Winnipeg Mayoral Candidate Runs On Platform Pledging To Create Gay Community, Arrests Made In Two Separate Gay Bashings Incidents In Heart Of New York Gay Community, Human Rights Campaign Condemns Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints

The Winnipeg Free Press reports that mayoral candidate Rav Gill is running on platform that includes a pledge to establish a gay village in the Manitoba capital, saying he would utilize tax incentives to create a gay community in or near the downtown.

The New York Daily News on two separate violent anti-gay attacks, including one that took place in the famed Stonewall Inn, the West Village bar considered to be the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement. Early Sunday, patrons of the Stonewall Inn chased 21 year old Matthew Francis and 17 year old Christopher Orlando, each residents of Staten Island, after the two yelled anti-gay insults and beat a man during a robbery of a 34 year old victim the bar’s bathroom. Police arrested the two, and Monday at an arraignment an assistant district attorney said Francis started the incident saying to the victim “Get away from me faggot! I don’t like gay people. Don’t piss next to me.” He turned and threatened the victim, demanding $20.00. When the victim refused, Francis, joined by Orlando punched him “multiple times” in the face. Francis was being held on a $10,000 bond, and is charged with an assault as a hate crime and attempted robbery. His attorney disputes the charges, saying “there may have been a fight, but it certainly wasn’t a hate crime.” In the second incident, 20 year old Andrew Jackson and at least four unidentified accomplices saw three gay men Friday night in Chelsea, the victims hugging and kissing goodnight after dining out. “Go home faggots; this is our neighbourhood, Jackson reportedly yelled, the five men led by Jackson attacking the three, breaking one of the victim’s nose. Jackson is still being held on a $7,500 bond, and is charged with assault as a hate crime and gang assault.

The Human Rights Campaign has released a statement condemning a sermon delivered Sunday by the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Boyd K. Packer that including an argument that same sex attraction can be overcome and that marriage other than that between a man and woman is immoral, the HRC, according to ABC-4, asking Packer to “correct” rhetoric the gay rights group called “inaccurate and dangerous.” The LDS released a statement supporting Packer, reading in part “The Church’s doctrine on the importance of marriage and family and its implications for same-gender marriage are very clear and are based on principles of truth, respect, and love for all god’s children. We have continually emphasized that there is no room in the discussion for hatred or mistreatment of anyone.”