Maryland Attorney General Says State Will Recognize Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages
February 24, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
After a year of waiting, at a press conference today in Annapolis, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler stated that effectively immediately Maryland will recognize out-of-state same sex marriages.
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) said Wednesday that effective immediately, and until challenged in court, the state recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and that Maryland agencies should begin affording out-of-state gay couples all the rights they have been awarded in other places.
“State agencies in Maryland will recognize out-of-state gay marriages as of right now,” Gansler said at a news conference explaining the effect of a long-awaited opinion he released Wednesday morning.
This announcement comes hours after Gansler’s opinion was released stating that the state should recognize out-of-state same sex marriages. But it was unclear as to whether or not that opinion had legal standing:
Earlier in the day, most lawmakers in the state capital had interpreted Gansler’s opinion as having not gone that far. But Gansler said that in his role as the chief legal adviser to all executive branch agencies, his opinion now dictates how state agencies should respond when same-sex couples from elsewhere request benefits and legal protections they would have been awarded in the four New England states and Iowa, where same-sex marriages are legal.
The issue will soon become far less abstract in Maryland, with the District expected to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples this spring.
“It’s not that foreign of a concept, I mean, it’s just people, it’s just like any other heterosexual couples,” Gansler said. “However a heterosexual couple is treated that was validly married in Maryland or elsewhere, [a same-sex couple] will be treated like that here in Maryland, unless and until a court or the legislature decides differently.”
Several legal scholars said the opinion appeared designed to spur court action, and Gansler acknowledged that he expects his opinion will be challenged quickly. He said it will likely be up to the state’s highest court to issue a final verdict, but he said he believes his opinion now provides a road map that didn’t exist for same-sex couples to win in court.
Many LGBT organizations have released statements. Here are a few:
“The Attorney General’s opinion is also consistent with Maryland’s public policy, which has steadily supported increasing legal protections for same-sex couples and their families. In recent years, the legislature has granted approximately 15 protections of legal marriage to same-gender couples in the areas of medical decision-making and inheritance,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Executive Director of Equality Maryland.
“However, most of the 400+ state-level legal protections of marriage still remain out of reach to thousands of committed couples. Only civil marriage here at home and an end to discrimination by the federal government will provide full and equal protection under the law,” said Meneses-Sheets. “We call on state agencies honor the laws of Maryland by taking steps immediately to honor the legal marriages of these couples.”
“This important opinion is consistent with the long-standing tradition of legal recognition of valid marriages entered into in other states. And it is a positive development that will mean greater security, stability and peace of mind for legally married same-gender spouses whose marriages should rightfully be honored here at home,” said ACLU of Maryland Executive Director Susan Goering.
GLAAD:
“This is an important step as advocates in Maryland continue their work towards marriage equality,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “Now more than ever, Maryland residents – and Americans everywhere- need to hear personal stories from loving and committed gay and lesbian couples at the heart of these decisions because as fair-minded people get to know these couples, public support for marriage equality grows.”
Related Posts:LGBT Organizations Urge Advocates and Allies to Remember Slain Teen Lawrence King
February 9, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
February 12th, 2010 marks the second anniversary of the Lawrence King murder. King, an eighth-grader from Ventura, CA, was shot in the head and killed by a classmate in 2008 because of his perceived sexual orientation and gender expression.
GLAAD, GSA Network, GLSEN, Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality California are urging LGBT advocates and allies to honor King’s memory and call for an end to violence and harassment in the classroom directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Here is an update on what some organizations are doing:
GSA is hosting a vigil at Los Angeles City Hall at 7 o’clock P.M. Their site provides individuals with an action guide offering tips on how you can honor King’s life and how to mobilize and inform those in your community. Here is an excerpt:
Inform:
- Ask your administration to let your Gay-Straight Alliance club make an announcement on the PA system asking for a 30 second vow of silence to remember Lawrence King. Include who he was and why remembering him is important for you and your school.
- Make an altar for Lawrence King to visually represent the violence LGBTQ students face. Ask to display it at school. Include the time and place where your GSA meets so students can get more involved with your club.
- Write a letter to your campus newspaper demanding that violence against LGBTQ people stop. Write about Lawrence King and why it’s important for your school to stand up to hate. Give the time and place where your GSA meets.
- Organize an anti-violence assembly at your school. Invite speakers who can either talk about Lawrence King’s live and death or about the violence in schools against LGBTQ youth.
- Work with other students or groups on campus to organize a “No Violence Week.” Have discussions, show movies, or make posters about the violence and bullying in our schools.
Read the complete guide here.
On GLSEN’s “Remembering Lawrence” web page, they asking those to register events and join Facebook and MySpace groups to show their support. Here is a list of registered events so far
California
Spectrum Lawrence King Vigil
Camarillo, California
Friday, February 12, 2010
6:00 PM
Location: California State University Chanel Islands
Co-Sponsored By: Spectrum Center for Multicultural Engagement Center for Civic Engagement Housing and Education
Questions: http://vcra.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4520621&highlight=vigil kari.moss@csuci.edu
Remembering Larry
Culver City, California
Friday, February 12, 2010
All Day
Location: 4401 Elenda St
Co-Sponsored By: Culver City High School Gay Straight Alliance
Remembering Lawrence King
Los Angeles, California
Friday, February 12, 2010
7:00pm
Location: Los Angeles City Hall – South Steps
On First St. between Main and Spring
Co-Sponsored By: GSA Network
Questions: www.gsanetwork.org/lawrenceking daniel@gsanetwork.org 213.482.4021
Remember Lawrence King
Los Banos, California
Friday, February 12, 2010
3:30
Location: Los Banos High School
Co-Sponsored By: Gay/Straight Alliance
Questions: nnelson@losbanosusd.k12.ca.us
Illinois
Remember Lawrence
Mattoon, Illinois
Friday, February 12, 2010
All Day
Location: Lake Land College
Co-Sponsored By: BGLADD (Bisexuals, Gays, Lesbians, and Allies to Develop Diversity) of Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL.
