Police Say They’ve Made Contact with Florida Man Who Made Orlando-Style Terror Threat Against Gay Bars

After conflicting reports yesterday that he had been arrested, Wilton Manors Police say they’ve made contact with Craig Jungwirth, the man who has threatened an Orlando-style massacre on gay bars over Labor Day Weekend.

NBC6 reports:

Police Chief Paul O’Connell said Wednesday they know where Craig Jungwirth is and they’ve made contact. Earlier Wednesday, a Fort Lauderdale city commissioner told NBC 6 that Jungwirth was taken into custody near Orlando, but police said they’re still investigating.

“We have to put pieces of the puzzle together to establish probable cause that he’s committed a crime,” O’Connell said.

Jungwirth had left this message on the page of a Facebook user:

My events are selling out cause you faggots are total patsies. None of you deserve to live. If you losers thought the Pulse nightclub shooting was bad, wait till you see what I’m planning for Labor Day.

You can’t never catch a genius from MIT and since you faggots aren’t dying from AIDS anymore, I have a better solution to exterminate you losers. [SNIP]

I’m gonna be killing you fags faster than the cops kill ni**ers. It’s time to clean up Wilton Manors from all you AIDS infested losers.

Jungwirth has been on the radar of South Florida’s gay community for some time.

RELATED: Conflicting Reports Emerge Over Arrest of Man Who Promised Orlando-Style Attack on Labor Day

Writes the blog Peacock Panache:

Earlier this year we reported on Craig Jungwirth – a man who took over the Beach Bear Weekend event in Florida and used it to solicit and scam money from unsuspecting members of the LGBTQ community. What began as a story of hisharassment of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence exploded after information surfaced that not only were the events listed for his Beach Bear Weekend event fake but also all hotel bookings through the event website didn’t actually reserve local hotels (as they’d never spoken to Jungwirth or any event organizers).

Following those two stories (here and here) Craig Jungwirth embarked on a harassment campaign against both this publication as well as the individual writers associated with it. He sent harassing text messages. He left vaguely threatening voice mails. He bombarded our social media and comments sections with spam and threats. He even attempted to hack our server several times to access the articles written about him.

The Wilton Manors Police Department released a statement:

The Wilton Manors Police Department (WMPD) takes all matters seriously especially when someone threatens the lives of the Wilton Manors Community to include our residents, business owners/employees, visitors, and the surrounding communities. The Wilton Manors Police Department is aware of this serious matter and our department is currently conducting an on-going investigation on this matter and the individual(s) involved. Due to the on-going investigation we are unable to provide any details about the investigation and what current information our department has learned about this matter and the individual(s) involved at this time.

Please know that our Police Officers and Detectives are thoroughly investigating this serious matter and we ask the community to continue to contact local law enforcement officials should they hear or see any other additional posts on Social Media/new threats made by these individual(s) or anyone else.

For all EMERGENCY type calls please Dial 9-1-1 and for all NON-EMERGENCY / REGIONAL DISPATCH type calls please call (954) 764-HELP (4357).

NBC6 reports:

“Jungwirth has a lengthy criminal history which includes stalking charges. He has a handful of restraining orders against him. Police are asking anyone else who has been threatened by Jungwirth to call them.”

Gay bars in South Florida have stepped up security in the wake of the threats. Rumors Bar and Grill in Wilton Manors has hired armed security, according to NBC6.

O’Connell said other measures are underway:

“We’re gonna have extra patrols, high visibility throughout the holiday weekend and we know Fort Lauderdale Police and the Broward Sheriff’s Office are going to work with us on that,” he said.

The post Police Say They’ve Made Contact with Florida Man Who Made Orlando-Style Terror Threat Against Gay Bars appeared first on Towleroad.

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‘Pokémon Go’ Now Has a Gay Adult Film Parody Because of Course It Does: WATCH

It was coming whether you wanted it or not: the Pokémon Go gay adult film parody. Because sometimes the studios are just handed these things.

