The second woman seen in an online video apparently attacking a local drag performer in a June 23 incident at a restaurant at 14th and T Streets NW pleaded guilty to a charge of simple assault Friday in D.C. Superior Court, in exchange for a deferred-sentencing agreement similar to the one given a week earlier to the other defendant in the case.
Raymone Harding and Rachel Manna Sahle
(Images via YouTube video source)
Raymone Harding, 28, of Gaithersburg, Md., agreed to the sentencing agreement, in which she would avoid jail time by performing community service, submitting to regular drug testing, and avoiding contact with the victim, Miles DeNiro, who performs as drag personality Heidi Glüm. Those conditions were similar to the ones issued in the deferred-sentencing agreement with 22-year-old Rachel Manna Sahle, of Gaithersburg, the previous Friday.
Typically, a deferred-sentencing agreement is offered to first-time offenders or those accused of minor crimes. Under such an agreement, a defendant must meet certain requirements or obligations requested by the U.S. Attorney's Office and set by the court. If a defendant complies with the terms of release, they will avoid jail time, and may even see the charges against them dismissed or their sentence thrown out, a decision that is up tot the discretion of the presiding judge.
Harding is scheduled to appear before Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna on April 1, 2014 for a deferred-sentence review, at which point McKenna will determine if Harding has been compliant. Sahle will appear before McKenna for a similar decision a few weeks earlier, on March 19.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia had advised McKenna that it was considering whether to pursue bias enhancements – also known as ''hate crime charges'' – against both women. But so long as both are compliant with the terms of the deferred-sentencing agreement, such charges are unlikely to be brought.
...moreOne of the cornerstones of HIV prevention and message is "Know your status, get tested." But I want to tell you the hard truth: It's not just a test. It's more than that. Because it needs to be if we want to make a difference in our community and to reach a time when National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Sept. 27, becomes a subject for the history books.
We have to treat this as more than just a test if we ever want to get off the plateau of 50,000 new infections every year.
It's your body and your choice, so why not choose you? Choose to get all the facts to make truly informed decisions about your health. This, in turn, cares for your community, but it comes with condition that you must play an active role. Each of us must become more empowered health consumers to truly make a difference in tipping the balance. This is about changing the conversation for the future, because if we don't, we know the alternative is a continuation of the status quo.
But this doesn't have to be the reality if we choose to not let it be. There are options in place that will truly help us change the conversation – and in some cases finally have the conversation – on what it means to be a healthy gay, bi, or same gender loving (SGL) man in America. Let this test be the starting point to think about health more broadly. Don't let that stop with an HIV test. Allow this to become just a piece of your overall regular health maintenance. Ask for the test, but also for any other tests that might not be up to date.
Commit to a full, annual physical. Commit to all those important annual tests and to making sure you understand the results. It's your health. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Empowerment requires action.
This year's Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day comes before an important moment that will change the relationship of this country and the health care system. Next month starts open enrollment to the state health exchanges and expansion of Medicaid. This will grant millions access to new opportunities to improve their health.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the power to truly make massive change. But, like an HIV test, it requires action and engagement. With the implementation of the ACA, we will see changes to the system that provide more holistic care, and that allow gay, bi, SGL men to choose health care workers who understand who we are and where we come from. This law will help break down some of the larger structural barriers that impact our ability to access quality health care.
The coming changes will open all kinds of opportunities for individuals to truly take an active role in their health care. To truly capitalize on this forward momentum, one must take charge and become an empowered health consumer. You have to be ready to ask for more than just the test. It can't be just be about HIV, because you will never be just HIV. It's a whole-body commitment to your health and health outcomes. Make a decision that leaves you with more than just a test.
Matthew Rose is a member of the community advisory board that serves the Vaccine Research Center at NIH. He also serves on the organizing committee of the Young Black Gay Men's Initiative. Follow him on Twitter @MTKRose.
...moreThe trial of LaShawn Carson, the 28-year old Washington woman accused of shooting a gay man following an altercation at a Columbia Heights IHOP restaurant in March 2012, was delayed for an additional 12 days after government prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney's Office and Carson's lawyer, Patrick J. Christmas, told Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan at a Thursday hearing that they were ready to proceed with trial, but wanted to schedule the start date for jury selection and opening arguments at a ''more favorable'' time.
Thursday marked exactly one-and-a-half years since Carson was apprehended by police and temporarily placed in prison as she awaited a preliminary hearing on the matter. Carson faces seven charges related to the IHOP shooting: one count of aggravated assault while knowingly armed; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon; two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; a count of unlawful possession of ammunition; one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm; and a count of carrying a pistol without a license. Her new trial date is Oct. 8.
Carson was initially charged with one count of aggravated assault while armed, and experienced a number of delays – including a five-month window from August 2012 to January 2013 – where Carson never appeared in D.C. Superior Court, prompting Christmas to ask for a dismissal for violating Carson's right to a speedy trial. Little more than a week later, the U.S. Attorney's Office secured an indictment of Carson on all seven charges she currently faces.
