BRITAIN: Killers Of Gay Men Marry Each Other In Federal Prison Ceremony

Last month I reported that two British men convicted for murdering other gay men were to get married in a first for the prison system there. That ceremony took place on Saturday in a maximum security prison in Yorkshire.

Mikhail Gallatinov, 40, and Marc Goodwin, 31, are serving life sentences in the same prison, both for violent and fatal hate crimes against gay men. Their vows stated they were "soul partners" and included promises to be "forever together". The couple were given a plastic knife to cut their small wedding cake, according to the Manchester Evening News. Several convict friends attended the small ceremony along with a few relatives and Gallatinov’s parents. Four prison officers were invited as guests. The ceremony was policed by six on-duty prison officers.

Goodwin is serving an 18-year sentence for what was labelled "a gay-bashing spree", in which he beat a 57-year-old man named Malcolm Benfold to death. He has ten years left to serve, the Guardian reports. Gallatinov - who is also a convicted child molester - is serving a twenty-year sentence for the murder of Adrian Kaminsky(28). He met the man on a gay hotline and was convicted of strangling him. Having served almost eighteen years, he will be eligible to be considered for parole next year. Gallatinov’s parents, who attended the wedding, told the Manchester Evening News that they are "proud" of their son "being a small part of history".

The men do not share a cell and conjugal visits are not permitted. (Tipped by JMG reader Mike)

NEW YORK: Prison Guard Suspended After Facebook Threat To Shoot Gay Neighbors

A part-time corrections officer in a Buffalo suburb has resigned after his superiors were notified that he had posted a Facebook message in which he threatened to shoot his gay neighbors. He has also been suspended from his full-time job at the infamous Attica state prison. Via the Buffalo News:

Richard “Rick” Pilarski Jr. resigned Saturday as a cell block attendant for the Cheektowaga Police Department after he acknowledged the Facebook exchange with family and friends in which he threatened to shoot gays. The exchange was spurred by a news account about a proposed ballot initiative in California known as the “Sodomite Suppression Act,” which calls for imposing the death penalty on gay men and women who are sexually active.

“We brought him in today and he decided to resign from the position,” Assistant Police Chief James J. Speyer said Saturday. “He was remorseful and apologetic. It is one of those situations where he never intended it to be something that would come out.” Speyer said the department received a complaint late last week and immediately suspended Pilarski without pay while beginning an investigation. Pilarski, 33, also was placed on administrative leave Friday from his job as full-time state corrections officer at Attica Correctional Facility, as the state investigates the complaint.

“Wouldn’t this be the greatest thing in the world??? The guys around the corner would be the first 2 faggots in my sights. What you do in your house is one thing but when you fly flags of equal rights and the rainbow flag in a small quiet neighborhood is another,” Pilarski posted Monday on Facebook. Pilarski acknowledged the Facebook posts were his but explained that he thought he was having a private conversation, Speyer said. After admitting the Facebook exchanges, Pilarski resigned from his part-time job, Speyer said. He worked five shifts a month in the cell block.

Prison officials and Pilarski's corrections officers union have declined to comment. His Facebook account has been deleted.

Pope To Lunch With LGBT Prisoners

Via the National Catholic Reporter:

Pope Francis reportedly will have lunch Saturday with about 90 prisoners, including 10 from a prison ward for transgender and gay prisoners and those who suffer from AIDS, as part of a visit to the southern Italian city of Naples. The prisoners won their spots after a raffle among some 1,900 detainees, according to a report posted late Tuesday on the Italian news website Vatican Insider. That article refers to a separate report made on the matter by Tv2000, an Italian television network operated by the country's Catholic bishops' conference and known for broadcasting most papal events. According to the Vatican Insider report, the pontiff's lunch with the prisoners will be cooked by the prisoners themselves and will include detainees from two nearby institutions.

(Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

BRITAIN: Gay-Bashing Murderer To Get Gay-Married In First For Prison System

A British killer convicted in a gay-bashing murder will marry a fellow murderer in a first for that nation's prison system. Via the Daily Mail:

Mikhail Ivan Gallatinov, 40, who was jailed in 1997 for what a judge labelled a ‘callous, chilling killing’, is to marry fellow prisoner Marc Goodwin. Goodwin, 31, was the leader of a gang that roamed the streets of Blackpool looking for homosexuals to attack. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years in 2007 after being found guilty of murdering Malcolm Benfold, 57, who was beaten to death. His trial heard that he and two friends had agreed to go ‘gay bashing’. Goodwin and Gallatinov – who strangled 28-year-old gay man Adrian Kaminsky – met while behind bars, according to the Daily Mirror. They have been given official permission for the ceremony at HMP Full Sutton, Yorkshire. No details of the wedding have been revealed, although a notice of the marriage has reportedly been posted at the register office in the nearest town, Beverley. On the notice, both men give their occupation as bar staff.

Other British killers have been permitted to marry women while behind bars. (Tipped by JMG reader Kent)

Charles Manson Gets Marriage License

When news of the engagement broke back in August, I wrote, "LGBT Americans cannot marry in 31 states - but Charles Manson can get married in prison." What a difference the last few weeks have made. Manson, by the way, turned 80 last week and has been imprisoned for 43 years.

MAP: What EU Nations Are Worst At

The categories for France, Denmark. and Romania are really dumb compared to the seriousness of the others. Visit Thrillist for a breakdown. A huge version of the map is here. (Via JMG reader Aaron)

Lennon's Killer Denied Parole

John Lennon's killer was denied parole yesterday for the eighth time.

According to the decision, “the panel has determined that if released at this time, there is a reasonable probability that you would not live and remain at liberty without again violating the law.” The panel added that “your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate the serious nature of the crime as to undermine respect for the law.” Ono sent word to the Parole Board that she again opposed Chapman’s release out of fear for herself and Lennon’s two sons. She also expressed concerns that Chapman himself would be at risk from still irate Lennon fans looking to get even. Her lawyer had no immediate comment Friday. The panel noted that Chapman received letters of support and expressed remorse. It also reviewed his prison disciplinary record, which has been clean since 1994. But the Parole Board commissioners noted community opposition to his release.

Chapman, who is permitted conjugal visits with his wife, says that he has found Jesus in prison. His next parole hearing is in 2016.

Charles Manson To Marry

LGBT Americans cannot marry in 31 states - but Charles Manson can get married in prison.

Afton Burton was 16 and living with her parents in Illinois when she discovered Charles Manson. Now, nine years later, her name is Star, she's 25 years old, and she considers herself Charles Manson's wife, even though it isn't official yet. "He filed for the first round of paperwork," says Star, who says she's in love with the 79-year-old convicted murderer. "I'm completely with him, and he's completely with me. It's what I was born for, you know. I don't know what else to say." The prison limits physical contact. During visits, Star and Manson can only hug each other at the beginning and end. Because Manson is serving a life sentence, they won't be allowed conjugal visits, even if they're officially married.

Manson turns 80 in November.

Arizona Execution Takes Two Hours

WASHINGTON: Pentagon Approves Gender Transition For Chelsea Manning

Via the Associated Press:

In an unprecedented move, the Pentagon is trying to transfer convicted national security leaker Pvt. Chelsea Manning to a civilian prison so she can get treatment for her gender disorder, defense officials said. Manning, formerly named Bradley, was convicted of sending classified documents to anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. The soldier has asked for hormone therapy and to be able to live as a woman. The request was the first ever made by a transgender military inmate and set up a dilemma for the Defense Department: How to treat a soldier for a diagnosed disorder without violating long-standing military policy. Transgenders are not allowed to serve in the U.S. military and the Defense Department does not provide such treatment, but Manning can't be discharged from the service while serving his 35-year prison sentence. Some officials have said privately that keeping the soldier in a military prison and unable to have treatment could amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

RELATED: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said on Sunday that the ban on transgender service members "should be reviewed." Ten nations currently permit transgender military service: Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

Chelsea Manning Granted Name Change

Chelsea Manning is now legally Chelsea Manning.

