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DETROIT: FBI Investigating Brutal Anti-Gay Assault

 

There is a welcome update to the horrible anti-gay assault in Detroit mentioned two weeks ago. Twenty-three-year-old Justin Alesna has a shattered eye socket after he says witnesses "gawked and laughed" after he was brutally attacked at a gas station. Federal authorities may intervene, reports the Free Press. 

The FBI is now investigating the March 7 assault, which left Alesna with facial injuries. Alesna said he has been told FBI agents have possession of surveillance video from the gas station. Sandra Berchtold, a spokeswoman for the FBI Detroit office, confirmed Wednesday that the agency, which handles hate crimes, is investigating.

Alesna said Detroit police asked him to make an identification during a lineup Tuesday night, but he was unable to do so. He said he was told later one of the men may have been a witness to the assault.

Michigan hate crimes law does not include sexual orientation or gender identity.

Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, who made history as the first openly gay person elected to the City Council, is urging the city's police department to collar Alesna's attacker.

Alesna recorded a video and uploaded it to YouTube. Watch that video and the disturbing news report AFTER YOU JUMP ...

Detroit to End Police, Street Lights, Garbage Pickup in 20% of City

Rural farmland? Not quite. You're looking at a Google Earth satellite image of Detroit several blocks north of I-94 where "block after block of a city grid with virtually no homes or buildings lin[e] the streets."

Detroit's expanding urban blight and the city's rapidly declining fiscal health have prompted the city to seriously consider ending city services including police patrols, road repairs, street lights and garbage collection to more than 20% of the city. "As few as seven neighborhoods [are] seen as meriting the city's full resources," reports the Wall Street Journal.

Until now, the mayor and his staff have spoken mostly in generalities about the problem, stressing the need for community input and pledging to a skeptical public that no resident would be forced to move. But the approach discussed by city officials could have that effect. Mr. Bing's staff wants to concentrate Detroit's remaining population—expected to be less than 900,000 after this year's Census count—and limited local, state and federal dollars in the most viable swaths of the city, while other sectors could go without such services as garbage pickup, police patrols, road repair and street lights.

Karla Henderson, a city planning official leading the mayor's campaign, said in an interview Thursday that her staff had deemed just seven to nine sections of Detroit worthy of receiving the city's full resources. She declined to identify the areas, but said the final plan could include a greater number. Ms. Henderson said her team amassed hundreds of data—on household income, population density, employment, existing city services, philanthropic investments and housing stock —in its effort to identify the neighborhoods with the brightest outlook—those that could be stabilized with additional city, state and federal resources.

"What we have found is that even some of our stronger neighborhoods are at a tipping point with vacancy," Ms. Henderson said. "Vacancy adds to blight and blight is a disease that takes over the whole neighborhood. So the sooner we can get those homes occupied, the better for the city." Officials bristle when their efforts are described as downsizing, saying their aim is to repurpose portions of the city, not redraw its borders. "We will not be shrinking the city," Ms. Henderson said. "We are 139 [square] miles and we'll stay that way."

It won't shrink Detroit's virtual footprint on Google Maps, but "Bing's plan would effectively surrender 20% of the city to gangs and the homeless," critics argue. "Would you want to live in one of the gang war-zones that his plan would create? Would you want to live in a bordering neighborhood or in a bordering city?"

The plan would face an array of legal obstacles. The city is also not commenting on reports that eminent domain or condemnation would be used to "move" residents out of areas ....

No public comment yet from Charles Pugh, Detroit's first-ever openly gay city councilman and the city council president. Would be interesting to hear his take on how the plan would impact health services to Detroit's rapidly expanding HIV/AIDS caseload. Over 50 percent of Detroit’s zip codes report HIV prevalence rates at three percent or higher, state records show, "and one of those zip codes clocking in at six percent — on par with Uganda."

VIDEO, PHOTOS: Obama's Remarks at White House LGBT Reception

President Barack Obama spoke for about 15 minutes at the White House LGBT Pride Reception earlier this evening. The President spoke to a group of about 300 attendees, smaller than last year's event, and mostly state/regional and youth leaders, as opposed to national activists and policy makers.

Watch the event and read the transcript AFTER THE JUMP ...

