We were seeing stars at the 11th annual NY Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violent Project Courage Awards.

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Lesbian lawyers know how to get justice started!

Frustrated by weeks of inactivity in the investigation in Top Chef lesbian Josie Smith-Malave's September attack, New York lawyer Yetta Kurland pressed police to whip up some suspects in the Bravo star's assault. Said Kurland: "[You need] to treat the vicious attack … as the violent hate crime that it was." Though the had already nabbed one person, there were still about eleven people of interest. And, by some policing miracle, two arrests were made this weekend!

Melissa Trimarchi, 21, was arrested Saturday night on a misdemeanor assault charge, police said. She was released on an appearance ticket until a Nov. 30 court date. No working telephone number could be found for Trimarchi at the Sea Cliff address police gave, and they didn’t know whether she had an attorney.

Police also said Saturday that Elizabeth Borroughs, 20, had been arrested Tuesday on a misdemeanor charge of aggravated harassment. She also was released on an appearance ticket and is due in court Friday.

Those girls' respective birds may be cooked.

Josie Smith-Malave will sleep more soundly tonight. Nassau County police have made one arrest in connection with the former Top Chefer's gay bashing and robbery. A 20-year old Oregonian named Matthew W. Walli turned himself in for stealing Smith-Malave's camera during the Labor Day attack. Lt. Kevin Smith says:

Basically, we had a name that we circulated around the Sea Cliff area, and I guess [Walli] put one and one together and decided we were looking for him. He voluntarily came in, and based on things that he said he was arrested.

Though usually classified as a Class C felony, the robbery may be changed to a Class B if investigators find Walli's actions were hate-motivated, The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld reports.

Smith-Malave's attorney, Yetta Kurland expressed relief over the news:

I’m glad to see that the Nassau County Police Department and the District Attorney are moving forward on this matter swiftly. It’s the first of what I hope to be many arrests.

About eleven other people are wanted in connection to the crime.

Allegedly unoriginal The Advocate may be losing ads, but they've grabbed an exclusive interview with Top Chef's recently bashed Josie Smith-Malave. Recalling her experience at Sea Cliff bar Partners, Smith-Malave wonders if it all started with a simple dance:

[Smith-Malave] and another woman, Emily Durwood, 30, had been dancing together inside the bar and had eventually been asked to leave.

“We were close, I’m sure we didn’t look straight,” Smith-Malave told The Advocate. “My hand was on her hip, my arm around her shoulder—we definitely looked like lesbians.”

Girl, you look a lesbian no matter what - but that's a good thing!

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Former Top Chef contestant Josie Smith-Malave had an eventful - and painful - labor day weekend.

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