"Blue Boy and Bird"

This dude is just a figment of my imagination, based on no one in particular. The bird is supposed to be a Brown Thrasher, the state bird here, very smart and playful. The sky is silverleaf, and the palm trees from my back yard. "Blue Boy And Bird" 24" x 30" Silverleaf and Acrylic on Canvas Bird Lover, TONY

Breaking News!

Today, Joseph Bearden, one of the two accused killers of Ryan Skipper, was found guilty of second-degree murder and robbery.

On March 15, 2007, Ryan Skipper was stabbed 19 times and left to die on a dirt road in Polk County, Florida. His death is a bloody reminder of the anti-gay hatred faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in our state.

Just days ago, a prosecution witness revealed that shortly after the killing, Joseph Bearden, the defendant, said, "He felt he was doing the world a favor by getting rid of one more faggot."

The 19 stab wounds that Ryan Skipper suffered are what the FBI calls 'overkill'.
That's when the violence in an assault is beyond what would be necessary for a robbery and more than would even be required to take someone's life. Overkill is a key indicator of a hate crime.

During his closing statement, State Attorney Castillo said the brutality of Ryan's murder indicated, "hatred, contempt and utter disregard for another human being because he was gay."

Hate crimes are directed at groups of people. They are intended to make an entire community afraid simply because of who they are.

But hate crimes are only effective as a two-step dance: first the offender sends fear into people's hearts with a heinous act of violence. Then leaders around them act like nothing more happened than a car theft gone wrong. No action. No public acknowledgment of what has happened. No commitment to ensuring this never happens again. Their silence is as terrifying as the violence itself.

Take action. Tell Gov Crist and Attorney General McCollum that they must refuse to be the second-step in the cycle of anti-gay hate violence. Tell them to speak out, to turn the tide and declare that gay and transgender people are valued members of our society and that hate violence will not be tolerated against any group.

Ryan Skipper Murder Trial Update

As the trial of Ryan Skipper's accused murderer unfolds, it is clear that anti-gay hatred played a significant role in Ryan's murder. According to a witness who took the stand yesterday:

"He (Bearden) said he didn't like gays."

Prosecutors then revealed that the same witness previously told police:

"(Bearden) felt he was doing the world a favor by getting rid of one more faggot."

Today is just the third full day of the trial of Joseph Bearden, one of the two accused murderers of Ryan Skipper. Ryan was a well-loved young gay man who lived his life openly in one of Florida's most rural and conservative areas - Polk County.

In March of 2007, Ryan was brutally stabbed 19 times. According to witnesses, two suspects drove Ryan's blood-soaked car around and bragged to their friends about savagely killing him.

After a month of scant attention in the media following Ryan's murder, Equality Florida joined with Ryan's family and friends to host a 14-city vigil to commemorate Ryan and to shine a spotlight on the epidemic of anti-LGBT hate violence. Over 1,000 people came out to show their love and support and to condemn the media's lack of coverage.

Hate crime laws provide a penalty enhancement in Florida. However, since Bearden is being tried for capital murder, there is no greater penalty. While the prosecutor has chosen to downplay to hate-crime aspect of Ryan's murder during trial, Ryan's family has stood strong in their resolve to shine a light on the horrible impact hate crimes have on families and communities.

To that end, they issued the following statement on the first day of the trial:

"Our son, Ryan Skipper, was a beautiful human being and a gift to our family and his friends. That gift has been taken away from all of us and nothing will change that.

This trial will be painful to all who love Ryan and cherish his memory. We are grateful to everyone who has sent their love and support to our family from the tragic day to the beginning of this trial.

We know that hate is at the root of this terrible crime. While Florida has a hate crime penalty enhancement law, we recognize that a hate crime charge is not being pursued because a first-degree murder conviction already brings the harshest penalty the court can impose.

We will continue to speak out against prejudice and hate violence. Anti-gay hate crimes have increased dramatically in Florida over the past 5 years according to reports from the Florida Attorney General. We all have a responsibility to speak out against hate crimes and we all must seek justice for the victims.

We've been advised to prepare for "blame-the-victim" tactics, which are frequently used by those trying to escape justice. They have taken his life but we will not allow them to sully our memories of our son, brother and friend. Nothing that is said at trial could ever shake our confidence in that. We will remain focused on seeking justice for the life that has been taken. Ryan was loved and important to his family and friends, a good and valuable member of this community and society."

Equality Florida members Vicki Nantz and Mary Meeks have graciously stepped up to be the family's spokespersons during their difficult, daily attendance at the trial.