Questions: http://www.myspace.com/b_gladd
Minnesota
End the Violence
Blaine, Minnesota
Friday, February 12, 2010
11:00 a.m – 1:00 p.m
Location: Blaine High School
Co-Sponsored By: Blaine High School Gay Straight Alliance
Texas
Time for A Change presents: remembering Larry
Southlake, Texas
Friday, February 12, 2010
6:00 pm
Location: Bicentennial park
Co-Sponsored By: Time for A Change
Questions: T4c.me Info.timeforachange@gmail.coM 214.578.0119
Virginia
“I Love Larry”
Arlington, Virginia
Friday, February 12, 2010
All Day
Location: Wakefield High School
Co-Sponsored By: The Wakefield High School Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Questions: jclisham@arlington.k12.va.us 703-228-6711
Candle Light Vigil
Univ Richmond, Virginia
Friday, February 12, 2010
6:30pm
Location: Forum on Campus
Co-Sponsored By: Student Alliance for Sexual Diversity
Questions: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=292384489684&ref=mf sasdur@gmail.com
Register your event online here.
The Ventura County Rainbow Alliance is hosting an event at California State University Channel Islands campus sponsored by Spectrum (the gay/straight student alliance), the Center for Multicultural Engagement, the Multicultural and Women’s & Gender Student Center, School of Education, Student Housing and the Center for Community Engagement.
Learn more about their event here.
Related Posts:Vigils Planned Across the Nation to Remember 15 Year-Old Lawrence King
February 2, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Two years after an unthinkable act of hate in California, vigils are being organized across the country to remember Lawrence “Larry” King, a 15 year-old boy who was shot and killed by a classmate because of his perceived sexual orientation and gender expression.
On February 12, organizations and individuals nationwide will honor Larry’s memory and call for an end to violence and harassment in the classroom directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
A 2007 study conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that more than 9 out of 10 LGBT middle school students surveyed (91%) said they experienced harassment at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, 59% experienced physical harassment and a startling 39% said they had been physically assaulted, nearly twice as many as in high school (20%). That same study found that more than 8 out of 10 LGBT middle school students (82%) reported hearing homophobic epithets frequently or often from other students in school — a higher percentage than high school students (73%). Perhaps most shocking, 63% of LGBT middle school students had heard school staff make homophobic remarks.
To locate and register for a vigil near you, please visit www.rememberinglawrence.org
Related Posts:Golden Globe Winner Mo’Nique Tells Black Gay Men, “God Loves You”
January 28, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
On Jan 25th episode of BET’s variety show, The Mo’Nique Show, host and Mo’Nique along with her guest, soul singer Miki Howard discussed numerous topics including sexuality, acceptance and the black church.
Howard said to Mo’Nique:
“One good thing I want to talk about is the gay aspect to our church. We don’t talk about it in our community. I grew up in James Cleveland’s church in LA and it was gay back then, really gay. And we weren’t didn’t know that people thought was bad, that outsiders thought that was bad. So that’s one thing we talk in the church and explore, and how I came to be me.”
Mo’Nique responded by saying: 
I applaud you for addressing this …because people don’t want to talk about it and for not judging because most times we run from it. And for all of our gay brothas watching, we love you this is the no judgment zone. You are always welcome and you are always loved. If you’re in the church and you’re gay, God is not judging you. Be who you wanna be.”
In the beginning of the show, Mo’Nique, whose film Precious is nominated for a GLAAD Media Award this year, also made a comment about African-American lesbians.
She said:
“Sistahs, if you are laying next to your man right now give him a kiss. Or next to your woman.. no judgments here, as long as you got somebody.”
Watch the episode below (The segment begins at around the 27 minute mark of the show)
Rod McCullom, head blogger for Rod 2.0: Beta, praised this episode and expressed why this type of dialogue is necessary:
It’s about time someone mentioned on national television that the black church and black gospel music are “really gay” and they should not be ashamed. There are so many talented black gay men in the church and black gospel music. Unfortunately many are told otherwise and most believe they should remain (semi) closeted.
Given many of the struggles of acceptance that the black LGBT community faces in certain African-American churches, these types of conversations are much welcomed and needed. While GLAAD encourages people to sound off when the media gets it’s wrong, it is also important to praise those who get it right.
If you were touched by Mo’Nique and Miki Howard’s comments, please let The Mo’ Nique Show know by writing a letter to the following address:
The Mo’Nique Show
P.O Box 7868
Atlanta, GA
30357
Related Posts:Hearing Set on Bill that Would Ban Out-of-State Marriage Recognition in Maryland
January 25, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
On Jan 16, Maryland Delegate Emmett Burns (D-Baltimore County) introduced House Bill 90, a bill that would ban recognizing out-of –state marriages for gay and lesbian couples in Maryland. If this bill were to pass, it would affect many LGBT couples, especially those in neighboring Washington D.C., who will be allowed to legally marry on March 2nd.
Maryland law has defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman since 1973. The state recognizes marriages performed in other jurisdictions according to the “full faith and credit” clause of the U.S. Constitution, but current marriage law does not address recognition of same-sex marriages.
The federal Defense of Marriage Act, enacted into law in 1996, allows states to decide whether to recognize same-sex marriages.
“The issue is knocking on our doors,” Burns said. “People will be flying over here, wanting to force us to accept their marriage licenses.”
“Our back door is open, and it needs to be closed.”
The article also discussed that Burns introduced this bill despite the Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler saying that he would make a decision on this matter:
Sen. Richard Madaleno, D-Montgomery, asked Gansler to issue an opinion on the matter last May. Gansler will interpret existing Maryland law on marriage recognition to arrive at his opinion. The opinion will also take into consideration legal precedent set nationwide, including that of the Proposition 8 trial currently being argued in California.
“There has been a lot of movement on this issue,” said Raquel Guillory, spokeswoman for the attorney general. “That’s why we’ve been very methodical in drafting this opinion.”
Guillory could not give a timetable for the decision, but said it would be made this year. She said Burns’ bill would have no bearing on Gansler’s opinion unless it passed before the opinion was issued.
The bill hits close to home for Delegate Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery, who married her partner in 2008 in a civil ceremony in California. (They had their formal marriage ceremony in 2005.) The marriage is still considered legal in that state, in the district and in six other states, but not in Maryland.
