Tag Archives: Nevada

Gay History – September 28, 1877: The First Lesbian Same Sex Marriage Takes Place In Nevada

Featured, Gay History, , , , ,

On September 28, 1877, Sarah Maud Pollard, as Samuel M. Pollard, married Marancy Hughes in Tuscarora, Elko County, Nevada Territory.  

Homer Thiel, Tucson archaeologist and historian:

Sarah Pollard was born in 1846 in New York, the daughter of a middle class merchant family. After working in a shoe factory in Massachusetts and sewing shirts in New York, she headed west to Colorado in the 1870s. She caused a stir because of her masculine appearance. Around 1876 she moved to Nevada and took up wearing male clothing in order to find work and she started calling herself “Sam.” She met young Marancy Hughes, born in 1861 in Missouri, and actively courted her. Hughes’ family hated Pollard and the couple eloped on September 28, 1877.

 

They were happily married for six months, and then Marancy broke the secret. The small silver-mining town of Tuscarora, Nevada was transfixed by the story. The matter ended up in court and after Marancy testified, a dramatic re-union took place. Stories about the troubled marriage were carried in newspapers across the country (even appearing in a New Zealand paper). The couple broke up two more times, before Marancy moved on to a marriage with a man in 1880.

Pollard’s story appears to have had a happy ending:

Sarah moved to Minnesota to start a new life by 1883, working by herself on a farm. The story of her successful farming career again made national newspapers, which noted she wore a bloomers-type outfit while plowing. By the 1890s she had met a woman named Helen Stoddard, a schoolteacher who was born in 1864 in Vermont. In later census records Helen was listed as her partner or companion. Sarah died in 1929, and Helen paid for her arrangements at a local funeral home, the owners puzzling over the relationship of the two women.

There seems to be some confusion in the gay and lesbian historical community vs. the trans community about weather to identify Sarah as lesbian or transgender.

But a decade later, the evidence shows that she presented herself with a female name, and became a partner to a female schoolteacher.  Thus the reason I rightfully identify her in this piece as a lesbian.

Source:  Box Turtle Bulletin

Father Kills 14-year-old Son in Nevada: 'He would rather have a dead son than a gay son'

Father Kills 14-year-old Son in Nevada: ‘He would rather have a dead son than a gay son’

Featured, Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, , , ,

A father in Henderson, Nevada shot and killed his 14-year-old gay son, with police attributing the killing in part to the boy’s sexual orientation.

Nevada police report that 53-year-old Wendell Melton shot and killed his son Giovanni in the morning of November 2.

People close to the murder victim including Sonja Jones, Giovanni’s former foster mom say part of the argument leading to the shooting was about the teen’s sexual orientation.

Jones told 3 News: ‘He hated the fact that his son was gay. Giovanni was abused physically and mentally and spiritually for many, many years. I’m sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son,’ she said.

“I’m hearing his dad had caught him with his boyfriend before and pulled out a gun on him,” said Jones.\

Giovanni was a student at Coronado High School. Jones says a beautiful life was taken away because of ignorance

“I hope they throw the book at him. I hope he never sees the light of day,” said Jones. “I hope every day when he looks in the mirror, he sees his son’s face.”

Wendell Melton told police that accidently shot him during an argument. And he was in fear of his life. Police doubt his story.

Melton is being held at the Henderson Detention Center. Bail is set at $800,000.00

NEW JERSEY - Man Stabs Two People While Shouting Anti-Gay Slurs.

Las Vegas Gay Couple Attacked At Home While Neighbors Watch And Do Nothing

Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, Gay News From Around The Globe, Of Interest, , ,

A Las Vegas, Nevada gay couple were attacked and assaulted outside their house in an anti-gay hate crime while their neighbors watched and did nothing to help them. 

On Thursday night, Charles Clements drove to pick up his boyfriend, Vincent, from the Walmart where he works. When they arrived back at their Las Vegas home, both Vincent and Clements encountered the two attackers.