A Kansas judge granted a request Wednesday to formally change the name of the soldier convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks from Bradley Edward Manning to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning. The former intelligence analyst is serving a 35-year prison sentence for passing classified U.S. government information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. Manning is serving the sentence at the Army prison on Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Leavenworth County District Judge David King said he'd allow the name change during a court hearing that lasted about a minute. Manning didn't attend the hearing but issued a statement saying it was "an exciting day." "Hopefully today's name change, while so meaningful to me personally, can also raise awareness of the fact that we (transgender) people exist everywhere in America today, and that we must jump through hurdles every day just for being who we are," Manning said.

Manning remains in a men's prison and the name change "does not compel the military" to transfer her to a women's prison, according to the Associated Press.

Headline Of The Day

Details.

CA Approves Weddings For Gay Inmates

Inmates in the California prison system are now eligible for same-sex marriages.

Michael Stainer, director of the adult institutions division for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, issued a memo on Friday stating that the U.S. Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriages legal again in the state in June also applies to prisoners. But Stainer says gay or bisexual inmates will only be allowed to marry same-sex partners who are not incarcerated and only during prison ceremonies. He says marriages between two prisoners would raise too many security concerns.

Cleveland Kidnapper Commits Suicide

One month after he was sentenced to more than 1000 years in prison, notorious Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro has hanged himself in his cell.

Castro, 53, was in a cell by himself in protective custody at the Correction Reception Center in Orient, Ohio, wrote JoEllen Smith with the state corrections agency. Castro was found at 9:20 p.m. ET in the cell, where checks are required every 30 minutes, Smith wrote in the email. After prison medical staff attempted lifesaving measures, Castro was transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m. ET, Smith wrote.

Editorial Of The Day

From the New York Times editorial board:

Of course, the Manning case presents other issues as well, starting with whether the all-male prison at Fort Leavenworth is the right institution for Private Manning. Transgender inmates are especially vulnerable to sexual assaults, and special care must be taken to ensure their safety with accommodations like private showering. The nature of Private Manning’s offense could make for added safety worries. Prodded by lawsuits and strong Justice Department regulations issued last year to implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, civilian jails and prisons around the country are developing ways to address the particular needs of transgender inmates. Private Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, said last week that he hoped military prison officials would voluntarily provide hormone treatment, without a lawsuit. It should not take a court order to get officials — including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel — to do the right thing. They should give Private Manning appropriate medical care and safe but not unduly isolated housing, which should be available for all transgender prisoners.

(Tipped by JMG reader Elise)

PBS News Hour On Chelsea Manning

With an interview with Allyson Robinson.

LGBT Orgs Respond To Chelsea Manning

ACLU LGBT Project

In response to Chelsea Manning's disclosure that she is female, has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, and will be seeking hormone therapy as a part of her transition during her incarceration, public statements by military officials that the Army does not provide hormone therapy to treat gender dysphoria raise serious constitutional concerns. Gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition in which a person's gender identity does not correspond to his or her assigned sex at birth, and hormone therapy is part of the accepted standards of care for this condition.

Without the necessary treatment, gender dysphoria can cause severe psychological distress, including anxiety and suicide. When the government holds individuals in its custody, it must provide them with medically necessary care. The official policy of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and most state agencies is to provide medically necessary care for the treatment of gender dysphoria, and courts have consistently found that denying such care to prisoners based on blanket exclusions violates the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

Human Rights Campaign

Regardless of how she came to our attention, Pvt. Chelsea Manning’s transition deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. As she requested in her letter, journalists and other officials should use her chosen name of Chelsea and refer to her with female pronouns. Using the name Bradley or male pronouns is nothing short of an insult. Media, having reported on her wishes, must respect them as is the standard followed by the AP Stylebook.

