LGBT News

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: He asked the man if he was gay and when he responded “I am,” he hit him. Now, that alleged attacker faces assault charges — but those will not be enhanced as a hate crime. Carlo Alazo, 22 from Florida, was charged Friday by the Salt Lake County district attorney with three misdemeanors for threatening …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: When Jussie Smollett called the cast and crew of the television show “Empire” together Thursday night, they were expecting the actor to come clean about what really happened, a person at the meeting told CNN. Smollett did apologize to his coworkers for any embarrassment they might have felt since the story began. But then, to the …

NBC News reports: A federal judge in California ruled Thursday that a twin son of a gay married couple has been an American citizen since birth, handing a defeat to the U.S. government, which had only granted the status to his brother. The State Department was wrong to deny citizenship to 2-year-old Ethan Dvash-Banks, District Judge John F. Walter found. …

The Texas Tribune reports: A Houston judge has thrown out the six-year-old lawsuit a pair of Houston taxpayers filed to keep the city from paying spousal benefits to the same-sex spouses of municipal employees. But the long-running legal saga is long from over, according to the side that was handed a loss this week. The lawsuit dates back to 2013, …

The Blast reports: Jussie Smollett is to be released this afternoon on a $100,000 bond and is ordered to surrender his passport. During the hearing, text messages between Jussie Smollett and the brothers were read aloud to the court. Smollett was seen taking deep breaths, closing his eyes, and shaking his head. Smollett’s siblings, including Jazz, Jake and Jocqui, arrived …

The Auburn Plainsman reports: Police briefly investigated an incident Tuesday evening at a coffee shop in Auburn during which eyewitnesses said a white man who appeared to be in his mid-20s stood on a chair, yelled Nazi slogans including “Heil Hitler” and flashed a gun to the cafe’s manager. Customers called police at Mama Mocha’s on Gay Street after the …

USA Today reports: “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett choreographed a homophobic, racist attack against himself with the help of two brother he knew, in an attempt to raise his profile because he was dissatisfied with the salary he was making, police said Thursday. Eddie Johnson, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, kicked off the presser, explaining what their investigation concluded. “This …

CBS News reports: “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is in custody to face charges of making a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago late last month by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, police said. Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorderly …

Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate reports: A bill to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ children is set to be unveiled in the Utah State Legislature. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told FOX 13 it will not oppose the bill, which could give it a boost on Capitol Hill. The bill is being carried by two Republican lawmakers: …

ABC News Chicago reports: Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Jussie Smollett is officially a suspect in a criminal investigation for filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony. Guglielmi said CPD detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County grand jury. Earlier Gugliemi confirmed prosecutors are speaking with Jussie Smollett’s attorneys as part of …

The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump drew a blank Wednesday when told about his own administration’s push to legalize homosexuality across the globe. A reporter asked Trump in the Oval Office about “your push to decriminalize homosexuality around the world,” asking, “Are you doing that and why?” Trump said, however, “I don’t know which report you’re talking about. We have …

NBC News reports: U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell says the Trump administration has strong backing at home from Republicans and even religious conservatives for its push to end laws that criminalize homosexuality in foreign countries, telling NBC News that he’s “wildly supported by both parties.” In an exclusive interview in Berlin, Grenell says he has no concerns that the …

The Indianapolis Star reports: The Indiana Senate voted to amend a hate crimes proposal Tuesday, scrapping from the bill all protected characteristics, including gender identity, race and sexual orientation. The amendment to Senate Bill 12 removed the list of specific characteristics and added that judges can consider bias more generally as an aggravating circumstance when weighing a stricter sentence for …

NBC News reports: The Trump administration is launching a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality in dozens of nations where it’s still illegal to be gay, U.S. officials tell NBC News, a bid aimed in part at denouncing Iran over its human rights record. U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, the highest-profile openly gay person in the Trump …

Viral YouTube star Randy Rainbow is back today with a take on Trump’s emergency declaration via Madonna’s 1984 breakout hit, Borderline, her first single to reach the US pop top ten. As always, we won’t give away the clever word play, just watch below.

CBS News Chicago reports: Sources told CBS 2 News that Smollett paid the two men $3,500 to stage the attack in Streeterville. The brothers, seen on surveillance video near the scene of the alleged attack, told investigators Smollett directed them to buy the rope used in the incident, and paid for the purchase at Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in Ravenswood …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Salt Lake City police are asking the public for help identifying a man who hit another after asking if he was gay. The assault is captured in an eight-second video posted to Twitter on Sunday by Sal Trejo and quickly spread through social media. The assault took place downtown and the video starts with the …

CNN reports: Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Chicago Police believe Jussie Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the assault. The brothers, who were arrested Wednesday, were released without charges Friday after Chicago police cited the discovery of “new evidence.” The sources told CNN that the two men are now cooperating fully with law …

San Francisco Curbed reports: San Francisco Mayor London Breed says that she’s signed legislation giving the go-ahead to Eagle Plaza, a long planned new park in west SoMa nearly four years in the making. The designs for the 12,500-square-foot space include a prominent Leather Pride flag to acknowledge SoMa’s history with the LGBTQ and leather communities. The Eagle Plaza name …

Via press release from Lambda Legal: Today, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Defense and Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to halt discharge proceedings against HIV-positive members of the U.S. Air Force. The order came in the case of Roe and Voe v. Shanahan, filed by Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN, with partner law firm Winston & Strawn, …