Singer Kevin Aviance beaten by gay-bashers

Bastards!

I seldom read the entertainment news, and I don't know who Kevin Aviance is, but this item caught my eye.

NEW YORK - A singer whose songs have topped the Billboard dance chart was attacked by a group yelling anti-gay slurs, and four people were arrested on hate-crime charges, police and his publicist said.

Kevin Aviance, 38, underwent surgery for a broken jaw after the attack Saturday, said his publicist, Len Evans. Police said the singer, whose song "Alive" hit the top of the chart in 2002, was in stable condition.

A group of six or seven men attacked Aviance early Saturday, and passers-by did not stop to help as they threw objects at him, Evans said.

...

Aviance performs in drag but was "dressed like a boy" when he was attacked, Evans said. He had planned to take part in next week's Gay Pride parade and festivities, but will now be unable to perform, the publicist said.

... more at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060611/ap_en_mu/singer_beaten&printer=1;_ylt=AtFgmKmpb39rpD2VRTxeGJMnHL8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Twenty-two years ago, I was severely beaten by a gay-basher and his two lackeys as four or five other people watched.

I'm not gay, but thugs seldom ask for I.D., and it didn't matter anyway. The guy kept screaming at me how I was "homoing" him as he bashed on my face and head.

When I called to report it to the police, the officer laughed, as if to declare that "I had it coming to me" in some kind of contest of personal honor.

The take-away? No matter whether you're gay or straight, it can, indeed, happen to you.

The criminals, in the case of Aviance's assault, were 16, 18, 20 and 20. That's way too young to be learning hatred, but I understand that hate crimes have increased quite a bit since December 12, 2000.

I hope the Gay Pride parade planners can highlight both Aviance's brutal attack and this ongoing problem. Nobody, really, is safe as long as hate crime is allowed to flourish.

After all, hatred makes haters incredibly dumb, and such people usually manage to hurt any and everyone who's around them.

--p!

I can't wait for the day when this crap stops.

no text necessary.

It was the same in Clinton's America, and all Americas before that.

And it will likely be the same under the next Democratic administration.

Gay bashing is deeply ingrained in our culture, and it's not a matter of party politics. And only partly of religion.

I got bashed in the 1970s in New York City in an allegedly gay-friendly neighborhood. I doubt that the junior Mafia types were card carrying 'pubs or thought of themselves as doing God's work, or anything like that.

I dont remember Clinton or Eisenhower pushing anti-gay amendments. Or standing with Frist-types in the White House preaching Dobson-inspired dogma. Strong leadership does help in reigning in bad behavior whether it be gay-bashing or gas conservation. I'm pretty old and I dont recall my teen generation having bad boys with gay-bashing tendancies. And we had some "out" gay guys that we liked and tolerated. But this is the midwest. Maybe it was different in other parts of the country.

Although it was only policy, and not an amendment, it still amounts to about the same thing, the way I see it.
As Commander in Chief, all Clinton had to do was tell Colin Powell: "There will be no discrimination in the military. Period." And that would have been all there is to it. Anti-gay policy in military would have been abolished. But he just couldn't bring himself to do that.

The Military Code of Justice, which, like any law, is written by Congress, specificly banned sodomy in the military. Given that law, which Clinton couldn't change, Clinton couldn't change military policy toward gays. Clinton couldn't do what Truman did with blacks because Clinton needed Congress to change the law.

Is it just an honorary title?

Most military decisions are indeed up to the executive, but the laws which govern the military, thank God given Bush, are written by Congress. Sodomy is still against the military code though under Lawerence it may not be. That will have to be litigated seperately given the nature of the military. That is the entire reason the likes of Nunn were able to hold show trial hearings on it.

Why is a sex practice automatically linked to sexual orientation? Straights practice sodomy just as much. Should they be banned too?

engaging in sodomy. I also am unsure exactly what the sodomy law says (it may exempt oral sex performed by males on females for example). It should be noted that adultery is also against the military code of justice and on occasion a person is thrown out for that as well. Clearly some selective enforcement is going on but the basic point remains the same. Clinton couldn't wave a wand and undo the law.

