Tag: police

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Men Could Be Registered As "Sex Offenders" After Police Sex Sting

Palm Springs, California police, preparing to conduct a gay sex sting last summer, pushed the district attorney's office to agree in advance to pursue more severe penalties than in prior stings, court documents show. All 24 men arrested in the 2009 Warm Sands neighborhood sting, which police say stemmed from complaints of sex in public, now face charges that would require them to register for life as sex offenders. A District Attoney in the matter has told a prosecution team about the agreement with the police and instructed that anyone arrested in the sting could only plead under California Penal Code section 314, which calls for a lifetime sex offender registry.   Read the full story at The Desert Sun, it seems that the local community remains divided judging from the foregoing reader's comments:

You can be charged as a "sez offender" if you are caught peeing in public. Up to the DA to decide. If you have an over zealous DA who wants to give the appearence of "tough on crime". Many of them are just trying to get on the next rung up on the carrer ladder.

Our police should be commended for there efforts to eradicate these perverts

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Man Arrested For Killing Six Men; Hookups Made Online - BDSM Sex Games

A former pub singer in China’s Hunan province is suspected of coaxing six men to hang themselves while playing sex games. Zhou Youping (age 38 - photo right) is awaiting prosecution and facing murder charges regarding a series of hangings between October and November in Hunan’s capital Changsha. At least six of the cases involved deaths of men who were from out of town. No suicide note was found. Police found that Zhou had booked rooms under a pseudonym in two budget hotels where two of the six victims hanged themselves. He was arrested in November and confessed that he was responsible for the deaths of the six men whom he had met online. Zhou was a frequent visitor to an online chat room set up for homosexual relationships and he promised cash as well as other rewards. He demanded that the men should be his slaves in the hanging games, a media wire report said. He, however, said he watched for enjoyment and had nothing to do with the men before leaving the room. He said he left them to die as he hated them for their desire for money and other rewards. Three men survived Zhou’s hanging games.

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Gay Ex-Cop Publishes Book, Police Chief Calls It 'Fiction'

Orange County Register, Huntington Beach – Adam Bereki said his book "Friendly Fire" is really two books in one. One side is his perspective on being a gay police officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department and the second is his journey after he settled a discrimination lawsuit with the city awarding him about $2.15 million, he said. My hope for this book is simply that it will touch people, and that any who has ever felt 'different' (and who among us hasn't?) will be able to relate in some way," he wrote in the introduction. "I am proud of the person I am becoming, and don't regret a thing that has ever happened to me." Huntington Beach Police Chief Ken Small, who was chief when Bereki was an officer, said he disagrees with the book's accuracy. "Based on the excerpts people have shown me ... this book definitely belongs in the fiction section," he wrote in an e-mail to the Orange County Register. Bereki's 160-page paperback released in March details alleged harassment by law enforcement peers from 2006 to 2007. He said the book is factually based except for names he changed because of legal concerns. "Though California is viewed by much of the country as one of the more gay-friendly states in the union, the Huntington Beach Police Department seemingly occupies an island of its own, pinned in a period of time that runs prior to enlightenment," he wrote in the book's forward labeled "The locker room." "The organization is well stocked with a wealth of good ol' boys who may as well have a sign hanging from the door of their clubhouse reading, 'No fags allowed.'" Bereki, now 30, said after the lawsuit was settled in 2008, he took about a year to write the book and travel to the Philippines, Thailand, Rome, Greece, Turkey and South America. By writing, he learned to no longer "hate myself as a young gay man" and rework his philosophy of law enforcement. "It might sound crazy but I know (the discrimination) is the best thing that could have happened to me," he told the Register. "They were brutal experiences but it kind of was someone slapping me in the head with a frying pan and saying you need to change your perspective." Bereki, who lives in Costa Mesa, said he is now more "comfortable in my own skin." His plans are to promote his book and bring more awareness of gay issues. He is no longer a police officer. "I found a peace and freedom in my life that I never knew possible," he said. Bereki received a $150,000 lump sum payment to end his lawsuit as part of a settlement approved by the City Council in April 2008. He also receives a monthly $4,000 disability payment for the rest of his life - a payout that could reach upward of $2.15 million, records show. This was the first lawsuit of its kind brought against the police department. A second discrimination lawsuit was brought against the city in May 2008 by a lesbian city jailer who said she was harassed by her peers and then pressured not to file a formal complaint. However, an Orange County Superior Court jury decided against the jailer, Catherine Denise Cranford, in March. Crandford has since asked for a new trial. Bereki's book is available on Amazon and at FriendlyFireTheBook.com