To ready daily updated from Vicki and Mary, visit www.cfbulletin.com and click on the "Skipper Trial" link.

Take Action
Email Gov. Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum. Ask them to loudly condemn the anti-gay hate violence brought to light by Ryan Skipper's murder.

Only when our state leadership loudly condemns hate violence, can we begin to heal that hate.

"A Spring Day in Beverly Hills"

"A Spring Day in Beverly Hills" 30" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas Caress the spring daffodil to read the story of Tony's "A Spring Day In Beverly Hills" painting. In other words, *Click the Daff. *male nudity

Historic Demestic Partnership Bill Introduced and Civil Rights Bill

from Equality Floirda

Historic Domestic Partnership Legislation Introduced

Sen. Eleanor Sobel (Hallandale Beach) has introduced a statewide Domestic Partnership bill (SB 1642). Equality Florida has been working closely with Sen. Sobel in preparing this historic legislation. The companion bill will be sponsored in the house by Rep. Richard Steinberg (Miami Beach). As a Miami Beach City Commissioner, Rep. Steinberg played a key role in passing Florida's strongest Domestic Partnership policy.

The introduction of these domestic partnership bills comes at a time when public support is at an all time high for this legislation. The latest polls show 77% of Floridians in favor of extending benefits to unmarried couples.

It also comes as a South Florida hospital is embroiled in a lawsuit for refusing to grant a woman access to her partner as she lay dying at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The case has provoked international outrage and highlights the vulnerability gay couples face when there is no legal framework to protect their families.

If passed, this bill would ensure committed, unmarried couples throughout Florida have access to basic legal rights like visiting each other in the hospital.

Many places in Florida already understand the importance of offering domestic partner protections. Miami Dade County enacted domestic partner benefits in the past year, as did the cities of Sarasota and Orlando.


Civil Rights Protections

Senator Ted Deutch (Delray Beach) has introduced a Civil Rights bill that would make it illegal to fire someone, deny them housing or access to public accommodations because they are LGBT. Florida is one of thirty states where it is legal to discriminate in housing and employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Rep. Kelly Skidmore (Boca Raton) has already introduced the House version (HB 397) and Equality Florida is continuing to build on the twenty co-sponsors already signed up.

It is against current Florida law to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status or familial status. These bills would add sexual orientation and gender identity to already protected classes.

Equality Florida applauds Senator Deutch, Representative Skidmore and Senator Sobel and Representative Steinberg for sponsoring these vital bills.

I hope the bill and the civil rights bill pass.

Cut The Stink Starting With Your Toilet Paper

Song Around The World: "One Love"

Playing for Change

When Gay-Rod Meets A-Roid

Hummmm...

Sex Change at 16

German Kim Petras was born Tim but wanted to be a woman from the age of two.

The op – carried out in secret last month – was authorized after psychologists confirmed that Kim was "without doubt a girl in a boy's body".

Kim has become the youngest person in the world to have a full sex change operation after undergoing hormone therapy since the age of 12.

Now aged 16, she said: "I was asked if I feel like a woman now - but the truth is I have always felt like a woman - I just ended up in the wrong body.

"I can enjoy swimming, and bikinis, go in the changing rooms without a problem, everything has changed because of this operation. I just can't wait to put on my favorite bathing suit and go swimming like I've never done before.

"I had to wait until my 16th birthday but once that was past I was able legally to have the operation."

Dr Bernd Meyenburg, who treats patients with identity disorders at the University of Frankfurt Hospital, said: "Very few youth psychiatrists have any experience with transsexual developments. The families wander from one psychiatrist to the next.

"I was always against such operations on children so young but after seeing how happy one of my patients was and how well adjusted after returning from having the operation abroad while still a teenager - I realized that in some cases it is the right decision.

"Kim is such a case - she always knew what she wanted."

Kim overcame years of taunts and bullying to achieve her dream of becoming a girl and already has a modeling career behind her and launched a CD of music to critical acclaim.

Story from The Sun.

Ryan says:
Wow what ya'll think about this?
Love to hear your thoughts on this I will do a post next week with thoughts on it.

Facebook Blackmail

MILWAUKEE – An 18-year-old male student is accused of posing as a girl on Facebook, tricking at least 31 male classmates into sending him naked photos of themselves and then blackmailing some for sex acts.

"The kind of manipulation that occurred here is really sinister in my estimation," Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel said Wednesday.

The students go to New Berlin Eisenhower High School in New Berlin, which is in Waukesha County about 15 miles west of Milwaukee.

