80-Year-Old Drag Queen Arrested After Scuffle With Police
Portland, Ore.’s most famous drag queen was taken from the stage and put in jail after police showed up at the Darcelle XV nightclub.
Performer Darcelle said there was “all of this commotion all of a sudden” that could be seen from the stage, and so the 80-year-old drag queen got in the middle of things, admitting to pushing a man who seemed to be causing trouble. It turns out he was from Oregon’s Liquor Control Commission. Charges dropped after Darcelle arrest. Portland celebrity and entertainment icon Darcelle was arrested Thursday evening for allegedly assaulting two Oregon Liquor Control Commission officers in the Darcelle XV nightclub. view full article
Another California Gay Bashing
San Francisco Bay area–based musician Brontez says he was the victim of a hate crime Wednesday after leaving an urban hipster bar in Oakland. Brontez reported the attack on his Facebook page: “Got gay bashed last night. Me and my bandmate, Adal, were leaving the Paradiso in downtown Oakland when two dudes with … accents and dreadlocks started calling us ‘batty boys’ and saying that if we were in Jamaica we’d be dead.”
New HRC Poll: Gays More Popular In Utah Than Obama
The Human Rights Campaign has released a new poll showing that Utahns have “warmer feelings toward gay and lesbian people than they do toward President Barack Obama.” Gay and lesbians scored a 51 percent approval rating, while Obama received an average 38 points, the survey found. Seventy-seven percent of residents would also support extending anti-discrimination protections in housing, employment and public accommodations to the LGBT community, and “42 percent said their feelings about LGBT people have become more accepting over the last five to 10 years.” A majority — 63 percent — still oppose same-sex marriage.
ANTI-GAY INDIANA STATE REP CAUGHT EXCHANGING MONEY FOR GAY SEX
Indiana state Rep. Phillip Hinkle (R) is in the media spotlight today under allegations he offered a young man money for sex Saturday night. Joe Jervis notes that Hinkle, who is married to a woman and has children, voted in favor of the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions in Indiana, which will require a second vote by the legislature to pass next year. Hinkle also prides himself on supporting a bill that required Indiana to offer “In God We Trust” license plates. Bil Browning adds that there are likely some other anti-gay Indiana legislators whose stories have not yet come to light.
‘Gladiators’ arrested outside Rome’s Colosseum
Some 20 “gladiators” or “centurions” have been arrested outside some of Rome’s most famous tourist sites, in an undercover sting by police aimed at breaking up a violent racket targeting tourists, according to reports. The AFP news agency said police had disguised themselves as gladiators, garbage men and members of the public to make the arrests. The detained people are alleged to have attacked and intimidated competitors, the AFP said.
Regulators Grapple With Outbreaks As Salmonella, E. Coli Illnesses Grow
It’s been another tough week for food safety. Another 30 people nationwide, including one who later died, were infected with the antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella tied
to ground turkey processed and laterrecalled by food giant Cargill. That brings the total to 107 people infected in this outbreak. Meanwhile, as many as 18 people, including one who later died, got sick from an E. coli outbreak linked to strawberries from an Oregon farm. And just today, a meat manufacturer isexpanding a recall to thousands of beef products after discovering a different E. coli strain that’s suspected of causing illnesses in Michigan.
San Francisco Cops Jam Cell Phones to Prevent Protest
It’s not just the London police and Middle East dictators who try to curb unrest by clamping down on communications networks. According to reports, police in San Francisco are jamming cell phones to head off protesters.
Protesters had planned to gather at a San Francisco BART station during rush hour to protest the fatal July shooting of Charles Hill by a BART police officer. But the protest never materialized. One reason, possibly, is the extreme lengths police went to make sure potential protesters couldn’t communicate. From CBS San Francisco:
As an added precaution, the agency shut off cellphone service on the station’s platform. While Alkire said the tactic was an unusual measure, he said it was “a great tool to utilize for this specific purpose” given that the agency was expecting a potentially volatile situation.
“This group seems to want to challenge BART, challenge the police department,” Alkire said.
Dan Savage 
WASHINGTON — Next stop for the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants? The White House. President Barack Obama will open the White House to the team next Monday in honor of its 2010 defeat of the Texas Rangers in the World Series last fall. It’s the first World Series title for the Giants in more than 50 years. The White House says Obama will also recognize the team’s efforts to give back to the San Francisco area community.
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Accidental Bear 