RELATED: Crazed Pokémon Go Players are Capturing Monsters at Gay Bars Instead of Grindr Dates

From those creative folks at Men.com: “After a long day of mastering their ball-handling technique catching F**kémon, Ash and his buddy, Brock, are in for a surprise. When the boys hunt down and catch a rare Peek-a-Choo, he evolves into a muscular sex god. What are these boys to do when faced with a hunky, real-life Peek-a-Choo?”

The film stars Johnny Rapid, Will Braun, and Adam Bryant as Peek-a-Choo.

Watch the (R-rated) trailer:

The post ‘Pokémon Go’ Now Has a Gay Adult Film Parody Because of Course It Does: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Gay Conservative Behind ‘Twinks4Trump’ Defends His Position in NBC Interview: WATCH

You may be familiar with Gays for Trump and Hunks For Hillary. But do you know gay conservative Lucian Wintrich and his controversial ‘Twinks4Trump’ project? Wintrich defends it in a new interview with NBC.

#twinks4trump is damaging, privileged, and shameful. Satire? No. Disrespectful to LGBT rights (that’ll be taken away)? Yes.

— Brad Giovanine (@BradGiovanine) August 8, 2016

#Twinks4Trump As we can see, there are lots of disparaging remarks from the TOLERANT LEFT, an oxymoron.

— Twitteshia Twattley (@Twitteshia) August 6, 2016

In July, Wintrich’s photography (below) appeared at the Gays For Trump event at the Republican National Convention. That event was headlined by homocon and Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos and anti-Islam ‘activist’ Pam Geller. Just prior to the event, Yiannopoulos was permanently banned from Twitter for harassing SNL and Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones with racist tweets.

The wall art here is white… white: pic.twitter.com/RVdCxMSZjB

— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) July 20, 2016

Show daddy how much you love him! Get the shirt: t.co/CbzYeWuPTM pic.twitter.com/vz50SeRG9j

— Twinks 4 Trump (@twinksfortrump) August 5, 2016

In the NBC video, Wintrich, who says he comes from a liberal background, discusses political satire, liberals as “the new puritans” and (of course) being silenced by the media.

Wintrich argues that being offended by hate speech is offensive. He of course fails to address why “liberals” are offended in the first place. Agree with him or not, Wintrich is convincing on the public shaming aspect of social media.

#Twinks4Trump makes me sick to my stomach. How exclusive and privileged can it get #LGBT

— Marpheen Chann (@MarpheenChann) August 6, 2016

“Twinks4Trump combines stereotypes about young gay men and these deep stereotypes about young conservatives. And it kind of tosses them up a little bit. It’s satire. I think that camp comedy, political satire, they’re incredible tools for bridging that cultural divide and that gap and getting people to laugh while simultaneously getting them to think about things a little bit differently.

“The second you hear a dissenting voice and you say ‘Oh well, this sounds conservative so you must be a racist, bigot neo-nazi you don’t have any sort of conversation.

“To be gay and then conservative…you have to fight harder and research more and then read more than anybody else because you’re going to be continuously challenged.”

Watch the video below.

The post Gay Conservative Behind ‘Twinks4Trump’ Defends His Position in NBC Interview: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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HRC Releases #ThisIsTransgender Video

This has been a difficult year for many in the transgender community. Across the country, transgender people, including students, faced an alarming onslaught of legislation and court cases targeting us for discrimination.

In every effort to bully us, lawmakers continued to utilize fear-mongering and scare tactics by claiming discriminatory policies keep people safe, when in reality their actions achieve the exact opposite. Political leaders like North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have repeatedly claimed that they cannot define “transgender,” and that no clear definition exists.

That simply is not the case. People who are transgender have a gender identity different from our sex assigned at birth. It’s that simple.

We are siblings, parents, and children. We are neighbors, classmates, and colleagues. And most importantly, we are people, worthy of being treated with dignity and respect.

Fortunately, more and more people personally know transgender people — more than one-third of Americans according to a recent HRC survey. This historic level of visibility is accompanied by increasing acceptance of transgender people.

But despite the increased visibility of transgender people in our daily lives and in society, including celebrities such as Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner or Janet Mock, many in the trans community still face severe discrimination, stigma and violence on a daily basis.

