KnowThyNeighbor.org

Provincetown -- a Gay Bashing or a Bashing of a Gay ?

Know Thy Neighbor Provides Update of the Latest in the Alleged Police Assault on Celebrity DJ Barry Scott Last Saturday Night

Amidst much speculation surrounding the allegations in the arrest and police mis-handling of "Lost 45's" disc jockey, Barry Scott, the LGBT community is still looking for answers.  On Saturday evening it is alleged through an email sent to Know Thy Neighbor that Provincetown police officers may have used excessive force against Barry Scott who was dj'ing a private birthday party at 4 Holway Avenue.  KTN also was made aware of a first person account of a seemingly horrific 4 1/2 hours that Scott spent together with his partner, Bryan Richardson, handcuffed and lying on the floor.

Know Thy Neighbor posted photographs of Barry Scott's face which showed obvious trauma to his nose as well as a photo of a blood strewn chair which was result of the alleged police victimization of Mr. Scott.  We also provided a blog post which we opted to take down because we felt that the Know Thy Neighbor blog should provide a fair and balanced description of the alleged events--giving both sides a say.  Unfortunately, the Provincetown Police Department has still not supplied us with a statement regarding the Mr. Scott's arrest and treatment.

The facts and allegations as we know them:  Police Officers Bova and Barone responded to a complaint Saturday evening regarding a private party at a house on 4 Holway Avenue owned by Edward "Eddie" Foley.  Barry Scott was hired to dj and was arrested and charged with Disturbing the Peace, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct.  The party was attended by approximately 50 guests and it is rumored that some took photos of the incident.  At least one formal complaint of Mr. Scott's treatment was filed by a witness with Chief of Police Tobias.  Barry Scott suffered from facial trauma and was treated at Mass General Hospital.  Barry's partner, Bryan Richardson was arrested with Scott and was not charged with any crime.  Richardson was allegedly denied access to prescription medication while under custody and was denied access to a restroom which led to his relieving himself in his pants while handcuffed during this 4 1/2 hour ordeal.

Barry Scott and his partner Richardson have retained legal representation and have met with Chief Tobias and new Provincetown Manager Sharon Lynn .  Officer Enos told Know Thy Neighbor earlier today that there is an internal investigation on-going regarding this incident and asked me to call Chief Tobias again tomorrow for a formal statement on the behalf of the Provincetown Police Department.

Don Gorton of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project issued a formal statement asking for the immediate investigation into the motivation of this alleged incident involving Barry Scott.  The Provincetown Banner has published a column regarding this incident. 

Both BayWindows and Innewsweekly will be covering this story in tomorrow's editions and the LGBT community will be looking to both newpapers for further information.

As a member of the LGBT Community and a victim of violent crime, I am concerned as to the motivation of the police to have allegedly acted in this manner.  It is difficult to editorialize as to whether this was a "gay bashing" or "the bashing of a man who happened to be gay."  Barry Scott has suffered from some very real trauma at the hands of the Provincetown Police.  Our LGBT community and the local community of Provincetown is owed a thorough and timely investigation as to why this happened, what motivated this reaction and if this is a crime purpetrated by the Provincetown Police, how can we all be assured that this will never happen again?

Tom Lang, Director   

    

HRC Silences Pro-LGBT Presidential Candidate

The Human Rights Campaign Officially Announced That It Will Not Invite Pro-LGBT Democratic Candidate Senator Mike Gravel To Participate in August 9th Debate

Can someone be too Pro-LGBT for the Human Rights Campaign?  Apparently so.  At least that is what Senator and Democratic Presidential hopeful, Mike Gravel discovered on Wednesday.  Gravel was not invited to participate in the HRC's and LOGO's first-ever presidential debate which is scheduled to air live on August 9th at 9 P.M. EST.

Senator Gravel told the Huffington Post yesterday that according to an HRC spokesperson, the HRC believes that he did not raise enough money and that his candidacy did not meet the HRC's "standard."  Gravel had participated in all previous debates with the other Democratic Presidential hopefuls including the debates on CNN, PBS, NBC and at the NAACP where the size of his coffers did not seem to matter.

