Hamilton Township, NJ
Police & Fire
LGBTQ+ Advocate Killed In Trenton Shooting Was Protecting Loved One, Friends Say LGBTQ+ Advocate Killed In Trenton Shooting Was Protecting Loved One, Friends Say
LGBTQ+ Advocate Killed In Trenton Shooting Was Protecting Loved One, Friends Say A 23-year-old LGBTQ+ advocate was shot and killed last Friday in Trenton, with their killer in custody as of Monday morning, authorities said. Shaquil Lofti was found with gunshot wounds in their face in a house on Kelsey Avenue around 4:40 a.m., Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said. They were transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later. The accused gunman, Daniel L. Smith, 36, was arrested in a traffic stop the following day, authorities said. He is charged with one count of murder and multiple weapons offenses. The …

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by Cecilia Levine
Hamilton Township, NJ
Police & Fire
LGBTQ+ Advocate Killed In Trenton Shooting Was Protecting Loved One, Friends Say LGBTQ+ Advocate Killed In Trenton Shooting Was Protecting Loved One, Friends Say
LGBTQ+ Advocate Killed In Trenton Shooting Was Protecting Loved One, Friends Say A 23-year-old LGBTQ+ advocate was shot and killed last Friday in Trenton, with their killer in custody as of Monday morning, authorities said. Shaquil Lofti was found with gunshot wounds in their face in a house on Kelsey Avenue around 4:40 a.m., Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said. They were transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later. The accused gunman, Daniel L. Smith, 36, was arrested in a traffic stop the following day, authorities said. He is charged with one count of murder and multiple weapons offenses. The …

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by Cecilia Levine
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
News
Report: Transphobic Rant Spurs Dueling Harassment Case For NJ School School Admin, Diners Report: Transphobic Rant Spurs Dueling Harassment Case For NJ School School Admin, Diners
Report: Transphobic Rant Spurs Dueling Harassment Case For NJ School School Admin, Diners The vice principal of a New Jersey middle school who tossed beer at a group of people filming his wife rant against a transgender women's bathroom is accusing the people who got hit with the beer of harassment. And the people who got hit with the beer are accusing the school admin of the same. A Galloway Township municipal court judge on Thursday is expected to examine the cases of Michael Smurro -- who works at Neptune Middle School -- along with those he accused of harassing him and his wife, Lisa, AP News reports. The incident occurred April 24 at Fred and Ethel's in Absecon. An admini…

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by Cecilia Levine
Highland Lakes-Vernon, NJ
News
LAWSUIT: Sussex County Woman Says Workplace Became Hostile After She Came Out As Transgender LAWSUIT: Sussex County Woman Says Workplace Became Hostile After She Came Out As Transgender
Lawsuit: Sussex County Woman Says Workplace Became Hostile After She Came Out As Transgender A transgender woman and water department supervisor from Sussex County is seeking a jury trial, compensatory and punitive damages in a lawsuit filed on claims that she was mistreated by her employer after announcing her intent to undergo gender reassignment surgery, a new report says. Tori-Anne Corrado, 59, a senior plant operator in Wayne Township’s Department of Water Pollution Control in Passaic County, says her coworkers continued to misgender her by calling her “sir” and that she “has been repeatedly met with disrespect and hostility by members of upper management as well as by the juni…

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by Valerie Musson
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
News
Central Jersey School VP Doused Patrons With Beer As Wife Complained About Transgender Incident Central Jersey School VP Doused Patrons With Beer As Wife Complained About Transgender Incident
Central Jersey School VP Doused Patrons With Beer As Wife Complained About Transgender Incident A vice principal at a Central Jersey  middle school is under investigation after a Facebook post shows him tossing his beer at restaurant patrons in Atlantic County last weekend, according to media reports. Neptune Middle School Vice Principal'Michael Smurro's beer toss came as his wife, Lisa, argued over an alleged transgender woman using the women’s bathroom with her at the restaurant, Fred & Ethel’s Lantern Light and Tavern in Smithville, Galloway Township on Saturday, according to BreakingAC.com. School District Superintendent Tami Crader, said she’d just learned of the inciden…