Vincent, said he recognized one of the attackers as someone he works with at Walmart. 

“I was about to unlock the door, the next thing I hear, (Vincent) he’s calling my name.” 

“I come back, I see my boyfriend fighting with the guy.”

Clements said he and his boyfriend were specifically targeted because they are gay..

“It was all about gay bashing,” Charles said. “The guy came up to my boyfriend’s job, calling him an abomination, calling him fag.”

The fight eventually moved onto the front porch of the house, where a glass table shattered.

“There was a lot of glass on the floor so the guy came around,” Clements said.

“He picked up the glass. I was like, ‘Don’t do that.’ And he started stabbing my boyfriend in the back. The guy was kicking him in his ribs,” he added.

Clements said he got hit in the head with a piece of glass. Both he and Vincent were hospitalized following the alleged attack. Vincent has two broken ribs and a punctured lung.

Clements said his neighbors witnessed the assault but that no one called the police or interceded to help.

Police  are investigating the incident but no arrests have been made.

Nevada Man Murders 14 Year Old Son for Being Gay – Video

Featured, Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, , , , , ,

 

A man in Henderson, Nevada has murdered his 14-year-old son because he couldn’t accept the fact that his son was gay.

The murder took place last Thursday, said 53-year-old Wendell Melton shot his son, Giovanni Melton, in the apartment where the teenager lived alone.

The Henderson Police Department said in a Facebook post that Wendell Melton was arrested at the scene on felony charges of open murder, child abuse and firearms possession and “booked into the Henderson Detention Center.”

The teen’s former foster mother Sonja Jones,, stated that the boy was “abused physically and mentally and spiritually for many, many years” and said she believes he was killed because of his sexual orientation.

“He hated the fact that his son was gay,” Jones said. “I’m sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.”

Jones added that it was her understanding that Melton had caught Giovanni “with his boyfriend before and pulled out a gun on him.” And hopes authorities “throw the book” at Wendell Melton.

“I hope he never sees the light of day,”

 

BUSTED! – Famous Las Vegas Wedding Chapels Refuse To Marry Same-Sex Couples

Featured, Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, , , , , ,

elvis chaple

 

Viva to the  Las Vegas CBS affiliate for doing some investigative reporting and finding out that some of Las Vegas’ most famous wedding chaples, including the Elvis Wedding Chapel are REFUSING to marry same sex couples:

After making calls to about 15 wedding chapels, 8 News NOW found that several of them refused to perform wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples. The Elvis Wedding Chapel, which welcomes traditional and Elvis-themed weddings, said they wouldn’t marry same-sex couples. However, when the 8 News Now cameras were rolling as we tried to get their stance on camera, they refused to open the door. “I’m not going to tell you,” David with the Elvis Wedding Chapel said, “It just — there is no story here.”

Dolly Deleon, the owner of the Vegas Wed Chapel, said she’s a born-again believer in Jesus. “My faith won’t allow me,” Deleon said. She said she’s been asked to wed same-sex couples before, but has found that mostly people accept it when she says no. She did not know that a couple who is turned away based on race, sex, or sexual orientation could file charges against her. That could then lead to a misdemeanor arrest. “I would be a hypocrite if I said I’m a Bible-believing person and yet I would perform marriage that believe is solely against God’s law,” Deleon said. (http://vegaswed.com/)

She runs a fucking Las Vegas wedding chapel and HER FAITH won’t allow it?  Bwahahahhahahahahahahaha!

Oh make it stop. It hurts.

 

Let’s Make It 32! – Ninth Circuit Court Strikes Down Marriage Bans In Nevada & Idaho!

Featured, Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, , , , , , ,

IDAHO - NEVADA

 

Press release from the  National Center for Lesbian Rights.

