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Indictment in Murder of Baltimore Gay Teen Jason Mattison

There is an update to the tragic case of Jason Mattison, the 15-year-old openly gay black Baltimore student brutally murdered last month. The ex-convict who previously served time for murder and confessed to killing the teen has been indicted, WBAL reports:

  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 [Mattison], Jr was discovered by a family member inside a second floor bedroom closet. [[Mattison] 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.

Parrish is being held without bail.

The circumstances surrounding Mattison's death remain unclear. Reports indicate that Parrish forced Jason into a sexual relationship. Some family members and/or their tenants may have been aware and looked the other way.

Sponsor of Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill: Death Penalty Will Remain

There is a troublesome update to the extreme state-sponsored campaign of terror against gays in lesbians in Uganda. Earlier this week it was announced a "refined" Anti Homosexuality Bill would be submitted to Parliament that would not seek the death penalty or life imprisonment for gays. Not so, says MP David Bahati, the sponsor of the bill, who tells The Guardian the draconian penalties will not be dropped.

There is wide support for Bahati's law which, while being an extreme piece of anti-gay legislation, is not unique.... The Ugandan bill extends existing laws to make it illegal to promote homosexuality by talking or writing about it, and forcing people to tell the authorities about anyone they know who is gay. The bill, said Bahati, 35, an MP from the ruling party, aims to "protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sex promiscuity on the people of Uganda". He denied reports that international pressure might result in parts of the bill being toned down. "We are not going to yield to any international pressure – we cannot allow people to play with the future of our children and put aid into the game. We are not in the trade of values. "

The Guardian notes the irony in Bahati's statement: Despite claiming to be immune to outside influences, it was actually American social conservative missionaries to Uganda that encouraged the Anti Homosexuality Bill. Only three days ago and after weeks of silence, one of those evangelicals, the influential Pastor Rick Warren, released a videotaped message condemning the bill  MP Bahati expressed his disappointment: "It's unfortunate that a man of God who has inspired many people across the world can give in to pressure and disappoint them."

On late Friday evening, the White House also finally released a statement denouncing the bill, weeks after formal protests had been lodged by Britain, Canada, Sweden and other nations.

H/T: JoeMyGod

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Anti-Gay Singer Buju Banton Jailed on Drug Conspiracy Charges

Anti-gay "murder music" singer Buju Banton has been jailed in Miami on federal drug conspiracy charges:

"Drug Enforcement Administration agents say Banton, real name Mark Anthony Myrie, has been in custody since Thursday and will soon be transferred to Tampa, where the U.S. Attorney is charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine. Banton has homes both in Jamaica and Tamarac. While legions of dancehall reggae enthusiasts view Banton as one of the most prolific voices of Jamaica's poor masses, critics say he's a gay basher whose lyrics incite violence by calling for attacking and torturing homosexuals. His song 'Boom Bye Bye', a dancehall hit released in the 1990s, advocates shooting gays in the head and setting them on fire."

In recent years, the singer's North American and European tour dates have routinely met with protests, demonstrations and cancellations. In October, San Francisco-based LGBT activists met with Banton and afterwards the reggae singer's anti-gay rhetoric appeared even more hardened: "This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs, 'There is no end to the war between me and faggot'. The same night after I met with them [gay activists], they pepper-sprayed the concert. So what are you trying to tell me? I owe dem nothing, they don't owe I nothing."

Jamaican news coverage of Buju Banton's arrest has, predictably, attempted to link his legal problems to his anti-gay views.

Banton's recent Grammy nomination has been met with outrage. GLAAD, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) and Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) have spearheaded an online petition drive against The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. The petition is HERE.

Confessed Killer of Puerto Rican Gay Teen Found Mentally Incompetent

There is an update to yesterday's story of the court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of Juan A. Martínez Matos, the man who confessed to the gruesome murder and dismemberment of a gay teenager last month in Puerto Rico. The court-appointed psychiatrist has reportedly determined the 26-year-old man is mentally incompetent and unfit to stand trial. But is the confessed killer faking it?

