News Round-Up: July 10, 2019

Anthony Bowens (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Pro wrestler and InstaHunk Anthony Bowens (above) points out that "Summer is heating up..." One look at that pic and you know why ;)

• ABC News: Thanks to a police tip line, authorities say they have apprehended a suspect, 20-year-old Tyresse Singleton, who allegedly set fire to a rainbow flag outside of a Harlem gay bar. Gov. Andrew Cuomo had directed the State Hate Crimes Unit to assist in the investigation

• USA Today: Posters featuring U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe were vandalized with homophobic slurs at a New York City subway station Monday evening.

• FOX9: The mayor of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, is facing calls of homophobia because she won't sign-off on a Pride event proclamation. The mayor claims the local LGBTQ organization failed to follow (brand-new) guidelines for proclamations.

• NBC News: Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath raised more than $2.5 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign against Mitch McConnell. McGrath campaign manager Mark Nickolas said it’s the most ever raised in the first 24 hours of a Senate campaign.

• The Advocate: Michael Johnson, convicted in 2015 for one felony charge of “knowingly” transmitting HIV to one man and four charges of exposing four other men to the virus who didn’t contract it, was released this week 25 years early. His lawyers won an appeal after showing that prosecutors failed to turn over significant evidence. Because the charges he pleaded to fell under health statutes, Johnson will not be required to register as a sex offender.

• Out artist Billy Winn says the songs on his new EP, Dreamland II, are based on the idea that "it's all fun and games until someone catches feelings."

The first single from the EP, "Another Broken Heart," an EDM/dance track, was inspired by circumstances in his own life, adding, "It's a dance track with a strong, relatable message about something we've all been through at least once."

Check out the new single below, and for more info head to BillyWinn.com.

Second Pride Flag Set On Fire At Harlem Gay Club

A Pride flag hanging at the front of a Harlem gay bar was set on fire early Monday morning. This is the second time a rainbow flag has been burned at the same club in just over a month.

NBC News reports the flag was discovered by staff members sometime between 12:20 a.m. and 12:45 a.m.

The previous attack, which New York City Police have been investigating as a possible anti-gay crime, occurred in the early morning hours of May 31.

Alexi Minko, owner of the Alibi Lounge, says he finds the timing of the two incidents suspect.

"I have to say that what I find odd was the timing of both events," said Minko. "One was at the beginning of Pride, and one was right at the end. One has to wonder if there's a kind of message they're trying to send."

Sad to report that it happened again tonight! https://t.co/AdzSaLXd1L pic.twitter.com/8sdI06B0rI

— Alibi Lounge (@lounge_alibi) July 8, 2019

Calling the repeat offense "surreal," Minko added that he's surprised the second flag-burning happened since police had released surveillance camera footage of the suspect in the first incident, alerting the public that cameras are trained on the nightclub's entrance.

"Second time around, I'm really kind of in shock, I have to admit," Minko said.

Speaking to local news station PIX11, the owner said that no matter the message, “What’s important is that we stand tall, we don’t get afraid.”

PIX11 reports that Alibi Lounge bills itself as the only black-owned LGBTQ bar in Manhattan.

Las Vegas: Arson Attempt At LGBTQ Community Center

Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots credited with inspiring the modern LGBTQ rights movement, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas was the target of an apparent arson attempt.

Jason Dinant, a reporter for local ABC affiliate KTNV, reports employees showed up to work this morning to find someone someone had started a fire outside the building.

Surveillance cameras captured video of a man trying to rip down a Stonewall banner. Failing in that attempt, the video shows him setting fire to a palm tree nearest the building.

KTNV reports a propane tank was found near the tree.

“As we enter the final week of Pride Month, the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall and major celebrations take place this weekend in New York, San Francisco, and around the world, this attempted arson and hate crime against our community reinforce the need for LGBTQ+ Pride events,” read the statement. “Our equality, rights, and our lives remain at risk.”

The post went on to say “this vengeful act reminds us to be alert, be safe, and if you see something, say something.”

“To everyone around the world attending Pride events this weekend, let this be a reminder of why you are celebrating and why our fight for equality continues,” concluded the post.

The Center's executive director, John Waldron, told KTNVthat the organization had received “an alarming voicemail this week from a person upset about rainbow flags flying with American flags.”

Earlier this month, the Trump administration rejected requests from U.S. embassies around the world to fly rainbow flags alongside American flags during Pride Month, but there's currently no clear evidence that guidance might have played inspired these actions.

