UK: The Victim got Punched and Burned with Boiling Water All by Friends 17&18 Y.olds

Two youths who mercilessly tortured a teenager during a 'sadistic happy-slap' attack filmed on a mobile phone have been put behind bars indefinitely.

During a five-hour ordeal, Ross Lambert and Thomas Robinson, both 17, subjected their 18-year-old victim Karl O'Mara to 'acts of sadism' for their 'own enjoyment'.

They punched, kicked and poured boiling hot water over Mr O'Mara before taking shocking video clips on a mobile phone, the court heard. 

Sadism: Ross Lambert, left, and Thomas Robinson subjected 18-year-old Karl O'Mara to 'acts of sadism' for their 'own enjoyment'(victim not photographed)

There were audible gasps at Liverpool Crown Court as the footage was played, showing a visibly battered Mr O'Mara begging for mercy.

But instead of halting their 'chilling' attack, they ordered him to repeat humiliating and offensive remarks about himself and his heavily-pregnant mum before Lambert punched him to the ground. 

The horrific footage, some of which was filmed by a third youth, Gavin Moore, was discovered after Lambert and Robinson forced Mr O'Mara to an isolated field, where they further abused him before abandoning him.

  

Mr O'Mara had even texted his mum asking for help.

Judge David Aubrey QC said: 'Torture of this nature and degree cannot be tolerated in a civilised society.'

He said that while the attack was described by prosecutor Robert Jansen as a happy-slapping attack, it was 'nothing of the sort'.

He said: 'In my judgment, there were acts of sadism. You tormented this young man. You tortured him. You dominated him for about five hours.'

'There were acts of sadism.

'You tormented this young man. You tortured him. You dominated him for about five hours.

'In my judgement, it is clearly by pure good fortune he was not killed that night at the hands of each of you.'

- Judge David Aubrey QC

Judge Aubrey said he had 'no hesitation' in locking them up indefinitely for the public's protection.

Branding ringleader Lambert a 'very dangerous young man', the judge ordered him to serve a minimum of four years behind bars, while Robinson will serve at least three years and eight months. 

Mr Jansen told the court Mr O'Mara was friends with Robinson since primary school, but they had fallen out and, in the months before the attack, he had received threats on Facebook.

Two weeks before the October 23 assault, Mr O'Mara believed they had made up and was drinking at Robinson's Leasowe home.

But during the attack, Robinson told Mr O'Mara he planned the violence for two months.

In a video interview with police, he told how the pain was '10 out of 10' after boiling water was poured over his arms, back and bottom.

When he was eventually taken to Whiston Hospital he had a fractured eye socket, nose and jaw, as well as extensive burns. 

Judge Aubrey said: 'In my judgement, it is clearly by pure good fortune he was not killed that night at the hands of each of you.'

Lambert, of Burbo Way, Wallasey, and Robinson, of Raleigh Road, Leasowe, both pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, false imprisonment and kidnapping.

Moore, also of Raleigh Road, was sent to a young offenders' institute for a year after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

  

Video: Bullied Teen Fights Back

by Jim Buzinski.

By now, you might have seen the video that’s all over the Internet of Casey, a student in Australia who friends say has been regularly bullied. In the video, a smaller student is punching Casey in the face while taunting him as you can hear snickers in the background by the people filming it. Then Casey decides to fight back.

Bigger than the bully, Casey picks up his tormentor and body slams him, leaving him dazed and hurt. Both students were suspended, initially for four days.

A spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Education and Training said today Chifley College, Dunheved Campus [an Australian high school] “does not tolerate any violence and deals with all cases according to its community-agreed discipline code”.  “Both students in a fight at the school shown on the Internet have been suspended … the only injury sustained was a grazed knee,” the spokeswoman said.

http://outsports.com/jocktalkblog

Australia: Gay author Armistead Maupin's Partner Told 'Men's Room Is for Real Men'

Acclaimed author Armistead Maupin has been left outraged after a restaurant worker told his partner the men's toilet was "reserved for real men". 

