Shawn Woodward Found Guilty In Vancouver Aggravated Assault Gay Bashing, Anti-Gay Brent Bowers Still Refuses To Take Responsibility For Homophobic Hate, Anti-Gay Marriage Imperial County California Files Appeal Contesting Judge Walker Proposition 8 Ruling, It Took Two Years For Philadelphia Eagles Tackle Todd Herremans To Figure Out True Blood Was Kind Of Gay, Australian First Family Anti-Gay Lunatic Wendy Francis Apologizes But Refuses To Actually Understand, Florida AG Bill McCollum Continues To Fight To Prevent Gay Couples From Either Adopting Or Raising Children

37 year old Shawn Woodward has been found guilty of aggravated assault in connection to an attack that left 62 year old Ritchie Dowrey with a permanent brain injury. The incident occurred on March 13th, 2009, at the Fountainhead Pub in Vancouver, Woodward punching the openly gay Dowrey once in the head with such force that he fell to the ground, striking his head on the tile floor. As a result of the injury, he has no memory of the evening, and did not testify. Woodward, however, did, taking the stand in his own defence, telling the court that Dowrey made at least three unwanted sexual advances towards him, including touching him inappropriately, which Woodward maintained, forced him to act in self-defence. Detained by staff and patrons on Davie Street following the attack, witnesses testified that Woodward said, referring to Dowrey, “he’s a faggot. He deserved it. He touched me. I’m not a faggot.” Provincial Judge Jocelyn Palmer dismissed Woodward’s gay panic defence, saying he created the story in an attempt to justify the “outrageous assault,” and that is unprovoked actions was an attempt to asset his masculinity. Sentencing submissions are scheduled for October 22nd, at which time the Crown is certain to ask an additional hate crime stipulation be added.

Brent Bowers, the anti-gay ex-manager of the Edmonton Capitals of the Golden Baseball League said Tuesday that when he went to openly gay umpire Billy Van Raaphorst during the first game of a double-header against the Orange Country Express to dispute a call and told Van Raaphorst that he had heard he as “a fucking faggot” and added that “I ought to kick your ass, you faggot,” he was simply reacting in the moment, defending his team. “I was sticking up for my team and I was sticking up for myself – not justifying what I said was right. It was totally wrong, but it was just spur of the moment, and I said some bad things to him, and for that I apologize.”

Imperial County, California filed an appeal Tuesday with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the validity of United States District Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling that rendered Proposition 8 and the ban on gay marriages in California unconstitutional. The County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 early Tuesday to approve the appeal. Almost 70-percent of Imperial County voters approved Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to define marriage as that existing only of one man and one woman. The County is situated in the most south eastern part of the state, bordered by Arizona and Mexico. For reasons that remain unclear, Advocates for Faith and Freedom is filing the motion on behalf of the county.

Philadelphia Eagles guard Todd Herremans apologized Tuesday for the following tweet: “caught up on Trueblood. Not a fan of how they get you hooked w/2 seasons then bring on a barrage of homosexuality.” After a meeting with Eagles’ coach Andy Reid, Herremans tweeted “After speaking with Eagles management, I realize that my tweet earlier was insensitive and tasteless, and for this, I deeply apologize,” adding that “It was not my intention to offend or hurt anyone.” The original tweet has since been deleted.

In Australia, First Family candidate Wendy Francis has now apologized for tweets suggesting that sanctioning same sex marriage was tantamount to “legalising child abuse,” although her apology is a tad lacking an authenticity. On her website, the 49 year old wrote that she “sincerely and unreservedly apologise” but adds that the media “distorted the truth” about the content of the tweet – long since deleted – and that “it pains me to think that although unintended, I have caused distress to others.” She concludes “Having an opinion is not homophobic. I reach out to those within the homosexual community and ask them to understand the thoughts and feeling of the many Australians that believe as I do,” Francis suggesting that most, like her, believe that a strong Australia is one where families are headed by a man and woman, the interests of children best served in that way. The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby accepted the apology, but added that the original comments were “offensive and homophobic,” and that an opinion that equates sexual orientation to a criminal activity is a homophobic characterisation.”

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is running as the Republican candidate for governor, says he is against all same sex couples acting as parents, including as adoptive parents or foster. He said Wednesday that he will wait until a challenge to the state’s current ban on gay adoption reaches the Florida Supreme Court before determining whether he will act to amend a law and ban gay couples from being foster parents.