2016 tragedy to honor and preserve the legacy of those killed and create a sanctuary of hope, today released the following statement: "We are ...
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Chicagoans pay tribute to Club Q victims
Community advocates and political officials were among those who gathered for a candlelight vigil outside Nobody's Darling, 1744 W. Balmoral Ave., the evening of Nov. 20 to remember the LGBTQ+ individuals killed and injured the previous ...
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Equality Illinois on the Club Q shooting
-- From a press release
Statement from Brian C. Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois, the state's LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, on the Club Q shooting: On a day already marked by sadness, the LGBTQ+ community woke up to the tragic news ...
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Lambda Legal reacts to shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs
-- From a press release
New York, November 20, 2022 — Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings issued the following statement about the mass shooting at Club Q, the LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado: "We mourn with the LGBTQ+ community in ...
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GLAAD responds to mass shooting in Colorado Springs
-- From a press release
(New York, NY - November 20, 2022) - GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs that killed ...
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HRC responds to fatal shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs
-- From a press release
Colorado Springs, CO — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, responded to media reports of a fatal shooting at Club Q in Colo ...
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Five dead after mass shooting at Colorado LGBTQ+ nightclub
At least five people are dead and 18 people were injured after a mass shooting took place at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub late the evening of Nov. 19, according to multiple reports. An unidentified suspect ...
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Tulsa business attacked after hosting drag event, HRC responds
-- From a press release
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Oct. 31, news broke that a business based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Donut Hole, was vandalized when someone threw a Molotov cocktail — a hand-thrown incendiary weapon — after hosting an event ...
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Nancy Pelosi's husband violently attacked at home [UPDATE]
Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked at the couple's home in San Francisco early on Oct. 28. Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, said the assailant is in custody ...
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Chicago mural of Kanye West painted over in wake of antisemitic remarks
A West Loop mural image of Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, was painted over on Oct. 27, as fallout continued over the Chicago native's recent controversial and antisemitic public statements, The Chicago-Sun Times ...
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WORLD Anti-LGBTQ+ countries, UK monkeypox/MPV, vigil, intersex activist
Video below
Thirty-four Commonwealth nations still have anti-LGBTQ+ laws—roughly three-fifths of the group's total of 53 nations, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Worldwide, 69 countries still cling to such anti-homosexuality laws. Just ...
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LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH Podcast sheds light on forgotten murders of gay men in Montreal
When people ask about or Google the murders of gay men in Montreal in the '90s, it all leads to the podcast "The Village: The Montreal Murders." LGBTQ+-rights advocates encouraged me to listen to the podcast. ...
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Jury sides with Kevin Spacey in Anthony Rapp case [UPDATE]
A New York jury sided with Kevin Spacey in a $40-million civil lawsuit, finding that the Oscar-winning actor did not molest fellow actor Anthony Rapp when the latter was a teenager and is not liable for ...
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Report: Anti-trans violence doubled between 2017 and 2021
The number of homicides of transgender people in the country nearly doubled between 2017 and 2021, and were mostly driven by gun violence, according to a new report from Everytown for Gun Safety, The Hill reported. Known transgender homicides ...
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Spacey sobs on stand during trial, blames publicist for apology to Rapp
Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey became visibly distraught in a New York City courtroom on Oct. 17, breaking down as he blamed his publicist for convincing him to publicly apologize to Anthony Rapp in 2017 after ...
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Ezra Miller pleads not guilty to burglary charges
On Oct. 17, The Flash star Ezra Miller pled not guilty to felony burglary charges in Vermont, Deadline reported. Allowed to appear remotely for the session in the criminal division of the Vermont Superior Court, the ...
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Father Michael Pfleger faces another sexual-abuse claim, steps away from duties
For the second time in less than two years, minister/activist the Rev. Michael Pfleger, 73, is stepping away from his ministry while under investigation for a decades-old sexual abuse allegation, The Chicago Tribune reported. In the ...
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Police: Calif. serial-killer suspect has no connection to 2018 Chicago shootings
In California, as Stockton police continue to dig for any clues that could lead to an arrest in a series of killings, investigators were looking into a possible connection in Chicago; however, police confirmed that Chicago ...
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Two die in connection to shooting at Slovak LGBTQ+ bar
Two people are dead in connection to an Oct. 12 shooting in front of a popular LGBTQ+ bar in the old town neighborhood of the Slovak capital of Bratislava, The Washington Blade reported. The Polícia Slovenskej ...
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New arrest connected to killing of northern Illinois LGBTQ+ police officer
Another person has been arrested in connection with the killing of one police officer and the wounding of a second at a northern Illinois hotel in late December 2021, ABC 7 Chicago reported. The announcement came ...
