Metro Weekly reports that it’s a short line from Budapest to the Ballroom, as Trump adopts the same surveillance tactics Orbán used to target LGBTQ people. Read more at Metro Weekly.
https://lavendermagazine.com/big-gay-news/bgn-topheadlines/america-is-copying-hungarys-anti-lgbtq-playbook/
Tag: surveillance
‘Next Year’ Trailer: ‘Fellow Travelers’ Star Jaleni Alladin Tries to Survive a Near-Future U.S. Where Homosexuality Is Outlawed (EXCLUSIVE)
“Next Year” may be resonating in more ways than the filmmakers originally imagined. A trailer for the short shows Jelani Alladin (“Fellow Travelers) as Robert, a father whose husband has died in a near-future America where “traditional values” have become law and homosexual activity is illegal. Zach Martens (“Sleep No More”) co-stars as Robert’s new love interest. Rounding out the cast is Sherz Aletaha (“First Wives Club”). The trailer explains that queer people have been banned by banks, targeted by police raids at gay bars and are subject to extreme surveillance by the government. “We all know when that asshole won that things would be bad. We had no idea they were going to be this bad,” Robert says in the trailer, after a government official is seen on a video ordering that “all suspicious homosexual activity must be reported immediately.” “Next Year” was written and directed by queer filmmaking duo and Emmy nominees Peter DiMario and Guto Barra. Costumes are by four-time Emmy nominee Joseph La Corte (“Murdaugh: Death in the Family”). “’Next Year’ is a deeply personal and politically resonant film that reflects the challenges facing LGBTQ+ communities today,” a logline of the movies reads. “It serves as both a warning and a testament to the resilience of love in dark times.” The film is currently showing at international film festivals, with the hope of earning an Academy Award qualification for the live-action short film category. Alladin’s credits also include “Tick, Tick. Boom!,’ Michael Schwartz’s short “Strangers on a Beach” with Zane Phillips and Jack Falahee, as well as television’s “Blue Blood” and “The Walking Dead: World Beyond.” DiMario and Bara earned multiple New York Emmy Awards for “Immersive. World” and “Dreams From the Deep End.” DiMario is also a Webby Award winner for “How Art Changed Me,” while Barra, a three-time Emmy recipient, has directed projects for HBO Max, Amazon Studios, Disney+, PBS and more. Their work has screened at MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum.
https://variety.com/2025/film/columns/next-year-trailer-fellow-travelers-star-jaleni-alladin-lgbtq-short-1236587245/
Honduran national indicted for touching multiple young girls inside Long Island TJ Maxx: DA
A Honduran national grabbed three young girls’ butts in separate incidents at a Long Island TJ Maxx and was caught pleasuring himself while staring at one of the victims, police said. Pervy Jimmy Harry Velasquez Gomez, 44, was indicted on multiple child sex-abuse charges Friday after investigators allegedly caught him on the store’s surveillance camera groping young girls between the ages of seven and 11 in three separate encounters over a span of months. “The charges against this defendant describe disturbing acts of sexual abuse that strike at the heart of our community’s sense of safety,” Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said. The disgusting displays stretched from April through October and involved incidents with a young girl each time who had briefly stepped away from her parents while browsing the toy aisle, prosecutors said. Initially on April 19, police said a 7-year-old and her mother reported that a man, later identified as Gomez, approached the child in the aisle and grabbed her butt before taking off when the child went to tell her mom. Months later, on Sept. 20, an 11-year-old told her parents that Gomez did the same to them as he walked past her. The creep allegedly struck again on Oct. 29, stalking a 9-year-old girl across the store and rubbing himself over his pants as he watched her shop before also touching her. Gomez’s lawyer, Joseph Hanshe, previously claimed his client only “brushed along” the children as he was attempting to pass them in the store. Surveillance footage from all three dates, however, showed Gomez in the store acting deliberately, investigators said. Gomez, originally from Honduras, was taken into custody and arraigned Nov. 14 on charges including first- and second-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. He’s been held on bail up to $3. 5 million. Hanshe did not return The Post’s request for comment.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/17/us-news/honduran-national-indicted-for-touching-multiple-young-girls-inside-long-island-tj-maxx-da/
Brazen bank robber fakes limp to carry out broad-daylight heist in Louisiana
A daring thief, disguised with a cane and neck brace, faked a limp while robbing a Louisiana bank last Friday—only to abandon the ruse and sprint away with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to police.
The brazen robbery occurred at a Fidelity Bank branch in Slidell, a quiet city just outside of New Orleans, shortly before closing time on November 7. Slidell police were taken aback as they reviewed the bank’s security footage, revealing a lanky man, fully covered and dramatically limping into the branch.
The suspect leaned on a cane that appeared too short for him and avoided bending one leg, as seen in the video. His peculiar ensemble included a gray jumpsuit, a large black-rimmed hat, sunglasses, a medical face mask, a clear fanny pack, and a conspicuous neck brace.
According to a news release from the Slidell Police Department, the alleged thief staggered up to the teller, handed over a note, and announced that “it was a robbery.” In response, the teller placed an undisclosed amount of cash on the counter, which the suspect swiftly swept into his fanny pack.
With the cash in hand, the man exited the bank, dropping his limp and casually walking out. Once outside, surveillance footage caught him sprinting down the street and into a nearby neighborhood, casting aside any pretense of injury.
Police attempted to locate the suspect with the help of a K-9 unit but believe he may have escaped the area by vehicle. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are seeking more information from the public.
The audacious nature of the suspect’s act caught the attention of many on social media, with viewers expressing disbelief over how easily he made off with the cash.
“Funny but not funny! This guy could definitely win an Academy Award!!!” one Facebook user commented on the department’s post.
“They need to start stashing some motion picture money close by for instances like this,” another suggested.
“Walks in with a handicapped tag, runs across the parking lot like he’s on a cross country team,” added a third commenter.
The Slidell Police Department urges anyone with information about the robbery to come forward.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/10/us-news/brazen-bank-robber-fakes-limp-to-carry-out-broad-daylight-heist-in-louisiana/
$10K reward offered in deadly shooting at Little Village jewelry store caught on camera
**Cook County Crime Stoppers Offer $10,000 Reward in Little Village Jewelry Store Double Homicide**
Cook County Crime Stoppers are offering a $10,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest after two men were fatally shot during a jewelry store robbery in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
According to Chicago police, the incident occurred around 5:49 p.m. on Saturday at a jewelry store located in the 3800 block of 26th Street. Authorities say an armed offender entered the business and stole property before exiting the store.
Once outside, the suspect became involved in an altercation with two men, ages 63 and 25. Police report that the offender shot both men multiple times. The suspect then fled southbound on Springfield Avenue in a white SUV.
Both victims were transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition, where they were later pronounced dead. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released their identities.
On Sunday, Cook County Crime Stoppers announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this double homicide case.
A nearby business shared exclusive surveillance footage of the incident, which was provided to ABC7 Chicago. The video shows a man in a Blackhawks hoodie and mask approaching the jewelry store just before 5:45 p.m. Within 30 seconds, the suspect runs out of the store with merchandise, pursued by the two victims.
The confrontation spilled into the street, with the altercation taking place near oncoming traffic and continuing to the corner of Springfield. The suspect is seen pulling out a firearm and shooting both victims. Police note that no one else was injured during the gunfire, which erupted in the middle of the street.
No arrests have been made in connection to the incident as the investigation remains ongoing. Chicago police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
If you have any tips or details related to this crime, please contact Cook County Crime Stoppers to help bring justice to the victims and their families.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/10k-reward-offered-deadly-shooting-141414745.html