PLEASE JOIN ME SUNDAY OCT 14TH AS I HOST THE ANTI-BULLY PROJECT

dot429, the premier social networking platform for LGBTA professionals and entrepreneurs, is proud to present The Anti-Bully Project on October 14th, 2012 in conjunction with the annual StraightTalk conference at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.

The Anti-Bully Project is a pro-social initiative by dot429 to bring together concerned members format eh LGBTA community to highlight the importance of taking a stand against bullying, and develop an action plan on how we can put a stop to bullying and its tragic consequences.

“As an organization we want to draw the attention of dot429 members to the toll bullying has taken on the lives of those affected,” said Richard Klein, CEO of dot429. “We want to remind LGBT kids that there is hope and life will get better. Until that day comes, we want to empower them with the tools and resources to live and learn in a safe and conducive environment at school.”

Panel discussion will be led by TV personality Steph Watts, who will challenge our panelists to discuss what can be done to put a stop to bullying. Panelists include celebrities, lawmakers, educators, activists, parents, bullies, and those who have been affected by social abuse.

“LGBT kids today should not have to wait until it gets better. It starts now The Anti-Bully Project is about empowering LGBT kids, their families, their friends and allies whose lives have been affected by bullying to say – no more,” said Watts. “How many more deaths do we have to go through before we put a stop to this senseless violence? Enough is enough.”

The Anti-Bully Project will be on Sunday, October 14th, 2012 at the Tribeca Grand Hotel from 12:00pm-1:00pm. After the discussion, dot429 will host a brunch in which attendees and panelists can meet to continue the conversation.

For more information and registration to the event, please visit dot429.com

About dot429

dot429 is an online and in-person professional network and social magazine focused on creating opportunities and connections and providing rich content and discovery for the LGBT community an their allies. dot429 brings together some of the most influential and successful among the LGBTA community, where together, we can achieve even more. Connect, engage, discover with dot429.

About Steph Watts

New York, NY – July 31, 2012. dot429, the premier social networking platform for LGBTA professionals and entrepreneurs, is proud to present The Anti-Bully Project on October 14th, 2012 in conjunction with the annual StraightTalk conference at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.

The Anti-Bully Project is a pro-social initiative by dot429 to bring together concerned members format eh LGBTA community to highlight the importance of taking a stand against bullying, and develop an action plan on how we can put a stop to bullying and its tragic consequences.

“As an organization we want to draw the attention of dot429 members to the toll bullying has taken on the lives of those affected,” said Richard Klein, CEO of dot429. “We want to remind LGBT kids that there is hope and life will get better. Until that day comes, we want to empower them with the tools and resources to live and learn in a safe and conducive environment at school.”

Panel discussion will be led by TV personality Steph Watts, who will challenge our panelists to discuss what can be done to put a stop to bullying. Panelists include celebrities, lawmakers, educators, activists, parents, bullies, and those who have been affected by social abuse.

“LGBT kids today should not have to wait until it gets better. It starts now The Anti-Bully Project is about empowering LGBT kids, their families, their friends and allies whose lives have been affected by bullying to say – no more,” said Watts. “How many more deaths do we have to go through before we put a stop to this senseless violence? Enough is enough.”

The Anti-Bully Project will be on Sunday, October 14th, 2012 at the Tribeca Grand Hotel from 12:00pm-1:00pm. After the discussion, dot429 will host a brunch in which attendees and panelists can meet to continue the conversation.

For more information and registration to the event, please visit dot429.com

About dot429

dot429 is an online and in-person professional network and social magazine focused on creating opportunities and connections and providing rich content and discovery for the LGBT community an their allies. dot429 brings together some of the most influential and successful among the LGBTA community, where together, we can achieve even more. Connect, engage, discover with dot429.