“Today’s decision, written by Judge Stephen Reinhardt, holds that “Idaho and Nevada’s marriage laws, by preventing same-sex couples from marrying and refusing to recognize same-sex marriages celebrated elsewhere, impose profound legal, financial, social and psychic harms on numerous citizens of those states.” The decision further states: “Classifying some families, and especially their children, as of lesser value should be repugnant to all those in this nation who profess to believe in ‘family values.’ In any event, Idaho and Nevada’s asserted preference for opposite-sex parents does not, under heightened scrutiny, come close to justifying unequal treatment on the basis of sexual orientation.”

The Idaho case was brought in November 2013 by four same-sex couples: Sue Latta and Traci Ehlers, Lori and Sharene Watsen, Shelia Robertson and Andrea Altmayer, and Amber Beierle and Rachael Robertson. The couples are represented by Idaho attorneys Deborah Ferguson and Craig Durham of Ferguson Durham LLP and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). On September 8th, Ferguson argued before Ninth Circuit Judges Stephen Reinhardt, Marsha S. Berzon, and Ronald M. Gould that Idaho’s laws that ban marriage equality and prohibit the state from respecting the marriages of same-sex couples who married in other states violate the U.S. Constitution. The Idaho case was consolidated for purposes of the decision with Sevcik v. Sandoval, a case challenging Nevada’s marriage ban brought by same-sex couples represented by Lambda Legal.”

Read the ruling HERE

I would like to make something clear here.  All of this is because of Edith Windsor.  HER case in the Supreme Court made the difference.  Chad Griffin, Prop 8, HRC, Freedom to Marry, and others cannot and should not try to take or be given any credit for this.  It all belongs to Edith Windsor.

Tea Party “Hero” Cliven Bundy Blames MLK For The Fact That He’s A Racist

Featured, Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, Of Interest, , , , , , ,

Cliven Bundy

Cliven Bundy appeared on CNN where he kicked back and took of his boots (literarlly) this morning and whitesplained his racism.

I took this boot off so I wouldn’t put my foot in my mouth with the boot on. Let me see if I can say something. Maybe I sinned and maybe I need to ask forgiveness and maybe I don’t know what I actually said. But you know, when you talk about prejudice, we’re talking about not being able to exercise what we think and our feelings. We don’t have freedom to say what we want. If I call — if I say negro or black boy or slave, I’m not — if those people cannot take those kind of words and not be offended, then Martin Luther King hasn’t got his job done then yet. They should be able to — I should be able to say those things and they shouldn’t offend anybody. I didn’t mean to offend them.

Perhaps someone should “splain” to Bundy WHY Dr. Martin Luther King didn’t finish “his job….” It’s because he was SHOT by a racist bigot like him!

Nevada Upholds Ban On Same Sex Marriage

Gay News Domestic & U.S. Politics, , , , ,

Even though it should  be no surprise to most, Nevada lawmakers unfortunately chose to uphold a law that bans same sex marriage  It’s important to show stories like this because even though  we have had recent wins in the arena of equal rights, this is clearly an obvious sign that we have a long way to go.

Here’s more on the ruling from Buzzfeed:

Jones ruled that prior Supreme Court precedent — a 1972 case, Baker v. Nelson, that denied a same-sex couple’s marriage claim as lacking any ‘substantial federal question’ — controlled his decision, Even if not, he ruled that the ‘exclusion of same-sex couples from the institution of civil marriage’ was constitutional ‘[b]ecause the maintenance of the traditional institution of civil marriage as between one man and one woman is a legitimate state interest.’”

Judge Jones also failed to see the scrutiny of basing marriage classification on someone’s sexual orientation. Lambda Legal lawyer, Tara Borelli,, who helped set up the case is not giving up the fight:

 “We will appeal and continue to fight for these loving couples, who are harmed by Nevada’s law barring marriage for same-sex couples. By forbidding same-sex couples’ access to marriage, the State brands them and their children as second-class citizens.”

Hopefully more stories will incite pro-equality organizations to expand their campaigns and also expand their message to causes like ENDA (Employee Non-Discrimination Act) and make a stronger statement.

Anti-Gay Mormon U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jones, Upholds Nevada’s Ban On Same-Sex Marriage.

