Third Arrest In Brutal Gay Bashing Of Reno Texas Man, Reports That Another Anti-Gay Attack In Ohio High School, Arrest In Attack On Transgender Man, Roman Catholic Newspaper Removes Column Suggesting Devil Responsible For Same Sex Attraction, New Hampshire Freedom To Marry Executive Director Resigns, Antony And The Johnsons To Perform One-Night Only At Museum Of Modern Art

A third suspect has been arrested in the brutal beating of a gay man last weekend in Reno, Texas. The Dallas Voice reports that Micky Joe Smith, 25, is expected to face the same charges as the other two suspects —aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. The charges are second-degree felonies, punishable by up 20 years in prison, and not first-degree felonies as previously reported. Daniel Martin, 33, and James “Tray” Mitchell Laster III, 31, were arrested late Tuesday in the beating of 26-year-old Burke Burnett. Burnett was stabbed at least twice with a broken beer bottle and thrown onto a fire at a private party early Sunday, by up to four men who yelled gay slurs during the attack. Martin and Laster are each being held on $250,000 bond, according to the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department. No bond amount had been set for Smith, who was taken into custody Wednesday. Lamar County District Attorney Gary Young, whose office is handling the cases, said it will be up to a grand jury to decide whether they are prosecuted as hate crimes. Under Texas law, a hate crime enhancement could result in the charges being bumped up from second-degree felonies to first-degree felonies — punishable by five to 99 years in prison. “We’re in the process of receiving all the information as a result of the investigation,” Young said. “We will present all that information to the grand jury, including all the information as to whether it’s a hate crime or not. The grand jury will make a determination whether it [a hate crime] is or isn’t part of the charge. If their actions of committing the aggravated assault are based on race or sexual orientation or whatever it may be, the grand jury can choose to enhance the offense up a level.” Young declined to further discuss the cases. Burnett couldn’t immediately be reached, but his friend Chivas Clem said they were relieved at the arrests. Clem previously said he felt authorities may try to brush the crime under the rug, and said, “The fact that they’re taking it seriously is important and shows good faith on their part that they’re treating gays and lesbians as a legitimate minority.”

In Ohio, anti-gay slurs are reported to be a part of a fight that broke out between two Westerville High School students Tuesday, a state-wide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group. Westerville City School District officials confirmed the two students got into a physical and verbal altercation, according to ABC6. The following statement was issued Wednesday by Greg Viebranz, of executive director of Communications & Technology for Westerville City Schools: "The Westerville South administration is currently conducting its investigation into the altercation between these two students. No discipline has been or will be administered for either student until the investigation is complete. We have been in contact with the families of the students involved and will continue to work with the appropriate parties to resolve this matter." While the school system has protocols in place, officials report no disciplinary action has been taken against either student. The school system says it’s investigating the incident. Equality Ohio claims one called another student gay slurs and then punched the other student several times in his head. Equality claims the student suffered a possible concussion and is undergoing an emergency CAT scan on Wednesday. This comes just two weeks after one student brutally beat another student on the classroom floor of Union-Scioto High School in Chillicothe. The attacker received a 3-day suspension.

A man was arrested on suspicion of attacking a transgender man in an alleged hate crime in San Francisco's Mission District on Monday night, a police spokesman said. The San Jose Mercury News reports that the attack was reported at 9:46 pm in the 500 block of Valencia Street, police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said. The 43-year-old victim was approached by a man who allegedly threatened to kill him several times because he was transgender, Manfredi said. He said that the suspect struck the victim on the forehead with a cooler he was carrying, and then pulled out a pocket knife, prompting the victim to spray him in the face with Mace and escape. Officers responded and took the suspect into custody. He was taken to California Pacific Medical Center's Davies Campus to be treated after being sprayed with the Mace, according to Manfredi Police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Ricky Hodge. The victim suffered a bump on the forehead and was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released, Manfredi said. Hodge was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, making terrorist threats, and hate crime enhancements.

The oldest Roman Catholic newspaper in the country has apologized and retracted an opinion column written by a senior official with the organization running the church suggesting the devil may be responsible for same sex attraction. The Boston Globe reports that The Pilot on Wednesday withdrew Daniel Avila's column titled "some fundamental questions on same-sex attraction." The Boston archdiocese newspaper says it failed to recognize the theological error before publication. Avila says in the piece that "the scientific evidence of how same-sex attraction most likely may be created provides a credible basis for a spiritual explanation that indicts the devil." The 182-year-old newspaper published an apology from the associate director for policy and research for the U.S. Conference of Bishops. Avila says the column does not represent the position of the organization and was not authorized as required for conference workers.

The executive director of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry is resigning due to lack of funding for the organization. WMUR reports that Mo Baxley has led the organization for nearly six years. Board member Claire Ebel said the organization is sad to lose Baxley but looks forward to defending New Hampshire's same sex marriage law. The House votes early next year on legislation that would repeal the law. Baxley was the group's first executive director and worked to win passage of laws recognizing gay unions. She said she is confident the repeal effort will fail.

The Museum of Modern Art has commissioned artist/musician Antony to conceive, produce, and perform a large-scale concert and performance event, Swanlights, with Antony and The Johnsons, on Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 8:00 pm at Radio City Music Hall. Featuring a 60-piece orchestra, Broadway World reports that the performance piece is conceived as a new commission specially developed for the January 26 performance, and is an evolution of the highly acclaimed The Crying Light, which was presented at the Manchester Opera House for the 2009 Manchester International Festival. Envisioned as a meditation on light, nature, and femininity, Swanlights includes songs from all four of Antony and The Johnsons' albums (self-titled, I am a Bird Now, The Crying Light, and Swanlights), set to symphonic arrangements by Nico Muhly, Rob Moose, and Maxim Moston. It is produced in collaboration with light artist Chris LeVine, lighting designer Paul Normandale, and set designer Carl Robertshaw. Antony and The Johnsons: Swanlights is organized by Klaus Biesenbach, Chief Curator at Large of The Museum of Modern Art and Director of MoMA PS1, with the assistance of Eliza Ryan, Curatorial Assistant, MoMA PS1. "Antony is a singer, songwriter, composer, playwright, director, photographer, draftsman, and collagist-a true creative mind, in every sense," said Mr. Biesenbach. "Antony's tremendous talents are brought together in spectacular performances, where lighting, costume, and of course an other-worldly voice, unite to create a truly transcendental experience for the audience. MoMA is thrilled to commission a special performance by Antony and The Johnsons at Radio City Music Hall."