According to the Associated Press, Maupin and husband, Christopher Turner, were in Australia's Bojangles restaurant in Alice Springs, when the incident happened. The openly-gay writer, who penned the classic Tales of the City books, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that his partner asked a bartender where the bathroom was, but was told there wasn't one.
"I knew they had one because I'd been there the day before and I said 'what's that over there?', and he gave me a very pointed look and said 'that's reserved for real men'," Maupin said.
"Neither one of us could quite believe he'd said it. And he actually repeated it. He said 'see the sign on the door. It says 'gents'. It's for real men'."
The restaurant has not issued a comment.

by Peter Lloyd

http://news.pinkpaper.com

"Hey Kiss My Rich Gay Ass" Says Leslie Jordan

While his face is certainly recognizable, it’s Leslie Jordan’s voice that is unmistakable:
 a delicious, wry drawl that mixes good ol’ southern-boy charm with naughty gay man
 to perfection. From his early days on shows like Newhart to his hilarious scene-stealing
antics on Will & Grace, Jordan has fulfilled that rarest of media roles — the effeminate,
 openly gay actor.

I was a frightened teenager when I first saw Jordan on TV. I could scarcely believe
my eyes (and ears) when this tiny man flounced his way across the screen in a
confident, unapologetic manner that made me realize, “Holy shit… I’m not the only one!”

To readers still in their teens and 20s, this may not seem a big deal — but let me tell you,
 to a closeted gay kid in the late ’80s who felt completely isolated and alone, it was the
 fucking Second Coming. Our tenuous foothold in the mainstream media is due entirely
 to trailblazing efforts by fearless fairies like Jordan. After all, the vast majority of gay
 actors stay firmly in the closet for the sake of their careers, hiding behind bachelor
swordsman images or the occasional accommodating wife (I’m looking at you, Travolta).

Jordan himself admits to early attempts at butching up his image to snag roles.
Fortunately for us, these efforts were largely doomed to failure.

 “I was never in the closet, even though there were certainly plenty of us in the business,
” says Jordan. “My agent would call me for auditions and say, ‘Okay Leslie, keep
your feet on the ground, your hands at your side and your voice in the lower register.’”

Leslie Jordan.

The actor was sure his ruse had proved successful when he was cast as a straight guy on Ellen DeGeneres’s eponymous sitcom back in the ’90s.

“Oh, I butched it up and thought I completely pulled it off until my friend said, ‘Oh honey, I was watching it with a bunch of people who didn’t know you and the minute you opened your mouth, they said, “Get a load of her!”’ I guess I just couldn’t wash the sissy off.”

Sissy or not, Jordan’s effervescence and flawless timing kept him in regular work in shows like Dharma & Greg, Ally McBealand Boston Legal. But it was his note-perfect role as trophy husband Beverley Leslie on the groundbreaking Will & Gracethat cemented his career and won him an Emmy.

“I’ll tell you what,” Jordan begins in his cozy Tennessee twang, “after all is said and done, I won that award for a television show that has done so much for our tribe. I always say, there are two ways to combat homophobia: through humour or by putting a face on the victims. That show did both.”

Fighting the good fight is a big part of Jordan’s work ethic. He speaks out regularly on behalf of gay organizations like The Trevor Project, HRC and Stepping Stone, a group of homes for recovering crystal meth users. At 55 years of age, the actor has lived through many of the political and health crises that have faced our community, and he has emerged grateful for having survived the experiences.

“I buried an entire telephone directory to AIDS in the ’80s,” he says. “Honey, I was right
 there in the alleys and the dirty bookstores, and there’s no reason for me to be
 here now. Then the ’90s came and we all discovered crystal meth until it turned on
 us like a mother-in-law. So when they call me to come and help out, I come.”

So, when someone from the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Archives asked Jordan to
 take part in their Laughing out Loud… and Proud! fundraising event, the diminutive
 activist immediately agreed.