A hearing about House Bill 90 will take place at the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, January 28th, 2009 at 1 PM in Room 100 in the Lowe Office Building located at 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, Maryland.
Equality Maryland is asking for LGBT advocates in their state to show opposition to this bill by testifying at the hearing or providing moral support by just showing up.
The Attorney General’s office is currently considering an official opinion as to whether Maryland should honor legal out of state same-sex marriages. This bill would prevent the enforcement of a positive opinion, thereby creating yet another area of law in which we are discriminated against.
We hope that you will join us for the hearing next week! We cannot allow this bill or any other piece of legislation to invalidate the commitment of hundreds of Maryland couples! Please, plan to join us for this important hearing.
To RSVP with Equality Maryland, click here.
GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:COAD News Buzz
January 22, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Here’s a look at some COAD-related stories in the media:
Rev. Irene Monroe Wonders if Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Would Have Defended LGBT Equality
To honor MLK Day, African-American lesbian Reverend Irene Monroe wrote an op-ed for Bay Windows, the largest LGBT newspaper in New England. In her piece, “Would the public King have spoken out on LGBTQ justice?” she revisits an on- going question that many civil rights and LGBT leaders have pondered over the years.
“As I comb through numerous books and essays learning more about King’s philandering, sexist attitude about women at home and in the movement, and his relationship with Bayard Rustin, I am wondering would King be a public advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer rights?”
She strongly believes so, but believes he would have paid a price for doing so. She writes:
In the public address I gave at the Gill Foundation’s National Outgiving Conference in 2007, I said, “If Dr. Martin Luther King were standing up for LGBTQ rights today, the Black community would drop him, too.”
King understood the interconnectedness of struggles. An example of that understanding is when Dr. King said, “The revolution for human rights is opening up unhealthy areas in American life and permitting a new and wholesome healing to take place. Eventually the civil rights movement will have contributed infinitely more to the nation than the eradication of racial justice.”
This statement clearly includes LGBTQ justice, but would King have spoken on that subject at that time and even now? Yes, according to King’s now deceased wife.
In 1998, Coretta Scott King addressed the LGBT group Lambda Legal in Chicago. In her speech, she said queer rights and civil rights were the same. “I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King’s dream to make room at the table of brother and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people,” she said.
Sadly, Bayard Rustin, the gay man who was chief organizer and strategist for the 1963 March on Washington that further catapulted Martin Luther King onto the world stage, was not the beneficiary of King’s dream.
In the Civil Rights movement, Bayard Rustin was always the man behind the scenes, and a large part of that had to due with the fact that he was gay. Because of their own homophobia, many African American ministers involved in the Civil Right movement would have nothing to do with Rustin, and they intentionally rumored throughout the movement that King was gay because of his close friendship with Rustin.
In a spring 1987 interview with Rustin in Open Hands, a resource for ministries affirming the diversity of human sexuality, Rustin recalls that difficult period quite vividly. Rustin said, “Martin Luther King, with whom I worked very closely, became very distressed when a number of the ministers working for him wanted him to dismiss me from his staff because [I was gay]. Martin set up a committee to discover what he should do. They said that, despite the fact that I had contributed tremendously to the organization … they thought I should separate myself from Dr. King.”
Read her piece in its entirety here.
14 Gay Men Killed While HIV Clinic is Destroyed in Haiti
Fourteen men who worked for or accessed services from SEROvie, Haiti’s largest organization serving gay and transgender people with HIV, were killed during last week’s earthquake in Haiti, according to International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
The message of the men’s tragic death came from an e-mail SEROvie’s leader Steve La Guerre managed to send to IGLHRC asking for help.
“We were having our usual support group meeting on a quiet Tuesday afternoon when the worst happened.” La Guerre wrote. “The sound is unforgettable. I can’t even describe the horror as the ceiling and the wall of the conference room started to fall and the chaos started.
“It is now more than ever that SEROvie and ACCV (Civic Action Against HIV) are needed to provide the quality services we provide to our beneficiaries: food, clothes, and any type of help,” La Guerre continued. “Light a candle for these souls and for Haiti. Lord help us.”
IGLHRC executive director Cary Alan Johnson says that his group has sent funds directly to SEROvie to allow their services and supplies to continue to reach their clients. The group is also sending funds to Colectiva Mujer y Salud, a feminist Dominican organization that has crossed the border into Haiti to assist with direct relief to the LGBT community there. IGLHRC has provided a donation page, where Johnson said 100% of the funds collected “will go directly to our friends and colleagues in Haiti.”
Inside Higher Ed publishes article about murdered English professor Don Belton
Don Belton, openly gay novelist and University of Indiana professor was found dead in his apartment on December 29. The Chicago Tribune reported that that Michael J. Griffin confessed to killing Belton, claiming that Belton had “sexually assaulted” him on Christmas Day.
In his piece “Love and Death in Indiana,” for Inside Higher Ed, journalist Scott McLemee discusses the murder, the “gay panic” defense, Belton’s loved ones and his broad scope of work.
He had been friends with James Baldwin and lectured on him at the Sorbonne; the influence of the novelist and essayist on his own work was not small. One of his friends has quoted a passage from Baldwin that seems to epitomize Belton’s work: “Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.” Although I did not know the man himself, this touches the heart of his writing, which suggests a desire to go beyond, or beneath, the prescribed roles and rules governing “identity.”
This is easier said than done, of course. It is also dangerous; love can be dangerous. Belton wrote in his journal (to quote from the detective’s statement again) “that he is very happy that an individual by the name of Michael has come into his life.” It is not necessary to use pseudopsychological terms like “gay panic” to describe the response this created. Keep in mind that the killer brought his own special knife and a change of clothes. Arguably another vocabulary applies, in which it is necessary to speak of evil.
One of the remarkable things about the response to Belton’s death is just how much of it there has been. Hundreds of people turned out for a vigil on New Year’s Day (see video). There is a website called Justice for Don Belton. An open letter from the chair of his department has appeared on the departmental Web site. A memorial service will be held in Bloomington.