Las Vegas police, arson investigators and the FBI are investigating the arson attempt.

Donald Trump Issues Full Pardons For Convicted Oregon Arsonists

Steven Hammond (L) and Dwight Hammond Jr. (R)

You may recall the sad tale of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven Hammond who, in 2012, were convicted in of arson.

The two men were sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 for setting fire to public land over a dispute regarding grazing rights for their cattle. The incident escalated giving rise to an armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Today, the White House announced that Donald Trump has commuted the mens' sentences calling them 'devoted family men' and 'respected contributors to their local community.'

From the White House:

The Hammonds are devoted family men, respected contributors to their local community, and have widespread support from their neighbors, local law enforcement, and farmers and ranchers across the West. Justice is overdue for Dwight and Steven Hammond, both of whom are entirely deserving of these Grants of Executive Clemency.

Some Trump pardons:

1) Sheriff who refused to comply with court orders

2) Political activist who committed campaign finance fraud

3) Ranchers who committed arson

4) Former WH official who committed perjury

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) July 10, 2018

Twice this past month, Trump has added “firefighters” to the usual list of people he says he’s standing up for, along with ICE and the military. Steven Hammond was convicted of setting a 2006 fire that jeopardized the lives of four federal firefighters he knew were nearby.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 10, 2018

As an American, I am dismayed to learn of the pardons issued to Dwight and Steven Hammond. As an Oregonian, I'm disgusted. They are arsonists and have caused nothing but harm to our state and country. What of the jobs lost, the laws broken and the money spent on these criminals?

— Shelley Engle (@shellspdx) July 10, 2018

News Round-Up: July 10, 2017

Instahunk Steve Raider

Some news items you may have missed:

• Woofy comic artist and model Steve Raider (above) doesn't know anything about today being Monday :)

• Out Olympian Tom Bosworth sets new world record.

• Dallas firefighters say someone intentionally started a two-alarm fire at an LGBT resource center in South Dallas.

• Artist Leonardo Gutierrez has reimagined Super Smash Bros. characters as sexy bear versions of themselves. Check out his "Donkey Kong" below:

A post shared by Leo (@leoleus) on Jun 9, 2017 at 9:51am PDT

• The HIV Foundation of Queensland has launched a campaign to highlight how HIV+ people are stigmatized on dating apps.

• The Church of England voted this past weekend to condemn so-called "ex-gay therapy" and to welcome transgender folks to the Anglican faith.

• Check out this romantical dance between boyfriends that's gone viral. Playful, passionate and definitely in-step ;)

Seattle: Admitted New Years Day arsonist of gay club sentenced to 10 years in prison

Musab Masmari, who has admitted to setting a fire at a gay bar in Seattle on New Year's Day, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

About 15 minutes after midnight, Masmari poured gasoline in a stairway to Neighbours’ balcony and lit the pool of fuel. The fire was quickly doused with a fire extinguisher; there were about 750 people in the club at the time.

Masmari, a California native also known as Musab Musmari, was arrested days later on his way to Sea-Tac Airport after buying a one-way ticket to Turkey.

In a letter to the court, Masmari, 31, explained he’d consumed a bottle of cheap whiskey in the hours before he set the fire. He claims not to remember setting it, though he recognized himself on a surveillance video.

“I do not believe that I am a bad man but when I get drunk I have done bad things,” Masmari said in a letter to the court. “I swear that it is my intent to never drink again.”

The prosecutors and defense team agreed to ask for a 5 year sentence, but U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez doubled the term to 10 years in Thursday's sentencing hearing.

While Masmari stated that alcohol led to the crime, prosecutors pointed to interviews with people who know Masmari and said the fire was set due to homophobia.

“One of Masmari’s close associates was interviewed by investigators and reported that Masmari confided in him that he ‘burned a gay club’ and that he did it because ‘what these people are doing is wrong,’” Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg said in court papers.

Surveillance video made public after the fire clearly showed Masmari entering a club next to Neighbours, setting the fire and leaving.

Seattle: New Years Eve arsonist pleads guilty but will not face hate crime charges

Musab Mohamed Masmari

The man who tried to kill a crowd of 750 people packed inside a popular Seattle gay bar by setting it afire on New Year’s Eve has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of arson.

Despite some evidence that he was motivated by hatred of LGBT people, Musab Mohammad Masmari will not face federal hate crime charges.

