News Round-Up: July 25, 2018

A few news items you might have missed:

• It's Hump Day - need I say more? (see above)

• Two gay dads were stabbed by their adopted son in Los Angeles, California. #MentalHealthIssues?

• Someone did some serious damage to Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Twin gay models - the Zakar twins - have accused high-end photographer Rick Day of sexual abuse.

In life, find a friend who has always got your back. Luckily, I was born with mine. 🕊

A post shared by Zakar Twins (@zakartwins) on May 4, 2018 at 4:11pm PDT

• Cher just dropped the track list of her upcoming ABBA cover album - check the list below.

SONGS
1.WATERLOO
2.GIMME,GIMME
3.DANCING👑
4.CHIQUITITTA
5. NAME OF THE GAME
6.MOMMA MIA
7. ONE OF US
8.WINNER TAKES IT ALL
9.SOS
10.⁉️

— Cher (@cher) July 25, 2018

• Donald Trump is now turning his attention to booting HIV+ soldiers out of the U.S. military.

• Virulently anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council president Tony Perkins misses the old days when it was illegal to be gay.

Video Supports Bullied NYC Student's Account Of Self-Defense In Fatal Stabbing

Abel Cedeno

GayCityNews is reporting a video has surfaced capturing the vicious attack on gay student Abel Cedeno by classmate Matthew McCree on September 27, 2017 in a Bronx high school.

The event ended with Cedeno defending himself with a knife fatally wounding McCree.

McCree, in a white T-shirt, can be seen charging across the classroom and pummeling Cedeno, in a pink shirt, with his fists, and Laboy joining in the fray, as well, while students are screaming in horror. As the nine-second video concludes, McCree is still standing and an adult in a red shirt has pulled Cedeno away.

Attorneys for Cedeno, Christopher R. Lynn and Robert J. Feldman, are calling for the manslaughter charges against Cedeno to be dropped in light of this evidence, which backs up what Cedeno told the grand jury as well as what student witnesses told the police.

Cedeno has testified and told Gay City News that he acted in self-defense and thought he was going to die when McCree rushed him since he believed him to be a member of the YGZ 800 gang member who could have had a weapon.

Lynn said, “It is clear to me that McCree is throwing these punches with his right and his left furiously at Abel Cedeno, who is obviously terrified and putting up both his hands in defense of McCree.”

He said that the autopsy report on McCree found that his hands “show he was involved in hitting someone and that whoever he was hitting defended himself. He was punching Abel, and Abel was punching back and he used the knife once.”

The video appears to back up several students accounts of the attack.

Abel told police it was only after years of bullying that he decided to carry a knife to school out of protection.

I previously reported on the attack here.

As one person on the internet noted, had it been a gun you would have heard claims of "stand your ground" which allowed George Zimmerman to walk free after fatally shooting teenager Trayvon Martin.

NYC: High School Student Bullied For Sexual Orientation Turns On Tormentors Killing One, Injuring Second

Abel Cedeno (center)

A Wednesday morning history class in the Bronx turned deadly as 18-year-old Abel Cedeno, who has been reportedly bullied regarding his perceived sexual orientation for weeks, snapped and stabbed two of his tormentors.

From the New York Daily News:

Horrified classmates howled in disbelief as Cedeno flew into a homicidal fury, plunging the serrated stainless steel blade into the chests of Matthew McCree, 15, and Ariane Laboy, 16.

The knife-wielding Cedeno just “went crazy,” said witness Jomarlyn Colon, 16. “Everybody just stood back. A few of them were holding Matthew. A few of them were holding towels on the wound.

“All the kids were crying and screaming.”

McCree, who started the deadly confrontation by flicking a pencil at Cedeno, was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital after the 10:50 a.m. stabbing spree in a fifth-floor classroom, cops said.

Laboy was in critical condition at the same hospital after he was slashed while coming to McCree’s defense.

Cedeno was charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

This marks the first murder to take place inside a New York City school since 1993.

Trump Finally Addresses Two Portland Heroes Calling The Attacks "Unacceptable"

After three days of silence, President Trump finally "spoke out" via Twitter about the deaths of two men who defended teenagers from a known white supremacist in Portland.

According to Portland police, two men were killed and another was wounded after 35-year old Jeremy Joseph Christian began yelling hate speech at two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

The president's tweet read, "The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them."

The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them.

— President Trump (@POTUS) May 29, 2017

Interestingly, the message was posted to his official @potus account, not his personal account (@realDonaldTrump) which has almost twice the followers.

Many noted the tweet was sent out at 10:51AM this morning while he was attending Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetary, so it's clear he didn't write the post himself.

Video Of Stabbing Attack At Jerusalem Pride

Yesterday I posted about the stabbing attack at Jerusalem Pride by an Ultra-Orthodox Jew who had been imprisoned for years after a similar attack in 2005. Six parade attendees were injured; two critically.

Video has surfaced of the gruesome attack, and I think it's important to see. Reading about violence is an entirely different visceral experience than actually SEEING it.

Folks should witness the actual blinding hatred that happens against LGBTs in real life.

Take a look below.

(via JMG)

Six Stabbed At Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade

Stabbing victims at Jerusalem Pride parade

According to the Jerusalem Post, an ultra-Orthodox man has been arrested for stabbing six people taking part in the Jerusalem gay pride parade today.

The suspect in Thursday's stabbing attack, Yishai Shlissel, is the same man who perpetrated a similar stabbing attack at the 2005 Jerusalem gay pride parade. He was recently released from prison after having been convicted of stabbing three people during the parade ten years ago.

Six people were wounded in the incident that took place on the corners of Sokolov and Keren Hayesod streets in the capital.

Paramedics were treating two people in serious condition, one in moderate condition and three people who were lightly injured. All of the victims were in their thirties, according to MDA.

Thousands of people were taking part in the annual pride parade in the capital when the attack occurred.

"I saw an ultra-Orthodox youth stabbing everyone in his way," said Shai Aviyor, a witness interviewed on Israel's Channel 2 television.

"We heard people screaming, everyone ran for cover, and there were bloodied people on the ground," Aviyor said.

Suspected attacker Yishai Schlissel