And Josh Lukin tells me that he is proposing a session called “Remembering Don Belton” for the next MLA — a panel “engaging his scholarship, art, journalism, and pedagogy.” Possible topics might include “his writing and teaching on black masculinity, Baldwin, Brecht, Mapplethorpe, Morrison, Motown, jazz, cinema, abjection,” to make the list no longer than that.
“The guy’s range of interests was huge,” Josh says, “and he kept surprising me with his knowledge of critical texts, both recent (‘Bowlby, Just Looking? Great chapters on Dreiser.’) and more traditional (‘Why not talk about Morrison using R.W.B. Lewis, American Adam?’).”
Read his piece in its entirety here.
Related Posts:LGBT Developments Around the Country
January 19, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Every week at state and local levels, there are numerous developments on key issues that deeply affect our community—marriage, hate crimes and employment discrimination, to name a few. GLAAD is ensuring the media is paying attention.
Here is a brief summary:
District of Columbia: Court rules down marriage referendum
A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that same-sex marriage opponents do not have a right to call for a referendum to determine whether such unions should be legal in the District.
The decision, a major victory for gay rights activists, makes it more likely that the District will begin allowing same-sex couples to marry in March.
In the 23-page ruling, Judge Judith N. Macaluso affirmed a D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision that city law disallows the ballot proposal because it would promote discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Macaluso also concluded that previous court decisions outlawing same-sex marriage in the District are no longer valid.
Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), the sponsor of the D.C. Council same-sex marriage bill signed last month by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), called the decision “thorough and far-reaching.”
“The ruling, which addressed the substantive legal issues before the court, sustains the District’s tradition of treating all citizens equally under the law,” Catania said.
The election board has twice ruled that a referendum on same-sex marriage would violate a city election law prohibiting such a vote on a matter covered by the Human Rights Act, which outlaws discrimination against gays and other minority groups.
California: Mitrice Richardson’s family files million dollar claim against L.A. police department
The family of Mitrice Richardson, an African-American lesbian who has been 
missing since she was released from the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s station in September of 2009, has filed a multimillion-dollar claim against Los Angeles County. The family claims that that the Sheriff’s Department personnel acted negligently.
The Los Angeles Times wrote:
The claim mentions a number of officers who interacted with Richardson, 24, from the time she was arrested at Geoffrey’s, a Malibu restaurant, for not paying her $89 dinner bill, until her release into the night without her car, cellphone or purse.
“We feel they had a duty to keep her there,” said attorney Leo Terrell, who filed the claim on behalf of Richardson’s mother, Latice Sutton; her father, Michael Richardson; the missing woman; and her estate. “If they felt she had a mental issue, they had an obligation to hold her.”
The deputies could have held her for a mental evaluation. But the Sheriff’s Department has steadfastly maintained that in the hours it did detain her, she appeared and talked rationally. A department spokesman has said the department felt, if anything, that it had a legal obligation to release her in a timely manner.
The claim, which was filed last week, alleges negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death, according to Terrell.
LAPD Homicide Det. Chuck Knolls, who has been investigating the disappearance of the Cal State Fullerton graduate for months, expressed surprise that wrongful death was included.
“As far as we know, she’s a missing person,” said Knolls, who was part of an extensive search of the Malibu Canyon area Saturday. No sign of Richardson turned up, nor is there any evidence she was a victim of a crime.
Terrell acknowledged the possibility that she could turn up alive — in which case, he said, he would remove the wrongful death portion of the claim as well as the reference to Richardson’s estate. But he filed the claim as he did, he said, to make the six-month window after the alleged negligence occurred.
Maryland: Equality Maryland ED writes letter to The Baltimore Sun
In the January 11th, edition of The Baltimore Sun, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, Morgan Meneses-Sheets wrote a letter to the editor addressing her concerns about recent comments about quality of life crimes made by radio Radio host Ed Norris, a former Baltimore police commissioner and superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
I am writing in response to Ed Norris’ recent comments on the priority list that mayor-in-waiting Stephanie Rawlings-Blake should commit to (Jan. 10). I was appalled to see that of all of the criminal justice issues that plague this city, he chose to point a finger and suggest additional prosecution of some of the poorest and most disenfranchised people — the homeless and sex workers. The fact that he had the nerve to label panhandling and prostitution as “quality of life” crimes demonstrates just how out of touch many people continue to be.
Those who would stand out on Light Street or MLK on a frigid January day do not do so to drive people away. It is a cry for help — a cry that should truly be a priority of our incoming mayor. Furthermore, this commentary included yet another person pointing their finger at sex workers and blaming them for the ills of our society rather than considering what would put someone in a position where they would risk their lives on the streets everyday.
It is a fact that a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who are ejected from their homes feel they have no other option than to participate in survival sex. Our city’s shelters and transitional homes are not only under-funded but are also largely segregated in rigid gender categories that do not meet the needs of transgender individuals. There is a dearth of beds available to young people who find themselves on the streets. Additionally, many members of the LGBT community are fired for no reason or forced into low wage positions that make it nearly impossible to get by.
Instead of focusing on punitive measures that simply address the symptoms, let’s talk about the real problems, such as discrimination. Don’t put another marginalized person in jail when we should be creating and maintaining job training, fully accessible public programs and affordable, equitable housing. Let’s be a community that honors the dignity and respect of all people. Now, that is truly a quality of life issue.
Michigan: Police Make Arrest in Benton Harbor Attack
Police have made an arrest in a possible hate crime that occurred in December at 
a Benton Harbor, MI gas station. Calvin Wright, 23, is accused of repeatedly punching a gay man. Wright is being held on suspicion of aggravated assault.
South Bend’s NBC affiliate WNDU reported:
23-year-old Calvin Wright of Benton Harbor is accused of attacking another man outside a gas station on December 12th.
He was arrested over the weekend at an area restaurant. That’s according to our Read It/Watch It partners at the Herald Palladium. The victim claims he was beaten because he is gay.
We interviewed the victim last month, but out of fear, he asked us to hide his name, face and voice.
“Get to know a gay person before you judge them because you don’t know who they are,” said the victim. “They’re all around you. They’re your uncle, your aunt, your brother, your sister.”