As Pvt. Manning serves her sentence, she deserves the same thing that any incarcerated person does – appropriate and competent medical care and protection from discrimination and violence. The care she receives should be something that she and her doctors – including professionals who understand transgender care – agree is best for her. There is a clear legal consensus that it is the government’s responsibility to provide medically necessary care for transgender people and the military has an obligation to follow those guidelines.

What should not be lost is that there are transgender servicemembers and veterans who serve and have served this nation with honor, distinction and great sacrifice. We must not forget or dishonor those individuals. Pvt. Manning’s experience is not a proxy for any other transgender man or woman who wears the uniform of the United States.

Lambda Legal

Transgender people--like all people--deserve health care and are constitutionally protected in prison. Period. In fact the U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled in Farmer v. Brennan on the right of transgender people to be free from cruel and unusual punishment while in prison which includes withholding medically necessary treatment.

"It would be a shame if the U.S. military prison system held itself to a lower standard than civil prisons. The Constitution requires that Chelsea Manning receive medical care at Ft. Leavenworth--to do otherwise would be a violation of the Eighth Amendment."

In the 1994 seminal Eighth Amendment case involving a transgender plaintiff, Farmer v. Brennan, the court stated that "prison officials have a duty under the Eighth Amendment to provide humane conditions of confinement. They must ensure that inmates receive adequate food, clothing, shelter, and medical care."

Just last year the U.S. Supreme Court declined review of a 6th Circuit decision in Fields v. Smith striking down as unconstitutional a Wisconsin law that barred medical care for transgender prisoners. Lambda Legal and the ACLU won that case on behalf of transgender prisoners.

New Muppet Has Imprisoned Dad

Sesame Street has introduced a new Muppet whose father is in prison. From today's New York Daily News:

The popular children’s television series hasn’t shied away from tough topics in the past, and has introduced a new muppet named Alex as a way to talk about the stigma of having a parent in jail. “I just miss him so much,” the fuzzy blue-haired muppet says of his locked-up dad, adding, “Sometimes I just feel like I want to pound on a pillow and scream as loud as I can.” The sensitive subject is being featured in an online teaching kit called, “Little Children, Big Challenges.” The clips featuring Alex aren’t actually being aired on television, and he isn’t being introduced as a regular character on the show.

Hit the link to see a clip. (Tipped by JMG reader Win)

Megachurch Pastor Jack Shaap Sentenced To 12 Years For Sex With Teen Girl

Indiana megachurch Pastor Jack Shaap, a noble and Godly defender of marriage and family, has been sentenced to twelve years in prison on federal charges of sex with a sixteen year-old girl.

Disturbing details emerged earlier this month regarding the sex case, with the court noting that Schaap, a married father of two, had tried to justify his relationship with the young girl by claiming that it was a "gift from God." "You opened your heart wide to me – you made me more than a Pastor/Rescuer – you made me your friend your confidant, your beloved. You gave me your trust, your heart, your love, + your affection," the former megachurch pastor wrote to the girl in messages during their relationship. The former church leader had previously tried to explain his actions as being influenced by the extreme stress and heavy work weeks he had while leading the church.

Friendly Atheist points out that Schaap has written a dating advice book for young Christian girls.

By all means, keep your weight down to the proper level. Hundreds upon hundreds of times I have had young men tell me that they would date a particular girl in whom they were interested if only she would lose a few pounds. Fix your hair every day. Go to the library, study books on hair care and find new ways to wear your hair. Don’t be afraid to wear modest amounts of make-up. But, be very careful about using excessive eye shadow. Many guys are turned off by dark or colored eye shadow. Don’t be trendy. One of my best friends in college nearly broke up with his future wife because she was the first to wear colored stockings among her peers.

VIDEO: Here's Schaap talking about how men should be the unyielding masters of their women. Particularly the very young ones, as it turns out.

ITALY: Anti-Gay Former PM Silvio Berlusconi Sentenced To Prison