But Gravel has a theory of his own as to why he was not invited to participate.  He said, "none of the top tier candidates would have been comfortable facing an opponent who consistently points out their refusal to embrace true equality for gays and lesbians."  Senator Gravel not only stands by LGBT people 100% on all issues including full marriage equality but calls out the other candiates such as Hillary Clinton on other issues too like her refusing to call the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy "a mistake" and Obama, Edwards and Clinton at first refusal to denounce and later to dance around General Pace's statement that "homosexuality is immoral."   Read Gravel's Blog Post on Huffington, read the comments and and comment yourself.  This is all quite revealing.

One commenter on the blog called the_lev wrote

"I happen to agree completely with Gravel on this one. Hillary Clinton already has the Human Rights Campaign's support, and they don't want anyone to ask questions about this--even though she is nowhere on gay rights. They don't want their annointed choice to get her hair too mussed. Her career has always shown a stunning lack of courage, and an insatiable need (like her husband's) to be loved by everybody, hence her support of the flag burning amendment last year..."

Interesting...

You need to Take Action on this one.  Many have already called the HRC to complain and it may be having some effect.  But you also need to send Senator Mike Gravel and email or make a phone call to his campaign office and thank him for his leadership and for not equivocating.

Call HRC  202 628-4160  or toll free 800-777-4723 christopher.johnson@hrc.org  

Call LOGO  212-654-3005  http://www.logoonline.com/about/contact.jhtml

Thank Senator Mike Gravel<

Who Will Sell Out the LGBT Community The Least ?

On August 9th at 9 P.M. Eastern Standard Time the Democratic Presidential Candidates  Will Take Part in a Debate Based "Solely on LGBT Issues"

Pardon me if my blog headline sounds a bit jaded but already we are seeing in this country and from an LGBT perpective alot of time and money and effort being spent on stroking the Democratic candidates to see who will come the closest to understanding the definition of Equal Rights without (of course) stepping over the line and accepting that LGBT people are part of that American Dream.  From Hillary Clinton's "Marriage has been between a man and a woman since the beginning of time" to John Edwards' "I am just not there yet" to Barack Obama's blaming his faith on his hesitation to accept gays as equals while in fact his church (The United Church of Christ) has come damn close, this has become quite the shuffle board match (see rules of the game).

You should definitely watch this event which has been co-sponsored by the HRC and LOGO and will be televised live for one hour at 9 P.M. EST on August 9th.  It will be hosted by HRC President Joe Solomnese and Melissa Ethridge.  The LGBT vote is considered a decisive electoral force and according to exit poll data makes up approximately 4 percent of the voting population, so this debate will be taken very seriously.

This is the first time in United States history that a Presidential debate will focus "solely on LGBT issues" and the panel questioning the candidates will be asking questions ranging from marriage equality and workplace discrimination to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, hate crimes and HIV/AIDS related issues. 

And members of our community are being asked to submit their own questions of LGBT intierest to the candidates through LOGO online and HRC.org.  Maybe someone from the LGBT community will ask questions about this ridiculous War in Iraq, Healthcare Reform, and Alternative Energy Plans...

These are LGBT Issues too right?

Tom Lang, Director Know Thy Neighbor

 

 

Michael Graham's Obsession With Bestiality

Once Again 96.9 Talk Radio "Schlock Jock" Michael Graham Courts References   of Bestiality To Push His Anti-Gay Agenda

Some are so intrigued with gay sex that they feel the need to use vivid descriptions of acts of bestiality to cover up for their unhealthy obsessions.  Take 96.9 FM Talk Radio host, Michael Graham whose daily rants fill the airwaves like some distress beacon from a sinking ship, full of a cargo of dusty "ole boys," outdated Rovian talking points and sour grapes. 