Police have not confirmed that the attack was because of sexual orientation.
GLAAD will continue keeping up with the latest developments on LGBT issues around the country.
Related Posts:COAD Related GLAAD Media Awards Nominees Announced!
January 13, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
On Wednesday, January 13, GLAAD announced its nominees for our 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards. Here is a list of all of the COAD-related noms:
Outstanding Film (Wide Release):
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (Lionsgate Films)
Outstanding Drama Series:
True Blood (HBO)
Outstanding Reality Program:
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Making His Band (MTV)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (LOGO)
Outstanding Talk Show Episode:
“”Hell to Pay – Gay Teen Exorcism” The Tyra Banks Show (The CW)
“Sirdeaner Walker Interview” The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated)
Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine
“Bullied to Death?” Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
“Uganda Be Kidding Me” (series) The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
Outstanding Newspaper Columnist
Leonard Pitts, Jr. (The Miami Herald)
Rev. Byron Williams (The Oakland Tribune)
Outstanding Magazine Article: 
“Either/Or: Sports, Sex and the Case of Caster Semenya” by Ariel Levy (The New Yorker)
“Trouble in Paradise” by Jeannine Amber (Essence)
Outstanding Digital Journalism Article
“On the Road to Refuge” by Pete Muller (ColorLines.com)
Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway & Off-Broadway
The Brother/Sister Plays by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Watch GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios talk about the important work that GLAAD does and see all of the nominees.
The Media Awards will take place on March 13 in New York, April 17 in Los Angeles and June 5 in San Francisco.
Related Posts:COAD News Buzz
January 12, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Here’s a look at some COAD-related stories in the media:
Denise King, Mother of Hate Crime Victim, Dies
Denise King, a gay rights advocate in South Florida, died of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve. King’s son, Simmie Williams who was gay, was gunned down in February 2008. Since his unresolved murder, King made educating others about the violence LGBT people face a priority:
Since her son’s death, Mrs. King “brought the conversation of love, acceptance and compassion into a community where black [gays and lesbians] are invisible,” said Michael Emanuel Rajner, a co-founder of Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives, who became a family friend after the murder.
“The night of her son’s viewing, she left early because she had gotten a call from someone that evening that there was a youth, about 16, thrown out of his home because he was openly gay,” Rajner said.
“Denise, not even knowing the child’s name, hit the streets with her car up and down Sistrunk looking for this child. She would take them in. Her home became this safe haven for people to run. In her pain she was moved to make certain no child was turned away.”
Mrs. King’s aunt said she was committed to justice.
“Everything she did, she did it from her heart as a mother,” said Rose Barnes, of Fort Lauderdale.
Julian Bond Chosen For Marriage Equality Advisory Board
The American Foundation for Equal Rights today announced that it has chosen champion civil rights leader, Julian Bond for its advisory board, which includes a diverse and prominent roster of civil rights leaders. The American Foundation for Equal Rights launched its groundbreaking federal court challenge to Prop. 8 in May, and brought together attorneys Theodore Olson and David Boies to argue the case, Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
The Windy City Times reported:
Julian Bond is Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors. He co-founded and was the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center and was a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) . He served more than 20 years in the Georgia legislature after a 1966 U.S. Supreme Court ruling held that the Georgia House of Representatives unconstitutionally denied him the seat he had won.
“The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others,” Bond said. “This is not a special interest case, but one that should be of great importance to everyone who believes in the principles of equality on which this nation was founded.”
The Los Angeles Times op-ed on being black, gay and African:
In the Los Angeles Times, Douglas Foster, a journalism professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, addresses the anti-gay belief that being gay is “un-African,” his experiences in South Africa and the anti-gay legislation in Uganda. Here is an excerpt from his op-ed.
South Africa is far from nirvana for lesbians and gay men: There’s certainly no shortage of homophobia within its borders. But it’s the one place on the continent — and one of the few places in the world — with a constitution that explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In 2007, when I spent a year in Johannesburg, I heard the deputy chief justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Dikgang Moseneke, address the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. In his speech, he paid tribute to liberation heroes like the late Simon Nkoli, a courageous black revolutionary and an out and proud gay man. Nkoli, like the men and women with less well-known names who regularly turn up at Simply Blue, countered the lie that same-sex attraction is a relic of colonialism.
The theme of homophobic African politicians is that gay identity is a perversion imposed on black people by white oppressors. The historical fact is the reverse, of course: Legal prohibitions on homosexuality were originally imposed by white colonial rulers. So it’s no small twist in the plot that the new wave of threats to Ugandan gays should be reinforced by American religious extremists.
The proposed legislation places in stark relief the persistence of deadly prejudice. The roots of hatred can be traced to myriad traditions — indigenous and foreign, white and black. What’s more important than identifying the sources of the poison is to find the antidote. The first step is listening to the voices of African lesbians and gay men, and taking our cues from them about how to offer the most effective support.
I’ve been logging on daily in recent weeks to the Box Turtle Bulletin, the website widely credited with alerting Americans to the Uganda legislation, and also to Gay Uganda, the distinctive, irrepressible blog of a partly closeted young gay blogger who’s broken important news, and provided bracing perspective, ever since the anti-gay panic began to build in Uganda. “I am fighting for our lives and freedom in my country,” the Gay Uganda blogger wrote on New Year’s Day, as government officials and preachers called on Ugandans to join in a nationwide demonstration against homosexuality on Jan. 19.
Read the piece in its entirety here.
Lala Vazquez Poses Topless for Marriage Equality 
The VH1 host follows in the footsteps of her friends Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and poses for the grassroots campaign against the passing of Prop 8 in 2008.
MTV/VH1 veejay Lala Vazquez bares all and lends her famous form to the NOH8 marriage equality campaign, a photographic protest speaking out against California’s Proposition 8 gay marriage ban.
N0H8 is a photo project and silent protest created by photographer Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley. Other African-American celebs who have posed are the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, actors Isaiah Washington, Jenson Atwood, Rachel True and Daryll Stephens ; singers Dawn Richardson (Dantity Kane) and the girl group Rich Girls; and Entertainment Tonight Reporter Kevin Frazier to name a few.