Anthony Stancl, of New Berlin, was charged Wednesday with five counts of child enticement, two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of third-degree sexual assault, possession of child pornography, repeated sexual assault of the same child, and making a bomb threat.

Stancl's attorney, Craig Kuhary, said Stancl plans to plead not guilty to the charges and hopes to reach a plea agreement with the district attorney

"It's too early in the case for me to make a statement, other than the fact at some point we are going to go into events that had taken place earlier that might have had some impact on what he did here," he said. He wouldn't go into specifics.

The incidents allegedly happened from spring 2007 through November, when officers questioned Stancl about a bomb threat he allegedly sent to teachers and wrote about on a school's bathroom wall. It resulted in the closing of New Berlin Eisenhower Middle and High School.

According to the criminal complaint, Stancl first contacted the students through the social networking site Facebook, pretending to be a girl named Kayla or Emily.

The boys reported that they were tricked into sending nude photos or videos of themselves, the complaint said.

Thirty-one victims were identified and interviewed and more than half said the girl with whom they thought they were communicating tried to get them to meet with a male friend to let him perform sex acts on them.

They were told that if they didn't, she would send the nude photos or movies to their friends and post them on the Internet, according to the complaint. Stancl allegedly used the excuse to get the victims to perform repeated acts, the complaint said.

Seven boys were identified in the complaint by their initials as either having to allegedly perform sex acts on Stancl or Stancl on them. The complaint said Stancl took photos with his cell phone of the encounters.

Officers found about 300 nude images of juvenile males on his computer, according to the complaint. Prosecutors said the victims were as young as 15.

A preliminary hearing for Stancl has been scheduled for Feb. 26. The maximum penalty if convicted on all charges is nearly 300 years in prison.

Story from Yahoo News By Carrie Antfinger, Associated Press Writer

Ryan asks:
Are kids this dumb they would fall for something like this? Have you ever got burn on facebook or myspace? Tell us your story.

Its Ground Hog Day

So it's Ground Hog Day would you rather see the ground hog or my hog? haha Do you really care if there is 6 more weeks of winter hell winter to me means more cuddle time!

In The Life Celebrates Black History Month

IN THE LIFE CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
FINDING HOPE, ACTIVISM, AND ALLIES IN THE BLACK LGBT COMMUNITY

NEW YORK—IN THE LIFE, the only three-time Emmy nominated public television series documenting the gay experience, celebrates Black History Month in its February show “Mobilizing Hope,” delving into discrimination and marriage equality with New York Governor David Paterson, HIV prevention in the ballroom, and life “on the down-low.”

In its lead-story, “Ballroom 2.0,” IN THE LIFE profiles New Jersey community activist Bernie McAlister and his "House of Jourdan,” part of the gay ball sub-culture that has expanded its social role to include AIDS education/outreach to queer youth. The 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning” revealed the vibrant and decadent ball culture of New York City. In Newark, the ball scene is thriving but with an emphasis on alternative families, safe-sex education, and positive role modeling -- providing direction and hope for LGBT minority youth.

In A CONVERSATION WITH… New York Governor David Paterson and Yale professor, gay activist and cultural historian George Chauncey reflect on the continuing struggle for gay civil rights as longtime vanguards, themselves, against bigotry and discrimination.

And in its REAL TO REEL series, IN THE LIFE profiles filmmaker Abigail Child and her film “On The Downlow.” Being gay, “out,” and sexually active is a social conundrum in the black community -- a taboo -- and incompatible with “masculinity.” When men have sex with other men, it must be hidden, covert, on the "down-low." In this film, Child takes a compassionate look at four men leading these double lives, offering a rare window into the allure and tension of this world.

"Mobilizing Hope" begins airing on American Public Television stations Febuary 1st, and will be available for free video streaming and downloadable podcasts from the IN THE LIFE website starting February 2nd. To find out when it will air in their local areas, to stream or download it, viewers should go to www.inthelifetv.org. To preview the episode, viewers can go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsTeW_5scZY

About In The Life Media
In The Life Media provides information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, documents the ongoing LGBT civil rights movement, and produces diverse images of the LGBT community to create better understanding and acceptance.

About IN THE LIFE
Produced by In The Life Media, IN THE LIFE is the longest running television show documenting the gay experience. IN THE LIFE is a three-time Emmy Award nominee, a Lambda Legal Liberty Award honoree, and the recipient of the Courage Award from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. In 2004, GLAAD honored our organization with the prestigious Barbara Gittings Award "for contributions to LGBT media." In 2006, it won the Seigenthaler Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for "excellence in network television."

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