Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Analysis: Gay marriage in NY hits stumbling blocks - seattlepi.com
Image via Wikipedia "ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Just a couple of weeks ago, the momentum to legalize gay marriage in New York appeared to be an irresistible force, teed up to reinvigorate the flagging national effort. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would devote his popular clout and considerable power to guide the first unified effort by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocates in the state to legalize same-sex marriage, and raise $1 million to support lawmakers who cast the dicey vote.Since then, the conservative and religious opposition has struck back in a big, unexpected way."
Analysis: Gay marriage in NY hits stumbling blocks - seattlepi.com
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Gay Narrative in Photographs being released for distribution on Amazon, Kindle
Cover via Amazon |
| Book cover image as it appears on Amazon Books and Kindle |
A book about a gay Millennial who overcame school bullying and became a drag performer is slated for distribution on Amazon Books and Kindle the first week of March, 2011.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 24, 2011 – "Chasing the Flame: A Gay Narrative in Photographs:
From a January Press release on PR Log:
From a January Press release on PR Log:
"The text follows the plight of Michael Mangus, a 14 year old North Tonawanda , New York high school student in 2005, who was bullied in school for his gay identity. Things reached a crisis point when he received a written death threat, and was forced to leave the dangerous environment.
The story takes us through Michael and his mother's - a former school teacher - 5 year struggle with school administrators and state offices, and escalates to the Supreme Appellate Court level. Chicago attorney and gay advocate Jay Paul Deratany lends his help, but eventually it is Michael's determination to embrace and celebrate his gay identity which is the key to the resolution
The 121 page, 8 x 10 soft-cover glossy book contains over 75 images of Michael, in his "boy identity", and as his stage persona, "Anita Waistline". It will also be available as an ebook and Kindle book on Amazon.
Michael Mangus is one of the youngest drag performers to be listed with New York's official Drag Queen Registry. He has performed at clubs in the Buffalo, New York, Toronto, and Ontario , CA areas. A reception for Michael is being planned in Provincetown on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for August 2011."
The story takes us through Michael and his mother's - a former school teacher - 5 year struggle with school administrators and state offices, and escalates to the Supreme Appellate Court level. Chicago attorney and gay advocate Jay Paul Deratany lends his help, but eventually it is Michael's determination to embrace and celebrate his gay identity which is the key to the resolution
The 121 page, 8 x 10 soft-cover glossy book contains over 75 images of Michael, in his "boy identity", and as his stage persona, "Anita Waistline". It will also be available as an ebook and Kindle book on Amazon.
Michael Mangus is one of the youngest drag performers to be listed with New York's official Drag Queen Registry. He has performed at clubs in the Buffalo, New York, Toronto, and Ontario , CA areas. A reception for Michael is being planned in Provincetown on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for August 2011."
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Michael Mangus aka Anita Waistline Nominated for Buffalo Creative Black Tie Awards - CNN iReport
Brava to Michael Mangus aka Anita Waistline,
An Illusionist Star Ascending!!!
'America's Sweetheart' Nominated for Buffalo Creative Black Tie Awards - CNN iReport
Miss Anita Waistline is one of five nominees for Best Female Newcomer who were selected by
‘overall community involvement’.
Buffalo, New York – ‘America’s Sweetheart’, Miss Anita Waistline, has been nominated for the 2nd Annual Buffalo Creative Black Tie Awards, a fundraiser for Reign 19 of the Imperial Court of Buffalo.
[. . . ]
The event, hosted by Imperial Crown Prince XX, Jeramie Rutland, is scheduled for Sunday, January 9th, 2011 at Club Marcella, located at 622 Main Street, Buffalo NY.
Visit 2011 Buffalo Creative Black Tie Awards for more information.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Lame-Duck Paterson Gives Up On Gay Marriage
NYU Local • Lame-Duck Paterson Gives Up On Gay Marriage:
"Sorry, folks, but gay marriage won’t be legalized in New York anytime soon. The Times reported today that Governor David Paterson (a.k.a. the guy who’s keeping the seat warm for Andrew Cuomo) has essentially given up on pushing legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage before he leaves office. After making the issue one of his administration’s top priorities, Paterson introduced such legislation last year, but momentum was lost once the State Senate voted overwhelmingly against the bill exactly a year ago today. Although this wasn’t too much of a surprise, the 38 to 24 defeat wasn’t the most optimistic number for LGBT supporters, and certainly didn’t satisfy former NYU Local writer Josh."