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Attorney general's office receives $390K grant for hate-crime training
Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office was awarded a $394,772 Department of Justice (DoJ) grant for a 48-month project to provide specialized hate-crime training to law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys ...
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Kevin Spacey's sexual-misconduct trial starts Oct. 6
Actor Kevin Spacey is the defendant in a lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp, the actor who in 2017 made the first in a string of sexual-misconduct allegations, MassLive noted, citing the Associated Press. The trial, expected ...
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GLAAD responds to weekend of anti-LGBTQ+ violence, poll suggests 2/3 of GOPs back discussion of LGBTQ+s in schools
-- From a press release
(Monday, September 26, 2022) GLAAD condemns a wave of violence against the LGBTQ community across the country and calls for increased protections and support for LGBTQ people and youth, as new data reveals that a vast ...
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DoJ announces $22M to address, prevent sexual assault on campuses
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced nearly $22 million in upcoming grant awards to address and prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking on college campuses; provide services to youth victims and children ...
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Ban on same-sex relations overturned in Saint Kitts and Nevis
In a major advance for LGBTQ+ rights in the Caribbean, a court for Saint Kitts and Nevis struck down a colonial-era law that banned the "abominable" crime of "buggery," LGBTQ Nation reported. The same court overturned ...
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Activists, community leaders gather for town-hall meeting in wake of Jeffery Pub hit-and-run
In the wake of the investigation and apprehension of a suspect in the vehicular deaths of three gay Black men in the third district of Chicago, a quickly assembled town hall meeting was held Aug. 25 ...
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Lake View church vandalized over pro-abortion stance
A Lakeview church was vandalized Aug. 24 by two women who appeared to be upset by its sign backing reproductive rights, Block Club Chicago reported. Second Unitarian Church of Chicago, 656 W. Barry Ave., put up ...
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Man charged with killing three in hit-and-run at Jeffery Pub [UPDATE]
South Side resident Tavis Dunbar has been charged with murder after a hit-and-run crash that killed three people and injured a fourth person outside the Black gay bar Jeffery Pub last week, Block Club Chicago reported. ...
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Families and activists gather to honor Jeffery Pub hit-and-run victims
On Aug. 21, a brief memorial service was held at The Rainbow Beach Field House to honor the three victims of a hit-and-run incident that took place in front of the Black gay bar The Jeffrey Pub, located on Chicago's South ...
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WORLD Trans activist, COVID surveys, Michael Sam, Saudi Arabian sisters
Some people in London, Ontario, Canada's LGBTQ+ community reacted strongly to how a popular trans activist was treated by London Police Services earlier this month, CBC reported. Clara Sorrenti, 28, known as Keffals on the online ...
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Suspect arrested in rape/murder of Kenyan non-binary lesbian
The family of Sheila Lumumba—who was raped and murdered in Nyeri County, Kenya, in April—stated that a suspect has been charged in connection with their death, according to openDemocracy. A man was arraigned in court in ...
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Event for Jeffery Pub crash victims to be held Aug. 21
There will be an event to remember the victims of the Aug. 14 car crash at Black gay nightspot Jeffery Pub on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m. at Rainbow Beach Field House, 3111 E. 77th St. The victims were Devonta ...
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Brittney Griner appealing conviction
Russian news agencies have reported that attorneys for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner have filed an appeal of her nine-year Russian prison sentence for drug possession, according to PBS Newshour. Griner, an eight-time all-star center with ...
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Three men hit by car and killed near Jeffery Pub; car found, but not driver [UPDATES]
Three men were killed and another was injured after a hit-and-run crash in the city's South Shore neighborhood. Authorities said the crash happened around 5 a.m. on Aug. 14 in the 7000 block of S. Jeffery ...
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Judge: Kevin Spacey owes almost $31 million
On Aug. 4, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana confirmed that embattled actor Kevin Spacey must pay House of Cards producer MRC nearly $31 million for alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the ...
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Committee makes recommendations for expanded court service for Cook County domestic-violence victims
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (July 29, 2022) — The Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court has developed a plan to improve court access to help domestic violence victims, which will include an after-hours pilot program ...
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GoFundMe page for UpRising Bakery raises thousands of dollars
A GoFundMe page for Lake in the Hills venue UpRising Bakery and Cafe—an LGBTQ+-owned site that was the subject of protests and vandalism after planning to host a family-friendly drag show that was later canceled—has raised ...
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Man arrested for vandalism of LGBTQ+-owned suburban bakery
Authorities in Lake in the Hills, a suburb of Chicago, have made an arrest in the case of the vandalism of a bakery that had to cancel an all-ages drag show because of the crime, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Joseph I. ...
