Cruisin’7th – Photo: Google Maps, Treven Michael Gokey – Phoenix PD Mugshot
Treven Michael Gokey was arrested by Phoenix police on September 17 for allegedly threatening to shoot up Cruisin’ 7th, a popular gay bar near his Arizona apartment. He faces felony charges of making a terroristic threat and using a computer to threaten, after blaming the LGBTQ community for recent acts of violence.
According to court documents, police were called to the 39-year-old’s apartment for a welfare check after a crisis hotline reported he had threatened to shoot up the bar, claiming he was “triggered by political events.”
When officers arrived, Gokey refused to leave his apartment and said “radical lefty violence breeds a far-right response.” He cited the recent murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and school shootings by transgender suspects in Minneapolis and Tennessee as examples that had galvanized him.
Police said Gokey told them those events made him unhappy and that he “wanted to harm others” to send a message.
Gokey allegedly told police that “Charlie Kirk was a martyr,” that he was “a martyr for Charlie Kirk,” and that “political violence breeds political violence.” He also made several transphobic remarks.
He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on $250,000 bond.
Court paperwork showed that Gokey had previously called the Phoenix Police Department to make a police report, in which he allegedly claimed that if officers didn’t arrive quicker, he would “shoot bystanders.” Once police arrived, he reportedly told them, “It worked, didn’t it?”
Court records show Gokey had previously called Phoenix police, claiming that if officers didn’t arrive quickly, he would “shoot bystanders.” When they did, he told them, “It worked, didn’t it?”
"I am my worst critic," says Cesar Toledo, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation. "I set really ambitious deadlines for myself, sometimes unrealistic goals, but somehow, through my tenacity and just that call to public service -- and being raised in a humble home where my mom worked three jobs to raise us -- I carry that very hard work ethic with me every day. And because of that, I've been successful in my career path."
Toledo assumed the role as head of the nonprofit dedicated to serving LGBTQ homeless youth earlier this year, succeeding longtime executive director June Crenshaw, who announced she'd be stepping down last fall.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud was arrested in West Palm Beach after allegedly trying to run down members of an LGBTQ running group during a meet-up in a local park. The Florida man faces two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and one count of reckless driving.
El Mahmoud could also face hate crime charges or bias enhancements for allegedly targeting the group because of their sexual orientation.
According to West Palm Beach police, El Mahmoud allegedly took offense at what he perceived as a comment about his sexual orientation when a runner asked if he was at Howard Park for the "Night Runners West Palm Beach" group's regular meet-up.
Every December, Grindr releases Grindr Unwrapped, an annual report drawing on data from its more than 15 million monthly users to reveal what LGBTQ people consider culturally relevant and how they behave on the app -- from pop-culture tastes to sexual habits, fetishes, and hookup styles.
"With Grindr Unwrapped, you get to see the real diversity in sexual activity, sexual desire, sexual appeal, and see some of the things that are more universal and some that differ culturally between different groups of gay and bisexual men and others using the app," says Zachary Zane, Grindr's sex-and-relationship expert.
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