LA TRANSGENDER WOMAN MURDERED
Police are investigating the death of a 21-year-old transgender woman who was gunned down while pounding on the front door of a South Los Angeles home seeking help, reports ktla.com.
Deshawnda Sanchez, known as “Tata,” was shot last month on the front porch of a home near South Wilton Place and West 62nd Street, according to the LAPD.
The occupant of the Chesterfield Square home came outside after hearing multiple gunshots but it was too late.
“Deshawnda is a transgender female,” an LAPD spokesperson said. “At this point, we cannot say it’s a hate crime but we have not ruled out that as being a possibility.”
FAMILY FILES SUIT AGAINST DEPUTIES
The family of John Winkler – a 30-year old aspiring television producer, who was mistakenly shot at 939 Palm Avenue in West Hollywood on April 7, 2014, is suing LA County over the killing.
Winkler was visiting friends in the complex when Alexander McDonald, 28, attacked the men with a knife. Winkler rushed at McDonald and then pushed a friend to the door and opened it. The lawsuit alleges that deputies outside the room began firing. The friend was struck in the leg and Winkler was shot on the chest.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
PALM SPRINGS AWARDS “THE IMITATION GAME”
“The Imitation Game” took home the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s honor for ensemble performance in film at the event this month, reports The Advocate at www.advocate.com.
Accepting the award on behalf of his costars, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Alan Turing in the film, used the opportunity to speak about the scientist’s legacy, whom he called a “war hero,” a “gay icon,” and the “father of modern computer science.”
“He’s a man who died tragically early due to a government he helped free from fascism by his work in World War II cracking the Enigma Code, rewarding him for his nature for quietly confessing to who he was – as a gay man in a time of intolerance in the ‘50s,” Cumberbatch said.
PORN STAR GETS 2 YEARS IN PRISON
A British gay porn star who was arrested at LAX for attempting to smuggle a half-pound of crystal meth in a body cavity was ordered last month to spend two years in federal prison, reports City News Service.
Philip Gizzie, who uses the stage name Bruno Knight, must also serve three years of supervised release after getting out of prison.
In a letter to the court, Gizzie said he had been addled by drugs at the time of the crime and was thankful for the sobriety he found during five months in a federal lockup.
WEHO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ON MARCH 3
The City of West Hollywood’s General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 to fill three seats on the West Hollywood City Council for a four-year term, starting in March, 2015. The Deadline to register for the next election is February 17.
Residents can register to vote online on the City’s website at weho.org/elections, which will take you to the California Secretary of State’s Voter Registration page. You must be 18 years of age, a United States citizen, and a resident of California.
For more information, call the City of West Hollywood’s City Clerk’s Office at (323) 848-6409.
CLOTHING DRIVE TO BENEFIT LGBT YOUTH
The third annual clothing drive for the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Youth Center takes place this month until January 30. Clothing will be accepted from the community and all items collected will be distributed to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth in need. The City of West Hollywood will be accepting items in collection bins at West Hollywood City Hall, located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard.
For more information about the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Youth Center on Highland, visit lalgbtcenter.org/youth_center.