The President named a number of incremental advances, such as the order to grant hospital visitation rights, limited expansion of federal benefits, banning gender identity discrimination in federal employment, expanding federal leave policy and today's announcement to expand the Family Medical Leave Act.

The President also briefly mentioned larger ticket items such as repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, passing the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and the recent action taken on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Obama told the crowd: "Here’s the bottom line: We have never been closer to ending that discriminatory policy.”

"The fact that we have activists here is a reminder that change never comes—or at least never begins—in Washington," President Obama said. "It is when ordinary people out of love for a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, or a husband or a wife, speak out against injustices that have been accepted for too long."

Video, more photos, the read the transcript and a partial list of invitees AFTER THE JUMP ...

Detroit NAACP Holds Historic Panel Discussion on LGBT Rights

Last Friday, the Detroit chapter of the NAACP sponsored a panel discussion featuring prominent black straight and gay voices entitled "Is Gay the New Black?" The discussion was spearheaded by Detroit NAACP President Rev. Wendell Anthony. The standing room only discussion attracted hundreds, reports say, and is the first time the local chapter and black churches publicly engaged LGBT issues.

Panelists included newly-elected Charles Pugh, Detroit's first-ever openly gay city councilman and council president, and straight ally National Black Justice Coalition Executive Director Sharon Lettman.

PrideSource reports:

"[Pugh] pointed to his own electoral success last fall as proof of growing acceptance of gays and lesbians within the black community. 'Homophobia could have reared its ugly head in that campaign, but that did not become an issue,' Pugh said, proudly ticking off the endorsements he received during the race from the Detroit Council of Baptist Pastors and the AME Ministerial Alliance.

'The gay agenda does not and cannot supersede the agenda for black people,' said Minister Malik Shabazz, a Detroit community activist and leader of the New Black Panther Party. 'Can you define the gay agenda?' Pugh interjected. 'Hold on Charles. This isn't a personal thing,'  Shabazz replied. 'OK, but I still want to know,' Pugh fired back.

Frankie Darcell of Mix 92.3 FM, who moderated the panel with Angelo Henderson from FM 105.7, asked why a gay person would want to "wear 'gay' on their forehead at work," saying it is inappropriate in the workplace. Curtis Lipscomb of Detroit's KICK, the agency for LGBT African Americans, answered by saying, 'It's not that we wear 'gay' on our foreheads, it's that we are who we are. I was fired because I am gay. Someone at work asked me if I was gay, and I answered honestly, 'yes,' and I was fired. What we want is simple equality.' "

And:

"On the issue of same-sex marriage, [Columnist Anthony Samad] asserted that socially conservative African Americans are being forced 'to choose between (the gay rights) cause and their church.' Disagreeing with Samad, Pugh argued that Christian leaders in the black community 'need to be drawing gay people to church, to draw people to God and spirituality and a center.' The comment was greeted by extended applause."

Pugh and Lettman also talked the importance of coming out. Says Lettman: "I would say being black and gay is the old black because the black LGBT community is the invisible 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' staple of the black community.

Absolutely right. And it's really a shame that too many in our community are comfortable with their glass closets and allow it to continue.

Read the full article and an editorial at PrideSource ....

Charles Pugh Makes History as Detroit City Council President

Charles Pugh, the popular and openly gay longtime former Detroit television anchor, makes history with his big win in the Detroit city council elections. Pugh finished first with some 88,704 votes—nearly 10 percent of the vote overall—and now becomes the first openly gay council president in the city’s history. "I'm the president of the Detroit City Council who just happens to be gay," Pugh told supporters at last night's victory celebration.

Pugh said Detroiters sent “a strong and clear message” with their votes. The Council President-Elect tells the Michigan Messenger: "There has been a fear in the past by people in the LGBT community to stay in the closet for safety sake. So they won’t be fired, kicked out of the family, kicked out of the church. But this is a strong and clear message that that’s not required. That you can be who you are and be accepted into Detroit’s family if you step up with class and dignity and a willingness to help make our city a better place."

This morning Pugh attended a council meeting and told reporters he intends to tackle the budget first.