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NATIONAL Miami textbooks, Lia Thomas, Florida churches, Key West figure dies
Miami-Dade County students could go months without sex-education books after school board members, by a five-to-four vote, rejected two proposed textbooks over concerns they violate the state's Parental Rights in Education bill, known by opponents as ...
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Man indicted for attacking men in D.C. for their sexual orientation
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Michael Thomas Pruden, 48, with five counts of assault on federal land, one count of impersonating a federal officer and a hate-crimes sentencing enhancement alleging that Pruden assaulted ...
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More than 500 women sue Uber over claims of sexual assault
Uber is being sued by more than 500 women who claim they were assaulted by drivers who use the ride-hailing platform, CNBC reported. The complaint—filed in San Francisco County Superior Court—claims that "women passengers in multiple ...
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Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty in London in sexual-assault case
On July 14, two-time Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey pled not guilty of sexual assault in London's Central Criminal Court, according to WAGM-TV. The former House of Cards star, who ran London's Old Vic theater between 2004 ...
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Reports: Chicago trans woman murdered in West Englewood neighborhood
A Chicago trans woman was attacked and died the late evening of July 11/early morning of July 12, according to reports. An individual was found with multiple stab wounds after Chicago Police Department (CPD) answered a ...
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John Pennycuff's memorial library at Unity Park is graffitied
The John Pennycuff Little Library, at Chicago's Unity Park, was recently sprayed with graffiti. Robert Castillo, Pennycuff's surviving husband, stated on Facebook that some tried to cover the original tagging with their own rainbow-hued graffiti. ...
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Former Japanese prime minister dies after being shot
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on July 8 after being shot while giving a campaign speech on a street in central Japan, CNN reported, citing public broadcaster NHK. Japanese publication Nikkei also reported that ...
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'Cheer' star receives prison sentence
On July 6, Jerry Harris, the former star of hit Netflix docuseries Cheer, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for child pornography soliciting sex from minors, Variety noted, citing USA Today. Harris, 22, ...
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Jeffrey Epstein cohort Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years
On June 28, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for carrying out a years-long scheme with her longtime confidante (and former boyfriend) Jeffrey Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls, media ...
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Twenty-six people arrested following Chicago Pride Parade
Chicago Police Department (CPD) made 26 arrests in the evening hours following the 51st annual Pride Parade on June 26 2022, according to CPD Superintendent David Brown. Although few incidents occurred during the parade itself, "the drunk ...
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Mass shooting takes place at Norwegian gay club
Oslo's annual Pride parade was canceled June 25 following a deadly shooting at a gay bar that Norwegian police are investigating as a possible terrorist attack, CNN reported. Two people were killed and eight others taken ...
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Murdered man's brother continues search for information about 2004 killing
Video below
A Rockford man is continuing to search for clues about the circumstances surrounding his brother's 2004 murder in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood. Kevin Clewer was found murdered in his apartment on the 3400 block of North ...
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Pride Flag arsons raise alarm, church leaders say
-- From a Metropolitan Community Church press release
The intentional burning of two LGBT Pride flags in Baltimore earlier this week resulted in three people being seriously injured and significant damage to multiple homes, and leaders of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) are expressing ...
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Autopsy shows manner of death in Elise Malary's death is undetermined
The Cook County medical examiner's officer revealed that trans activist Elise Malary died from drowning but that the manner of death could not be determined, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Malary's body was found in Lake Michigan ...
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Batavia police looking into Pride-flag thefts
In Batavia, four Pride flags displayed on homes were stolen overnight on June 15, causing damage, according to ABC 7 Chicago. Authorities said flagpoles and mounts, which displayed the flags, were broken. Two incidents happened in ...
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Man shot outside Lake View nightspot
No one is yet in custody after a shooting along the 3300 block of North Halsted Street during the early morning of June 13. The story was first reported by CWBChicago on June 13. The incident ...
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Spacey charged with sexual assault; UK hearing set for June 16
British authorities have charged actor Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault and a further offense, Deadline reported. The actor has also been charged with causing a person to "engage in penetrative sexual activity without ...
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Idaho police arrest dozens with white nationalist ties near Pride event
In Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, police officers arrested 31 people on June 11 who are believed to be affiliated with the white nationalist group Patriot Front after they were seen gathering near a Pride parade, CNN reported. ...
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States might make having kids at drag events a felony; LGBTQ+ groups respond
Video below
Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini wants to make it a felony for any parent to bring a child to a drag event, WFLA reported. MYSA also noted that Republican Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton announced on ...
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NATIONAL Trans survey, Gays Against Guns, TIME 100, candidates, crimes
Transgender women experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, poor health services and low pay are less likely to receive necessary HIV prevention support or treatment, according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study based on responses from ...
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