NEW YORK CITY: Gay Bashing In Soho

The bad news keeps coming.

A gay couple was attacked early Tuesday in SoHo, hours after thousands marched to protest the killing of a gay man and several other bias attacks that have shaken the community, NBC 4 New York has learned. Law enforcement sources said the two men, 41 and 42, were walking on Broadway between Prince and Houston streets at about 5 a.m. when two men started yelling anti-gay remarks in English and Spanish. The victims are Hispanic. The men were both punched, and one suffered an eye injury, sources said. Police said two men, 32 and 33, were arrested and face a charge of assault as a hate crime.

That makes 25 anti-gay attacks so far in 2013.

For Sale: Jon Bon Jovi's Soho Loft

$18M more than he paid for it six years ago. Details.

Power Returns To Much Of Downtown NYC

After five days, electricity was restored this evening to parts of downtown Manhattan, almost a full day ahead of yesterday's forecast by Con Edison. According to Miss Twitter, folks were literally dancing in the LIT streets of Chelsea, the Flatiron, the East Village, Chinatown, Soho, and parts of the Lower East Side.  Con Ed tweets this disclaimer: "For all in networks that have been restored who are still out- your building likely has H2O/wind damage that building manager must repair before restoration."  The West Village, where flooding was more severe on the blocks near the Hudson River, remains dark, as do portions of other Manhattan neighborhoods.

At London's "Snog-A-Thon"

Although London's John Snow Pub locked their doors rather than allow gay protesters inside, the planned "snog-a-thon" went on in the street outside.

London Pub Locks Out "Snog-A-Thon"

The Soho pub that was to be the location of a "massive snog-a-thon" this afternoon has locked their doors rather than allow gay protesters inside. On Wednesday night two gay men were ejected from the pub after its landlady objected to their kissing. Hundreds of would-be snoggers had responded to a Facebook call for action. From the Guardian's live-blog of the protest:

It's become clear that the John Snow pub has closed its doors, presumably fearful of the avalanche of snogging that was about to descend upon it. One Twitter user, who works opposite, reports that a TV crew has arrived and is "filming the locked door whilst bar staff peer from upstairs window". The Press Association has managed to get a few words with Thomas Paget, the licence holder of the pub. He again refused to comment on the row. Asked whether the pub had been the victim of a "misunderstanding", he told PA: "I don't have anything to say."

(Via - Towleroad)

LONDON: Gay Couple Ejected From Soho Pub After Kissing

The UK's Guardian reports that two gay men were ejected by the landlady of a Soho pub after she complained that they had kissed.

Jonathan Williams, a journalist for a financial trade magazine, and James Bull, a charity volunteer, say they were ejected from the John Snow on Broadwick Street, Soho, by a woman who claimed to be the landlady and said they were being "obscene". Bull said he was physically sick after the incident, which happened at about 10.45pm on Wednesday, after the couple had earlier been for dinner on their first date together in Covent Garden. Bull said: "I felt so belittled, and to be made to feel so dirty and cheap over something like that – it's just wrong." The pair say that objections were first raised to their displays of affection shortly after they arrived at 8.30pm by a fellow drinker claiming to be the landlord, who was off duty. They refused what they described as his "polite request" to stop kissing. Williams, 26, and Bull, 23, insist they were not indulging in a "huge display of affection", but were merely kissing on the lips.

This Friday night local activists plan to stage a "massive same-sex snog-a-thon" at the pub, which is not a gay bar but is located in Soho's popular gay village.

(Tipped by JMG reader Oliver)

Sharpton Gets Abortion Billboard Yanked

Rev. Al Sharpton says he's convinced an outdoor advertising company to pull the controversial anti-abortion billboard that went up in Soho earlier this week. Sharpton: "The billboard was offensive, especially during Black History Month, and I had intended to hold a press conference Friday in front of the billboard to protest the message of racial profiling and against a woman's right to choose."

UPDATE: Gothamist notes that the woman whose child posed for the stock photo used on the billboard is not very happy either. "I would never endorse something like that. Especially with my child's image. It's bad enough you're saying this about African Americans, but then you put a child with an innocent face. I just want the image off of it. Use another image—just not hers."

NEW YORK: Race-Baiting Anti-Abortion Billboard Angers City Politicians

New York City leaders are furious about a race-baiting anti-abortion billboard just posted in Soho.

