Tag Archives: 9/11

Gay History - May 9, 1970: 9/11 Hero Mark Bingham Born.

Gay History – May 9, 1970: 9/11 Hero Mark Bingham Born.

Openly hay man Mark Bingham leaves a lasting legacy 20+ years after United Flight 93 Crash.

Mark Bingham was an American public relations executive, entrepreneur, and athlete, born on May 22, 1970, in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played rugby and graduated in 1993.

Bingham had recently opened a satellite office of his public relations firm in New York City and was spending more time on the East Coast. An athlete at 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) and 225 pounds (102 kg),He discussed plans with his friend Scott Glaessgen to form a New York City rugby team, the Gotham Knights.

On September 11, 2001, Bingham who was the last to arrive was on board United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked by terrorists as part of the coordinated 9/11 attacks. Along with several other passengers, including Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick, Bingham is believed to have played a key role in resisting the hijackers and fighting back, ultimately forcing the plane to crash in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, instead of its intended target in Washington, D.C.

Bingham’s actions on that day have been celebrated as an act of heroism, and he is considered one of the “brave 40” passengers and crew members who gave their lives to prevent further loss of life on the ground. His mother Alice Hoglan became an outspoken advocate for increased airport security and anti-terrorism measures after the attacks.

Mark Bingham was openly gay and an advocate for LGBT rights, and his bravery and sacrifice have been celebrated as an example of the diversity and unity that characterized the response to the 9/11 attacks. He was posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2002 ESPY Awards, and his legacy continues to inspire many today.

The 2013 feature-length documentary The Rugby Player focuses on Bingham and the bond he had with his mother, Alice Hoagland, a former United Airlines flight attendant who, following his death, became an authority on airline safety and a champion of LGBT rights.

Mark Bingham was a a true gay American gay hero.

The Rugby Player from scott gracheff on Vimeo.

GAY HISTORY – September 13, 2001: Moral Majority Leader Rev. Jerry Falwell Blames Gays, Lesbians, and the ACLU for 9/11 Terrorist Attacks – [Video]

On September 13, 2001 “Moral Majority” Reverend Jerry Falwell who founded Liberty University Law School with the assistance of the anti-LGBT hate group leader Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, left one of his last and most hateful marks on history while the ashes were still smoldering at the site of the World Trade Center and the world mourned.

Falwell appeared on Pat Robertson’s 700 Club, and actually accused gays and the lesbians as responsible for the worst tragedy to ever to strike American.

Falwell: What we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be miniscule if in fact God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

Robertson: Well Jerry, that’s my feeling. I think we’ve just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven’t even begun to see what they can do to the major population.

Falwell: The ACLU’s got to take a lot of blame for this.

Robertson: Oh, yes.

Falwell: And I know I’ll hear from them for this but throwing God out successfully with the help of the court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools… The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, “you helped this happen.”

Robertson: Well I totally concur.

Falwell further stated that the attacks were “probably deserved”, a statement which Christopher Hitchens called treasonous.

The next day, Falwell “sort of”  apologized in a phone call to CNN: “I would never blame any human being except the terrorists, and if I left that impression with gays or lesbians or anyone else, I apologize,” but then went on to say:  “I do believe, as a theologian, based upon many Scriptures and particularly Proverbs 14:23, which says ‘living by God’s principles promotes a nation to greatness, violating those principles brings a nation to shame,” he said.

Falwell died on May 15, 2007.  He is not missed and is hopefully in hell playing Go Fish with Hitler, Mussolini, and Cardinal Richelieu.

September 11 – Remembering Our Lost LGBT Brothers and Sisters In The September 11th. Terrorist Attacks

While every life that was lost in the September 11th attacks was precious and deserves remembrance.  I wanted to take a moment today to mention and mourn the loss the our LGBT brothers and sisters who are no longer with us because of the events of that fateful day.

Their exact numbers will never be known.  But we know they were there.  Airline passengers and crew, office workers, police and firefighters.  We learned that missing rescue personnel were gay, and that many of their lovers, some of whom were also police and  and fire fighters, had to grieve in silence for fear of outing them and in too cruel a way learned that the closet was a terrible place to grieve.

That tragic event was 21 years ago.  And still feels like yesterday to many.

That was the day the world changed forever.  The day that the last of America’s innocence was snatched away.

Wile we remember all the victims of that fateful day let us take a moment to remember out fallen LGBT brothers and sisters who must not be forgotten.

They are in our hearts, in  our thoughts and in our prayers this day,

Below is a partial list of those we lost:

Father Mychal Judge. New York Fire Department Catholic chaplain  Judge, 68, was killed while ministering to a fallen firefighter at Ground Zero.

Mark Bingham, 31,  a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania, helped to thwart the plane’s hijackers. September 16 is officially designated Mark Bingham Day in San Francisco.

Michael Lepore, 39, was a project analyst at Marsh & McLennon. He is survived by his partner of 18 years, David O’Leary.