I don't know, so I'll take your word for it. But it simply makes no sense to me and I refuse to accept it as an excuse for this shameful hypocritical homophobic don't ask don't tell policy.

what I am saying is that Clinton couldn't do what Truman did and sodomy is why. This is by no means a new or contraversial theory. It was widely debated at the time. I think in actuallity Clinton didn't know until after he promised to let gays serve that he couldn't do this. Remember he got asked this on MTV during a Rock the Vote appearence. The whole reason people like Nunn were able to block Clinton was the UMCJ which Congress gets to alter.

Because it is, on its face, 100% wrong.

I do not live in the US and I wasn't in the US when this was widely debated, and so I had no idea sodomy could be used as a pretext to keep on discriminating against gays. What a shambles this democracy is in. What a disgrace.

What is UMCJ?

and as to sodomy being used against gays that has a literal hundred or more years of history behind it. That is why the Lawerence decision is so important. Sodomy laws were used to prevent gays and lesbians from getting professional licences, custody of minor children, and other things upon which morals clauses could be used. As recently as 1997 I had to sign a morals clause which included a specific listing of MS sodomy law to get a teaching contract.

On edit By not being a contraversial theory I meant the idea that only Congress could alter the code not that sodomy equals being gay.

I never knew I could learn so much on a thread about Kevin Aviance being gay-bashed.

It must have given you a strange sickly feeling signing that contract with a "morals" clause, as if the act of sodomy has anything to do with morals.

It is absolutely revolting to me, and I am at a loss for words.

as I didn't do sodomy in MS (I did do it elsewhere but the law didn't cover that). I felt bad about both signing and being asked to sign it but that was what I had to do at the time to get a job.

voting to change this.

It applies to male/male, female/female or male/female (and they throw animals in there for good measure)



So yeas, technically a legally married couple where she gives him a bj are breaking the military rules. I don't know if a court martial board can preform jury nullification or not, but I certainly can't see them upholding that law.

Even if we don't practice it.

Thanks for the part from the code and the interpretation. It boggles the rational mind.

When Eisenhower was president, gay sex was a FELONY everywhere. And the police were serious about enforcement even using entrapment. In "liberal" big cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, not just the Bible belt.

You could be labelled a security risk if you were gay.

Did Eisenhower push anti-gay amendments? No.

Marriage equality was inconceivable not just prohibited.


Save the "Bush's America" comments for places where it fits.

But I dont appreciate your unkind "stick it to me" cut with the last sentence. Just thought I'd call you on it.

>>>>>The criminals, in the case of Aviance's assault, were 16, 18, 20 and 20. That's way too young to be learning hatred, but I understand that hate crimes have increased quite a bit since December 12, 2000.>>>>>

.... that schools will teach sex ed

but will avoid teaching about homosexuality because of the political fallout. So you have kids growing into young adulthood who are utterly clueless... yet utterly *opinionated*.

Schools also need to teach kids basic psychology, IMHO. This might have helped your basher gain some insight into his "stop homoing me" issues.

Troubling stuff, that's for sure. And no light at the end of the tunnel.

Called pink pistols.

Well, heres your fucking sign!

i hope these fucks get the whole damn book thrown at them.

maximum penalties for these pukes.

on W. 13th St. (I'm sure other NYers here know it). I actually used to live across the hall from Kevin on W. 23rd St. He was always very friendly, invited me to parties, etc...this is disgusting.

I should add--Kevin is a BIG GUY. Like 6'5". Of course these little shits had to gang up four to one.

It sponsors a team in the Big Apple Softball League, it's a very relaxed, kind of austere place, you can bring in your own food, park your bike in the lounge. Seems like gay, lesbian, straight, metrosexual, just all types of people hang there.