“I love archives,” he says. “It’s so important for us to tell and record our stories.
One of the things I say in my one-man show (My Trip Down the Pink Carpet) is that
 I am of the first generation of gay men who have anything to pass on to the younger
 generation. Hell, I remember Stonewall! But will they listen? I don’t know. They’re so
busy twittering each other, but we need to pass our stories on and to let kids know
 that things change.

“I mean, look at me: everything I was ashamed of as a kid — being short [he’s 4’11”],
being gay — it’s made me my fortune. I just want to go back to tough guys in high
school who’d yell Smear the Queer at me during dodgeball and say, “Hey, kiss my
 rich gay ass!”

by Serafin LaRiviere / Toronto

http://www.xtra.ca

Anderson Cooper Too Radioactive for Playgirl-How About Jake Gyllenhaal ?

Steve Granitz/Wireimage

When it comes to Anderson Cooper, Playgirl has decided to play nice.

With the globe-hopping CNN stalwart on the (radioactive) ground in Japan reporting on the earthquake-tsunami-reactor triple whammy, the beefcake-happy mag had been offering big bucks for pics of his naked bod—or rather was.

Would you believe Jake Gyllenhaal changed the magazine's mind? Let us explain.

MORE: And the First Celeb to Write a Big Check for Japan Relief Is. . .

The whole tasteless offer was hatched Tuesday by Playgirl rep Daniel Nardicio, who let it be known the magazine was offering $10,000 to anyone who could provide a nude photo of the Silver Fox for the magazine's list of the "Top 10 Guys We Want to See Naked" feature for its upcoming issue.

"He's got this charisma that a lot of our readers are attracted to," Nardicio told Popeater. "Plus now he's all muscled, [so] he's not only smart but also hot. Both our male and female readers love Anderson."

Coincidentally, the bounty on Cooper's junk came just a few days after Jake Gyllenhaal made headlines when an overly aggressive fan followed him into a bathroom at a movie premiere in Austin, Texas, and tried to snap a picture of him at a urinal. Reportsof a scuffle ensued. We can safely say the actor was pissed.

After sleeping on it, Nardicio apparently had a change of heart at the thought of some enterprising shutterbug harassing the CNN anchor, especially as he tirelessly toils in Japan.

The Playgirl honcho now exclusively tells E! News that he's decided to deep-six the idea and retract his offer.

"I got some guys who claimed they had pics of Anderson's goods, but then I did a gut check and the whole affair seemed unseemly," Nardicio said.

And yes, Gyllenhaal's recent urinal run-in influenced his decision.

"I changed my mind and took the offer off the table, considering Anderson is in Japan reporting and in light of the whole Jake Gyllenhaal urinal stalker," he added. 

We'd say good move.

If you don't know about the urinal, check the last story on Jake at adamfoxie*

  by JOSH GROSSBERG AND WHITNEY ENGLISH   eonline

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b231546_anderson_cooper_too_radioactive.html#ixzz1GtbBoIvf

Canadian Flower Shop Says They Wont Sell Flowers for Gay Weddings

What's a wedding without flowers, right? Flowers (hopefully fair trade ones!) are a staple at most every nuptial, whether they're held by a bride, on the lapel of a groom, or in a centerpiece at a reception table. But one Canadian florist is making clear that if your wedding is a same-sex wedding, she won't be providing the flowers.

Too bad that's in violation of Canadian law.

At issue is the florist Petals and Promises Wedding Flowers in New Brunswick, Canada. The owner of that shop, Kim Evans, initially agreed to provide flowers for an upcoming wedding in the area. But when Evans found out that the flowers would be for a lesbian wedding, she decided to cancel the order by firing off an email to the couple.

"I must respect my conscience before God and have no part in this matter," Evans wrote in the email.

Had this been a straight couple getting married? That would have been no problem. Had this been a straight couple, where both parties had been divorced seven times? Yup, Evans would have provided flowers for that service, too. Had this been a wedding between serial adulterer Newt Gingrich and another woman? Yup, they would get flowers as well.