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by Jon Craig
White Plains, NY
Politics
'I'm In!': Ex-Olympian, Westchester Native Caitlyn Jenner Launches Bid For California Governor 'I'm In!': Ex-Olympian, Westchester Native Caitlyn Jenner Launches Bid For California Governor
'I'm In!': Ex-Olympian, Westchester Native Caitlyn Jenner Launches Bid For California Governor Could another reality TV star be elected to one of the nation's most prestigious positions?  Former Olympian and reality TV personality Caitlyn Jenner, a longtime Republican, announced that she plans to throw her hat into the ring and make a gubernatorial run in California. Jenner, a Hudson Valley native, who was born in Mount Kisco and grew up in Sleepy Hollow before graduating from Newtown High School in Fairfield County, took to social media to announce that she was planning to move forward with a run at the governor’s seat. “I’m in!” Jenner posted with a lengthy release announcing…

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by Zak Failla
Lower Paxton, PA
Lifestyle
IT'S OFFICIAL: Dr. Rachel Levine Confirmed As U.S. Senate's First Openly Transgender Official IT'S OFFICIAL: Dr. Rachel Levine Confirmed As U.S. Senate's First Openly Transgender Official
IT'S Official: Dr. Rachel Levine Confirmed As U.S. Senate's First Openly Transgender Official The former Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine was confirmed Wednesday as the US Assistant Health Secretary --  making her the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Wednesday's 52-48 vote broke down along partly line with only two exceptions, Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Pa. Senator Republican Pat Toomey did not vote to confirm Dr. Levine. Toomey says, "Levine Has Not Earned a Promotion to Help Lead HHS” “In Pennsylvania, the pandemic struck seniors in nursing homes disproportionately h…

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by Jillian Pikora
Massapequa, NY
Politics
NY Repeals 'Walking While Trans' Ban NY Repeals 'Walking While Trans' Ban
NY Repeals 'Walking While Trans' Ban New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is repealing a controversial statute dubbed the “walking while trans” ban. Cuomo signed legislation this week repealing portions of the law - originally signed in 1976 - that led to “arbitrary and discriminatory policing of transgender women.” According to the governor’s office, the law was originally passed with “the intent to prohibit loitering for the purpose of prostitution," though it "has been used with an extremely broad definition of loitering that led to the arrest of law-abiding transgender and cisgender women of color.” Cuomo’s office noted…

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by Zak Failla
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Newark Trans Woman's Death Was Ruled Suicide, Here's Why Authorities Are Reopening The Case Newark Trans Woman's Death Was Ruled Suicide, Here's Why Authorities Are Reopening The Case
Newark Trans Woman's Death Was Ruled Suicide, Here's Why Authorities Are Reopening The Case Authorities are investigating the April death of a Newark trans woman after months calls for action by activists and community members, authorities announced Tuesday. Ashley Moore's death had been ruled a suicide after she was found unresponsive lying on the sidewalk in front of the YMCA on Broad Street around 4:10 a.m. April 1, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said. Moore, 26, was taken to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead. "To date, our detectives have not discovered evidence to the contrary," Ambrose said. "However, I have reached out to Essex County…

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by Cecilia Levine
Cortlandt, NY
Police & Fire
Westchester Woman Escapes After Being Tied Up, Robbed At Gunpoint Westchester Woman Escapes After Being Tied Up, Robbed At Gunpoint
Westchester Woman Escapes After Being Tied Up, Robbed At Gunpoint The NYPD is asking the public's help identifying two men wanted in connection to a robbery in which a woman was tied up and robbed before escaping. The incident took place around 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov.19, in Yonkers on the corner of Unionport Road and Metropolitan Oval, when a 30-year-old Westchester.woman, whom the New York Post, reported as being a transgender prostitute, entered a black SUV where she encountered a man she knew and a second unidentified man, said the NYPD. The vehicle used in the alleged crime.NYPD While inside the vehicle, the man the woman knew, pulled out a gun, …

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by Kathy Reakes
White Plains, NY
Politics
Who Do You Think Won?: Key Clashes In Cuomo-Molinaro Debate Who Do You Think Won?: Key Clashes In Cuomo-Molinaro Debate
Who Do You Think Won?: Key Clashes In Cuomo-Molinaro Debate Video: In case you missed it, or if you'd like to see it again, watch a video of the hourlong debate above Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican challenger Marc Molinaro took off the boxing gloves in a fiery one-hour debate Tuesday that -- between numerous interruptions -- touched on health care, corruption and President Donald Trump The only one-on-one debate scheduled before the Nov. 6 election got testy as Cuomo and Molinaro attacked each other mid-sentence. Democrat Cuomo, a resident of New Castle, repeatedly tried to link Molinaro to Donald Trump, also a native New Yorker, even though th…

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by Jon Craig