HRC counters Target donation
ABC News reports a Democratic-backed political fund, a Minnesota gay-rights organization and Democratic candidates will split a $150,000 donation as part of a push to elect gay-marriage supporters in the state, after Target Corp. donated the same amount to a Republican-friendly group.
Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said Sept. 9 that the donation is a response to Target’s donation to a group helping Republican governor candidate Tom Emmer, who opposes gay marriage.
The Washington-based gay-rights advocacy group may spend more in Minnesota, which Solmonese said he views as one of the next states, as is New York, that could legalize gay marriage.
Gay-rights march in Savannah draws 500
The Augusta Chronicle reports about 500 marchers gathered in Savannah Sept. 10 to advocate for LGBT rights.
The city’s inaugural Queer Power March was also a celebration of a recent federal court decision condemning the U.S. military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers. At the march, supporters called for Savannah city officials to allow benefits for domestic partners and to shed light on hate directed at gays.
Board: Police broke law in gay-bar raid
Advocate.com reports the Atlanta Citizen Review Board determined that 24 police officers acted improperly when they raided The Eagle gay bar last year, but it opted not to take disciplinary action because it could only impose a three-day suspension on officers.
The board considered two issues of false imprisonment and abusive language regarding last September’s raid.
The board found officers had no legal right to search, detain and run criminal database checks on the 60 patrons, because none were suspected of any crime.
Although both the board and its investigators agreed officers likely used abusive and homophobic language, they couldn’t identify those responsible. The board, unwillingly, did not sustain those charges.
The board tabled disciplinary action because it wanted tougher penalties than the maximum three-day suspension.
Atlanta police have yet to release the results of its internal investigation, while a federal lawsuit proceeds.
— Larry Nichols