Related Posts:A Conversation with…Tina Mabry, director of “Mississippi Damned”
January 11, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
When openly gay director Tina Mabry watched her film Mississippi Damned for first time, she knew she had created something special. “I am my own worst critic, she admits. “But this is the first time I was able to sit down and not to nitpick at everything.”
Mississippi Damned, which is based on events from Mabry’s own life growing up in rural Mississippi, focuses on a southern family from the years 1986 through 1998. The film follows the lives of three young African Americans finding their way in the world as they suffer from suffocating cycles of abuse, molestation, addiction and poverty. Leigh, an out lesbian teen, has an unhealthy and long obsession with her ex-girlfriend. Sammy, a basketball star deals with an alcoholic mother and being sexually abused by a family friend. And Kari, the gifted pianist, has aspirations to attend New York University to study music, but finds it is almost impossible to escape her circumstances.
Since the film’s debut at Slamdance last year, Mabry’s tale of family, pain and secrets has awed audiences on the film festival circuit. With impressive wins at the Chicago International Film Festival, Outfest, Urbanworld Film Festival and the Philadelphia Film Festival to name a few, Mississippi Damned could easily find itself a serious Oscar contender in 2011.
Mabry sat down with GLAAD’s Kellee Terrell to talk about her directorial debut, being an out lesbian and the future of black LGBT characters on the small and large 
screens.
GLAAD: This film is based on your childhood and family’s experiences. Were they upset that you were “airing their dirty laundry?”
Tina Mabry: Surprisingly no. I showed it to them over Christmas of 2008. For whatever reason, I thought that would be a good time to do it. [laughing] Even though they knew I was making a movie about them, I was still nervous about their reaction because actually seeing it makes all the difference.
But It went really well, they really liked it. We had a lot of laughs and a lot of tears.
You know, I didn’t make this film to judge and I don’t want anyone to walk away judging this family. I hope they leave the theater knowing that these people really loved each other, despite their flaws. No one is perfect.
Sexual abuse is a main theme in Mississippi Damned. It’s a very taboo and hushed subject, especially among the African-American community. What has the reaction been to your film?
During the question and answer portion of the screenings, people have been standing up, thanking me and sharing their own personal stories. One woman just cried for ten minutes and talked about how she was molested. Another woman told us that after seeing the film, she was finally ready to talk to her mother about some of their issues, some 20 years after the fact. The response has been amazing.
People have been silent for way too long. It’s the shame that keeps people quiet. You don’t want anyone one to judge you and you blame yourself. I suppressed so many of those memories and I finally told myself I couldn’t suppress it anymore.
We need to start putting our family business in the streets. [laughing]. This film for me was a way to be really honest about my life.
I was really moved by the portrayal of Leigh. The way that her isolation and sadness was depicted was powerful. What was it like for you and your sister to be lesbians growing up in the South?
Well, my sister and I had very different experiences. She is 10 years older than me and came out to my parents first, so it was harder for her. She felt isolated and still does now. I had an easier time, perhaps because I was not out in Mississippi―I waited until I moved to Los Angeles and attended film school at USC.
I always knew that I was gay, but I did not feel that Mississippi was the right environment for me to be out. I saw how my sister got treated by my parents and other people. I didn’t want to upset my parents and I didn’t want to go through the same thing as my sister. Back then, no one was out, even people you knew were gay, they weren’t out. So I chose to say nothing.
Do you regret not coming out sooner?
I was cowardly― I should have been more honest, but there was no community. The character Leigh represents what it was like to be gay where I lived.
When I finally told my mother, she cried. She said, “I can’t believe it, you are so pretty. I thought you liked men.” My father knows that I am gay, but I have never told him face-to-face. I let my mother relay that message to him. (laughing) My mother passed away and for so long we talked through her to talk to each other. But he has really come along. He loves Morgan and tells her that. So those are things my sister didn’t get a chance to have when she first came out.
When it comes to the black gay films and characters, what would you like to see change?
We need more visibility and more range when looking at our lives. It really angers me that we don’t have that range and that there is not much more to us on the screen that comedy. I will say that there are black LGBT films or films that have gay content in them, but we have to struggle to find those films, but they are out there. It’s up to us to support those films once we find them.
When will the film be released in the theaters? 
We are working on getting distribution now. I hope that sometime this year it will happen. There was talk of it going to television or DVD, but with all the feedback and good reviews we have gotten, I would really like to get the movie into the theaters.
Watch the Mississippi Damned trailer:
Watch a GLAAD interview with Mabry and her partner Morgan Stiff (producer of the film) at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.
Related Posts:
New Jersey Senate Votes Down Marriage Equality Bill
January 7, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
In a 20-14 vote today, the New Jersey Senate rejected a bill that would have extended marriage protections to gay and lesbian couples. The New Jersey Real-Time News wrote:
The 20-14 vote defeating the measure followed hours of public debate inside the packed Senate chamber, and loud, often-contentious rallies on the Statehouse steps, with hundreds of supporters and opponents of the measure making their voices heard.
Statewide polls have shown New Jersey residents closely divided on same-sex marriage, and leading up to today’s vote, indicators showed a majority of the senators opposing the measure.
But momentum for the bill grew after Gov. Jon Corzine lost the November election. He has promised to sign the measure before Gov.-elect Chris Christie takes office. Christie has said he opposes the bill.
The Edge provided some more details: 
Applause broke out inside the Senate chamber once the vote took place, but a number of proponents made impassioned and even emotional speeches in support of the measure. Sponsor Loretta Weinberg [D-Teaneck] evoked her late-husband of nearly 40 years as she urged her fellow lawmakers to support the bill.
“Men and women don’t have a monopoly on loving relationships,” she said.
State Sen. Brian Baroni [R-Hamilton] maintained the Garden State’s civil unions law continues to relegate gays and lesbians to second class status.“Separate but equal was wrong in 1954, it is wrong today,” Baroni said. “Separate but equal can certainly be separate, but it can never be equal; and unequal treatment by government is always, always wrong.”
