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POLICE VIDEO: No Blood or Visible Injuries on George Zimmerman

Police surveillance video from the night that Trayvon Martin was killed shows no blood or visible bruises on George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watch captain who shot the unarmed 17-year-old on February 26 in suburban Orlando. Zimmerman has not been charged.

Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

The Sanford Police Dept. surveillance video was obtained exclusively by ABC News. Zimmerman is seen arriving in a police cruiser, frisked by an officer and escorted into the station.

The video is inconsistent with Zimmerman’s statements to police. Zimmerman's family and lawyer have claimed that his nose had been broken in his scuffle with Martin—and that he only shot Martin "in self defense" after he was punched in the nose, knocked down and had his head slammed into the pavement.

Meanwhile: The special prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin case says she hopes to make a decision on charging Zimmerman "without a grand jury." Angela Corey was appointed the special prosecutor last week after numerous complaints that local authorities had botched the investigation. The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation are also reviewing the case and investigating the Sanford PD.

Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

REPORT: 2 FAMU Music Professors Involved in Band Hazing

New and troubling developments at Florida A&M University, the historically Black college that has been rocked by several violent hazing incidents. The most high-profile case is the November 2011 death of openly gay drum major Robert Champion.

Two FAMU music faculty members have been placed on administrative leave following allegations they were present while band fraternity pledges were hazed, reports the Tallahassee Democrat. The incident was reported to police two days after the Champion's death.

A Tallahassee Police Department investigative report, released Wednesday, tells of 14 Kappa Kappa Psi band fraternity pledges who gathered at the off-campus home of a faculty member and were subjected to paddling and punishment related to initiation rituals.

The police report includes incidents of paddling, "necking" and "prepping" to describe blows on the neck and buttocks administered to fraternity members. An unnamed student ... described events from the spring of 2010. "He further stated that he remembers receiving anywhere from 20-25 'licks' across his buttocks with the paddle," the police report said.

The police incident report lists Diron Holloway and Anthony Simons — both employed by Florida A&M, according to the police report — as suspects in the hazing investigation. The report concludes that no charges will be brought against anyone.

The faculty members will not be prosecuted because the two-year statute of limitations has expired.

Robert Champion died during a band trip to Orlando on November 19. The 26-year-old drum major suffered blunt trauma blows and died from shock caused by severe bleeding, according to the autopsy. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.

Champion's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner and driver of the charter bus where the hazing ritual took place. The lawsuit alleges that the bus company and its bus driver willingly participated in illegal hazing acts over many years. The lawsuit reveals graphic details of violence.

Champion's parents publicly revealed in January that their son was gay. In addition to being vocally opposed to hazing, Champion's sexuality could have been among the reasons why he was viciously beaten during the attack, according to the family's attorney. Seven members of the university's fabled Marching 100 band were recently arrested on hazing-related charges. But there have been no arrests in connection with Champion's killing.

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National Black Justice Coalition Slams NOM's Racist Wedge Politics

Confidential memos have confirmed that the National Organization for Marriage has pursued a deliberate strategy to "split" the Democratic Party base by pitting Blacks and Latinos against gay-rights groups seeking marriage equality.

The National Black Justice Coalition:

NOM's memos detail its campaign to direct money to a handful of African American clergy in order to attack gay and lesbian couples that have made a lifelong promise to one another. The organization admits their key goal is to "drive a wedge between gays and blacks." The memo also outlines NOM's strategies for targeting Latino communities by "making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity" and "to make opposition to gay marriage an identity marker, a badge of youth rebellion to conformist assimilation to the bad side of 'Anglo' culture."

"These documents expose NOM for what it really is-a hate group determined to use African American faith leaders as pawns to push their damaging agenda and as mouthpieces to amplify that hatred," says Sharon Lettman-Hicks, NBJC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. "NOM is fighting a losing battle," adds Lettman-Hicks. "With these memos made public, the black faith community must refuse to be exploited and refuse to deny their fellow brothers and sisters equal protections under the law."

The documents were written by the National Organization for Marriage and were kept from the public until this week when they were unsealed by court officials in Maine. "The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks — two key Democratic constituencies," says one of the memos.

Internal emails published this week also prove that NOM has placed an emphasis on race. ThinkProgress has posted highlights of emails written by Maggie Gallagher that "repeatedly requests pictures of Black religious leaders participating in" anti-marriage equality protests. Read them HERE.

PHOTOS: Mario Lopez is Shirtless and Soaking Wet on Miami Beach

"I'll never stop going shirtless!" vows Mario Lopez on his morning run and dip on Miami Beach. More hotness AFTER THE JUMP ...

VIDEO: Bobby Rush Escorted from House Floor for Wearing a Hoodie

Rep. Bobby Rush was reprimanded and escorted from the House floor after donning a hoodie and sunglasses in honor of slain teenager Trayvon Martin. The Chicago Democrat was removed from the floor by the Republican speaker pro tem for violating House rules "prohibiting the wearing of hats."

Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

The Guardian:

Rush, a former member of the militant group the Black Panthers, came into the chamber wearing a suit, with a hoodie underneath. As Rush began to speak, he took off his jacket to reveal the hoodie, which has become a symbol of solidarity with Martin. Pulling up the hood, he said: "Racial profiling has to stop. Just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum."

As he continued speaking, he took off his normal glasses and replaced them with sunglasses. He was interrupted by the acting Speaker, Gregg Harper, from Mississippi, who said: "The member will suspend." He added that Rush was in breach of a House regulations on decorum.

Rush continued, quoting from the Bible. Harper, speaking over him, repeated: "The gentleman will suspend." Looking exasperated, Harper finally said: "The member is no longer recognised." He then asked the serjeant-at-arms to enforce the prohibition.

Trayvon Martin was gunned down by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman in suburban Orlando on February 26. The unarmed 17-year-old was wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag of Skittles. The shooter remains free and has not been charged by the police.

Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

DALLAS: Victims Reluctant to Speak with Police After Anti-Gay Attack

There is an update to the brutal assault of two young Black men in Dallas on March 13. The two men were ambushed on the street by at least five men who beat them with a baseball bat and shouted gay slurs.

So far, there have been no arrests. The investigation has "stalled" because the victims are not cooperating with detectives and refuse to be interviewed, reports the Dallas Voice. This is happening at the same time the Dallas Police Department is addressing "violence targeted at the black LGBT community."

Lt. Don Ham with DPD’s Northeast Patrol Division said officers have visited the apartment complex of the two men, left business cards and requested to be contacted. Police have not been able to reach them for further comments about the assault.

"Until they work with us, the investigation is stalled," he said. "We need tips and we need the guys involved, the complainants, to work with us." ...

Ham reiterated the need for the black LGBT community to unite together to report and stop crime that targets their community. He stressed building relationships with neighbors and more forums to address issues in the future. "Get to know your neighborhood," he said. "That’s how we fight crime."

The suspects shouted "fag" and "sissy” before exiting their vehicle and assaulting the two pedestrians. One of the victims said he was struck "at least four times in the head" with the bat before losing consci consciousness. Also: The clothing of the second victim became caught in the passenger door of the suspect vehicle. The victim was dragged or a short distance before he could free himself.

Just awful.

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MONEY BOMB: Help Defeat North Carolina's Amendment One

Please help defeat the proposed anti-gay constitutional amendment in North Carolina.

This week, All NC Families has launched an aggressive campaign to reach the $1 million mark to defeat the hateful Amendment One, which would define marriage as "between one man and one woman" and ban recognition of same-sex marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

To date, Protect All NC Families has already raised more than $950,000 in financial contributions, the vast majority from thousands of individual North Carolina donors, as well as key coalition members the Human Rights Campaign, Replacements, Ltd, Self-Help, Equality NC, ACLU NC and others.

The campaign launched this week’s fundraising campaign, also known as a “money bomb,” as a primarily online effort in order to bring a national focus to Protect All NC Families and their efforts to defeat Amendment One. The money bomb will encompass a major social media fundraising push, state and national blogger outreach, the coalition campaign’s over 100 partner organizations and others to build on the campaign’s momentum.

"This seven-day money bomb enables us to do the most important thing we could in this campaign: educate as many state citizens as possible in as many ways as possible about the harms of this constitutional amendment, including communicating those harms to women, children and families on television and radio," said Jeremy Kennedy, campaign manager for Protect All NC Families.

North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast without a constitutional ban on equal marriage. North Carolina was a swing state in the 2008, narrowly won by Barack Obama and Charlotte will host the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Two weeks ago the Obama campaign went on the record against Amendment One.

Please donate HERE.

Tuesday Note

Not feeling well after the weekend. Should be better tomorrow.

#HAAS12: LGBT Editor/Blogger Conference in Houston

The view from the back row at the 2012 LGBT Editor/Blogger Conference in Houston (#HAAS12). The convening is underwritten by the San Francisco-based Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund. The conference gathers 40+ of the nation's leading LGBT editors, bloggers and writers for an update on research and political/policy developments around immigration, LGBT youth and various federal lawsuits regarding marriage and family recognition.

The mobile offices of Joe Jervis and JoeMyGod.

EDGE Editor and R20 buddy Michael Lavers.

Atlanta-based blogger and activist Darian Aaron makes his first appearance at Haas.

Daily Kos' Scott Wooledge and MetroWeekly's Daniel Villareal are having too much fun.

This morning's first presentation: Nina Perales, Vice President of Litigation at the MALDEF, crunches the numbers and presents the latest info on minority voter disenfranchisement and voter suppression tactics.

Travel Note

Headed to the airport. Won't be able to post until later in the day.