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Gay Jesus Play Called Blasphemous, Xtra Security Needed For Performance

Security will be increased at Tarleton State University in Texas when a play in which Jesus is portrayed as gay will be presented on Saturday. The production called "Corpus Christi" is being directed by student John Jordan Otte, who says he wants to offer a play that portrays tolerance and unconditional love. Critics say the play is blasphemous. School police Chief Justin Williams says university officers will be assisted with security by police in Stephenville, a city of 17,000 located 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio has said the play will be allowed because the school is committed to protecting and preserving freedom of thought, speech and expression. The Terrence McNally play premiered in New York in 1998. A promotional clip is embedded below. News Release from Tarleton A scheduled student production that is part of an undergraduate theatre class at Tarleton State University will consist of four different one-act plays. All material is chosen, acted, produced and directed by students. It is a class assignment and not a university production. One of the plays, “Corpus Christi,” is set in modern times in Texas and depicts a gay man whose life the playwright parallels to that of Christ in an attempt to seek higher awareness of Christ’s difficulties and torments. According to theater critics and the playwright, the overall theme is about tolerance and acceptance. The university understands that the student’s selection of this particular material is offensive to some members of the Tarleton community. We value civility and always regret the use of words or actions that offend others. “Having lived in Stephenville for more than 20 years, I am very committed to this community and I take care when selecting productions,” said Mark Holtorf, associate professor of theatre at Tarleton. According to Holtorf, “The performance of “Corpus Christi” is being done in an advanced directing class. It is a class assignment, not a play intended for the general public. It is not part of our theatre season. The play was selected by a student, paid for by a student and will be performed by students as a part of that class. “As a faculty member, it is my role to help students consider the implications of their choices, and I have done that in this case. However, it is not my role to censor the students’ selections of material for an advanced class. I must hold that freedom of artistic expression as a cornerstone of education. The First Amendment of the Constitution grants that freedom to all. If we censor one, we censor all.” Public universities are expected to provide for students, faculty and staff the same constitutional freedoms afforded the general public, particularly in such areas as freedom of thought, speech and expression. Perhaps nowhere in our society are these freedoms more debated than in the fine arts. It is the case from time to time that a public university will be the site of a particular play, a specific speech, an art exhibit or reading of a piece of literature, poetry or prose that is viewed both within and without the university as offensive to some, as art by others. Tarleton has reviewed this matter with legal counsel and confirmed that free speech is protected on the campuses of Texas public universities. “The law clearly supports the students in the exercise of their rights granted under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” according to The Texas A&M University System Office of General Counsel. In addition to the students’ rights, there are important academic freedom rights of the faculty involved. Tarleton State University understands that some persons may be offended by a performance, speech or other form of expression on campus. At the same time, the university as a public institution of higher learning is committed to protecting and preserving the freedoms of thought, speech and expression. STORY FROM FOX FT WORTH

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Gay Man Handcuffs Himself To White House Fence