Incoming Republican Governor Chris Christie, who defeated Corzine in November, had said he would veto the measure. With failure of the bill in the Senate, the proposal now could lie dormant for years while Christie is in office.
Political observers have said Christie’s victory made some lawmakers wary of supporting the controversial measure.
Numerous statements have been released from LGBT advocates and allies expressing their disappointment with today’s vote.
“Only with marriage can gay and lesbian families fully take care of each other and today’s vote is a painful loss for couples in New Jersey as well as across the country. The march towards equality is far from over. The Supreme Court of New Jersey unanimously ruled in 2006 that the New Jersey Constitution demands that same-sex couples must be treated equally and GLAAD joins Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal to continue working for equality in New Jersey.”
“We urge gay and lesbian New Jersey couples and allies to share their stories with their neighbors, friends, co-workers and local media to show legislators that the public supports fairness for all couples.”
“We also encourage media outlets to share stories of the New Jersey couples who are left vulnerable after today’s vote.”
With today’s vote in the state Senate, the New Jersey legislature defaulted on its constitutional obligation to provide same-sex couples in New Jersey equal protection, as unanimously mandated by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006. That’s why we at Garden State Equality are here with our partner Lambda Legal, which has an extraordinary track record of advancing LGBT civil rights in the courts….
Members and friends, today was not an outcome lost, but rather a juncture in an otherwise glorious road to justice. Since Garden State Equality’s founding in 2004, New Jersey has enacted 210 LGBT civil rights laws at the state, county and local levels, a national record. We have 64,000 members – LGBT and straight alike – who have improved the lives of millions. A watchdog organization, eQualityGiving.com, just ranked New Jersey #1 in America for LGBT rights, tied with three other states, and we haven’t even won marriage equality yet.
Gov. Corzine:
“Most assuredly, this is an issue of civil rights and civil liberties, the foundation of our state and federal constitutions. Denying any group of people a fundamental human right because of who they are, or whom they love, is wrong, plain and simple.”
“As was the case when Americans faced legal discrimination on the basis of their race or gender, history will frown on the denial of the basic right of marriage equality. I regret that the state’s recognition of equal justice and equal treatment under the law will be delayed. Certainly this process and the resulting debate is historic, but unfortunately, today’s vote was squarely on the wrong side of history.”
“We also encourage media outlets to share stories of the New Jersey couples who are left vulnerable after today’s vote.”
Lambda Legal released a statement stating that they are going to back to court to seek marriage equality, despite today’s loss:
“The requirement to ensure equality for same-sex couples, established by the New Jersey Supreme Court in its decision in our marriage lawsuit in 2006, has not been met,” said Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director at Lambda Legal. ”There is enormous, heartbreaking evidence that civil unions are not equal to marriage, and we will be going back to the courts in New Jersey to fight for equality. Too many families are at risk. We cannot wait any longer.”
GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:New Jersey Senate to Vote on Marriage Equality
January 6, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
New Jersey Senate President Richard Codey announced that the New Jersey Senate will finally vote on a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to be legally married. The vote is scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 7.
After a month in legislative limbo, a controversial bill to allow gay marriage in New Jersey will get a vote in the full state Senate tomorrow, Senate President Richard Codey said yesterday.
The decision sets up another dramatic day in Trenton as supporters concede they won’t know if the measure will pass until the votes are tallied. Senators will make a decision a month after Codey called off a vote when sponsors worried there wasn’t enough support — and a week after Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts said his house won’t vote on gay marriage until it passes the Senate.
“Given the intensely personal nature of this issue, I think the people of this state deserve the right to a formal debate on the Senate floor,” Codey said.
With many legislators refusing to say where they stand, Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a sponsor, said the vote forces them to “stand up and be counted on how they feel about equal rights.”
“They can’t be hesitant anymore,” Weinberg said. “They have to come to the realization that we were elected to take sometimes difficult stands, but we were not elected to only worry about the next election.”
Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), an opponent of the bill, said there isn’t enough support in either house to pass the measure but declined to say it would fail in the Senate.
The Philadelphia Inquirer stresses that even if the bill passes on Thursday, it has more steps to take before it becomes law. Time is of the essence, especially given that Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie does not support marriage for gay and lesbian couples:
If the Senate approves it, I will take the extraordinary step of bringing the bill directly to the Assembly floor for a vote during our Monday voting session,” Roberts said. If same-sex marriage is not approved by that date, it faces an even more difficult battle because Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie has said he would veto it.
Advocates for the measure yesterday welcomed the news and hoped to whip up support with a rally at the Statehouse tomorrow.
Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D., Bergen), a sponsor of the bill, said she remained hopeful it would pass.
“We’re looking forward to having everyone stand up and be counted to make sure all the residents of the state of New Jersey have equal rights,” she said.
Garden State Equality’s Steven Goldstein told New York’s NBC affiliate that he is happy that this bill is finally being voted on and praised Codey for his work around this issue.
“Senator Codey is a great supporter of equality and at least he kept his commitment to our community,” Goldstein said, referring to the defections of several senators who Goldstein said had promised to support gay marriage, but then changed their minds after the November election.
GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:Indiana University English Professor Don Belton Stabbed and Killed, Vigil Held in His Honor
January 4, 2010 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Don Belton, openly gay novelist and University of Indiana professor was found dead in his apartment on December 29. The Chicago Tribune reported that that Michael J. Griffin confessed to killing Belton, claiming that Belton had “sexually assaulted” him on Christmas Day.
Twenty-five-year-old Michael J. Griffin of Bloomington pleaded not guilty to charges he killed Belton. Court documents show that Griffin told police he fatally stabbed Belton and said Belton sexually assaulted him days before the attack.
Belton’s friends say they don’t believe Griffin’s accusation. Griffin is being held without bond in the Monroe County Jail.
The United Press International revealed more details about the murder:
Belton, who was in his second year on the school’s faculty, was found slain in his home by a friend Monday morning and Michael Griffin was arrested Monday night at his own house near Bloomington, KXIN-TV, Indianapolis, reported.
Police said they discovered Griffin’s name was one of the last names mentioned in Belton’s journal and recovered a knife in Griffin’s home they believe was the murder weapon.