Public Advocate Bill De Blasio demanded the billboard be taken down. “This billboard simply doesn’t belong in our city. The ad violates the values of New Yorkers and is grossly offensive to women and communities of color,” said De Blasio. The anti-abortion nonprofit organization behind the billboard said its goal is to shock people and spark discussion. The spokesperson for Life Always, Marissa Gabrysch, said the group is trying to highlight its belief that Planned Parenthood targets minority neighborhoods with the 300,000 abortions it performs each year. “There’s a grave disparity and just a huge disproportion that African-Americans represent 13 percent of the U.S. population yet represent 36 percent of abortions in the United States,” said Gabrysch.

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn issued a press release this morning.

“This billboard is nothing but a pathetic attempt to discredit Planned Parenthood. To refer to a woman’s legal right to an abortion as a ‘genocidal plot’ is not only absurd but it is offensive to women and to communities of color. Every woman deserves the right to make healthcare decisions for herself and I will continue to fight to protect this basic right and against this sort of fear mongering. What’s more unfortunate is that this billboard directs women to Crisis Pregnancy Centers, which are non-medical facilities that often mislead women about both their reproductive health and their reproductive rights. To give women as much information as possible about their own heath, I fully support local legislation to require Crisis Pregnancy Centers to clearly post what services they offer. Offensive rhetoric and deceptive actions against a woman’s right to choose will not be tolerated in our city.”

SOHO: Bedbugs Shut Down Hollister Store

New York City's neverending battle with bedbugs has gone retail. Via Gothamist:

Hollister, the teen-oriented clothing store that's a subsidiary of Abercrombie & Fitch, was shut down yesterday due to what one employee described as "a massive bedbug outbreak" at the four-story SoHo flagship location. And according to our source, who spoke on condition of anonymity so that he/she wouldn't lose his/her job at the creepy "bedbug breeding ground," the senior management blew off complaints about bedbugs for almost a month.

Gothamist's source says the store now has "three shirtless employees standing outside to tell customers that the store is closed until further notice." Bedbugs only breed at night, leading the quoted employee to speculate that the problem is so bad because the store is "almost completely dark." The Abercrombie on Fifth Avenue is also lit like a nightclub. Hmm.

Slideshow: Instinct Magazine's Leading Men Of 2009 Party

Thursday night's party for Instinct Magazine's Leading Men Of 2009 issue was a blast. Editor Mike Wood and publisher JR Pratts were genial hosts, the open bar flowed copiously and the room swelled with bold face names, much to the delight of my loyal companions Dr. Jeff and Father Tony. Jeff intro'd me to some Project Runway dude (Velvet?) and Tony positively squealed when Amanda Lepore arrived on the arm of gay rapper Cazwell. And it was cool to see my mug flashed on the overhead screens, even though the crowd was more interested in hearing Tardy For The Party, in regard to which DJ Bill Coleman did not disappoint. Gay pop artist Ari Gold performed a couple of discofied numbers, after which Father Tony tipsily decided to don Ari's mirrorball helmet. After leaving the very swank venue, Soho's Greenhouse, we decided to drop in at Gym Bar in Chelsea, where our Instinct gift bags were promptly stolen off a cocktail table. Ah, well. I didn't need all that fancy hair product anway. It was a great night and I humbly thank Instinct Magazine and their team. Some of the photos below are lifted from Father Tony's Flickr set, which is here.

Morning View - Broadway & Spring

Morning View - Prince Street Pinkstones

Not Pictured: Brooke Shields

Some people are upset with a new Calvin Klein billboard in Soho which, according to the NY Daily News, shows "a teenage girl in a threesome - with suggestions of a foursome."

"It's borderline pornographic," said neighborhood resident Lisa Marchese, 36, a marketing specialist who was disturbed by the youthfulness of the models. "They all look so young, particularly the girl. And to portray them in a threesome - it's just taking it too far." The ad depicts a topless young woman lying on top of a barechested boy while kissing a second shirtless male. They're on a sofa, and below them a third male - pants and shirt unbuttoned - is lying on the floor. Asked about the message in the ad, a Calvin Klein spokesman said the "intention was to create a very sexy campaign that speaks to our targeted demographic."

Free Republic, of course, is flogging this story in their Homosexual Agenda file. Well, the dude on the couch does have his head in the other guy's lap.

Afternoon View - Soho

Soho Sunday

The Farmboyz and I spent the day down in Soho and the Village, where we scoped out rents, bakeries, and men, in that order. Shifting priorities, eh?