But because we're talking about a same-sex couple who is deeply in love with one another, that's enough for Evans to pull the plug on a flower order.

And that, unfortunately for Evans, is against Canadian law.

Sure, Evans is entitled to her own personal and religious beliefs on issues like same-sex marriage. But as a business operating in New Brunswick, she has to adhere to anti-discrimination laws that require businesses to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Perhaps if Evans was running a church or a religious shop, this would be a different story. But she's not. She's running a flower shop, and to deny services to a couple solely because of their sexual orientation is against the law.

Even a local Christian minister told the CBC that while religious people are entitled to own their beliefs, they are not entitled to discriminate at their workplace.

"The shopkeeper has every right to her own convictions as long as she is a private citizen in her own house," said Minister Eldon Hay. "But if she opens her doors to sell flowers, then she must be prepared to meet and deal with the public."

Indeed. And the New Brunswick Human Rights Act is explicit here, saying that a business cannot refuse service to someone on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.

That's why a number of local activists are planning a rally and vigil at Petals and Promises this Saturday. According to their Facebook page, they're not interested in being loud, abrasive, or aggressive. They merely want to point out how compassionate the local LGBT community is, and that Evans and her flower shop have no reason to fear providing service for same-sex weddings.

http://news.change.org

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.

Newt gave $350K to oust Iowa justices that legalized same sex marriage

By Sahil Kapur
 

GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich last year donated at least $350,000 to a social conservative campaign that successfully ousted three Iowa Supreme Court Justices who ruled in favor of same sex marriage in the state.

After the Iowa high court unanimously voted in April 2009 to legalize same-sex marriage in the state, a coalition of Christian and "values" groups waged a campaign to oust three of the justices who helped bring about that decision. The groups compared legal same sex marriage to government taking away property rights and deciding who gets to live and die. All three justices were voted out last November.

Gingrich, it turns out, was instrumental in advancing that campaign. The Former House Speaker funneled $200,000 to Iowa for Freedom, one of the groups in the campaign against the three justices, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Newt provided strategic advice and arranged the initial seed money, about $200,000, which is what got everything started," the group's executive director David Lane told the LA Times.

In addition, Gingrich's fundraising arm ReAL Action gave $125,000 to a campaign last fall by the American Family Association, which was involved with the effort targeting the justices, the Des Moines Registerreported.

Gingrich spokesman Rick Tyler admitted to the Register that ReAL Action contributed another $25,000 to the organization now known as the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, which also played a major role in the same campaign.

The Georgia Republican's efforts to bankroll a popular cause with Republican voters in Iowa, which holds the first critical test for GOP primary contestants, is hardly likely to be a coincidence. He has made a special attempt to court evangelicals in recent months, a key element of the Republican base whose support is invaluable for presidential aspirants.

Gingrich this month became the first GOP contender to declare his desire to run for president, though he trails in the polls to several other hopefuls.

(h/t ThinkProgress)

Cummings and Other major Companies in Indianapolis:'Gay marriage ban bad for business'

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Executives from two of Indiana's most prominent
 companies told a state Senate committee on Wednesday that their ability
to recruit top employees could be hurt by a proposed constitutional
amendment that would ban gay marriage and civil unions.

