An Ohio judge has apologized after a homophobic column that he wrote while in college came to light.
Maumee Municipal Court Judge Dan Hazard penned the column as a sophomore for the April 30, 1993 edition of The Lantern, the Ohio State University’s student-run newspaper.
Hazard was responding to the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, where millions of LGBTQ individuals marched to call for the repeal of anti-sodomy laws, the passage of LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws, and increases in federal funding for HIV/AIDS education, research, and prevention.
He started the letter to the editor by writing: “I would like to give my thanks to the homosexual community for opening my eyes. I now see what this campus could be like with the removal of gays from our society.”
Hazard raised a number of “concerns” that, in today’s context, read as scare-mongering: fear of sexual harassment at the hands of gay students, second-guessing the sexual orientation of other students, and fears over transmission of AIDS, reports Toledo-area CBS affiliate WTOL.
The judge then pivoted to argue that the “homosexual lifestyle” is not safe, pointing to statistics from the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council.
FRC has been vocal about the fact that it does not consider homosexuality an “acceptable alternative lifestyle.”
“I see these stats as good news, but I beg the homosexual community one thing: Please keep your AIDS to yourselves. You have killed many innocent children, a few innocent adults (blood transfusions) and a number of not-so-innocent and irresponsible heterosexuals,” wrote Hazard. “Aren’t these deaths enough to draw attention to yourselves? Do you need to hold the country prisoner any longer with your lies and deceit?”
When confronted by reporters about these comments, Hazard, a former Maumee City Council member prior to his elevation to the bench in 2018, responded with a statement, writing: “The letter posted here was reprehensible and deplorable. I wrote this and another of the same tone as a teenage college student 27 years ago and by no means hold those beliefs today.
“I have zero excuse and could not attempt to justify it then or now,” he added. “It was hurtful to anyone that saw it in 1993 or today. I am sorry that it will hurt even more people today including my gay and transgendered family and friends whom I love dearly.”
Hazard told WTOL that one of the first marriages he officiated as a judge was for a same-sex couple, and said that he treats every litigant and attorney with the same respect, regardless of their background.
“I am glad that this allows me to clarify my views that have drastically changed over time,” Hazard concluded. “Respect is owed not only in the courtroom, but in all of society.”
Rob Salem, a law professor and member of the Toledo LGBTQ Bar Council, credited Hazard for apologizing, but said that some LGBTQ people may be skeptical that they’ll receive a fair hearing if they appear before Hazard in court.
“I think he did the right thing,” Salem said. “[But] I think it does cause concern or should still cause some concern for LGBT people who appear in his courtroom.”
Police in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are facing criticism for a botched raid on an alleged "gay spa" that led to more than 200 arrests but ultimately produced no criminal charges.
On November 28, local police carried out a joint raid with City Hall and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) at a men-only spa in the city center, suspecting it of promoting homosexuality, a criminal offense in the majority-Muslim country that carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison and mandatory caning under both federal colonial-era law and state Sharia statutes.
David Urban, a Republican strategist and CNN commentator who served as a senior advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, has written an op-ed accusing Democrats of fear-mongering for suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
In his USA Today op-ed, Urban accuses "hyperpartisan liberals" of trying to "sow fear and discontent" by suggesting that the Supreme Court could reverse its own precedent and strike down the 2015 ruling -- a move that would immediately reinstate same-sex marriage bans still on the books in 32 states.
Russia's federal media regulator has blocked access to the U.S.-based children's gaming platform Roblox, accusing it of violating the country's ban on distributing so-called "LGBT propaganda."
The platform allows users to create their own games or play games made by others, drawing millions of young players worldwide.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, announced the ban on December 3, telling Reuters the platform is "rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children."
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