The Seattle Times reports that Masmari, a 30-year-old American-born man of Libyan extraction and upbringing, reached an agreement with prosecutors on Friday to plead guilty to arson. Though prosecutors had substantial reason to believe it was an anti-LGBT bias crime, he will not face federal hate-crime charges. Prosecutors said that Masmari’s motives will be addressed by the judge during the sentencing phase, which comes next week.

The plea agreement specifies that prosecutors will only seek a five-year prison sentence for the crime. However, prosecutors told KOMO-TV that the judge was free to ignore their recommendations and sentence Masmari to a prison term ranging up to 20 years.

(from Southern Poverty Law Center)

Alleged Seattle arsonist pleads "Not guilty"

Musab Masmari, charged with setting a fire at a crowded gay club on New Year's Eve almost killing over 700, entered a plea of "not guilty" yesterday:

Musmari, 30, is being held in the King County Jail.

A hearing in the case has been set for March 5th. Musmari was also ordered to have no contact with Neighbours or its employees. A judge had previously set Musmari’s bail at $1 million after prosecutors said he posed a flight risk. Musmari was found with a one-way ticket to Turkey and two passports when police arrested him in January. Musmari also has several other ongoing cases unrelated to the incident at Neighbours.

Earlier, CHS documented Musmari’s increased brushes with the law in the past year on Capitol Hill including assaults and protection order violations. In a recent conviction and sentence that he is appealing, Musmari was required to undergo a mental health evaluation.

KIRO TV in Seattle has reported that Musmari told a friend “that homosexuals should be exterminated.” This information was reported to the FBI, which is now prompting possible hate crime charges for Masmari.

(via JMG)

Seattle: $1 million set as bail for alleged gay bar arson suspect

Bail has been set at $1M for Musab Masmari, the man suspected of setting a New Year's Eve fire at Neighbours,  a Seattle gay nightclub.

The FBI is now investigating the crime as a possible hate crime.

From Capitol Hill Seattle:

Citing the risk of flight and pending outcomes in recent brushes with the law, a King County judge Tuesday set bail for the suspect arrested in the Neighbours arson investigation at $1 million.

Police say Musmari was arrested leaving his home with his U.S. and Libyan passports and was in possession of a one-way airline ticket to Turkey.

Tuesday, Musmari waived his right to appear at the hearing as his lawyer argued against the high bail.

Prosecutors have yet to charge the 30-year-old former Capitol Hill resident who, according to a lawyer representing Musmari, last called Bellevue home.

Tuesday, the FBI, working on the case as part of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, thanked the public for tips leading to Saturday’s arrest. The FBI said it is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

Meanwhile, friends and victims of Musmari have described his increasingly volatile and unstable behavior over the past year.

(via JMG)

Seattle: Police arrest suspect in gay nightclub arson attempt

Arson suspect Musab Mohammed Masmari

Early morning on January 1, 2104, a fire broke out at the Seattle gay nightclub Neighbours. Over 750 patrons were present for New Years celebrations. The fire department report said that it appeared that an unknown suspect poured gasoline on a carpeted stairway leading to the second level of a bar and ignited it.

The guests were evacuated in orderly fashion, but clearly this could have been a disaster of not only property damage but massive loss of life.

Seattle police have now arrested the man that some suspect is behind the arson attempt. From Capitol Hill Seattle:

Musab Mohamed Masmari, 30, was arrested Saturday morning as police say he was on his way to the airport. Masmari, who has not been charged with the crime, was booked into King County Jail for arson, according to police. Masmari has been a resident living near Broadway and Roy, but at a recent sentencing hearing he said he had since moved to the Eastside. His Facebook profile lists Benghazi, Libya as his hometown. He was listed as living in Lynnwood in early 2009. CHS learned Masmari has had a U.S. passport since at least 2010. Masmari is scheduled to appear in court Monday for an unrelated assault charge.

The Seattle Police have released this statement:

Seattle Police made an arrest this morning of a 30-year-old suspect wanted for the arson at Neighbours on January 1st. This morning, Seattle Police arrested the 30-year-old man near Seattle as he was enroute to the airport. Detectives from our Arson/Bomb Squad, working along with members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), have been investigating this case since the early morning hours of January 1st. Detectives would like to thank the public for all the tips they have received on the person of interest. Following his arrest, the suspect was interviewed by detectives and later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Arson.

Video report below from King5.com

(via JMG)