Cop Appears in Court After Killing Ex-Girlfriend’s New Partner

An off-duty NYPD officer who shot two women on October 13, killing one as part of an apparent love triangle, appeared in court for the first time on October 18 where she answered to a m... Show more

er charge. Yvonne Wu, 31, of Staten Island, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder in Brooklyn Criminal Court. She allegedly shot her ex-girlfriend Jenny Li, 23, at Li’s Bensonhurst residence as well as her former lover’s new paramour Jenny Liang, 24, using her department-issued gun. Liang died from her injuries, while Li was left in critical condition. Wu, a five-year NYPD vet who works at the 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park, confessed to the rampage when cops arrived, and was arrested. She was taken to NYU Langone Hospital for a mental health evaluation. The state attorney general’s office is handling the case, as it considers the incident to be a police-involved shooting. Wu’s attorney requested an additional mental health evaluation to determine if she is competent to stand trial, which was granted by Judge Joshua Glick, per the Attorney General’s office. She is being remanded without bail, and her next court appearance will be on November 19. Investigators believe Wu, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, may have been acting out of jealousy toward her former lover, with whom she had broken up just weeks prior. The Daily News reports that Wu was involved in an altercation with Li and Liang at least once in the weeks leading up to the murder. This story first appeared in Gay City News’ sister publication, Brooklyn Paper. To sign up for the Gay City News email n...

Advocates Say New Mastercard Policy Hurts Sex Workers

Advocates are voicing criticism in response to a new Mastercard policy that they say unfairly targets sex worker communities by imposing stricter regulations on the purchasing of adult ... Show more

tent. In April, Mastercard announced that banks under their registration program would be required to confirm that websites selling adult content “monitor, block, and remove illegal or unconsented” material from their platforms. While the company claims the program, which went into effect October 15, does not affect legal and consensual adult content creators, activists are decrying the policy as a form of financial discrimination that creates an uneven playing field for sex workers. Under Mastercard’s new policy, banks are required to verify that platforms record the age and identity of all adult performers and have a process to review content before publication. According to the updated guidelines, adult platforms must have a strategy for addressing illegal, nonconsensual posts and removing content for individuals who no longer want their videos on the site. “This is bad news for many sex workers, whose safety and livelihoods depend on access to financial services and online platforms,” the ACLU’s Trans Justice campaign manager, LaLa Zannell, said in an op-ed on the ACLU website. “The policy makes it harder for sex workers to do business online and makes sex workers more vulnerable, especially those who are trans women of color.” Advocates say these stricter protocols are unrealistic and will not help the company’s intended demographic. “The stated intent of the policy is to prevent child sexual abuse...

Equality New York Honors Kathy Hochul, Carmen Neely

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Harlem Pride co-founder Carmen Neely were honored by Equality New York, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, during the group’s anniversary event ... Show more

October 13. The event, hosted at Industry Bar at 355 West 52nd Street, celebrated five years for Equality New York, which works to advance LGBTQ rights across the state. Hochul was awarded for her support and for her leadership, according to Equality New York, while Neely received the organization’s community partner award. Governor Hochul speaks with Marti Allen-Cummings.Donna Aceto Governor Hochul delivers remarks.Donna Aceto Former Equality New York board co-chair Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker.Donna Aceto Governor Hochul steps up to the stage.Donna Aceto Andy Praschak with awardee Carmen Neely, the president and co-founder of Harlem Pride.Donna Aceto State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick of Rockland and Westchester County with Equality New York board member Gabriel Blau, Marti Allen-Cummings, and State Senator Brad Hoylman of Manhattan.Donna Aceto

New York City Anti-Violence Project Hosts Annual Courage Awards

The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) honored a pair of local leaders at the organization’s annual Courage Awards ceremony on October 14. AVP, which works to combat violence thr... Show more

h education, organizing, and survivor support, awarded former State Senator Thomas Duane and Emil Wilbekin, who founded of Native Son, a platform dedicated to Black gay men. The event was produced virtually and in-person at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, giving attendees the option of enjoying the event from home. Several LGBTQ leaders were in attendance at the in-person event, including current and former elected officials such as State Senator Brad Hoylman of Manhattan, Councilmember Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn, and former Brooklyn District Attorney, Comptroller, and Congressmember Elizabeth Holtzman. Beverly Tillery, the executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, receives AVP’s proclamation from Patrick Kwan of the Mayor’s Office.Donna Aceto State Senator Brad Hoylman of Manhattan with his husband, David Sigal.Donna Aceto AVP Board Member Jim O’Sullivan, overjoyed to be back live and in person, speaks to the crowd.Donna Aceto Aditi Bhattacharya, AVP’s deputy director of client services, tells a moving story about AVP’s work in rescuing a refugee from sex trafficking.Donna Aceto Elizabeth Holtzman presents to her friend, Thomas Duane. FDNY Battalion Chief Michele Fitzsimmons and her wife, Dianna; Police Officer Sally Polizzi; and Joan Martinez with partner Sandra.DONNA ACETO Councilmember Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn with Matthew McMorrow, who serves as the director of LGBTQ Affairs f...

Letitia James Urges Federal Court to Rule in Favor of Trans Athle...

New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 20 attorneys general from across the nation in filing a brief urging the federal courts to toss a lawsuit in Connecticu... Show more

iming to ban trans students from participating in school sports teams that correspond with their gender identity. The brief, filed in the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, demands that the court affirm a ruling in April that dismissed a lawsuit challenging trans-inclusive sports policies from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC.) The brief stems from a case lodged by four cisgender girls who allege that transgender players pose a “competitive disadvantage” to cisgender athletes. In 2019, former Connecticut high school track stars Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller, who are transgender, made headlines after student-athletes claimed that they unfairly won competitions against cisgender girls. “Attacks on transgender students are a violation of their rights and simply will not be tolerated,” James said in a written statement. “When we adopt inclusive policies that honor every individual’s rights with dignity, we create a fairer, more just, and more prosperous society for all. The law does not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and I will do everything in my power to fight for equal protection under the law for every community.” In the brief, the attorneys general argue that Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 does not prohibit transgender female athletes from playing on teams that align with their gender identity. “That argument has ...

Bi Cop’s Harassment Suit Sparks Probe of Greenburgh Police

The Greenburgh Police Department in Westchester County is under investigation after a bisexual police officer there filed a lawsuit alleging ongoing sexual harassment from within the fo... Show more

. According to News 12, two members of the Greenburgh Police Department have already resigned as part of an independent probe commissioned by the town of Greenburgh in response to a 42-page complaint filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Greenburgh Police Officer Kristin Stein said she faced a spate of sexual harassment that boiled over during roll call in 2019 when Greenburgh Police Officer Jeff Cerone allegedly “pushed his genital area into her buttocks, toppling over her and ramming himself into her.” According to body camera footage of the incident obtained by Gay City News, officers are seen laughing while another officer slaps his knee in response to the incident by Cerone. In another video, officers confirmed that Stein was tossed during the incident, and one officer says, “I think he has a crush on her.” “He tries to assert his dominance to show that he has the penis in the relationship,” another officer said, according to the body camera footage. According to the complaint, an internal investigation into Stein’s sexual assault allegations led to officer Cerone being “lightly reprimanded,” which included a reduction in his vacation time and his removal from the midnight shift. The suit preceded the resignations reported by News 12 and it is not clear which officers have left the force. “The Town Board and I will never tolerate sexual harassment against members of ...