"Sorry, folks, but gay marriage won’t be legalized in New York anytime soon. The Times reported today that Governor David Paterson (a.k.a. the guy who’s keeping the seat warm for Andrew Cuomo) has essentially given up on pushing legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage before he leaves office. After making the issue one of his administration’s top priorities, Paterson introduced such legislation last year, but momentum was lost once the State Senate voted overwhelmingly against the bill exactly a year ago today. Although this wasn’t too much of a surprise, the 38 to 24 defeat wasn’t the most optimistic number for LGBT supporters, and certainly didn’t satisfy former NYU Local writer Josh."Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
NYS OCFS Forces "Off-the-Books" Litigation in Darryl Thompson Civil Action
Defendants and NYS OCFS are seeking to hide their misconduct from the public by forcing Plaintiff, Anntwanisha Thompson, to file documents "off-the-books" in the matter of Thompson v. Johnson, et al, a civil action filed by Elmer Robert Keach III, who represents the family of Darryl Thompson.Darryl Thompson, a 15 year old from the Bronx, died in November 2006 after being restrained by two aides at the state-run Tryon Residential Center in Johnstown. An autopsy conducted by Medical Examiner, Dr. Michael Sikirica, ruled Thompson's death a homicide, yet a Fulton County grand jury declined to indict the two aides involved (John P. Johnson and Robert Murphy).
A letter motion, pursuant to the Court's direction, was filed earlier this month by Keach to The Honorable Andrew T. Baker, federal judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of New York to request the unsealing of all documents submitted to the Court. It states, in part, "...the Plaintiff's efforts to learn the truth about her son's death were used against her, in that in order to gain information about how Darryl died, the Plaintiff was forced to agree to a restrictive protective order that required court sealing. The Plaintiff specifically requested that she be provided with an opportunity to revisit the sealing provisions of the order at the appropriate time, and she does so by this letter motion."
Thompson suggests that all documents submitted to the US District Court for the Northern District of New York are judicial documents. To that end, NYS OCFS forcing "off-the-books" litigation not only does not serve the interests of justice, it also precludes the public from being able to access documents upon which the US District Court for the Northern District of New York will make its decisions.In the latest development, the Court has decided on a letter motion, keeping the documents sealed.
(Case 608-cv-01241-DNH-ATB Document 147 filed Nov. 19, 2010)
Thompson is also requesting to take the depositions of Jeffrey Delorme and Robert Hoefs due to the uncertainty amongst the Defendants as to who was present during Thompson's restraint and death. While not Defendants in this action, the depositions of Delorme and Hoefs are said to be "...highly relevant to this litigation..." They are represented by the New York State Attorney General's office, who has refused to allow them to be deposed.
Source: Keach Letter To The Honorable Andrew T. Baxter, federal judge, US District Court for the Northern District of New York
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A “Secret” Subway Stop - Yahoo! News
Image via Wikipedia
A “Secret” Subway Stop - Yahoo! News
Hidden deep under New York City, a "secret" subway stop is drawing visitors. The Big Apple's City Hall station, a beautiful structure that opened in 1904, but has been out of use for decades, can be seen by riders ... if they know how to make the journey. Check out these photos below, courtesy of John-Paul Palescandolo.
Related articles
- The Big Apple - New York City, NY (travelpod.com)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
NY State Woman Finds OCFS ' Policy Brief Does Not Fully Address the Issues
| "What their brief does not begin to explore is false filings of educational neglect charges, and why there are no investigations into this aspect. " ~ Rhonda Mangus, North Tonawanda , NY |
Rhonda Mangus,son Michael, and "Anita Waistline"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 25, 2010 – A North Tonawanda mother who was falsely charged with "educational neglect" after her gay teen received death threats at North Tonawanda High School in 2005 is perplexed by a recent policy brief released by the New York Office of Child and Family Services. The brief, which was released October 25, 2010, states that the Office intends to review the state's policy concerning charges of educational neglect involving a minor's absence from school.
Rhonda Mangus' plight began when her gay teen son, Michael, was bullied at age 14 while attending North Tonawanda High in 2005. There was a strong anti-gay bullying aspect to the taunting, which culminated in an expletive-laced written death threat. Making matters worse, Michael's attempts to form a gay-straight alliance club were met with ridicule by faculty. As any concerned mother would be likely to do under such circumstances, Mangus made the decision to remove the youth from school.
Although not one but two medical professionals never cleared the teen to return to school, Mangus was charged with "educational neglect". "Michael was never truant, and the charges constituted a false filing.", she asserts.
Wishing to have the charges removed, Mangus engaged in a lengthy and grueling five year battle which involved filings to the Appellate and Supreme Courts of New York. She received pro bono advisement from high-profile Chicago attorney and gay rights advocate Jay Paul Deratany, and his colleague Nathan Polum. But in the end, the rulings always ended with the assertion that the charges remain in place.