A gay ex-soldier from Sandusky, Ohio was arrested Thursday in Washington, D.C., after handcuffing himself to the fence in front of the White House. At about 1:55 p.m., James Pietrangelo II, 44, who moved to Sandusky in the summer of 2009, was arrested by U.S. Park Police along with Dan Choi, 29, a gay Iraq war veteran from New York City, officials said. Pietrangelo and Choi said nothing as park officers removed their handcuffs using a skeleton key of sorts and took them into custody, said Sgt. David Schlosser, a park police spokesman. “They were very cooperative,” Schlosser said. “This was classic demonstration-type stuff. They were looking to make their point, not cause destruction, violence, mayhem or anything like that.” Dressed in military uniforms, the pair were charged with failure to obey a lawful order, a misdemeanor offense, which generally carries punishments ranging from reprimands to a stint in jail, Schlosser said. U.S. Park regulations require protesters to remain in motion while demonstrating, a caveat which Pietrangelo and Choi clearly violated, officials said. They were taken to the city’s central cell block. Pietrangelo had a court hearing Friday where he was arraigned. Officials say Pietrangelo and Choi carried no signs and did not vocalize their motive for shackling themselves to the fence, but an article in the New York Daily Post says the pair were surrounded by protesters who chanted, “’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has got to go.” Numerous videos and photos posted on CNN.com, YouTube and on various gay-rights blogs show two men in military uniform identified as Choi and Pietrangelo walking with chanting protesters, standing in front of the White House fence, or talkng in front of a federal courthouse after their release. Pietrangelo and Choi are fervent opponents of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prevents gay and lesbian soldiers from openly declaring their sexual preferences. Last year, Pietrangelo tried to legally challenge the constitutionality of the policy, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case. Pietrangelo and 11 other petitioners contended their military discharges violated their free speech, due process and equal protection rights under the First and Fifth Amendments, court records show. But the lower courts dismissed their challenge, the appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision, and the Supreme Court rejected the case. Two soldiers — presumably Choi and Pietrangelo — spoke earlier on Thursday at a rally organized by the Human Rights Campaign to decry “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The stunt in front of the White House allegedly was an extension of that rally. The Daily News article says that Choi is contesting the New York National Guard’s attempts to kick him out for openly declaring he’s gay. In a 2009 interview with Time magazine, Pietrangelo condemned President Barack Obama for failing to live up to his promise to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Pietrangelo joined the military in 1991 as an infantryman, but was kicked out in 2004 for openly declaring he is homosexual, according to the Time article. Calls made to Pietrangelo’s cell phone went directly to voicemail and relatives could not be reached for comment. In an unrelated case, Pietrangelo is suing the Sandusky Library and a couple of Sandusky police officers for allegedly violating his civil rights by kicking him out of the library and barring him from the public entity. In all of his legal endeavors, Pietrangelo represents himself.

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LAPD VICE STING: More Men Having Sex In Public Parks Get Busted

An increase in males having sex in public parks in northeast Los Angeles has resulted in more of them being arrested on suspicion of performing lewd acts, Los Angeles police vice officers said today. More than 90 males were arrested in 2009 -- up from 75 in 2008 -- on suspicion of lewd conduct in the Northeast area, including Elysian Park, Griffith Park and Sycamore Grove Park, and police want to curtail the trend. "We took two stations out on an undercover operation," LAPD Vice Sgt. Lisa Phillips said at a news conference today. "The whole purpose, intention and goal of this operation is to get the word out to the community at large that this is a serious problem." During the news conference, police showed video of arrests made by undercover officers. The video also showed park areas littered with used condoms. "Many participants have been arrested frequently for the same activity and claim to be married and heterosexual," according to a police statement. Police warned that some of the males have been assaulted and robbed by gang members during their sexual encounters.Other park users are complaining about the public sexual encounters, police said. "Numerous complaints from people utilizing the parks for jogging, picnics, bicycling and similar activities are also a contributing factor," the statement said. Police also expressed concern that some of those arrested had engaged in unsafe sex, which increases the risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases.

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Las Vegas Law Enforcement Get Special Instructions on Handling Gays

