Around The Nation

Virginia

LGBT Advocacy Group Wants to Bring LGBT License Plate to Virginia

RICHMOND -- Equality Virginia, the statewide advocacy organization for LGBT Virginians, is working to bring a license plate supporting LGBT rights to Virginia.

The plate will ultimately have to go through the state's Republican dominated General Assembly for approval, but first 450 Virginians have to pre-register for the plate.

According to the organisation;

"The Division of Motor Vehicles requires prepayment from 450 applicants, a legislative sponsor and approval from the General Assembly. 

Once the governor signs off on the license plates bill, plates can go into production."

The plates will cost $25 for Non-Personalized and $35 for Personalized. After 1,000 sales, $15 from every plate will benefit Equality Virginia’s efforts to improve the lives of LGBT Virginians.

Equality Virginia has reached half its pre-registration goal. Once this goal is met, payment will be collected to submit to the DMV.

Those who want a custom plate can pre-register here.

Ohio

Men beaten in anti-gay attacks in Cleveland say young attackers must have been taught to hate

Security Camera footage via Cleveland Police Department

CLEVELAND --  In separate attacks outside the well-known Cocktails Cleveland bar, gay men have said they were attacked by a group of young men yelling epithets and in the case of Fox and local resident Ric Scardino, those attacks had turned violent. The first assault was captured on security cameras just after midnight September 1.
Jared Fox, of Brooklyn, who was violently beaten outside a popular Cleveland gay bar in what police are calling an anti-gay hate crime while visiting family members said that the help of both the LGBT community and the general public is needed to combat anti-gay prejudice. Fox's comments after police announced an arrest in another case similar to his this past weekend.

Fox suffered a ruptured right ear drum and some hearing loss, a black eye and dozens of bruises on his body. Then last Friday,  Scardino said he was on Cocktails Cleveland's rooftop patio at about 8pm when a group of about 10 young men started throwing rocks and mulch at the staff and customers.

"When a large rock came in, I got upset and ran out," Scardino said adding that he had walked to the corner, where the youngsters beat him with a broom and outlined how they would abuse him with the broom handle.

Based on tips and camera video footage, Cleveland police made an arrest Sunday and the suspect turned out to be 13 years old.

Reacting to the news of the arrest Scardino said,

"To me, that is disgusting. I was so upset that the boy was 13. That means he was taught that hatred. He was taught to be violent." 

Fox agreed saying that while LGBT people need to take care of one another, "you have to wonder what those children's parents are teaching them about homosexuality

"They are children," he emphasised. "That was the saddest thing of all. We as a society need to work harder. It's not just a Cleveland problem. It's all over."

Martin L. Flask, director of public safety for Cleveland, released a statement in the aftermath of the attacks that said he will work with the mayor's office to reduce hate-based violence.

"Hate crimes do not and should not define Cleveland as a community and one of Cleveland's greatest assets is its racial, ethnic, religious and cultural diversity."