Michael eventually went on to obtain his GED with stellar scores, and now works as a stage performer in the U.S. and Canada. But he and his mother do not believe that justice was served in their case.
From the briefing of October 25, 2010, written by the Vera Institute of Justice in partnership with Casey Family Programs, the Office of Child and Family Services of the State of New York proposes:
". . . [that] the state develop a new non-punitive approach to teenage absenteeism that is rooted in research on adolescent behavior and school engagement. The brief found that the child protective system—the network of state and local agencies that handle allegations of child abuse and neglect—is not well equipped to help teenagers improve their school attendance. At times, it can make matters worse."http://uticadailynews.com/
The last statement seems a joke to Rhonda Mangus. Not only does she feel that Gay-Straight Alliances and firm anti-bullying policy should be the norm in public schools, but that she became the target of charges is unethical and a cruel insult to injury, and that such cases ought to be addressed and resolved justly. "There has been no accountability at all." she says , "no serious attempt, or indeed any at all, of a probe or inquiry into what transpired, and what the motivating factors were."
The report on the OCFS brief continues:
"In some cases, educational-
If New York amended its laws to remove educational neglect of teenagers from the jurisdiction of the child protective system it would not be alone; half of the states—including California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas—do not recognize teen agers’ school absences as grounds for a neglect finding."http://uticadailynews.com/
To Mangus and more than a few reasonable others, a greater issue is in fact a question: Why there seems to be no method of investigation in the filing of charges which are false and unprovoked. And this in itself is a compelling reason for her to keep searching until it is answered.
Rhonda Mangus' plight began when her gay teen son, Michael, was bullied at age 14 while attending North Tonawanda High in 2005. There was a strong anti-gay bullying aspect to the taunting, which culminated in an expletive-laced written death threat. Making matters worse, Michael's attempts to form a gay-straight alliance club were met with ridicule by faculty. As any concerned mother would be likely to do under such circumstances, Mangus made the decision to remove the youth from school.
Although not one but two medical professionals never cleared the teen to return to school, Mangus was charged with "educational neglect". "Michael was never truant, and the charges constituted a false filing.", she asserts.
Wishing to have the charges removed, Mangus engaged in a lengthy and grueling five year battle which involved filings to the Appellate and Supreme Courts of New York. She received pro bono advisement from high-profile Chicago attorney and gay rights advocate Jay Paul Deratany, and his colleague Nathan Polum. But in the end, the rulings always ended with the assertion that the charges remain in place.
Michael eventually went on to obtain his GED with stellar scores, and now works as a stage performer in the U.S. and Canada. But he and his mother do not believe that justice was served in their case.
From the briefing of October 25, 2010, written by the Vera Institute of Justice in partnership with Casey Family Programs, the Office of Child and Family Services of the State of New York proposes:
". . . [that] the state develop a new non-punitive approach to teenage absenteeism that is rooted in research on adolescent behavior and school engagement. The brief found that the child protective system—the network of state and local agencies that handle allegations of child abuse and neglect—is not well equipped to help teenagers improve their school attendance. At times, it can make matters worse."http://uticadailynews.com/
The last statement seems a joke to Rhonda Mangus. Not only does she feel that Gay-Straight Alliances and firm anti-bullying policy should be the norm in public schools, but that she became the target of charges is unethical and a cruel insult to injury, and that such cases ought to be addressed and resolved justly. "There has been no accountability at all." she says , "no serious attempt, or indeed any at all, of a probe or inquiry into what transpired, and what the motivating factors were."
The report on the OCFS brief continues:
"In some cases, educational-
If New York amended its laws to remove educational neglect of teenagers from the jurisdiction of the child protective system it would not be alone; half of the states—including California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas—do not recognize teen agers’ school absences as grounds for a neglect finding."http://uticadailynews.com/
To Mangus and more than a few reasonable others, a greater issue is in fact a question: Why there seems to be no method of investigation in the filing of charges which are false and unprovoked. And this in itself is a compelling reason for her to keep searching until it is answered.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Journalist gives his support to Rhonda Mangus
Image by wallyg via Flickrhttp://tonawanda-news.com/opinion/x204466254/LEFFLER-Parades-primaries-and-some-support A seasoned journalist who has worked for major papers and radio networks has given his support to Rhonda Mangus in an editorial which appears in the Tonawanda News. (see link).
Mangus is the New York Mom of a gay teen son who has been battling the high courts of New York State for the past 5 years.
Kudos to Scott Leffler for his fine character and professionalism!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)