Media Trail – 6/14/19

Panic at D.C. Pride parade sends people running, some injured

Newsweek reported officials in Washington, D.C., said several people were injured after a panic at the LGBTQ Pride parade sent people running through the streets of the nation’s capital.

It happened June 8 near Dupont Circle, where hundreds of people gathered to celebrate.

Kevin Donahue, the deputy mayor for public safety, tweeted: “There are injuries from people running from what they thought were gunshots. But there is NO ACTIVE SHOOTER at Dupont Circle.”

Dustin Sternbeck, a police spokesman, said police recovered a gun in a backpack, but he said no gunshots were fired and no one was shot.

A fire department spokesman said emergency medical personnel tended to people who were injured as people ran away from the scene. He could not immediately provide any additional information about the number of victims or the extent of their injuries.

Rainbow crosswalks installed in Chicago’s ‘Boystown’ area

The Chicago Tribune reported more than a dozen crosswalks are to be painted rainbow colors in Chicago’s “Boystown” area for June’s LGBT pride activities.

The Northalsted Business Alliance expects the crosswalks to be finished in time for Pride Fest on June 22 and 23 and the Chicago Pride Parade on June 30. The 14 crosswalks are being installed along Halsted Street in the Lakeview neighborhood on the city’s North Side. Alliance officials said their money and donations are funding the $60,000 cost.

Alderman Tom Tunney called Halsted Street “a tourist destination all over the country.” He said, “we want to be sure this historic street remains welcoming to the LGBT community.”

The crosswalks are made of thermoplastic polyurethane pavers. They join 20 rainbow pylons also along Halsted Street.

Detroit Pride parade interrupted by neo-Nazi group

The Detroit Pride parade on June 8 was reportedly interrupted by a group of white nationalists carrying weapons and performing Nazi salutes.

The arrival of members from the National Socialist Movement (NSM) sparked outrage at the annual march.

Images circulating on social media appeared to show a white nationalist ripping apart a rainbow flag and another urinating on an Israeli flag.

The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the NSM as one of the largest neo-Nazi organizations in the country.

The Motor City Pride Parade was expected to draw 40,000 attendees and is the largest Pride Month event in Michigan, according to the event’s Facebook page.

No one was reported as injured from the event and there was no clash between the white nationalist group and participants in the Pride parade.

Connecticut lawmakers move to ban ‘gay panic defense’

The Washington Post reported criminal defendants in Connecticut may be barred from claiming as their sole legal defense that they panicked after learning about their victim’s sexual orientation.

The House of Representatives approved legislation June 4 preventing defendants from using the so-called “gay panic defense,” blaming a violent reaction on discovering a victim’s actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. It includes if the victim made an unwanted, non-forcible romantic or sexual advance toward the defendant.

The legislation already cleared the Senate and moves to the governor.

Democratic Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan of Bethel noted the “gay panic defense” was used in the case of Matthew Shepard, the college student beaten to death by two men in Wyoming in 1998.

He said the legislation is important given the increase in hate crimes.

Mayor who posted about ‘killing out’ gays has posted apology

WBRC-TV reported a rural Alabama mayor who posted online about “killing out” gay and transgender people has posted an apology, after initially denying he was responsible.

Carbon Hill Mayor Mark Chambers complained on Facebook that “homosexuals lecture us on morals” and “transvestites lecture us on human biology.” He also complained about “baby killers” and “socialists.”

Chambers wrote: “The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out.’’

The station reported Chambers on June 3 denied writing the comment and then said it was taken out of context. Then he said it was meant to be a private message.

In a post June 4, Chambers said he’s sorry for suggesting anyone should be killed and did not intend to target the LGBTQ community.

His Facebook page is now private. 

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