Psychiatrist Rafael Cabrera urged Caguas Superior Court Judge Camila Jusino to send the 26-year old suspect, Juan Martínez Matos, back to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Río Piedras to keep him under evaluation by the medical staff there. However, Cabrera acknowledged during a preliminary hearing that he is not certain whether the symptoms of psychosis referred to by the defendant are real, feigned or exaggerated. Under questioning by prosecutor Yaritza Carrasquillo, the psychiatrist agreed that the facts that Martínez Matos says he cannot clearly remember are essentially those of the night of the crime. The judge ordered Martínez to undergo another evaluation on January 7 and set a date for a new hearing on January 13. Gay rights activist Pedro Julio Serrano was quick to criticize the court developments. “Although full justice can never be done, as Jorge Steven is no longer with us, the process of prosecuting the confessed murderer in one of the most heinous crimes committed in the history of our country has been delayed again,” Serrano said in a statement .

Martínez has confessed to killing 19-year-old Jorge Steven López Mercado on Nov. 13 in "gay panic". Police say Martínez stabbed decapitated, dismembered and partially burned the teen’s body before he dumped roadside near Cayey. Martínez, charged with first-degree murder and jailed on $4 million bond, has been remanded to the prison psychiatric ward.

The report at Caribbean Business and other media have referred to López as a "transvestite" or as wearing women's clothing at the time of the murder. There is no evidence to support this besides the word of the confessed killer now pleading insanity. Friends and family dispute the claim and say Jorge Steven López Mercado identified as a young gay man, not as transgender.

More Jorge Steven López Mercado

Killers in Michael Sandy Hate Crime Murder Appeal Convictions

Two of the convicted killers in the tragic case of Michael Sandy, the black gay Brooklyn interior designer lured to his death and chased onto a busy highway, are appealing their convictions. The accused ringleader in the case is challenging the testimony of one of his former friends and claims the goal was to rob and not kill the victim, reports Gay City News.

Anthony Fortunato, 23, was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter as a hate crime. In 2006, he, Gary Timmins, and two other men lured Sandy, a 29-year-old gay man, to a secluded beach where they tried to rob him. Sandy fled onto a nearby highway where he was struck by a car and killed. Fortunato was sentenced to seven-to-21 years and his earliest possible release date is October 2013. In a plea deal, Gary Timmins, 19, testified for the prosecution in exchange for a four-year sentence. The appeal noted Timmins’ history of drug use, theft, and one serious assault saying, “Since the age of eleven or twelve, he has been an active violator of the criminal law.”

Fortunato, saying he had done so previously, suggested that the group sign on to a gay Internet chat room and lure a gay man to a meeting. Sandy came for a first encounter, but left after seeing all four men. After a second Internet contact, he went back, believing he would meet only John Fox, 22. At that second encounter, Sandy was attacked by Fox and Ilya Shurov, 23. The appeal argued that “the attack and pursuit were spontaneous acts by Shurov, joined by Fox, also spontaneously, and by no one else.” A similar issue was raised at trial.

Fortunato hoped to fend off manslaughter charges by telling the jury he is also gay and was afraid to come out. The jury did not buy it.

Twenty-two-year-old John Fox is also seeking to overturn his convictions for manslaughter and attempted robbery as hate crimes in the killing of Michael Sandy. Fox argues his attorney was incompetent.

Twenty-nine-year-old Michael J. Sandy, an interior designer with IKEA from Brooklyn, was lured to a secluded lot in Sheepshead Bay on Oct. 8, 2006 after exchanging online messages with his would-be-killers on Adam4Adam. Sandy was led to a narrow beach, then attacked and chased into traffic on the Belt Parkway. He was struck by an SUV and later died of his injuries. The driver has never been identified. The Sandy case remains one of the very few successfully prosecuted anti-gay hate crimes where the victim was black and the offenders were white.

Complete background on the Michael Sandy case is here

Anti-Gay, Adulterous South Carolina GOP Gov. Sanford to Stay in Office

Mark Sanford will be allowed to stay in office. The disgraced South Carolina Republican anti-gay "family values" governor disappeared for almost a week while carrying on an extra-marital affair in Argentina. Legislators say the governor's dereliction of duties and missing in action ... doesn't quite rise to a "high crime".

South Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday quashed a move to oust Gov. Mark Sanford over his summertime tryst and his use of state aircraft, saying his embarrassing conduct was not serious enough to merit impeachment. Lawmakers were still considering whether to recommend an official reprimand. Six of the seven panel members said they believed the events surrounding Sanford's extramarital affair involving an Argentine woman did not rise to a high enough level to warrant his removal from office prior to the end of his second and final term in January 2011. "We can't impeach for hypocrisy. We can't impeach for arrogance. We can't impeach an officeholder for his lack of leadership skills," said Rep. James Harrison, the Columbia Republican who headed the panel.

The serial philandering Sanford is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and adoptions by gay couples. 

Sanford's impeachment would have presented the South Carolina Republican Party with a vexing public relations issue. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who called for the resignation of the governor, has been outed as gay.

Psych Test Ordered for Murder Suspect of Puerto Rican Gay Teen

A Puerto Rican judge has ordered psychological testingfor the man who allegedly confessed to the horrific murder and dismemberment of a gay teenager last month.

Twenty-six-year-old Juan A. Martínez Matos has reportedly confessed that he murdered 19-year-old Jorge Steven López Mercado on Nov. 13 in "gay panic". Police say Martínez stabbed decapitated, dismembered and partially burned the teen’s body before he dumped roadside near Cayey. Martínez has been charged with first-degree murder and remains jailed on $4 million bond. The psychological testing was ordered on December 7 and Martínez has been remanded to the prison psych ward.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Pedro Julio Serrano, who has been the lead activist demanding justice in the brutal slaying of gay teen, expressed his outrage over the judge's decision. Serrano tells EDGE: "This is outrageous. The reality is we’re seeking justice and we will not rest until this process is done without prejudice." Serrano told EDGE local prosecutor Yaritza Carrasquillo assured him and the slain teen’s family she will continue to prosecute the case as a hate crime.

Puerto Rican LGBT activist Christopher Pagan was in the courtroom and tells Queerty: "[Martínez] seemed cold yet scared all at once, had no expression whatsoever on his face. When he realized that there were eight witnesses involved in the case — including Jorge’s father, Luis (Jorge's Lover), officers and investigators — he became a bit nervous and uneasy. Jorge’s father also made a statement which I was able to capture and record, and translate. Indicating that the killer is using a excuse and ploy, and that he's using the insanity claim to buy time. Also that he is very sure that Juan Matos knows what he did, remembers what he did, and the way he did it. Jorge’s father also demanded that justice be served in this case."

Watch Jorge's father's statement AFTER THE JUMP.

On Thanksgiving Eve, thousands marched through San Juan to hold a candlelight vigil for the slain teen. The crowd demanded authorities investigate the case as an anti-gay hate crime. Under considerable pressure by gay activists, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice has agreed to investigate the murder of Jorge Steven López Mercado as a hate crime. There have been at least 20 murders of gay men or transgender women since a 2002 hate crime law was passed in this U.S. territory. This will be the first time it has been applied.

Via Queer-y.com: Watch Jorge's father's statement AFTER THE JUMP.

Dallas Mavericks' Tim Thomas Accused of Anti-Gay Slurs, Brawl

The Dallas Police Department reports Dallas Mavericks reserve forward Tim Thomas is an assault suspect in a brawl that occurred early this morning at a Denny's. Reportedly, the NBA player, another man, and three women responded to a greeting from 29-year-old Daniel Pettie by calling him "faggot". The incident escalated into a brawl involving a fistfight and throwing chairs.

The Dallas Morning News has the play-by-play:

Pettie told The Dallas Morning News that someone else -- not Thomas -- threw the chair. He said that when he and his friends passed by Thomas’ table and he addressed the player by saying, “What’s up?” Thomas responded that that he didn’t talk to “faggots.” Pettie told The News that when he passed Thomas’ table again, Thomas made another remark derogatory remark about gays.“I asked one of the guys, ‘What the hell did you say?’ ’’ Pettie said. “As Tim continued to instigate the situation, one of the guys hit me in my mouth. Another one of his friends hit me. They pushed me down onto a table.” Pettie says he picked up a chair to defend himself. One of the men who hit him in the face then picked up a chair and threw it, he said. Pettie said he caught the chair, but not before it hit [a woman].