It was brought to my attention that recently and post-June 14th, Graham spoke off topic for a moment to relate one of his fantasies to the listeners of his daily show, "The Natural Truth."  By the account of the email sent to me, Michael Graham allegedly "told a story of how someone had taken a sheep into a barn or back room for a perverse pleasure."  This email then goes on to say that Graham said, "the folks at Know Thy Neighbor think that no one should question the appropriateness of anyone's relationship with a sheep or any other animal."  A bit disturbing is the "backroom" reference which makes one think that Michael knows about a VIP Suite too which I can only guess offers him "Spring Lamb"--but I digress.

When Michael Graham was questioned about this by the emailer, he responded, "It's called 'satire.'  Very popular outside the p.c. community."  No Michael, it's called, slander actually--not just against Know Thy Neighbor, but against the LGBT community.

Of course what Graham is referring to in his warped logic is Senate Bill S 321 which was filed "by request" and managed by Senator Robert Hedlund.  Because "in Graham-ese," if school teachers are allowed to discuss the fact that the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy is directed against "homosexuals" then they would find it necessary or "in the presence of fair and balanced teaching" to discuss bestiality.  Of course, why wouldn't they?  The "slippery slope" argument...acknowledging someone's humanity will soon lead to sex with animals.

We have heard it all before, Michael, the argument is as tiresome as your voice, which by the way, for those of us who do indeed listen to 96.9 Talk Radio understand, makes Herald Reporter Michelle McPhee sound like Maria Callas.

Michael Graham, maybe you should try cooking your mutton next time before you eat it.

Tom Lang, Director

**KnowThyNeighbor Update:  Representative Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) has offically joined the thirteen other legislators in removing his name as a co-sponsor of Senate Bill S 321--Parental Notification.  KTN received that information directly from the Representative on July 3rd.**    

Take "Pride" in Spain

Madrid's LGBT Pride Celebration Drew Hundreds of Thousands of Celebrants Yesterday while 2.5 Million (200,000 from abroad) participated in Europride 2007

Though I was taught to love the United States, the land of many generations of my family, I can say that I am just a little envious of Europe from an LGBT perspective.  Don't get me wrong, I am proud of all the strides we have been making here at home for equality, decency and respect, however I am just a little bit "prouder" of our European cousins.

When the Spanish Culture Minister, Carmen Calvo, told LGBT participants in Madrid Saturday, "We are very proud to receive the rest of Europe" and "Today Spain is an example of advanced democracy" chills went down my spine.  Spain remember legalized same-sex marriage in 2005 and more recently (March of 2007) has passed legislation allowing transgendered people to legally change their gender without having a sex change operation. 

My Spanish story is through my German husband, Alex.  Many of you probably read the MassResistance rant about us in which they re-published an article by a Herald reporter which said that my husband's parents were not at our wedding because they dis-owned him due to our relationship.  Yes, unfortunately that is true and very sad indeed.  But something wonderful happened after our marriage that we could not have predicted. 

Just after Spain legalized same-sex marriage in 2005, my husband received an email from a woman whom he had not seen in over 25 years.  It seems that excited residents in this tiny resort town of Conil de la Frontera, Spain in Andalusia told Angelica that an "Alexander Westerhoff" was all over the internet fighting for equal rights in America and he may be a relative of hers because they shared the same rare last name.  Angelica is my husband's sister whom had been estranged from his family by the same mother that dis-owned Alex for being "publicly" gay.  Angelica left home at age 13 and was raised by their grand-mother and forebidden to contact Alex.

In 2006 Alex re-united with his sister, Angelica, and met for the first time his neice, Iris and nephew, Dani in Conil among tears and hugs and re-told stories that lasted days.  I pity the loss that Alex's mother took upon herself, but Alex's reunion with his sister and her family is a true blessing. 

Due to our outspoken and very public activism, Alex has made a loving family connection which will last his lifetime. But what is equally heartwarming is that without Spain's lead in the fight for LGBT equality and the pride of the Spanish people (especially in Conil de la Frontera) for its nation's actions, Alex and Angelica, Iris and Dani may not have had the chance to share each others lives.  It was the people in this little village, Angelica's friends and neighbors, who were the first to be proud of an American, named Alex Westerhoff, whom they saw on the internet fighting to make LGBT equal human beings in the United States--just like they were in Spain. 

Tom Lang, Director and (proud of my husband, too)