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10.01.2023 – 10.31.2023 July 2024
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Biden Pardons of LGBTQ+ Burbank MayorThousands Faces Backlash OverVeterans Playful Convicted Under Anti-Gay Military Law Video, Cites Critics Anti-LGBTQ+ Bias Presidential Mayor Konstantine Proclamation Aims Anthony Defends to Rectify Decades Actions Amid of Injustice and Controversy Over Restore Benefits Video
President Joe Biden granted clemency to of United States veterans Bythousands Dolores Quintana convicted under a military law that banned gayBurbank sex, addressing what he called a “great Mayor Konstantine Anthony is injustice.” Thisfrom move, announcedfollowing during facing criticism conservatives Pride Month and election year, the circulation of a an video showing himallows being LGBTQ+ service members spanked by a drag queen convicted during an solely event on of their sexual orientation to on the the basis weekend of September 10. Anthony apply for a certificate aiding has responded that someofofpardon, his critics are them in receiving withheld bias benefits. motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ and that the “Today, am righting a historic wrong incident wasI harmless. byInusing my clemency authority topodcast, pardon the video, posted by the Wisenuts many members who were Mayor former Anthonyservice is seen being spanked by convicted simply themselves,” a drag artist, backedfor by being the Village People’s Biden in Anthony a statement. “Despite their “Machosaid Man.” described the events courage and great thousands of as “shenanigans” andsacrifice, emphasized that it was LGBTQ+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Some of these patriotic Americans were subject to court-martial and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades.”
This historic proclamation will allow those convicted under 125 ofthatthea all in good fun. He wentArticle on to reveal Uniform Code of video Military secretly recorded wasJustice, made which during criminalized including the event andsodomy, subsequently sharedbetween with a consenting adults, from 1951 until its repeal prominent hate group. byInCongress in Instagram 2013. The proclamation a post on his account, Anthony also federal employees who stated, includes “For several days, extremist right-wing were penalizedincluding by the Fox 1950sNews, “lavender organizations, have scare,” which prompted the to government spread misleading information fuel fear, to investigate andand LGBTQ discrimination, hate.terminate I will always be a employees whoofwere then suspected of proud supporter the LGBTQ+ community disloyalty. and drag performers.” A official,filled speaking Hesenior added,administration “On a busy Saturday with to reporters, highlighted the Ihistorical various independent gatherings, attended context the lavender scare and the the SantaofClarita Valley Democrats’ private parallel purges withinorganization. the military. Notably, “If you fundraiser for their think aboutnothe historical periods where there were officially endorsed candidates LGBTQ+ were figures purgedpresent. from or state andindividuals federal political the government moreadults generally, in The federal event was open to young ages 15 the parallelHowever, militarythere realm that also and above. were no was attendees occurring the lavender scare, and so below 18.during Additionally, no children were the convictions from those eras are indeed present.” covered proclamation,” the official While by notthis specifying the particular hate said. group in question, it is possible that Anthony This measure criticizes the “don’t was referring to also the Twitter account, now ask, don’t tell” policy from Bill Clinton known as X, called “Libs ofthe TikTok,” which era, which allowed LGBTQ+ individuals to serve in the military as long as they did not disclose their sexual orientation. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law passed on February 28, 1994, and continued to be in force until September 20, 2011.
reposted the video and garnered over 8 million views. In response to the video, the Libs of TikTok account claimed that children were present at the event. Mayor Anthony disputed this assertion, stating that “actually, there weren’t any children at this private 21+ event. But of course, lying is totally on brand for you.” While the account correctly pointed out that individuals aged 15 and older were permitted to attend, the event’s organizer, the Santa Clarita Valley Democrats, released a statement clarifying that no individuals under the age of 18 were in attendance. Mayor Anthony reiterated this point during a City Council meeting and expressed his concern that the video’s circulation had led to city officials receiving “some of the most vile hate speech that I have ever seen.” Anthony encouraged those with concerns about his actions to communicate with him directly via email at kanthony@burbankca. gov. He stated, “If you want to talk to me about what happened over the weekend, send me an email. Send me an email. I will talk to
you about it. There is no reason to involve all of the other people who were not at a public event, not at a government-sponsored event. It wasn’t even in the city of Burbank.” In a statement released on Tuesday, the Santa Clarita Valley Democrats voiced their support for Mayor Anthony and strongly denounced the sensationalized and inaccurate portrayal of their event for political purposes that promoted fear, homophobia, transphobia, and bigotry. The Democrats reaffirmed their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and drag performers, refusing to engage with what they referred to as “fake outrage.”
Bomb Threat Temporarily Halts “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” Premiere at TIFF Colorado Springs Shooter Sentenced to
Hall, where the documentary was set A spokesperson for the Toronto police security swept the scene and cleared it within World Premiere of Thomson 55 Life Terms for Hate Crimes Q Victor Kwong. to be screened. informed CTV News Toronto that at the threat Club 20 minutes,” noted Constable Lung stated, “Our standard security had been conveyed to the festival’s private Toronto police also clarified that the threat families. remained in place during this time, Documentary Anderson Lee Was measures security by a passerby. “Out of an abundance had a general nature and did not specifically highlighted thewith importance andProsecutors the screening commenced a slight of caution, the Toronto police and the private target any individual or entity. of Aldrich’s acknowledgment of the hate delay. To our knowledge, this was a general Screened After Aldrich Pleads that motivated the mass shooting. As part threat and not directed at the film or the artist.” of the plea agreement, Aldrich repeatedly Guilty, Receives 20-Minute Delay BACK OR UNFILES admitted to committing hate crimes.
“The admission that these were hate Life Without crimes is important to the government, and it’s important to the community of Club Parole The premiere of “Lil Nas X: Long Live Q,” said prosecutor Alison Connaughty.
By Dolores Quintana
Montero” at the Film Anderson LeeToronto Aldrich,International the homophobe Festival (TIFF)five faced a momentary setback 19 on who killed people and injured Saturday due to a bomb threat. others atnight an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Judy Lung, TIFF’s Vice President Public Springs, pleaded guilty to offederal Affairs and Communications, confirmedwas to hate crimes on Tuesday. Aldrich CTV News Toronto via aterms writteninstatement sentenced to 55 life prison without the possibility but did that the festival was alertedof to parole an investigation not the apologize or the address the victims’ “in vicinity of red carpet” at Roy
“You went to this community’s safe space and mass murdered people. This community is much stronger than you, stronger than your armor and stronger than your weapons, and sure as hell stronger than your hatred,” she added, noting the significance of the sentencing during Pride Month.
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Connaughty emphasized that Club crimes related to the shooting. Aldrich Q was more than just aSAMUEL bar; it wasB.a MOSES, had initially pleaded not guilty. CPA sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ community. United States District Judge Charlotte Aldrich pleaded guilty to all 74 charges, N. Sweeney officially accepted including100 violations of Blvd., the Matthew Aldrich’s pleaMonica and sentenced him to life Wilshire Suite 1753 • Santa 90401 Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes imprisonment without parole in addition Prevention Act of 2009, as well as gun to a 190-year prison term.
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