A gay man was attacked in queens after refusing to perform oral sex on a stranger, Frank Ocean launched a new queer club night in New York, and a New Jersey city was targeted with anti-gay, Nazi graffiti — here’s some of the LGBTQ stories you need to know:
Matthew Shepard’s Parents Slam AG Barr for Transgender Rights “Hypocrisy”
The parents of gay teen Matthew Shepard, who was brutally killed in an anti-gay attack in Wyoming in 1998, have slammed Attorney General William Barr for refusing to protect trans rights. Judy and Dennis Shepard wrote an open letter criticizing both Barr and the Trump administration for trying to legalize anti-trans discrimination, after Barr invited them to an event recognizing ten years since the passing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. “We find it interesting and hypocritical that he would invite us to this event,” the Shepards wrote, adding, “Mr. Barr, you cannot have it both ways. If you believe that employers should have the right to terminate transgender employees, just because they are transgender, then you believe they are lesser than and not worthy of protection.”
New Jersey Homes Sprayed with Anti-gay, Nazi Graffiti
Police in Trenton, N.J., are investigating after various buildings in the state capital were tagged with swastikas, satanic references, and anti-gay messages. Per The Trentonian: “A black spray-painted Swastika and a picture of an erect, ejaculating penis appeared along a message seemingly targeting tenants of the homes: ‘Fags live here.'” According to reports, at least one Jewish landlord owns properties in the neighborhood targeted, and police are investigating the graffiti as bias crimes.
Gay Man Beaten, Robbed After Refusing Stranger’s Demands for Oral Sex
A gay man in Queens claims he was beaten and robbed by a man who kept demanding that he perform oral sex. The victim, Carlos, told Gay City News that the man “exposed himself, punched him, stole his belongings, and dragged him on the ground — all because he wouldn’t perform oral sex on him.” “When I looked back, he grabbed his penis and said, ‘You want this?’ I didn’t pay attention to it,” Carlos said. “When I turned around a second time, he said, ‘Do you want to suck my dick?’ I said, ‘No.’” Police later arrested 26-year-old Jelani Stewart on charges of robbery and public lewdness.
Frank Ocean Launches Queer Club Night “PrEP+” in NYC
Queer musician Frank Ocean has launched a new club night in New York City called “PrEP+.” According to Queerty, the party “envisions a 1980s LGBTQ community not decimated by AIDS.” An official statement says “PrEP+” will pay “homage to what could have been of the 1980s’ NYC club scene if the drug…. had been invented in that era.” It also notes “[zero] tolerance for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism or any form of discrimination.”
A video of a transgender Brazilian man’s family supporting him after he underwent top surgery has gone viral for all the right reasons. Richard Alcântara, from Sao Paolo, Brazil, was still bandaged following the surgery when he went shirtless around his family — only to be met by the sight of all of the men wearing their own bandages in a wonderful show of support. Watch the reveal — and Alcântara’s emotional reaction — below:
More than a dozen female athletes have sued the National Collegiate Athletic Association over its transgender athlete participation policy.
The 16 female athletes bringing the lawsuit allege that the NCAA’s policy violates their civil rights under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at any educational institution receiving federal funds.
Title IX has ensures that more schools provide athletic teams to women, thereby creating more opportunities to compete.
The athletes at the center of the lawsuit claim that transgender women who have undergone male puberty have a natural physiological advantage over cisgender women.
Sacramento, California, has been designated a "sanctuary city" for transgender individuals.
Last week, the Sacramento City Council approved a resolution ensuring that city resources -- including law enforcement resources -- are not used to aid in out-of-state prosecutions of people who come to California seeking out gender-affirming mental health care, hormone therapy, or surgery.
The resolution prohibits city funds from being used to cooperate with any individuals or out-of-state agencies who are investigating people for pursuing treatments that are legal in California.
"It really started just as a Twitter joke," recalls filmmaker Vera Drew, of her boldly creative comic book movie spoof The People's Joker, a passion project largely inspired by the Oscar-winning 2019 Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix.
"My friend Bri just commissioned me to re-edit Todd Phillips' Joker, and I started doing that," Drew tells Metro Weekly. "And then over the course of a few months, it grew in scope."
As Drew involved other artists in assembling a kaleidoscopic, mixed media take on Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, what started as a joke between friends eventually gained unstoppable momentum. "And as that started happening," says Drew, "it was just like, 'Okay, no, let's just make an original movie here. Let's just make a parody.'"
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