TRANSSEXUAL(sic) TELLS OF CAR TERROR ATTACK


A TRANSSEXUAL has told how she was hit by a man's car only hours after he threatened to kill her.

Lisa-Anne Docherty, 34, formerly known as William Wotherspoon, said she was hurled over the bonnet of her car after being struck by a vehicle driven by John Stewart,51.

A fight then broke out between the two when Stewart rammed his car into an embankment.

Docherty, of Holytown, Lanarkshire, was taken to hospital with severe bruising.



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Gay Teen’s Murder Not Prosecutable Under Hate-Crimes Law


BAY MINETTE, AL—The three people charged with the murder of a gay teenager, who they allegedly strangled, stabbed and set on fire, cannot be tried for hate-crimes violations under Alabama law, because the state’s hate-crimes laws do not cover crimes against LGTB people, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday.

Scotty Weaver, 18, was allegedly murdered by three roommates, two of whom he had been friends with since early childhood. After returning home late at night on July 18, Weaver was attacked and killed, dumped in the woods eight miles away, his body burned to mask his identity.

“This was a calculating, cold-blooded, savage murder,” Baldwin County District Attorney David Whetstone told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment murder.” While prosecution for hate crimes is not an option, all three defendants have been charged with capital murder, and Whetstone will seek the death penalty for “one or two” of them. State Representative Alvin Holmes, meanwhile, vowed to introduce legislation to include gays and lesbians in hate-crimes protections in Alabama.


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NYS ASSEMBLY RELEASES $1.28 MILLION FOR LGBT PROGRAMS


ALBANY, New York, Today, the Assembly released $1.28 million in funding to thirty-eight organizations across New York State that are members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health and Human Services Network (Network). With the allocation of $1.0 million from the '03-'04 Executive Budget, this makes for a total of $2.28 appropriated to the Network from the '03-'04 budget cycle. In May, 2003, the Pride Agenda announced that the Assembly had provided $700,000 to the Network from the '03-'04 budget. Today's $1.28 million released to Network members includes this $700,000 plus an additional $583,232 provided by Assembly Speaker Silver. This release of funds signals the continuation of the Assembly Majority's leadership role in funding the Network.

"We praise Speaker Silver, Assemblymembers Deborah Glick, Daniel O'Donnell and Richard Gottfried and the other members of the Assembly Majority for continuing their strong support for the Network and for LGBT New Yorkers that will benefit from this funding," said Carmen Vazquez, Deputy Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda. "We are elated that the Speaker and the Democratic Majority are such steadfast friends of LGBT New Yorkers and care about the longstanding health and social welfare needs of our community that are so often overlooked by mainstream service providers."

Marvin L. Henchbarger, Executive Director of Gay & Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York (GLYS) said about today's release of funds, "Issues for LGBT youth in Buffalo and our neighboring counties are typically swept under the rug. Our youth are in danger of abuse and harassment and lack affirmation from a homophobic world. These dollars will help us reach out to LGBT youth in the suburbs and rural areas surrounding Buffalo where they are most at risk and most isolated. We are most grateful for the support."