About Steph Watts

Steph can be seen on “Nancy Grace,” “On the Record w Greta Van Susteren,” CBS News, FOX News, “Inside Edition,” “The View,” ESPN, CNN and A&E. Steph has written for Village Voice, Brill’s Content, Court TV, Fox News.com, ABC News.com and Steph’s blog “Watts Up With This” stephww.wordpress.com features unique and breaking crime reports. Steph’s work as an investigative reporter is profiled in “The Murder Business”, a book by Mark Fuhrman and another book just released about Joran Van Der Sloot; “Portrait of a Monster.” Steph is featured as a reporter in the crime series “Bloodwork” airing on A&E. Steph is currently producing documentaries and reality programing under WattsNewProductions.com

DID DREW PETERSON PICK HIS OWN JURY??

The trial for Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson beings on Tuesday.

He has sat behind bars for over 3 years on 20 million dollars bond awaiting trial for the murder of his 3rd wife Kathleen Savio. It’s been 8 years since Kathleen Savio was found mysteriously dead in her bathtub and 5 years after Peterson’s 4th wife, Stacey Peterson disappeared, sparking the investigation in Savios mysterious death and ultimately filing murder charges.

Stacy and Kathleen’s family, and anyone who has every had contact with Drew peterson says he is slick, manipulative and controlling, even from behind bars.

That was apparent last week in court as Drew Peterson carefully studied and appraised every prospective juror who took a seat in the small Joliet courtroom. He nodded or shook his head when his attorneys asked whether to fight to keep them.  Essentially Drew Peterson selected his own jury, with, surprisingly, no argument from the state.

Is this an attempt by Peterson and his defense team to intimidate and control the jury? It was initially believed the jury would hear very little, if anything, about Stacy Peterson’s disappearance during trial. But, in an odd move by the defense she’s actually listed on the witness list. Opening up the possibility her name will be mentioned in court and a possible explanation to the jury as to why she can’t testify.

Having been in Peterson’s home and in his presence more times than I care to remember, I can predict he will do anything to communicate with the jury in an attempt to win them over and distract them from the facts of this case and charm them into a “not guilty verdict. Let’s hope the jury is a little smarter than that.

MY FIRST INTERVIEW WITH A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Today @ 11:00am est, I interview America’s Party Presidential Candidate Tom Hoefling. The “Disgruntled Republican” is offering the American people another choice in the 2012 election. Listen in as he lays out his grass-roots campaign for the presidency and weighs in his opponents views on the Gay Marriage Debate. Should be very interesting

http://www.spreecast.com/events/presidential-candiate-tom-hoefling

Joe Francis Say’s Rick Santorum should be arrested and Kim and Kanye..”YES..it’s real!”

Today on my spreecast I had Girls Gone Wild Founder Joe Francis on as a guest and he made some shocking statements about former presidential candidate Rick Santorum. AND he confirmed; Joe just returned from vacation with the Kardashians and all Kim could talk about was Kanye.

http://www.spreecast.com/events/join-ggw-founder-joe-franciscomfirmed

Girl Gone Wild Goes to Washington

I love my friend Joe, he’s always doing something exciting, and always trying to make difference…

Los Angeles, California, April 24, 2012.  Girls Gone Wild Founder Joe Francis is NOT throwing his hat into the political ring with the likes of Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian.  However, Francis announced today that he has added an additional prize for the winner of the wildly popular, #1 rated, HDNet reality series, “ The Search for the Hottest Girl in America.”  After making a charitable donation during a private auction this past weekend benefitting a Los Angeles based temple, Francis purchased a once-in-a-lifetime four-week internship on Capitol Hill working for a United States Senator and added it to the prize package for this season’s lucky winner.

The internship will take place this summer in the office of U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (D – Ark.) in Washington, D.C.  According to Francis, “At this time more than ever, women need strong representation in Washington.  Women’s issues and rights have been completely assaulted by the Republican candidates during this year’s Republican primaries.”  Francis goes on to say, “When this opportunity presented itself, I felt there was no better way to empower women than to send the winner of Girls Gone Wild’s ‘Search for the Hottest Girl in America’ contest to Washington D.C.  I truly believe that women, not men, should be making decisions for women in this country.”  Look out Elle Woods, it appears the Hottest Girl in America will be trading her bikini for a business suit.