He said Thomas then yelled out that the police had been called and that it was time to leave. Pettie said of the confrontation: "It was juvenile. It was like a bunch of high school kids. It reminded me of high school. The popular kids picking on lower classmen. That’s how they acted. (Thomas) acted like a big bully kid in high school. Pettie said that he is not gay, but that some of the friends who were with him are lesbian."

Roger Emrich, a sports reporter for KRLD radio, was eating in the Denny's at the time and witnessed the fight. Emrich said the fight involved companions of Thomas but not the player. Emrich says he never heard Thomas utter an anti-gay slur, which is disputed by witnesses and the police report.

On Halloween, another Mavericks player, Drew Gooden, was accused of calling a Los Angeles Clippers fan and his friend "faggots" at the Staples Center.

The Background:
Mavericks' Drew Gooden Accused of Calling Fans "Faggots"

WATCH: Pedro Julio Serrano Confronts Gay Puerto Rican Nightclub for Anti-Trans Remarks

Pedro Julio Serrano, the LGBT activist and the spokesman for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, confronts the crowd at the very popular Krash nightclub in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Serrano heard negative comments about transgender people while serving as a guest judge during a contest. "One of the few times in the club's history in which everyone was silent and listened," adds Christopher Pagan, the Puerto Rican gay activist who shot the video and translated.

Watch the video WHEN YOU JUMP.

Serrano has been the lead activist demanding justice in the brutal slaying of gay teen Jorge Steven López Mercado. On Wednesday, thousands marched through the streets of San Juan for a vigil in memory of the 19-year-old. That same day, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice agreed to investigate the murder as an anti-gay hate crime, the first in the island's history.

Serrano questions one of the key statements by the confessed murderer, who claims López was dressed as a woman. Serrano tells Doug Ireland at Gay City News: "None of Jorge Steven’s friends, and I’ve spoken to many of them, knew anything about his ever having engaged in sex work, not his family, and not the police. Nor was he known as a cross-dresser. He identified and lived as a very proud gay man, he was very genuine and authentic. He was just very fashion-oriented and what you could call a gender-bender, but not in a transgendered way. We do not know if the murderer’s claim that Jorge Steven was wearing a dress is true or not, because the body had been so dismembered, its legs and arms and torso strewn in different locations, and it had also been burned along with the clothes he was wearing."

Serrano's powerful testimony WHEN YOU JUMP.

Confession Questioned in Brutal Murder of Puerto Rican Gay Teen

There are new developments in the case of Jorge Steven López Mercado, the gay 19-year-old whose brutally murdered, decapitated and dismembered body was found two weeks ago in Puerto Rico. One of the key statements by the confessed murderer is being questioned: That the victim was presenting himself as female.

Juan Martínez Matos has been charged with first-degree murder and remains jailed on $4 million bond. Martínez confessed to killing and mutilating López and is laying the foundation of a "gay-panic" defense. Martínez says he met López while looking for a prostitute. Martinez claims López was dressed as a woman and killed him in self-defense after discovering he was a man. Doug Ireland at Gay City News:

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Pedro Julio Serrano contradicted the implications in the confessed murderer’s account. "None of Jorge Steven’s friends, and I’ve spoken to many of them, knew anything about his ever having engaged in sex work, not his family, and not the police," Serrano, who met with investigators on the case, told this reporter. "Nor was he known as a cross-dresser. He identified and lived as a very proud gay man, he was very genuine and authentic. He was just very fashion-oriented and what you could call a gender-bender, but not in a transgendered way." Serrano added, "We do not know if the murderer’s claim that Jorge Steven was wearing a dress is true or not, because the body had been so dismembered, its legs and arms and torso strewn in different locations, and it had also been burned along with the clothes he was wearing."

On Thanksgiving Eve, thousands marched through San Juan to hold a candlelight vigil for the slain teen. The crowd demanded authorities investigate the case as an anti-gay hate crime.

Under considerable pressure by gay activists, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice has agreed to investigate the murder of Jorge Steven López Mercado as a hate crime. There have been at least 20 murders of gay men or transgender women since a 2002 hate crime law was passed in this U.S. commonwealth. This will be the first time the law has been applied.

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