Supporters countered by telling the Senate Judiciary
Committee that the amendment would not restrict
employers from offering insurance or other benefits
 to same-sex partners as some already do, even
 though current state law defines marriage as between
 one man and one woman.
The committee heard more than two hours of public
 testimony, but delayed a vote on whether to send
 the proposed amendment to the full Senate until
next week.
James Bopp, a Terre Haute attorney who has been
active in gay marriage ban efforts in several states,
said the constitutional amendment was needed to
 prevent "activist judges" from overturning the
 state law.
"It is just foolish to ignore the danger when there
 are ready remedies available," Bopp said. "If the
people of the state of Indiana don't want to protect
marriage between a man and a woman, then they
will defeat this amendment."
Several opponents told the committee they
believed the amendment would write discrimination
 into the state's constitution.
That perception is a worry for companies that are
competing nationally to attract highly skilled workers
 to Indiana, said Jill Cook, vice president of human
resources for engine maker Cummins Inc.
She said putting a gay marriage ban in the state
constitution would "cause irreparable harm"
to Indiana's business climate and complicate the
company's decisions on where to locate some
high-paying professional jobs.
"We will be reluctant to add those jobs if Indiana
 is a less welcoming and inclusive place for all of
our employees," Cook said.
Shaun Hawkins, chief diversity officer for Eli Lilly
and Co., said attorneys for the drug maker were
worried that the amendment's ban on "a legal status
 identical or substantially similar to that of marriage"
 was vague and could impair its ability to offer
 domestic partner benefits.
Committee Chairman Richard Bray, R-Martinsville,
was skeptical of any such impact on private
companies or even public institutions, such as
 universities, that offer such benefits.
"They are doing it right now under the current statute,
" Bray said. "An insurance company or an employer
 can give any benefits they wish to employees."
A similar amendment banning gay marriage passed
 the General Assembly in 2005 when Republicans
 controlled the House and Senate. But in 2006,
Democrats won control of the House and the proposal
 didn't clear the chamber again while they held
 power, so the process had to start over.
The Republican-led House voted last month in
 favor of the amendment. If the Senate approves it
 this year, it would have to pass the General Assembly
 again in 2013 or 2014 to get on the 2014 ballot
 for a statewide referendum.


http://www.necn.com

Glee's Kurt Finally Shares kiss with His Crush Blaine

It's the moment many Glee fans have been waiting for. 

And last night they were not disappointed when the show's popular character Kurt finally got together with his crush Blaine.

The tender moment happened when Blaine approaches the object of his affection and says: 'Kurt, there is a moment when you say to yourself, "Oh there you are. I've been looking for you forever"'.

Scroll down for video..

Finally! Glee characters Kurt and Blaine got together on last night's episode and sealed it with a long awaited kiss

In tune: The openly gay characters played by Darren Criss and Chris Colfer later did a duet together in the Originals episode

Blaine, played by Darren Criss then pulls his chair closer and puts his hand on Kurt's hand and shares how he has been feeling and explains why he chose him as his singing partner.

'Blackbird this week, that was a moment for me. About you. You move me, Kurt. And this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you', he said.

Blaine then leans in to kiss a very shocked and surprised but happy Kurt.

Glee club: Lea Michele's Rachel and Heather Morris' Brittany strut their stuff during the Regionals competition

This is not Glee's first gay kiss - Kurt, played by Chris Colfer, was kissed by football jock Karofsky at the start of the season who had bullied Kurt about his sexuality.

Kurt was left reeling after the kiss and took Blaine to confront confused Karofsky, who responded with only aggression.

Blaine and Kurt were part of the club members going up for Regionals and duetted in a subdued rendition of Candles by Hey Monday which they sung before a hilarious candle-waving audience.

Bringing the funny: Kathy Griffin played a 'tea party' type judge who presided over the competition - bearing a striking resemblance to Sarah Palin

The McKinley's went with Rachel's, played by Lea Michele, idea of signing original songs for the competition which they did with mixed results.

Rachel was also upset to learn that Finn and Quinn are back together as a couple an she poured heart into writing and performing original song Get It Right.

There was a bit of friction with Quinn who apparently really wanted to be prom queen.

Winner: Matthew who plays Will Schuester raised the trophy after his club won the Regionals

Happy: Rachel was named MVP and gave an emotional speech thanking her fellow Gleeks

The Regionals were judged by a hilarious panel consisting of Kathy Griffin and Loretta Devine.

Griffin played a local 'tea party' candidate Tammy Jean Albertson and looked reminiscent of a mix between Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell.

Matthew Morrison's character Will Schuester held up the trophy when the Glee gang made it to the Nationals in New York and Rachel was voted MVP.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1366929/Glees-Kurt-finally-shares-kiss-crush-Blaine.html#ixzz1Gnw6iQAi