“The Search for the Hottest Girl in America” airs Thursday nights at 10pm on HDNet.  The winner of the contest will be announced on Thursday May 3rd, 2012.

NOT SO FAST BILL O’REILLY

Everyone’s all teary eyed over the statement made by Fox News host Bill O’Reilly where he defended JCPenney for hiring Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson, except me.

In case you’re not aware of the controversy, a radical conservative group called “One Million Moms” attempted a “corporate hijack” campaign against JCPenney for hiring Ellen DeGeneres as their new spokesperson. They are upset that Ellen is an “out” lesbian and somehow feels this affects the moral fiber of their JCPenney shopping experience.

Anyways last night, while Mr. O’Reilly was on “The Insider,” weighing in on such pressing matters as Madonna and Demi Moore, he called the attacks on JCPenney and Ellen a “witch-hunt” comparing it to 1950′s McCarthyism. While everyone, including Ellen, gushed over his defense of her, what he said next brought back to reality the state of hate in this country.

“I understand why traditional Americans don’t want homosexuality in their face, they don’t want their kids to see it, I respect that, you need to know that, and don’t edit this out…”

Really? What exactly does this mean? I don’t even understand this statement, “in their face.” It’s not like a common cold, where if you’re in the same room as gays you might catch it. Or even worse, imagine if your KIDS were to see it, God knows they might catch it too. This statement is offensive and ridiculous. Homosexuality is not a learned behavior but hate is. Kids are going to grow up and learn that there are gay people in the world – actually a lot of gay people – and you can’t hide that knowledge from them forever. Trying to hide it from them is sending the message that something is wrong with being gay; that there is something to fear about it. It’s ignorant to think that if children are exposed to homosexuality, they will somehow become homosexual.

Frankly Mr. O’Reilly, I don’t want anyone’s sexuality in my face, hetero or homo. And I don’t want to be judged, labeled, discriminated against or feared because of my sexuality. Lets keep sex where it belongs…in the bedroom and if “traditional Americans” don’t like homosexual sex, then get out of our bedrooms. Until we teach tolerance and an understanding that some people are born with a certain preference – and that’s OK – we will continue to have to defend ourselves against groups like “One Million Moms” and defend ourselves against statements made by Mr. O’Reilly on behalf of “traditional Americans.”

NO FAGGOTS IN JACK CITY-WATTS UP WITH THIS?

Brought to my attention by “MJ” on my blog, this story is another example of why we have so much work to do in the area of bullying and prosecuting hate crimes.

The young Atlanta man seen being viciously beaten in a video that has now gone viral called his attackers “monsters” who left him with scars that “run deeper than anyone will know.”

Brandon White, 20, (pictured) who was been brutally beaten and called “faggot” bravely spoke out about his attack. Brandon said that he “could have died” when he was gay bashed outside a convenience store in the city’s Pittsburgh neighborhood. He added that nobody should worry that they will be attacked “for just being a gay male.”
White’s assailants referred to him as a “faggot” on the video. Atlanta police are now hunting for White’s attackers, while FBI agents and federal prosecutors are examining the assault to determine whether a hate crimes prosecution is warranted. I say “yes” and the proof is caught on tape.

White said that he can’t identify his attackers and was  not aware that the attack was being videotaped. “I was very violated,” said White, who added, “Who’s to say they won’t come after me again…Who’s to say this time they won’t try to kill me.”

White believes that the filming of the assault–and the subsequent uploading of a clip online–was his assailants’s way of trying to draw attention to their barbarism. However, all they may have done is indicted themselves in a hate crime.                  By going public with his story  and cooperating  with authorities, White remarked, “I’m the brave one.”  I agree.

See the video the disturbing video here

http://www.thegavoice.com/news/atlanta-news/4144-atlanta-men-videotape-anti-gay-beating-victim-called-faggot-repeatedly