Carol Flyzik’ was aboard American Airlines Flight 11,  It was the first of two to crash into the World Trade Center. Flyzik, who was a registered nurse and a member of the Human Rights Campaign, is survived by Nancy Walsh, her partner of nearly 13 years.

David Charlebois, the co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon.  Charlebois was a member of the National Gay Pilots Association. Charlebois is survived by Tom Hay, his partner of almost 13 years.

Graham Berkeley, 37, a native of England who lived in Boston, boarded United Airlines Flight 175 on Sept. 11 on his way to a conference in Los Angeles.  His plane became the second hijacked airliner to crash into the World Trade Center.

Ronald Gamboa, 33, and his partner of 13 years, Dan Brandhorst, 42, were traveling with their 3-year-old adopted son, David. Brandhorst and Gamboa were founding members of the Pop Luck Club, an L.A. organization for Gay men interested in adopting children.

James Joe Ferguson, 39, director of geography education outreach for the National Geographic Society, was on American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon.

John Keohane was killed by falling debris. Keohane worked at One Liberty Plaza near the World Trade Center and died when the towers collapsed. After the planes hit the Trade Center towers, Keohane met Mike Lyons, his partner of 17 years, on the street when Keohane was suddenly killed by falling debris. Tragically, Lyons committed suicide March 1, 2002, on his 41st birthday.

“Roxy Eddie” Ognibene, member of the Renegades of New York’s Big Apple Softball League, worked as a bond trader for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods on the 89th floor of WTC 2 and was tragically lost in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack.

Luke A. Dudek, Was a food and beverage controller at Windows on the World. Dudek is survived by his partner of 20 years, George Cuellar.  Dudek’s first day back to work in New York was Sept. 11. He died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Catherine Smith, 44, who worked on the 97th floor of one of the World Trade Center towers.

Waleska Martinez, 37, a computer whiz in the Census Bureau’s New York office, was aboard flight 93 that crashed outside Shanksville, PA.

Jeffrey Collman,  flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the north tower. He is survived by Keith Bradkowski, his partner of 11 years.

Eugene Clark, worked on the 102nd floor of the south World Trade Center tower. He sent his partner Larry Courtney a voice message stating “I’m OK. The plane hit the other tower. And we’re evacuating.” Clark was never seen by his partner again.

Andrew LaCorte.  worked in One WTC and was killed instantly when the first plane hit. At the time he had no partner but is remembered and missed by his many friends and family.

Renee Barrett, Renee was injured in the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, died on October 18 of her injuries. Barrett was a member of the Gay Metropolitan Community Church of New York. She leaves behind her life partner Enez Cooper and her 18-year-old son, Eddie.

Seamus O’Neal, also lost his life in the attacks on the World Trade Center. He is survived by his partner Tom Miller.

Patricia McAneney was the fire marshal of her floor in the first World Trade Center tower. She is survived by Margaret Cruz, partner of 18 years.

Pamela Boyce, was at work on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower when it was struck. She is survived by Catherine Anello her partner.

Tom Ryan, one of just three out-of-the-closet firefighters in New York, [says] he “learned that about 25 closeted gay firefighters died on Sept. 11,” and he knows “others who survived but are still afraid to come out.”

“As the days went by, we learned that some of the missing rescue personnel were gay, and that many of their lovers, some of whom are cops and fire fighters, were grieving in silence for fear of outing them. There were also gay cops that lost family members that were rescue personnel. We all learned too quickly and in too cruel a way that the closet is a terrible place to grieve.”  — Edgar Rodriguez, NYPD 

Francis S. Coppola, a New York City detective whose partner, a firefighter named Eddie, died in the attacks, summed up his feelings about t Sept. 11th:

“I have never been more proud of being an American or a New Yorker, but at the same time it has made me sad. The greatest country in the world, and yet we are treated like second-class citizens…. The great love of my life died doing what he did best and what he loved to do: helping others. I have never been an activist or ever wanted to be one; however, it is time we stand up and be counted and demand equality — nothing more or nothing less.”

***NOTE: This list of LGBT Americans who’s lives were lost on 9/11 is by no means complete. Unfortunately there is actually no way to know the exact number of LGBT victims of this tragic event. If there are those who were lost that that you would like to remember please feel free to add them to the comment section and I’ll update the list accordingly. – WK

Trump Administration Took Millions From FDNY 9/11 First Responders Health Program

Trump Administration Took Millions From FDNY 9/11 First Responders Health Program

The New York Daily News has discovered that the Trump administration has secretly siphoned nearly $4 million away from a program that tracks and treats FDNY firefighters and medics suffering from post 9/11 related illnesses.

The Treasury Department mysteriously started withholding parts of payments — nearly four years ago  with no explanation.

This {the money} was just disappearing,” the program’s director, Dr. David Prezant,, the FDNY’s Chief Medical Officer.. “It was disappearing — without any notification.”

