Ben Cohen Drinks for Equality

[garbon]

In a Marti mode...

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/14/Drink_and_Combat_Homophobia_with_Ben_Cohen/

Rugby superstar Ben Cohen, a longtime opponent of homophobia in sports, has a novel way to  promote equality on the playing field, and he's going on a personal appearance tour.

Cohen has teamed up with the Village Spartans Rugby Club in Manchester (April 7) and the Kings Cross Steelers in London (April 20) to hold "Beer with Ben" evenings to raise awareness and funds for the upcoming U.S. tour. Cohen will team with gay and gay-friendly rugby clubs in the U.K. and U.S. and headline a variety of events to raise money and awareness.

The Ben Cohen Acceptance Tour will visit Atlanta, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., in May to raise awareness and funds, and encourage people to stand up against homophobia, bullying and standing up for equality, tolerance and mutual respect. The Acceptance Tour 2011 will aid the activities of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.

"I am looking forward to coming along to meet everyone," Cohen says in statement. "I have already met quite a few of the Village Spartan guys when I got involved with their successful bid for the Bingham Cup to be held next year. It should be a fun evening. I will be bringing along some auction items, updating everyone on the Acceptance Tour details and speaking about my rugby career. I have heard also that one of the clubs will be auctioning off their club kit as well. That's a bit different!"

What a ridiculous name for a "speaking" engagement.

[garbon]

And I guess to show why this is "necessary"

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/15/2011-03-15_teen_beaten_to_death.html

Party crashers beat teen to death in Queens after yelling anti-gay slurs

Party crashers yelled anti-gay slurs, then beat and stomped a teen to death at a Queens birthday bash, sources and witnesses said.

Anthony Collao, 18, a recent high school graduate who wanted to help run his family's ice cream business, died Monday at Jamaica Hospital.

It's not clear why Collao was targeted. Friends said he had a girlfriend and was not gay - though the two men who threw the party are openly gay.

Four suspects - Alex Velez, 16, of the Bronx, and Nolis Ogando, Christopher Lozada and Luis Tabales, all 17 and from Queens - were arrested soon after the Saturday incident.

Lozada was wearing the victim's Atlanta Braves baseball cap, and the others were covered in blood, sources said.

They were arraigned Monday night on charges of manslaughter and assault in Queens Criminal Court and were each held on bail of $100,000 to $200,000.

They came uninvited to the Woodhaven party - advertised on Facebook - and refused to pay a $7 cover charge. They stormed the 90th St. home, busting windows and picking fights, witnesses said.

The party was held in an abandoned home without electricity, lawyers for the suspects said.

The crashers flashed gang signs, yelled anti-gay slurs and scrawled epithets in red marker on the walls, the two party hosts said.

"They called us homos and all kinds of stuff," said one of the men, who was celebrating his 20th birthday.

Sensing trouble, Collao left with a friend and was chased, sources said. The gang caught up to him, pinned him against a car and "beat him to within an inch of his life," a source said.

He was kicked and punched. Velez carried a pipe, sources said.

Collao was on life support until Monday.

Neighbors said his family runs an ice cream business in Queens and moved to Long Island three years ago.

"He was a very respectful, very friendly, very handsome young man," neighbor Angela Marinella, 69, said. "It breaks my heart."

"I hope they go away for the rest of their lives," pal Pete Thearle, 18, said of the killers. "But that won't bring him back."

Velez's father, Alex, said his son is an A student who punched Collao only after the victim lunged at him. "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

Ogando's aunt, Ercina Rodriguez, said her nephew told her he had nothing to do with Collao's death. She said her nephew was suicidal in jail.

"He said he was at a party and when he saw everyone run he ran too. He didn't see anything," she said. "He has chronic anemia and weighs like 80 pounds. He is not a gangbanger. This is not Nolis, this is not him."

Although it sounds like this kid was beat for attending a party with homos.

[Ed Anger]

Rugby superstar

I'm sure 5, 10 or even 20 rugby fans will come out here for that in the States.

[garbon]

Rugby superstar

I'm sure 5, 10 or even 20 rugby fans will come out here for that in the States.

Think about the audience for these events - gays. There are actually a decent amount of gay rugby teams / gay people flock out of the woodwork for attractive people regardless of their occupation.

[Ed Anger]

I didn't know they was a bunch of gay rugby teams. 

When I think rugby, I think service academies and the old money schools playing it.

[garbon]

I didn't know they was a bunch of gay rugby teams. 

When I think rugby, I think service academies and the old money schools playing it.

Had never heard of this, but what an unfortunate (but clearly intentional) acronym.

IGRAB - International Gay Rugby Association and Board
http://www.igrab.net/

[Ed Anger]

 

[Brazen]

I think Rugby is quite aware of its gay following. Google Dieux du Stade images, I dare you.

[garbon]

Grallonesque!

[garbon]

Also, I don't think Ben Cohen ever wears a shirt. Or at least not according to Google Images.

[Slargos]

Oh, such a delicious melting pot. All it needs are a few lesbian trannie prostitutes being busted for possession at the party.

The American success saga continues unabated.

[Ed Anger]

The American success saga continues unabated.

Ben Cohen MBE (born 14 September 1978 in Northampton), is a former England rugby union international.

[garbon]

I wondered if Slarg was talking about the person attacked at the party hosted by two gay guys (as that article mentions several "ethnic names")...although I'm not sure how "suspected fag"-killing in Queens has anything to do with the American success (or lack-thereof) saga.

[Ed Anger]

I'm not sure Slarg is fully into our reality. I'm sure he'll fall in love with a Somali girl and have a batch of oreo babies.

[Slargos]

I wondered if Slarg was talking about the person attacked at the party hosted by two gay guys (as that article mentions several "ethnic names")...although I'm not sure how "suspected fag"-killing in Queens has anything to do with the American success (or lack-thereof) saga.

I was talking about the whole situation. It's got ethnic minorities and fags. It needs more dwarves, prostitutes and substance abusers however.

It could turn into a real Pixar moment, with song and choreographed dance.

Jack Black would introduce it at the Oscars.