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Former BART Officer Convicted in Oscar Grant Shooting is Released

The white former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer convicted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man has been released  after serving only 11 months of a two-year sentence, reports KCRA.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Johannes Mehserle was set free early Monday from the county jail where he served his time after his high-profile trial was moved to Southern California. A judge ruled Friday that Mehserle should be given credit for time served and good conduct.

Mehserle, 29, was convicted last July of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Grant, 22, on a Bay Area Rapid Transit train station platform in Oakland on New Year's Day 2009.

Mehserle was responding to a fight on the train platform and was angry the 22-year-old Grant resisted arrest. Grant was laying prostate and handcuffed when he was shot in the back by Mehserle, who claims he "accidentally" drew his .40 caliber handgun instead of his Taser.

The jury acquitted Mehserle of the more serious charges of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. Eight women and four men sat on the jury, none of whom were black. 

Violent riots erupted in Oakland after the jury's verdict. At least 150 people were arrested during the protests.

The involuntary manslaughter conviction had the option of an "enhancement" that could have extended the sentence 14 years because a firearm was used. The judge chose not to do so.

Shame, shame, shame.

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Involuntary Manslaughter Verdict in BART Shooting

News: MADD at Paris Hilton, California Marriage, Taye Diggs

· Mothers Against Drunk Driving comes out forcibly against the Paris Hilton three ring circus, along with Lindsay Lohan, Shemar Moore and the 1.4 million annual arrests for drunk driving. MADD reports "alcohol-related traffic deaths are at an all time high since 1992", claiming about 18,000 deaths in 2006.

· On the other side of the pond, George Michael ordered to community service for his latest DUI.

· More Fortune 500 companies are asking their law firms to commit to hiring minority and openly gay attorneys including "Verizon Communications Inc., the second-biggest U.S. phone company, and Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer. Wal-Mart stopped doing business with two law firms because it wasn't satisfied with their diversity efforts."

· Taye Diggs and his dance troupe, dre.dance, announce their summer schedule.

· For the second time in two years, the California Assembly passes legislation that would make same-sex marriage legal and "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who vetoed the 2005 legislation, said earlier this year that he would do so again."

· Mitt Romney proposes privatizing Social Security.

· The immigration reform bill championed by the Bush Administration, Senate Democrats and the John McCain-Lindsey Graham wing of the Republican Party is dead. "The defeat came after months of painstaking negotiations and weeks of debate as a 45 to 50 procedural vote fell well short of the 60 votes needed to break the filibuster.

News: Campaign Against Bigotry, GLAAD Targets Black Audiences

· The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announces a new public service campaign to "bring heightened visibility" to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in black communities. Starting over Mother's Day weekend, the print adverts will run for one week in leading black community-based newspapers such as The Chicago Defender and Amsterdam News. This follows last week's announcement that actor Isaiah Washington will appear in television PSAs for the anti-defamation group.

· Alaska: A proposed constitutional amendment to prevent the same-sex domestic partners of state employees from receiving health benefits failed in the House. Meanwhile, in New York state, the state health plan is now open to some partners of gay and lesbian employees.

· One week after a group of prominent anti-gay black pastors lobbied Congress against the proposed hate crimes bill, a new multi-city campaign is launched against religious-based bigotry. Faith in America is running print ads across the country to publicly expose church-based bigotry against LGBT persons—especially ministries that target gays and lesbians of color.

· Bilerico publishes a guest post by Rep. Joe Donnelly, the conservative Indiana Democrat who voted against the hate crimes bill. Bottom line: "I am not convinced that a federal hate crimes law would reduce the incidence of crime in our communities."

· Taye Diggs and Jane Krakowski will announce the nominations for the 61st Annual "Tony" Awards on May 15th.

News: 'Don't Ask' Bill, Georgia Hate Crimes, Taye Diggs, NJ Students

· A bill to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', the ban preventing gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, will be re-introduced next week in Congress. Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) says more than 120 members from both parties have signed on to co-sponsor the Military Readiness Enhancement Act—such as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the über neo-conservative Florida Republican. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen says she has a stepson and daughter-in-law deployed to Afghanistan and "our country needs linguists versed in foreign languages yet we are firing them from service if they are gay. What a waste of valuable talent.''

· That was fast. ABC announces Taye Diggs will return to the small screen as the star of the new Grey's Anatomy spin-off. We're sure he'll be much more sympathetic to his co-stars' sexuality.

· New hate crimes bill introduced in the Georgia senate that could add up to five years to felony convictions when the victim was targeted based on “race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation.” The Georgia General Assembly passed a bias crimes law in 2000, later struck down by the state Supreme Court as "unconstitutionally vague."

· Merck makes its anti-retroviral drug Atripla more widely available in developing nations with higher HIV prevalence. No profit is expected.

· New Jersey Supreme Court: Schools must protect LGBT students from discrimination and bullying. "Isolated schoolyard insults or classroom taunts" are not covered, only persistent bullying based on a student's "perceived sexual orientation" and when the school district fails to reasonably address the issue.

Is Taye Suddenly Single?

Are Taye Diggs and wife Idina Menzel are calling it quits?

Recent reports suggest Taye partied solo acrosss South Beach during Super Bowl weekend. Although still wears a wedding band, this was the second recent sighting without wife Idina Menzel, the Broadway star. "We're done," he reportedly told one woman.

Another curious report finds Taye "at the Radisson’s Super Bowl Gift Lounge to pick up underwear–2(x)ist briefs in black and in white", which sounds more appropriate for a rendezvous with ... oh, maybe the same hottie male super-model on whom he declared a boy-crush? We're sure that revelation has nothing to do with the couple's separation ...

Splitsville for Taye Diggs and Wife? (Canada.com)

You May Want to Read ...