Featured, Gay News From Around The Globe, , ,

“Homosexual persons may marry in Nevada, but like heterosexual persons, they may not marry members of the same sex. That is, a homosexual man may marry anyone a heterosexual man may marry, and a homosexual woman may marry anyone a heterosexual woman may marry. Although the State appears to have drawn no distinction at all at first glance, and although the distinction drawn by the State could be characterized as gender-based, the Court finds that for the purposes of an equal protection challenge, the distinction is definitely sexual-orientation based.

“Homosexuals have not historically been denied the right to vote, the right to serve on juries, or the right to own property. It simply cannot be seriously maintained, in light of these and other recent democratic victories, that homosexuals do not have the ability to protect themselves from discrimination through democratic processes such that extraordinary protection from majoritarian processes is appropriate.” – United States District Court Judge Robert Jones

So here we have a bigoted Republican Mormon judge in a state where marriage vows are not taken very seriously at all, telling gay people who they can and can’t marry and using the logic of the 1960’s saying that blacks had the same right marry someone of the same race but not someone who is white.

A Bush appointee (are we shocked?) in August Jones held that Nevada’s election law giving voters the ability to select “None of the above” was unconstitutional. He was overruled by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on September 4. One member of that panel, Judge Stephen Reinhardt, criticized Jones’ handling of the case: “His dilatory tactics appear to serve no purpose other than to seek to prevent the state from taking an appeal of his decision before it print the ballots…. Such arrogance and assumption of power by one individual is not acceptable in our judicial system”

You just can’t make this stuff up folks. (And you wouldn’t want to.)

 

Nevada Republican and ‘Independent American Party’ Senate Candidate Sharron Angle Linked To Newspaper Insert That Called The LGBT Community: "Sodomites and child-molesting, HIV-carrying, Hell-bound freaks"

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,

Turns out that the far-right third party that Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle called home in the 1990s Nevada’s Independent American Party, ran a vitriolic anti-gay insert in state newspapers that portrays LGBT people — or, as Angle’s party called them, “sodomites” — as child-molesting, HIV-carrying, Hell-bound freaks.

Angle was a member of Nevada’s Independent American Party, a Christian conservative-cum-libertarian third party, for at least six years while she was getting her feet wet in politics in the 1990s. Independent American Party members told us that Angle switched to be a Republican in 1997 for greater support as she was preparing to make a run for state-level office.

In a 1992 petition, signed and circulated by Angle, that was part of a successful push to get the Independent American Party on the ballot. It features the Independent American manifesto — including the acknowledgment “That many Americans have ignored the Laws of God.”

In 1994, the party attracted considerable controversy by placing a 16-page advertising insert in Nevada newspapers promoting an amendment to the state constitution that would explicitly permit discrimination against LGBT people by businesses and government.

Janine Hansen, the current executive director of the party and the editor of the ’94 insert, told TPM earlier this month that “in general [Angle] agreed with our position on the issues. The ad insert, which approvingly cites an 1814 legal treatise titled “Consequences of Sodomy: Ruin of a Nation,” is a digest of articles that refer to LGBT people alternately as “homosexuals,” “sodomites,” and “brazen perverts.” The insert includes virtually every homophobic myth ever conceived.

Homosexuals argue that they are a peaceful and gay people. Yet … Dr. Paul Cameron of the Family Research Report writes “the top six U.S. male killers were all homosexuals.”

Sample headlines included: “Homosexual Curriculum In The First Grade” … “Flawed Science Nurtures Genetic Origin For Homosexuality” … “No Constitutional Right To Be A Sodomite.” Here’s a passage from an item headlined “True Homosexual Character Revealed”:

Probably the coup de grace of the insert is the article “Can the HIV Virus Survive in Water?”. Writer Lorraine Day, M.D., concluded that yes, the virus can survive in the water. Citing medical journal articles, she raised the specter of HIV infection through public pools, hot tubs, and municipal water supplies

How fucking evil are you Sharron Angle?

We need to shut this cuntlet DOWN!

The infamous insert…