Watch below as HRC supporters speak out and let lawmakers know that #ThisIsTransgender:

Whether you identify as transgender or as an ally, join HRC’s #ThisIsTransgender social media campaign to share your story. Tag HRC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and send your Snapchat snaps to WeAreHRC and include the hashtag #ThisIsTransgender. 

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-releases-thisistransgender-video?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

#EqualEverywhere Call to Action

Here at HRC, we’re fighting for a world where people are treated equal everywhere. We believe in full federal equality for Americans and the expansion of rights and protections for our LGBTQ community in each corner of the globe. Our mission is rooted in the conviction that individuals deserve to live openly as themselves, no matter where they live, who they are, or who they love.

That’s why we’re proud to announce our #EqualEverywhere Call to Action.

One of the most recognizable symbols of the LGBTQ movement is HRC’s logo. You’ve probably seen it around. It has a rich history that’s become synonymous with the fight for fair treatment of LGBTQ people wherever they exist — at home, at work, in schools, in communities across the U.S. and around the world.

And so we are calling upon our online community to show the world what it means to be #EqualEverywhere.

Speaking out against hate in the name of LGBTQ equality? Going on a global excursion? Running the Boston Marathon? Priding out your dorm? Standing up as an ally for your loved one? Proclaiming your stance as a voter who believes #LoveTrumpsHate? Jumping out of a plane?!?!

Tag your post with #EqualEverywhere. We’ll be on the lookout.

HRC wants you to show your pride wherever you are.

Content will be featured on HRC.org as well as our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram platforms so we can proudly display them for the world to see.

In spaces that exist both online and off — LGBTQ people find solidarity in the knowledge that what makes us unique and different is also what makes us special. We know that wherever we are, the best way to be anything is to be ourselves. We’re only as strong as our community of grassroots supporters and can’t wait to see what it means for you to live #EqualEverywhere!

 

     

     

 

www.hrc.org/blog/equaleverywhere?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Alabama Healthcare Leaders Promote Equality for LGBTQ Patients

Post submitted by Eva Kendrick, HRC Alabama State Manager

Last week, HRC and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital hosted two Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) Lunch and Learns for Central and North Alabama healthcare administrators to discuss the 2017 HEI and HRC-encouraged best practices for LGBTQ patient-centered care in Alabama.

Over 40 representatives from more than 10 area inpatient and outpatient healthcare organizations gathered in Birmingham and Huntsville. They met to learn more about implementing LGBTQ patient-centered best practices through guidance from Tari Hanneman, Director of HRC’s Health Equality Project, and through case studies offered from local healthcare administrators whose hospitals have participated in previous HEI surveys.

HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index – an annual survey implemented by the HRC Foundation – is used by inpatient and outpatient healthcare organizations nationwide to strengthen the care they offer LGBTQ patients, as well as the support and protections offered to LGBTQ healthcare staff. Healthcare facilities participating in the 2017 HEI survey will be scored in four key areas of LGBTQ inclusion: Non-Discrimination and Staff Training, Patient Services and Support, Patient and Community Engagement and Employee Benefits and Policies. Facilities that score high by having a number of policies and best practices in place will be recognized as top performers and those that score 100 in the survey will receive the designation of Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.  

Current Alabama healthcare organizations that have achieved the status of “Leaders in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” include the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, Medical West Health Centers, and the VA Medical Centers in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery.

It is our hope that these HEI Lunch and Learns will further the number of new healthcare organizations participating in the HEI, as access to fully-inclusive and competent healthcare is a critical need for Alabama’s LGBTQ community.

Click here for more information on how several Alabama healthcare organizations were rated in the 2016 HEI.

www.hrc.org/blog/alabama-healthcare-leaders-promote-equality-for-lgbtq-patients?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

What Happens When LGBT People Are Priced Out of the Neighborhood?

The LGBT men and women who helped establish the modern identities of cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia are getting pushed out.

www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/9/01/what-happens-when-lgbt-people-are-priced-out-neighborhood

Their Big Fat Israeli-Spanish Wedding

Assi Azar, host of Israeli TV hits Big Brother and Rising Star describes the moment he met his future husband, Albert Escolà. 

www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/9/01/their-big-fat-israeli-spanish-wedding