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Jussie Smollett back to work; BET+ plans to show his directorial debut
Embattled former Empire actor Jussie Smollett is back to work after being convicted of faking a hate crime in Chicago earlier this year, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Smollett, 39, makes his directorial debut in the movie ...
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Kevin Spacey charged with sexual assault in the UK
In the United Kingdom, embattled actor Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent," Variety reported. The decision ...
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Governor Pritzker, Lt. Governor Stratton comment on Texas tragedy
-- From a press release
Chicago — In the wake of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that killed at least 19 students and two adults, Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton released the following ...
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NBA coach/former Chicago Bull pleads for gun control after Texas shootings
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr discussed something besides basketball in his pregame news conference heading into Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Many 24, ESPN noted. "Since we left ...
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Gov. Pritzker signs legislation addressing rise in organized retail thefts
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — On May 13, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined Attorney General Kwame Raoul, lawmakers, advocates and law-enforcement officials to sign legislation designed to combat a nationwide rise in coordinated retail thefts. "This new law represents ...
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WORLD South Africa, Greek ruling, soccer items, singer attacked
South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa praised his country for creating a conducive environment for LGB people to practice same-sex marriages and partnerships, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Speaking at a Freedom Day celebration in Mpumalanga, ...
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Virginia trans teen killed at party
The life of Black transgender girl Ariyanna Mitchell, 17, ended violently at a party in Hampton, Virginia, on April 2—and the accused killer asked her if she was a boy or a girl before shooting her, ...
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'Moulin Rouge' performance canceled after Loop shooting
Broadway In Chicago canceled the May 1 performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, following the nearby shooting in The Loop, ABC 7 Chicago reported. A 27-year-old man and a 55-year-old ...
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Rape, murder of Kenyan lesbian spark outrage
Kenyan authorities said six men who raped and murdered Sheila Adhiambo Lumumba, 25, on April 19 in her home in Karatina actually targeted her because of her sexual orientation, The Washington Blade reported. The body of ...
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Roommate indicted in death of Florida LGBTQ+-rights activist
A Florida grand jury indicted a man for first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the death of his roommate—LGBTQ+-rights advocate Jorge Diaz-Johnston, brother of former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, CNN reported. ...
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Cook County state's attorney expunges 15,000+ cannabis convictions
-- From a press release
CHICAGO - On Friday, April 22, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) will present 214 additional cannabis cases to be automatically expunged, bringing the total to 15,191. The Cannabis Expungement Project nears an end following ...
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Wealthy California politico sentenced for deaths of two Black gay men
On April 14, U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder sentenced former West Hollywood resident and LGBTQ+-rights activist Ed Buck, 67, to 30 years in federal prison for supplying the methamphetamine that killed two gay Black men—Gemmel ...
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Gov. Pritzker lauds legislation to strengthen Illinois' response to military sexual violence
-- From a press release
SPRINGFIELD — In a nation-leading effort to protect survivors of military sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable, the Illinois National Guard worked closely with state Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tony ...
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Lynching now a federal hate crime
After multiple failed attempts that spanned more than a century, there is now a federal law that designates lynching as a hate crime, NPR reported. In a March 29 ceremony at the White House, President Joe Biden signed ...
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Woman found dead along Evanston lakeshore confirmed to be trans-rights activist Elise Malary
A woman whose body was found on an Evanston beach the evening of March 17 has been identified as missing activist Elise Malary, Chicago Sun-Times reported. The body was found in Lake Michigan at the 500 ...
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Barrington LGBTQ+ students allegedly targeted by pellet-gun shootings
Two Barrington High School students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community were allegedly targeted in a pellet-gun shooting on campus this week, The Chicago Tribune reported. Officials said the incident is likely related to the ...
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Former Ind. college president pleads no contest to child sex-crime charges
On March 17, the former president of Indiana's Franklin College pled no contest to child sex-crime charges in a Wisconsin court, WRTV reported. The college fired Thomas Minar in January 2020 after he was arrested on ...
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Former Chicago alderman sentenced to 13 months in prison
On March 17, U.S. District Judge John Kness sentenced former Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz to 13 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, The Chicago Tribune reported. Munoz stole tens of thousands of dollars ...
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Smollett ordered released while case is appealed
The legal developments involving embattled Empire actor Jussie Smollett seem to have more twists and turns than any episode of his former show. Smollett was ordered released from jail on March 17, pending appeal of his ...