ABC reported that the alleged sexual assualt took place in front of Griffin’s girlfriend at a holiday gathering while the two were intoxicated. Griffin refused to tell police in detail the nature of the “assault.” Police have not released any information to the media as to whether his girlfriend, who called the police and told them that she thought Griffin may have something to do with Belton’s murder, has corroborated those facts.
CBS wrote that “gay panic” may also come into play with this case:
Despite his alleged confession, Griffin has pleaded not guilty to the killing. And though his defense strategy is not yet clear, others with similar cases have pursued a “gay panic” defense, hoping to persuade juries that they were rendered temporarily insane by the perceived romantic or sexual advances of the victim.
In the case of Matthew Shepard, the gay 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered in 1998, his attackers originally used the gay panic defense, arguing that they were driven to temporary insanity by his alleged sexual advances. Both attackers were given life sentences.
A candlelight vigil in Belton’s honor took place on New Year’ Day. The Indiana Daily Student wrote that hundreds of students, faculty and community members attended to mourn the loss of their friend:
IU professors, students and Bloomington community members made their way to the Bloomington Courthouse square on New Year’s Day to remember IU assistant professor Don Belton, who was stabbed to death Dec. 27.The hundreds of attendees filled the entirety of the block’s sidewalk as they walked around the square to keep warm.
The article also added that Belton’s friends are not happy with the media coverage of his murder. 
Not only is Greiner’s friend and colleague gone, but she has been dealing with inadequate media coverage and negative comments and feedback resulting from such coverage, she said. Many other friends and colleagues also said the Belton they knew had yet to surface.
“We want to change public perception … while they are still paying attention,” Greiner said.
With candles, people shuffled around the sidewalk bordering the square; a bird’s eye view would show the square almost fully illuminated, as about 200 gathered there.
Former IU undergraduate Justin Way was in South Bend, home from graduate school in Columbia, N.Y., when he received the news from a friend.
Way took Belton’s 2008 advanced fiction writing workshop, recalling how in Belton’s class students would not read the typical fiction.
“That’s a thing about him, he opened up your reading taste to be more eclectic,” Way said.
He added that Belton’s class was the antithesis of the competitive atmosphere writing could often have. Way said his attitude toward writing changed because of Belton.
“It really is tragic,” Way said, reflecting on Belton’s near departure to Honolulu the morning of Dec. 28. “I always remember telling how he wanted to go to Hawaii, write a couple of poems and come back.”
Belton was the author of a novel, Almost Midnight, and editor of Speak My Name, an anthology about black masculinity. Over the years, he taught literature, fiction and world cinema at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Macalester College and the University of Pennsylvania. His writings have appeared in Newsweek, The Advocate and numerous academic journals.
GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:UPDATE: Man Indicted for Murder in the Killing of Baltimore Teen Jason Mattison
December 18, 2009 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Dante Parrish―the ex-convict who previously served time for murder and confessed to viciously murdering Jason Mattison―has been indicted and held without bail. Mattison, a 15-year-old openly gay black Baltimore student, was found dead in his aunt’s home last month.
WBAL, a Maryland-based radio station reported:
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy has announced that the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted 35 year old Dante Parrish of the 2400 block of E. Preston Street for first-degree murder, deadly weapon and first-degree sexual offense. The indictment was filed December 3, 2009.
Court documents allege that on November 10, 2008 Dante Parrish was responsible for a stabbing in the 2400 block of Llewelyn Avenue. 15 year old Jason Madison, Jr was discovered by a family member inside a second floor bedroom closet. Madison had suffered multiple stab wounds to the head and throat.
An investigation revealed Parrish and Madison were allegedly in the second floor bedroom when Parrish sexually assaulted Madison and then killed him. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:UPDATE: Mitrice Richardson’s Case Is Now Labeled A Homicide Investigation
December 16, 2009 by Kellee Terrell, COAD Media Strategist @ GLAAD
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has ordered a homicide investigation into the disappearance of Mitrice Richardson. Richardson has been missing since September 17 and there have been very few leads in her case.
The Los Angeles Times reported:
Baca’s decision today allows a three-person sheriff’s homicide team to join the Los Angeles Police Department’s search for the 24-year-old who mysteriously vanished after walking out of the Lost Hills sheriff’s station nearly three months ago.
“He has declared it a homicide investigation. That does not mean the sheriff believes Ms. Richardson is dead. But by opening up a homicide investigation, it does allow the Sheriff’s Department to put some of our top investigators on the case,” said Steve Whitmore, a department spokesman.
Whitmore said a lieutenant and two detectives would join LAPD detectives already investigating Richardson’s Sept. 17 disappearance.
There have been many criticisms of the police in this case. The Orange County Register wrote:
Richardson was arrested and booked on suspicion of failing to pay for her dinner and on suspicion of being in possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, which was allegedly found in her car. Her white 1990 Honda Civic was impounded.
She was taken to the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s substation, on the north side of the Santa Monica Mountains, near the Ventura County line. She was released hours later, around 1 a.m.
Sheriff’s officials have said their procedure is to get people who appear to be mentally incapacitated into a facility for a mental evaluation. But, they said, deputies did not see anything that would prompt such a call.
The custody assistant who processed Richardson at the substation, Sharon Cummings, has said she seemed scared to be in jail, but was coherent and talking. Cummings said she doesn’t release women at night if they don’t have a ride, but Richardson insisted and said she was going to “hook up with friends.”
Richardson’s family has questioned the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s handling of her arrest and release and for not holding her for a psychological evaluation. Her father also said he was frustrated with the investigation since.
Her family has created a blog, Bring Mitrise Richardson Home, which provides up-to-date news, links to other media covering her disappearance and YouTube videos of vigils.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Richardson’s whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call (213) 485-2531.
MITRICE RICHARDSON ~ Date of Birth ~ April 30, 1985
HEIGHT: 5’
WEIGHT: 135lb
EYES: Hazel brown
HAIR: Medium brown (natural/curly)
TATTOOS: Lower abdomen, and behind neck
Last wearing: Brown Bob Marley T-shirt & Blue Jeans.
GLAAD will continue to monitor this story and provide updates.
Related Posts:
