Accused Murderer Peter Serge Avsenew Knew Victims Stephen Adams And Kevin Powell, Australian Harness Racing Driving Legend Says He Was Fired For Being Gay, Founder Of Gay Soccer Squad Stonewall FC Awarded Order Of British Empire. Lleyton Hewitt, Fairfax County First Gay Bar, Patrick Wolf Accepts Marriage Proposal From Boyfriend

The Sun-Sentinel reports that the two gay men founded murdered inside their Wilton Manors home knew the man accused of killing them, police say, confirming that the crime was not random, although exactly how 47 year old Kevin Mark Powell and 52 year old Stephen Duane Adams met 26 year old Peter Serge Avsenew and for how long remains under investigation. Charges are pending against Avsenew, who was arrested Thursday. A convicted felon, he had stolen the couple’s car, which was also found. He is being held without bail in a Polk County jail on an unrelated violation of a probation charge from Monroe County. Mr. Powell and Mr. Adams were partners for 29 years. Adams was a registered nurse, and Powell a prominent interior designer, who was suffering from diabetes, and recently received a kidney transplant. The motive for the murders remains unknown.

Perth Now reports that internationally renowned harness racing driver Steven Shinn has taken legal action against Racing and Wagering WA; allegedly he was unfairly dismissed in November because he is gay. Mr. Shinn says that beginning in April, 2008, when he was hired as a senior harness senior racing steward, and the RWWA chairman of stewards John Zucal told him “None of your colleagues want to work with you.” Shinn says he “asked one of my managers, ‘Is this a gay thing?’ The manager said, ‘Before you arrived here, we heard you were fired in Adelaide because your boss walked in on you naked with your boyfriend,’ which was a complete lie.” Zucal does not deny the conversation, but refused to comment further. Shinn says he never had a “fair chance” defend himself and that “I believe this has happened to me because I am gay. I want to draw attention to the plight of the thousands of gay and lesbian people and those from other minorities who daily suffer from both overt and latent discrimination still prevalent in this country.”

Aslie Pitter was among those awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, the Press Association reports, the 50 year old one of the founders of the United Kingdom’s first gay men’s soccer team in London, honoured for his efforts to eradicate homophobia in sport through his dedication to Stonewall FC, the world’s most successful gay football club. Pitter, who is the reserve team manager for the club, celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, still plays competitively. “I just feel so honoured today, although it’s recognition for everybody in the club that we’re doing a good thing and helping people fulfil their potential,” he said. “It’s recognition of English grassroots football.”

Lleyton Hewitt seen in action against Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium on day one of the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia Saturday, Hewitt, in his first appearance since injuring his hand in September, winning handily in two straight sets.



The Washington Post on So Addictive Lounge, the first gay bar in conservative Fairfax County. “The arrival of a gay bar in the heart of a quintessentially suburban community nearly 25 miles outside of Washington is a milestone for the gay community. It’s also a broader test to see whether a business that caters to gay men and lesbians can succeed and gain mainstream acceptance in a town that was once featured in a book on the 100 ‘Best Places to Raise Your Family’ in the United States,” writes the Post.

Last night was a very special New Year’s Eve for Patrick Wolf, who accepting a proposal of marriage from boyfriend William Charles Pollack. Congratulations to Patrick!