“The money that we don’t get means that physicians, nurses and support staff are not hired. We have not had to lay off anyone, yet, but we are at that brink,” he explained. “This just isn’t fair. It’s not fair to our patients.”

“The city has been covering some of our shortfall. But in this time of COVID crisis, that cannot continue,” he said.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention notes that thousands of responders and survivors of the 9/11 attack continue to suffer adverse health effects from toxic contaminants, risks of traumatic injury, and physically and emotionally stressful conditions.

Paul Krugman’s Truthful 9/11 Column Makes Republicans and Tea Party Members Heads Explode – Clean Up Aisle 2!

Yesterday on the 10th Anniversary of the day that changed our country forever, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, writing for the New York Times wrote a column so truthful in its expose of of how Bush, Cheney and the GOP turned 9/11 into media event for their own gain and turned the aftermath of 9/11 into the crime of this century for nothing more than self greed and power.

“What happened after 9/11 — and I think even people on the right know this, whether they admit it or not — was deeply shameful. The atrocity should have been a unifying event, but instead it became a wedge issue. Fake heroes like Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani, and, yes, George W. Bush raced to cash in on the horror. And then the attack was used to justify an unrelated war the neocons wanted to fight, for all the wrong reasons. A lot of other people behaved badly. How many of our professional pundits — people who should have understood very well what was happening — took the easy way out, turning a blind eye to the corruption and lending their support to the hijacking of the atrocity? The memory of 9/11 has been irrevocably poisoned; it has become an occasion for shame. And in its heart, the nation knows it.”

Hopefully this will finally open a dialouge between true Americans to re-examine all the LIES and hyperbole that led us to attack Iraq and hold accountable the craven media, along with all the criminals and neocons of Bush & Comany who cheered and profited from it.

If we really wanted to show respect for the victims of 9/11, it would be to redeem their loss, by holding accountable and brining to justice those who have used them, and that horrible fateful day to further their own profit margins and have tortured and committed the murders of hundreds of thousands of innocents for nothing more than greed.

Gay Priest Was 9/11’s First Record Casualty

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters /Landov A mortally injured Father Mychal Judge is carried out of the World Trade Center by first responders, including Bill Cosgrove (in white shirt). Cosgrove says, "everybody you see in that picture was saved" from the North Tower's collapse, moments later.

I seem to remember hearing or reading something about Father Judge soon after 9/11. From my hometown ABC affiliate, The Denver Channel (KMGH):

You may not hear a lot about gay Roman Catholic priests.

But one such clergyman is getting a lot of attention this week: Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar who donned a brown robe and sandals and who was the first recorded casualty of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Among the many hats Judge wore was as chaplain for the New York Fire Department. He was killed after going to the World Trade Center with some off-duty firefighters after the first plane hit.

Much of the coverage Judge is getting this week refers to him as the “Saint of 9/11,” the name of a 2006 documentary about the priest that was produced by a gay activist.

An apparently celibate priest, Judge reportedly told few about his sexual orientation. He made no secret, meanwhile, that he was a recovering alcoholic, attending two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a month.

You can also listen to the very moving profile NPR’s Morning Edition did on Father Judge.
Tip of the hat to AMERICAblog Gay for the lede.

Derek Fenton, The Idiot Who Burned Koran Pages At Ground Zero On 9/11, FIRED! (Video)

Derek Fenton, the idiot who ripped out pages of the Koran and burned them during the 9/11 protest (which was caught on video and posted on YouTube) at Ground Zero has been canned by his employer, NJ Transit.

NJ Transit said that Derek Fenton’s “public actions” violated its code of ethics and that he “violated his trust as a state employee.” It was not clear that Fenton was terminated because of his actions on Saturday. The NJ Transit statement indicated that he was fired on Monday.In response to questions from NewsCore Tuesday, NJ Transit released a statement saying: “Derek Fenton was terminated on September 13, 2010 from his employment at NJ TRANSIT. An at-will employee, Mr. Fenton’s public actions violated New Jersey Transit’s code of ethics.” It continued: “NJ TRANSIT concluded that Mr. Fenton violated his trust as a state employee and therefore was dismissed.”

Here’s the clip of the neanderthal idiot on 9/11

Rep. Anthony Weiner Rips The Republican Party A New One For Disgustingly NOT Passing Health Care Bill To Help 9/11 Responders (VIDEO)

Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-NY) did something yesterday that every Democrat in the Seanate should be doing which is putting that incredible bullshit of treating the obsturctionist Republican Party with any repect and ripping into them for the coward and heinous act of banding togther to defeat a bill that would have provided $7.4 billion in health care to 9/11 responders.

It is about time Democrats in Washington put aside this “my distinguished colleuge” bullshit and start treating the Republican party for wehat they treuly are and showing it.  An evil band of motherfucking douchebags.

It’s time the Democrats in Washington grow some balls.

WATCH THE VIDEO.  And needless to say I LOVE ME some Weiner.