Pugh becomes one of the few openly gay black elected officials. Some analysts initially feared Pugh's historic candidacy would not resonate with voters—especially in one of the country’s largest predominately African-American cities. Voters proved the experts wrong. In August, Pugh finished in first place among more than 160 candidates in the primary. Says Pugh: "For those people who thought it would be an issue, they were short sighted. They did not see that Detroiters already knew my sexuality and were willing to accept it and say, 'You know what? You’re welcome here. We love you. Now let’s get to work to fix our collective problems.' "

Bravo. Congratulations to Charles Pugh.

Background:

Pugh Finishes FIRST in Detroit City Council Primary 
Gay Television Anchor to Run for Detroit City Council

Charles Pugh Finishes FIRST in Detroit City Council Primary

A fantastic update to the story of Charles Pugh, the popular and openly gay longtime former Detroit television anchor who entered the race for Detroit City Council. Pugh is poised to become Detroit’s first openly gay city councilmember and finished in first place among more than 160 candidates in last night’s primary, "a remarkable feat for a first-time candidate," notes Gay Politics.

The Detroit Free Press reports: "In the crowded City Council race, former Fox 2 reporter Charles Pugh was the top finisher with 9%, or 59,560 votes. Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. took second place, followed by former Detroit Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown. At Pugh's celebration, he gathered with about 200 supporters at Capital Square on Congress. He pointed his index finger in the air, as everyone realized he was No. 1. Silver confetti fell from the rafters. 'This is unbelievable,' he said. 'Very humbling. It speaks to the fact that Detroiters are ready for change. I'm going to fight really hard to take our message to the city. The message is about fiscal responsibility and creating jobs.'"

The top 18 council candidates now advance to an at-large election.

Pugh, who was endorsed by the Victory Fund, is one of the very few openly  gay black local or national television news personalities. Some analysts feared Pugh's historic candidacy would not resonate with voters "in one of the country’s largest African-American cities where openly gay elected officials are rare if present at all."

The issues triumphed and "many voters said they crave change and new blood on the nine-member council", which is under FBI investigation for bribery. Detroit's former longtime Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick—the anti-gay, serial adulterer who pushed a same-sex marrriage ban—was sent to jail for corruption. Another sign of change: Not only was Charles Pugh the top vote-getter last night, but his sexuality was not mentioned in the front page coverage by the Detroit News or Detroit Free Press.

Thanks RODNEY and KEN!

Bing Cruises [Free Press]
Bing Advances; Pugh, at Top of Council Race [Det News]

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Openly Gay TV Anchor to Run for Detroit City Council [R20]

Openly Gay Television Anchor to Run for Detroit City Council

Openly gay veteran Detroit television anchor Charles Pugh will enter the Detroit City Council race, reports his former station FOX 2.

Pugh recently signed off as an anchor and radio host and says a formal announcement is planned May 3. The veteran broadcaster is one of the very few openly black gay local or national television news personalities. "I'm opposed to the word 'coming out'," Pugh tells Darian Aaron. "You can't come out when you've never been in. I'm not in. I don't hide the fact that I'm gay. I don't hide it at work. I don't hide it with my friends. I'm not ashamed of anything."

Pugh's candidacy makes history in more ways than one, the Michigan Messenger reports: "Pugh's sexuality will attract a great deal of attention because he’ll be the first openly gay candidate in Detroit to run for city council in anyone’s memory—and do it in one of the country’s largest African-American cities where openly gay elected officials are rare if present at all."

Alicia Skillman, who is black and lesbian, was preparing to run for city council this cycle before she became executive director of the Triangle Foundation, the Detroit-based gay-rights advocacy group. Skillman says Detroit's problems are so great that voters will look past sexuality. "I don’t believe they’re going to care about what a person does in their private life, their orientation. I think they’re going to care about whether or not the person can do what’s best for the city and do it ethically."

Detroit's former longtime Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick—the anti-gay, serial adulterer who pushed a same-sex marrriage ban—mayor was sent to jail for corruption. The city council is under FBI investigation for bribery and corruption. Council member Martha Reeves is also facing lawsuits and investigations. General Motors is cutting thousands of jobs and shedding its Pontiac brand. Hopefully voters in the overwhelmingly black Motor City will be able to look past sexuality because the regular way of doing business in Detroit ... is not not working.

Thanks KEN G

AFTER THE JUMP, FOX 2 covers Pugh's decision.