A suspect has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Josie Berrios, a transgender woman who was in the midst of adopting the name Kendra Adams, in Collegetown, New York. (Ithaca Journal)
Berrios’ body was discovered Tuesday morning inside a building at a construction site. It had several burns and was found next to a can of gasoline. Evidence, including surveillance video, led police to Michael Davis, 45, who police say had a personal relationship with Berrios.
The local community is mourning the loss of Berrios, who performed as a drag queen under the name Kimbella Rosé as part of the House of Merlot, a wine-themed drag house. Read more (6/15/17)
Ken Adkins, the pastor who said that the Pulse victims deserved to die, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for child molestation (WOKV)
According to WOKV, Adkins watched two 15-year-olds have sex before engaging in unspecified sexual acts with one of the teens.
He was arrested in August 2016 upon turning himself in.
He will serve life on probation once released.
Adkins is known for his anti-gay comments, including a tweet sent in the days following the Pulse nightclub shooting saying that the victims of the shooting got what they deserve. Read more (4/26/17)
Still riding the high of “repealing” HB2 without repealing it at all, North Carolina Republicans this week introduced a bill that would allow the state to overlook the Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling and reinstate a ban on same-sex marriage. Because why the hell not?
Thankfully, both House Speaker Tim Moore and Gov. Roy Cooper immediately shot the bill down, confirming that it will not get a hearing.
Moore, who is a Republican, doubled down on Cooper’s remarks Wednesday, and said the bill won’t be getting a hearing in the North Carolina House after all. “There are strong constitutional concerns with this legislation given that the U.S. Supreme Court has firmly ruled on the issue,” Moore said in a statement cited by The Washington Post and The News & Observer, among other publications. “Therefore, House Bill 780 will be referred to the House Rules Committee and will not be heard.”