Carson, who lives with her two young children and her mother, may leave her house during the day but has a court-imposed curfew during the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. as part of a high-intensity supervision program. She has been on that program since May 2012 by order of Superior Court Judge Frederick Sullivan following a felony status conference. According to the court's Pretrial Services Agency (PSA), Carson has been in ''perfect compliance'' with the terms of her release. Christmas previously argued at Carson's felony status conference that Carson had been drinking and had armed herself with a gun for protection purposes prior to going out because she had been raped after a club outing a few years earlier.
According to charging documents, Carson and two companions were in the IHOP restaurant near the corner of 14th and Irving Street NW during the early morning hours of March 11, 2012, when they began harassing a gay man and two of his companions. A physical confrontation ensued between the victim and one of Carson's friends. As the two men were being separated by an off-duty Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer, the gay man was shot, and Carson and her friends fled the scene.
The victim, who sustained injuries to his abdomen, was transported to Washington MedStar Hospital, treated and released.
Carson was later arrested by MPD following a two-week investigation. During the time, hundreds of LGBT people and allies took to the streets around Columbia Heights, the U Street corridor and the Dupont Circle neighborhood to protest an apparent spike in anti-LGBT violent attacks in addition to the IHOP shooting.
...moreA six-year-old girl who was assigned male at birth won her legal battle to change her national ID card and birth certificate to reflect her accurate gender.
GLAAD said it contacted the New Jersey Star-Ledger's reporter about her incorrect pronoun usage, but the writer refused to correct the story.
Police say Unique McKenzie slipped off a sidewalk in Hollywood early Saturday morning, when she was struck and killed by a passing car.
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Married same-sex couples who paid extra tax because the federal government didn't recognize their marriage are now eligible to get some of that money back.
The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, defined marriage as between a man and a woman, which meant married same-sex couples had to file their taxes individually. But the Supreme Court's summer ruling overturned that law. Now these couples are not only able to file as married going forward, but they have the option of amending their tax returns for the past three years if it would benefit them.
For some couples, doing this will reduce their overall tax liability and result in big refunds, which is typically the case when there is a large disparity in incomes (for example, when one spouse doesn't work).They can also claim any tax paid on health insurance benefits extended from one spouse to another through an employer-sponsored plan.
Refunds will vary widely by couple, and could be as high as tens of thousands of dollars. Janet and Janet Emery-Black, from Nampa, Idaho, are anticipating retroactive refunds totaling $30,000. Another couple, Adele and Jennifer Hoppe-House, from Los Angeles, expect to get back $13,000.
Read FULL ARTICLE HERE
In the interview, Barilla said he opposed adoption by gay parents, but was in favor of allowing gay marriage, which is not legal in Italy. His comment about advertising was in response to a direct question about whether he would ever feature a gay family in his company's commercials.
If gays "like our pasta and our advertising, they'll eat our pasta, if they don't like it then they will not eat it and they will eat another brand," he said.
Aurelio Mancuso, head of gay rights group Equality Italia, said Barilla's comments were an "offensive provocation" and called for a boycott of the company's pasta, sauces and snacks.
"We accept the invitation from the Barilla owner to not eat his pasta," Mancuso said. Many Italians used social media to voice support for a boycott.
A judge ordered that state officials in New Jersey must begin allowing same-sex couples to get married beginning October 21st. Judge Mary Jacobson in Mercer County Superior Court issued her order in a lawsuit filed by a group of gay couples against the state of New Jersey. The judge said that although New Jersey recognizes […]
The post Judge rules in favor of gay marriage in New Jersey appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
The New York Times released the following documentary this week titled, “Hers to Lose: A Look at Christine Quinn’s Failed Campaign for Mayor.” The video takes a look at the openly gay Speaker of the New York City Council’s final month on the campaign trail. When the times first started following Quinn for this piece […]
The post Documentary on Quinn’s failed NYC Mayoral bid released [VIDEO] appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
Drag queens invaded Atlantic City over the weekend, and Victoria ‘Pork Chop’ Parker took home the title of 2013 Miss’d America. Parker is no stranger to drag fans. She was a contestant on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. In the contestant Q&A segment, Victoria said she would attend next year’s Miss America Competition […]
The post 2013 Miss’d America crowned appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
Former Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is back with a gig in a new movie playing gay poet Allen Ginsberg called Kill Your Darlings. Radcliffe and his co-star Dane DeHann are speaking out about playing gay in the upcoming flickflick “For me, Kill Your Darlings is a film about young love in whatever form it […]
The post Daniel Radcliffe talks playing gay in Kill Your Darlings [VIDEO] appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush haven’t officially come out in favor of gay marriage, but the former President and first lady showed their support by attending a same-sex wedding ceremony recently. According to ABC News, George and Barbara headed to Maine, where gay marriage has been legal since December 2012, to see two […]
The post George H.W. Bush attends gay wedding appeared first on GaySocialites.com.
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