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Jussie Smollett receives sentence for reporting fake hate crime; Kim Foxx responds [UPDATE]
More than three years after reporting a homophobic and racist hate crime against himself that a jury ruled he faked, Cook County Court Judge James Linn sentenced embattled actor Jussie Smollett to ...
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Hulu to stream Ryan Murphy projects 'Pose,' 'AHS' and 'Crime Story' starting March 7
Hulu will stream three of out gay producer Ryan Murphy's most acclaimed and award-winning hit shows from FX and 20th Television: American Crime Story, American Horror Story and Pose, a press release noted. For the very ...
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Smollett seeks new trial or not-guilty verdict
Embattled actor/singer Jussie Smollett filed paperwork seeking either a new trial in Chicago or a not-guilty verdict two months after he was convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime against himself in 2019 that supposedly happened ...
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WORLD Russia, hate crimes in Israel, Gus Kenworthy, Indian state
The Russian government made an unsuccessful attempt to shut down one of the country's largest and most prominent LGBTQ-rights groups, but human rights advocates say there are likely more attempts on the horizon, NBC News noted. ...
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Kim Potter receives sentence for killing Daunte Wright
Kim Potter—the former Minnesota police officer convicted of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright—was sentenced to two years in state custody on Feb. 18. The sentence was lower than that permitted by state sentencing guidelines, ...
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Lightfoot, city leaders, advocates highlight increasing rates of domestic violence
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, city and community leaders highlighted the increase in domestic violence-related incidents in Chicago throughout the pandemic and the support and services available to domestic ...
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Former 'Cheer' star pleads guilty in child-porn case
Jerry Harris, one of the stars of the Netflix series Cheer, has pled guilty in a federal child-pornography case, media outlets reported. According to NBC News, Harris, 22, was indicted in December 2020 on numerous charges ...
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WORLD Beijing Olympics, Honduras crimes, Grindr, Argentina agency
At least 35 of this year's Olympic athletes are openly LGBTQ+—more than double the number of queer competitors from the 2018 winter competition in PyeongChang, South Korea, according to an NBC News item that cited the ...
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WORLD Church officials come out, Polish bill, crimes, Hannah Gadsby
More than 100 Catholic church officials in Germany came out as LGBT, queer or non-binary, adding to calls for reform within the crisis-hit church, TheLocal.de reported. Demands for a more liberal attitude to homosexuality within the ...
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With her sexual orientation called a motive to kill, she's now appealing for clemency
This story was initially produced by Injustice Watch, a nonprofit newsroom focused on exposing institutional failures that obstruct justice and equality. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter here. Prosecutors in Bernina Mata's 1999 murder trial made ...
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Smollett to be sentenced March 10
On Jan. 27, a judge set an in-person sentencing hearing for March 10 for embattled actor Jussie Smollett (Alien Covenant; TV's Empire), who was convicted by a jury last December of faking a hate crime attack ...
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Ex-NU professor sentenced for fatally stabbing boyfriend
On Jan. 25, former Northwestern University professor Wyndham Latham—who, in October 2021, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Trenton Cornell—was sentenced to 53 years in prison, WGN-TV reported. Lathem, 47, was ...
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WORLD Namibia ruling, crimes, LGBTQ+ film festival, blogger sentenced
Namibia's High Court ruled against two same-sex couples fighting for recognition of their marriages, with Judge Hannelie Prinsloo saying she agreed with them but was bound by the nation's prohibition of same-sex relations, Reuters reported. Daniel ...
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Chief Judge Evans responds to Mayor Lightfoot's request on electronic monitoring
-- Press release from Office of the Chief Judge Cook County Circuit Court
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans responded Jan. 19 to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's request for a moratorium on use of electronic monitoring for defendants accused of certain violent crimes by pointing out the national and state ...
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Amariey Lej, 20 year old Black trans woman, killed in Pennsylvania
-- From a NBJC press release
WILKINSBURG, PA- The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the loss of Amariey Lej, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman. Amariey was shot and found lying in the streets of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 2022. Lej ...
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Duval Princess, 24 year old Black trans woman, found shot to death in Florida
--From a NBJC press release
FLORIDA The National Black Justice Coalition mourns the loss of Duval Princess, a 24-year-old Black transgender woman. Princess was found shot in a car at Highland Square shopping center in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 3, ...
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Ahmaud Arbery's killers sentenced to life
On Jan. 7, three white men who chased and murdered Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison in a Georgia courthouse for the 25-year-old's murder in 2020. According to CNN.com, Travis McMichael, 35; his father, ...
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Trans woman killed at Indianapolis nightclub
Ke'Yahonna Stone, a 32-year-old trans woman and community advocate, died after being shot in the parking lot of an Indianapolis nightclub, LGBTQ Nation reported. The shooting occurred early Dec. 26 outside the Epic Ultra Lounge. Stone ...
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Jury reaches verdict in Ghislaine Maxwell case
On Dec. 29, jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on five of six counts related to her role in Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of minor girls between 1994 and 2004, CNN.com reported. The trial, which took place ...
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Judge orders release of report on handling of Smollett case
On Dec. 20, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin authorized the release of a report exploring the way Cook County prosecutors and Chicago police handled the Jussie Smollett matter, The Chicago Tribune reported. The move came after ...
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USA Gymnastics, USOPC reach $380M settlement with abuse victims
On Dec. 13, a federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis confirmed a $380-million settlement between USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee with hundreds of victims of former national team doctor Larry Nassar, among others, ...
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VIEWS Will Smollett's hoax affect public perception of hate crimes?
Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett was recently found guilty on five of the six counts of felony disorderly conduct for concocting an elaborate racist and homophobic assault against himself. Each Class 4 felony count can land ...
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Smollett guilty on five counts
After over nine hours of deliberation, a jury found actor Jussie Smollett guilty Dec. 9 of faking an anti-gay hate crime against himself in Streeterville on Jan. 2019, according to multiple reports. Smollett was guilty of ...
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Remembering Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier
Trans Omnibus Project
"And hold that pose for me." That's what Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier's family would hear in the middle of the night, as Ciara was up late voguing, said her sister Lunetta Frazier. "We definitely miss her, ...
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Remembering Tyianna Alexander
Trans Omnibus Project
Chicagoan Tyianna Alexander, also known as Davarea Alexander, was the first trans woman to die by murder in the city in 2021. She was 28. Alexander was shot to death the morning of Jan. 6 at the 800 block of West ...
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Remembering T.T. Saffore
Trans Omnibus Project
Jaliyah Armstrong can still remember how brightly T.T. Saffore smiled. "Silly T.T.," Armstrong called her. Saffore's "magic" that jokester smile would bring Armstrong solace regardless of what was going on around them. ...
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Remembering Paige Clay
Trans Omnibus Project
Paige Clay could turn anything into a runway. One time, she strutted up and down the middle of a street, feet sashaying on the yellow lines and cars driving past her in both directions. The wind ...
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Remembering Tiffany Gooden
Trans Omnibus Project
When Tiffany Gooden was killed in August 2012, she was only 19 years old. Almost a decade later, her murder remains unsolved but there's more to her than the details of her death, according to her friends ...
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Remembering Tiara Richmond/Keke Collier
Trans Omnibus Project
Tiara Richmond, also known as Keke Collier, was killed on Feb. 21, 2017, after being shot while sitting in a car with a man in Englewood. She was only 24 years old and was the second Black transgender woman killed in ...
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Remembering Tiara Banks
Trans Omnibus Project
On April 21, 2021, transgender woman Tiara Banks was killed in her car in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. According to local news reports, Banks, 24, was sitting alone in her Ford Fusion when a ...
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Remembering Courtney Eshay Key
Trans Omnibus Project
Courtney Eshay Key, 25, was a loyal and outspoken friend. She loved to make jokes, wear colorful wigs and invite friends to cook for her. In late 2020, she confided to a friend at a party that she was ready to ...
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Remembering Dejanay Stanton
Trans Omnibus Project
Although Darius Stanton had not seen his sister, Dejanay, in 12 years, he can clearly remember how Dejanay's laugh would fill up a room. It would echo and bounce off the walls. He remembers how infectious ...
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Remembering Selena Reyes-Hernandez
Trans Omnibus Project
Selena Reyes-Hernandez, 37, lived on the Southwest Side of Chicago in the Marquette Park neighborhood. She was an artist and used the stage name Selene Maldonado. In the early hours of May 31, 2020, an 18-year-old ...
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Remembering Chicagoans lost to anti-trans violence
Intro to the Chicago Reader/Windy City Times Trans Omnibus Project
Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) Chicagoans have not escaped the epidemic of violence that has faced so many TGNC people in the United States. A group of Windy City Times fellows, as part of a project ...
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Advocates: Black, Latinx trans women vulnerable to violence; holistic approach needed
Trans Omnibus Project
At least 48 trans or gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people have been murdered in the United States in 2021, making it the deadliest year on record for that demographic, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Most of the ...