Taye: I'd Do Tyson (Rod 2.0) Taye Likes 'Em Rough (Rod 2.0) Gay Taye (Rod 2.0) Will & Taye (Rod 2.0) A Soldier's Story (Rod 2.0) Taye Will Play Gay (Rod 2.0) Taye Diggs: A Soldier's Play (Rod 2.0) Jesse Comes Out (Rod 2.0) Rent DVD (Rod 2.) Taye on Lifetime (Rod 2.0) Diggs to Star in "Daybreak" (Rod 2.0) Nothing Going On But the Rent (Rod 2.0)

Taye: I'd Do Tyson

Taye Diggs reveals his inner metrosexual in a new-ish interview at Elle. The Q&A begins with an appreciation of Taye's bubble butt and ends with his shoe fetish. He also reveals his boy-crush:

ELLE: If your life depended on sleeping with a man, who would you choose?
TD: It would have to be a really put-together brother. So, Tyson Beckford.

Sometimes we forget, but Taye Diggs is married ... to a woman ... Broadway star Idina Menzel. According to the interview, behind closed doors the marriage is sometimes a Clash of the Divas. The star couple mostly argues over outifits:

ELLE: What has been the hardest adjustment of your marriage?
TD: She cannot pick up her clothes. I come from a very disciplined household with rules, so I have difficulty comprehending that. She's got a lot of great qualities, but that's not one of them.

ELLE: When your wife talks to her friends about you, what do you think she complains about?
TD: It annoys her that I like putting outfits together. She was a tomboy growing up and prefers jeans and a T-shirt.

It should also come as no surprise that Taye admits to having more shoes than his wife. "But I have more of everything."

One Fine Taye (Elle)

More Taye Diggs:

Taye Likes 'Em Rough (Rod 2.0) Gay Taye (Rod 2.0) Will & Taye (Rod 2.0) A Soldier's Story (Rod 2.0) Taye Will Play Gay (Rod 2.0) Taye Diggs: A Soldier's Play (Rod 2.0) Jesse Comes Out (Rod 2.0) Rent DVD (Rod 2.) Taye on Lifetime (Rod 2.0) Diggs to Star in "Daybreak" (Rod 2.0) Nothing Going On But the Rent (Rod 2.0)

Taye Likes 'Em Rough

His legs, that is. Reportedly, the star of Rent and Daybreak has become frustrated with his smooth, muscleboy look—specifically, his legs, because, well, friends think that he waxes or shaves them. "It can be nice until you're 35 and want to feel like a man," Diggs says. "Women are always asking me if I shave my legs. No, I don't shave my legs."

On a related note, Taye Diggs probably wishes Daybreak had more muscular legs of its own. ABC has cancelled the low-rated series after only three episodes.

Diggs Hates His Smooth Legs (Contact Music)

Day Broke; 'Lost' Later (Courant)

More Taye Diggs:

Rent DVD (Rod 2.) Taye on Lifetime (Rod 2.0) Diggs to Star in "Daybreak" (Rod 2.0) Gay Taye (Rod 2.0) A Soldier's Story (Rod 2.0) Taye Will Play Gay (Rod 2.0) Taye Diggs: A Soldier's Play (Rod 2.0) Jesse Comes Out (Rod 2.0) Nothing Going On But the Rent (Rod 2.0)

News: Raisin in the Sun, Taye Diggs

· Sorry, we're a day late with this one so thank Bernie and ModFab for the heads up. A Raisin in the Sun will be restaged as a teleplay for ABC. Sean "Diddy" Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan starred in the Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry's masterpiece. Combs will executive produce the small screen adaptation. "Established Black stage performers were initially up in arms over his casting," Bernie writes. "And some reviewers were lukewarm to his performance. The fact that every star in the show was nominated for a Tony that year except Diddy, seemed to suggest that the theater community did not view him as one of their own."

· Matthew McConaughey, Will Smith and Taye Diggs are the men with the best skin.

· Audiences and critics are not impressed with the world's first live theatrical advertisement.

NEWS: Ella Fitzgerald, Naomi Campbell

Ella, a new musical about the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, will open in nine cities across the country. Ella takes place in Nice in 1966 where the singer reflects on her life to her band and to the audience. Tina Fabrique plays the title role. The production opens in Florida.

Via Modern Fabulosity: Tony predictions and Taye Diggs' skin regimen.

Jody Watley vs Madonna at the Midnight Lounge.

Pharrell and Kanye finally hook up. It's gonna be hot.

Anger management candidate Naomi Campbell will adorn a special charity stamp in Austria. The "Lifeball" stamp will raise money for Elton John's AIDS charities. Rocka must love this.

If you thought the three-hour film adaptation of Rent was almost unbearable, then you may find the "2-Disc Special Edition DVD available both in widescreen and fullscreen formats" ... well, let's just say, particularly masochistic. (No offense to Anthony Rapp, the gorgeous and talented Taye Diggs or his quite impressive wife, Idina Menzel.) We haven't even braved the 5 deleted scenes and additional musical performances. Washington Post staff writer Scott Vogel has more fortitude. In a review written as a tongue-in-cheek letter to the deceased Jonathan Larson, Vogel says that the movie is depressing because Rentheads have grown-up. "Four hours later, no one is in a very good mood. The general consensus: Where did our love go? To an extent, I blame this melancholy on the DVDs, which remind us in myriad ways that the times they have a-changed for good."

After many protests, Brokeback Mountain opens at one theatre in Jamaica. A local entertainment critic blames American film and movies for exporting gay culture. "Those who are ready to get excited about the arrival of Brokeback Mountain ought to recognise that gay related themes and homosexuals have become more and more prominent in movies that make it to Jamaica. Often it sneaks in through humour, but it does not always wear that disguise. "