The Las Vegas Tax Authority is a division of law enforcement, so questions of how the agency deals with the public are a matter of public concern. Indeed, some are concerned at the revelation that the agency’s officers’ handbook contains instructions regarding communicable diseases that lump gays with prostitutes and drug users as a class of people that are defined as "high risk" for carrying disease. A March 2 article at Las Vegas Now.com reported that the policy manual used by TA employees instructs officers to use special care and protective equipment such as protective gloves when dealing with gays and others in the "high risk" category. The Website, which is affiliated with local news station and CBS affiliate Channel 8, said that some of the agency’s own people find the categorization of gays as disease carriers likened to drug users and prostitutes to be offensive. "It took my breath away to read that," said Scott Lewis, a onetime TA officer. "It lumps in homosexuals and gays with drug users and prostitutes. Drug users and prostitutes as we know are criminals." Added Lewis, "My question is, what is a homosexual? How can you tell? Would you ask them, ’Are you homosexual?’ and then stop, as it says, for your personal protective equipment," said Lewis. The story notes the irony of the policy manual’s categorization of gays in light of outreach by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority draw GLBT vacationers to Las Vegas. "It is medically, politically and socially unacceptable now," said Lee Plotkinhe, who serves as the Nevada Equal Rights Commissioner. "Does this mean Siegfried and Roy couldn’t have gotten a cab to the Mirage? Does this mean Elton John couldn’t get a cab to Caesars Palace? It’s just ridiculous." The story reported that all the other law enforcement agencies in the state have either scrubbed such references to gays, or are in the process of doing so. The TA claimed to Channel 8 that it, too, had updated its policy manual and removed the anti-gay language, but the story reported that the amended manual was is use among administrative personnel, with officers on the street still using the unchanged version. An unnamed officer currently with the Taxi Authority indicated that GLBTs aren’t the only ones that the TA views with institutional bias. "You’ve had investigators calling drivers rag heads, sand n----rs," he told Channel 8. "The environment in the TA is awful. It’s been brought to the chief investigators desk, and the administrator, and nothing has been done. Nothing." As noted in a recent two-part EDGE article on police LGBT liaison units, the GLBT community still tends to regard the police with distrust. Though many departments have liaison units, they may come into existence in response to a situation such as the raid that Fort Worth law enforcement carried out against a gay bar on the thirtieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and be viewed as a public relations afterthought. In departments with well-established liaison units, there may be little training--or training of dubious effectiveness--on diversity issues outside of the unit’s officers. In terms of taxi services and gays, one story that caught media attention late last year was an incident in which a New York cabbie threw two gay men out his cab. The cabbie said that the men were engaged in sexual activity in the back seat, and that he had asked them to stop before finally ordering them out. The passengers, 27-year-old Paul Bruno and his boyfriend, said that they were merely hugging, and denied that any overtly sexual activity was taking place that would have distracted the driver. So-called "service refusals" can be costly, because cabbies can be fined for denying rides to passengers. A third strike can even result in the loss of a cabbie’s license. A similar incident took place in Minneapolis in 2005 when a cabbie, who was thought to be Muslim, ordered a trio of gay men out of his cab after he saw one man give one of the others a kiss. At that point, one of the men said, the driver lashed out at them verbally, "making statements like he can’t be surrounded by people like us--it was against his religion," and told the men to "’Burn in hell,’ ’Go to hell.’" Story Reposted From EDGE Boston written by Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor

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Gay Bartender Claims Homophobe Beat Him With Baseball Bat!

SeattleCrime has the story of a gay bartender who claims he was left battered by a homophobe with a baseball bat. But like many tales that take place late at night after a couple rounds, it's still not clear who's telling the whole truth. Police showed up on the scene around 3 a.m., where they found a man who identified himself as a bartender from Capitol Hill's Neighbours in Seattle, Washington. The victim said he was walking with a friend when two men sitting in a silver Mercedes started yelling gay epithets. The bartender says he confronted the men, one of whom got out wielding a baseball bat, hit him over the head and then left. But an eyewitness says there's a little more to it than a simple assault-and-battery. A security guard who watched the attack claims the victim slammed his hands on the trunk of the Mercedes. Rather than attacking him outright, the guard claims the driver was dared by the drunk bartender to hit him. When the victim lunged at the man he was struck in the head with the bat, says the guard. Then hit once more when the drunk bartender -- who repeatedly told responding medics he was a "cowboy" -- lunged again.

When police confronted the bartender with the guard's version of events, he eventually admitted that a friend had taken him away from the scene. Police then asked the bartender if he'd had too much to drink."No, I haven't had too much to drink...I'm a bartender," the man told police. "When I told him that the comment doesn't mean much...he looked confused and then said "Blow me!," Officer Kathryn Andre wrote in her report. "I believed he meant a breathilyzer to show his level of intoxication."

Police are investigating the incident as an anti-gay assault. They're also said to be very disappointed, yet not surprised, that another hired badge stood and watched while someone got their ass beat.

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Three Charged With Hate Crime For Alleged Anti-Gay Attack On Train

Three Evanston, Illinois men are charged with a hate crime for an attack on a man they perceived to be gay, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's office. (Photo left to right Sean Little, Benjamin Eder, Kevin McAndrew) The attack happened January 10 on a CTA Red Line train. The three men allegedly began making "anti-gay" remarks to a passenger. Another passenger got involved and the men then physically attacked him. Prosecutors say the men beat the 33-year-old victim and called him "faggot" and other derogatory terms. The fight spilled out to the platform when the train stopped at the Argyle Station and police came and broke it up. The men charged are Sean Little, 21, Benjamin Eder, 23, and Kevin McAndrew, 23. They were originally charged with misdemeanor battery. The hate crime charges were filed yesterday. If convicted, they face a maximum 5 year sentence. “The damage of a crime such as this goes well beyond the original victim and permeates the entire community," said State's Attorney Anita Alvarez in a press release. "These crimes are taken seriously and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Bond for each suspect was set at $10,000.