They call themselves Safety In Numbers, or The S.I.N. Patrol. The volunteer group's primary function is to provide protection on the streets and sidewalks outside of Salt Lake City's gay nightclubs, reports Fox 13 Now. Beatings of gay men in Utah have made headlines in recent months, most notably Dane Hall, who was assaulted outside of Club Sound in the early morning hours of August 26th. No suspects have been named or arrested in the incident. In weeks since, fear has persisted within Utah's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. "There have been a lot of people complaining there's not enough police coverage or security in the clubs," said Joshua Barnes who started S.I.N. "The police do a good job, but they can't be everywhere. We thought rather than just complain; we'd just do something. And the simplest thing we could do is just be here. Be an extra set of eyes, an extra body." The organization has over 140 members who connect through Facebook, go out in small groups and keep a blog of their activities. Most are gay men in their 20's like Chris Deuel. "I was looking for ways to give back to the community and I like that this was a sensible way to prevent a major problem," Deuel said. A typical night for S.I.N. starts with something resembling a small party. They meet at a member's home. There's music, laughter, and decisions about what to wear. "We dress up just to draw attention away from other people, we can handle it better than they can," said Deuel. In a matter of moments the men transform into what looks like a cast of discarded Disney characters. One guy looks like an overgrown leprechaun, one squeezes into a black and white leotard, and another emerges from the bathroom wearing an ugly green dress with shoulder pads. Joshua dons thigh high boots, shorts, a robe, and a headdress. Someone asked why he was wearing so many belts. "In case all this fashion busts loose" he joked. As he shows off his ensemble, he points out an accessory. "A little pepper spray just in case." Then it is off to the clubs.
Andries Coetzee has already started looking for a new job. The University of Michigan linguistics professor is afraid he’s going to lose benefit allowances for his domestic partner of seven years, who is in remission after an exhausting battle with soft tissue sarcoma, a rare type of cancer. A recurrence is an all-too-real risk, and good health care is essential, argues Coetzee, who has been with partner Gary Woodall for seven years. But, reports Ann Arbor.com, domestic partner benefits for state employees —including staff at Michigan’s 15 public universities— are in jeopardy due to a bill that seeks to save approximately $8 million a year by eliminating the benefits. House bill 4770 was approved by the Michigan House of Representatives in September in a 64-44 vote and is currently under consideration by the state senate. Coetzee, who moved to Ann Arbor from South Africa ten years ago, said he is frustrated that rights for same sex couples in Michigan appear to be “moving in the opposite direction” of most communities. This year alone, five states have passed or enacted legislation allowing civil unions between same sex couples. “I question my decision to come to Michigan,” Coetzee said. When Coetzee accepted a job at U-M, he also turned one down at New York University. “I chose Michigan because it just seemed better. But now New York just made same sex marriage legal and now in Michigan… they want people like my partner to not get treated.” U-M Latin professor Sara Ahbel-Rappe said that if bill 4770 passes there will likely be a large exodus of professors who leave the university. “It’s a total slap in the face. It tells me that I don’t deserve the same consideration” as heterosexual couples, she said. “People will leave.” Ahbel-Rappe and six other professors authored a letter to Gov. Rick Synder asking him not to sign bill 4770 if passed by the senate. The letter calls the bill discriminatory and says it will negatively affect staff recruitment at the university. U-M officials are also concerned about the bill’s effects. Nearly all of U-M’s competitors offer benefits to same-sex partners. So do most Fortune 500 companies. “These benefits are important for the successful recruitment and retention of our top-flight faculty and staff,” said Cynthia Wilbanks, U-M’s vice president of government relations. “We’re in competition on a lot of levels; this would be an added competitive disadvantage.” Wilbanks said the university is actively lobbying politicians in Lansing. Will it be enough? “If the bill gets to the senate floor there will be a vigorous debate ..." she said, "but over a long career, I have learned not to speculate.” But the uncertainty is too much for some professors, who do not want to be left in the lurch if the bill passes. “The consequences of this is that I am actively applying for jobs elsewhere… at universities that don’t have these limitations,” Coetzee said. “I don’t want to leave the University of Michigan, I am really happy here. It’s a great school to work at, but I have to take care of my family.” Scott Dennis has been a librarian at U-M for 14 years. His partner of 10 years originally moved to Ann Arbor after being lured by the school's domestic partner benefits (that partner now runs his own business). Dennis says, if passed, the bill would be an insurmountable blow to U-M. “I am concerned for the university as a whole,” Dennis said. “It would be a really damaging blow to the university’s reputation as a fair and humane employer. I think it would cause us to lose faculty and never get them back,” adding that “It would just be tragic for the university.” Representative Dave Agema, a Republican who sponsored the bill, contends that there are 618 individuals —at a cost to the state of $7,000 to $10,000 per person— receiving benefits through U-M’s domestic partner benefits program. The program allows the non-biological children of a staff member’s domestic partner to also receive benefits. Currently domestic benefits extend to both heterosexual and homosexual domestic partners. "It is not the responsibility of taxpayers to support the roommates and unmarried partners of public employees," Agema said in a statement. "Providing benefits in this way is not the role of the state, especially when tax dollars are in short supply and there are critical programs being affected by the decrease in revenue.”
Will Kurt and Blaine’s first time also be their last? TVLine.com reports that McKinley High’s trailblazing twosome are to consummate their relationship in Glee‘s November 8 episode titled, appropriately, The First Time. But, the outing also marks the introduction of the first significant obstacle for the happy couple: a scheming, Blaine-crushing gay Dalton Academy Warbler Sebastian, played by the very sexy Grant Gustin.
Model Andrej Pejic is named Out magazine’s Stylemaker of the Year, the accompanying photograph a tribute to the famous Richard Avedon picture of Nastassja Kinski and a snake.
Calvin Klein and boyfriend Nick Gruber spotted at the Standard Hotel’s Saints and Sinners Halloween party, the 67-year-old Klein and 21-year-old Gruber an odd pair, no matter what time of the year.
0 comments:
Post a Comment