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Webber cleared of criminal charges in spring incident
Criminal charges against business owner Christy Webber that arose from an alleged altercation on the West Side this past spring have been dropped. Webber, a prominent LGBTQ+ activist who also owns Christy Webber Landscapes and Christy ...
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Jussie Smollett takes stand on own behalf, alleges bathhouse visit with witness
On Dec. 6, former Empire actor Jussie Smollett testified in his own defense that he paid $3,500 to a friend for a fitness plan for him, not to arrange a fake hate-crime beating on himself, The ...
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Indiana victim of serial killer ID'd 40 years after being found
A 19-year-old from Jasper County, Indiana, has been identified as a victim of serial killer Larry Eyler—nearly 40 years after the victim died, ABC 7 Chicago reported. The remains of William Joseph Lewis of Peru, Indiana, ...
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Jury selection in Smollett trial to start Nov. 29
Jury selection is set to begin Nov. 29 in the trial of embattled former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who allegedly lied to Chicago police in January 2019 about being the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack. ...
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Three white men found guilty in fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery
On Nov. 24, a jury found three white men guilty of murder and other charges in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, who was Black, early last year, according to media reports. Father and son Gregory ...
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AFC commemorates passing of the HIV decriminalization law with World AIDS Day event Dec. 1
--From a press release
The World AIDS Day Community Celebration of the Historic Passage of HB1063, which ended criminal penalties against people living with HIV, will be hosted by AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC). It will also commemorate World AIDS Day ...
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Community mourns the losses of transgender people, celebrates the living at TDOR event
During the Trans Day of Remembrance/Resilience (TDOR) on Nov. 20, community members gathered for a town hall and memorial to remember the losses and lives of trans people in Chicago and beyond. Hosted by Brave Space ...
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The National Black Justice Coalition mourns death of Angel Naira
--From a press release
ALIQUIPPA, PA — The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the death of Angel Naira, a 36-year-old Black transgender woman. Naira was shot to death in her home in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, on November 11, 2021. She ...
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Kyle Rittenhouse found not guilty on all charges
On Nov. 19 in Wisconsin, a Kenosha County jury composed of seven women and five men acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges against him, finding the teenage gunman acted in self-defense when he fatally shot two ...
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WORLD Italian senate, Polish bill, LGBTQ+ Afghans, soccer player
Italy's senate killed a bill that would have made violence against LGBTQ+ and disabled people, as well as misogyny, a hate crime, The Guardian reported. The 315-member senate voted 154 to 131 to block the debate ...
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Another John Wayne Gacy victim identified
On Oct. 25, the Cook County sheriff's office announced that another previously unnamed victim of the infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy has been identified, NBC Chicago reported. Authorities have identified the human remains formerly known ...
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NATIONAL Trans women in sports, Grindr crime, 'Berlin Patient,' trans death
Sports icon Billie Jean King, U.S. National Women's Soccer Team Co-Captain and World Cup Champion Megan Rapinoe, and WNBA stars Layshia Clarendon and Brianna Turner joined more than 150 fellow athletes in women's sports to support ...
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Stephen Amell, 'Outlander' star to be at Wizard World Chicago
Stephen Amell, known to millions as the crime-fighting vigilante lead in the hit TV series Arrow, will return to Wizard World Chicago on Saturday, Oct. 16. Amell—who also starred in DC Universe vehicles such as DC's ...
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WORLD False report, Indian activist dies, fashion exhibit, LGBT Awards
In Spain, a man who claimed eight hooded men carved an anti-gay slur on his butt using a knife in a horrific hate crime later said the act was consensual, according to out.com. According to police ...
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WORLD Trapped in Afghanistan, lesbian pioneer, anti-gay crimes, Valencia's bid
Among the Americans trapped in the suburban areas of Kabul, Afghanistan, under Taliban control was Josie Thomas, 32, a transgender government contractor for the U.S. State Department and former U.S. Air Force Sergeant, The Washington Blade ...
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NATIONAL Biden nominees, San Diego crime, HRC, Fox News contributor
President Joe Biden reappointed out lesbian Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum as a commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which is an advisory post pertaining to issues of religious freedom, Gay City News reported. ...
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Wis. man attacks trans couple but won't be charged with a hate crime
In Wisconsin, a La Crosse official said incomplete state laws prevented them from charging a man with a hate crime after he attacked a transgender couple in a public park, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. La ...
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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 report features ...
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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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Court overturns Cosby's sex-assault conviction
On June 30, Pennsylvania's highest court overturned Bill Cosby's sex-assault conviction after finding an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case, ABC7NY.com reported. Cosby has served more than two years ...
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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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