LAPD / Queerty

» Retrial!

Former copper Mitchell Grobeson will get another day in court. A Los Angeles judge ruled today that Grobeson's ant-gay discrimination case against the LAPD must be retried after a juror admitted to pre-judging in favor of the city. The case dates back to 1988, when LAPD officials attempted to suppress his public gay expressions, claims Grobesn, who is seeking $4.4 million in damages. [Daily Breeze]

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» No Go.

Former LAPD officer Mitchell Grobeson will not get a new trial for his anti-gay discrimination suit against the department. A jury ruled in favor of the city last December, thus smashing Grobeson's dreams of a $4.4 million payoff. [LA Independent]

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LAPD Revives Anti-Discrimination Rules

City Council Votes 12-0 For Regulation

The Los Angeles Police Department will revive long dormant anti-discrimination laws.

The city council initiated move comes ahead of a trial in which Sgt. Mitch Grobeson will ask to be reinstated to his job, which he left after two bouts of alleged discriminatory action.

In a major concession involving a 14-year-old case alleging harassment in the hiring and promotion of gays and lesbians in the Los Angeles Police Department, the City Council agreed Wednesday to reinstate policies banning discrimination.

In a 12-0 vote, the council also agreed to pay $695,000 in attorneys fees for former LAPD Sgt. Mitch Grobeson, the first openly gay police officer who won a suit in 1993 requiring the department to change its policies.
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Under terms of the agreement reached Wednesday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will re-issue an executive order first released by then-Mayor Richard Riordan banning discrimination in city agencies based on sexual orientation.

The city also agreed to improve training for officers on gay and lesbian issues, change questions on background checks and develop an outreach program to various organizations to recruit new officers.

LAPD has, it's worth mentioning, made a concerted effort in recent years to recruit gay officers, including more than a few appearances as pride parades, where gays are a dime a dozen.

Nov 1, 2007 · Link · 1 Response

Happy Endings: Oprah's Jet Is Flipped The Bird

• Oprah Winfrey usually obliterates all of her competition, no matter what. Even in the sky. [CBS News]

• A lesbian running for office in Canada has rejected Rosie O’Donnell’s donation to her campaign. We don’t think it has anything to do with fear of her money being jinxed after she funded the Broadway flop Taboo. [The Toronto Star]

• A straight teen has been awarded nearly half a mill for being teased about being gay in school. How so very ironic. [Kansas City Star]

• Richard Hatch could end up spending the rest of his life behind bars for tax evasion which just goes to show that being a winner on a reality TV show doesn’t prevent you from losing in real life. [365 Gay]

• A French MP believes that gays are jeopardizing the world because we can’t procreate. Personally we think it’s the ones who are overpopulating Earth that are endangering us all. [London Daily Telegraph]

• The LAPD, in hoping to lure queers from the Windy City to sunny Southern California, is sponsoring the Gay Games. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Dec 27, 2005 · Link · Respond