Mallory Owens was the victim of a brutal physical attack at the hands of her girlfriend’s brother, Travis Hawkins Jr. She was taken to the hospital suffering from broken bones and needing surgery to her badly beaten face. 

Mallory initially said that the beating was not a hate crime. She is now saying that the Hawkins family has intimidated and manipulated both her and the situation to make things seem less severe in the media. In an official statement about the incident, which left the Alabama girl near death, she says that she fears for her life and that she’s afraid Hawkins will try to “finish her off.”

The last week has been the most traumatic several days I have ever experienced, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Not just for me, but for my family as well. Fortunately, we are a strong family, and we are sticking together as a family.

On Thanksgiving Day, I visited the Hawkins’ home, the family home of my girlfriend, Ally Hawkins. As I was leaving, I was brutally attacked by Travis Hawkins Jr., Ally’s brother. I believe that he intended to kill me. I was defenseless against him.

This was not the first time Travis Hawkins Jr. attacked me and sent me to the hospital.

Travis Hawkins Jr. has been charged with Assault Second Degree by the District Attorney’s office. Although, I appreciate all the efforts of the hospital and EMS staff, police, all the investigators, and District Attorney Ashley Rich, neither I nor my family agree that Assault Second Degree is the right charge. We are very hopeful and optimistic that as Ms. Rich, her office and the police continue to investigate this crime, that the charges will be upgraded to attempted Murder. I was unconscious when the beating ended. I do not know what stopped him. I do know he has threatened to kill me before, he has attacked me with a metal pipe before, and on Thanksgiving Day he launched an unprovoked attack on me that left me unconscious, hospitalized, suffering horrific head trauma, severe injuries and in need of surgery and additional treatment.

Since the attack, Travis Hawkins Jr. has been seen following my family and appearing at locations where they have gathered. He has threatened to finish me off. I believe as long as he is free on bond that my life continues to be in danger. Even beyond the physical harm, I am quite traumatized. I am afraid and I feel that I have been victimized repeatedly by the Hawkins family.

The interview at the Hawkins home was not requested by me, nor was I aware that the media would be at the Hawkins home. I was brought back to the home by Ally Hawkins. I wanted to be in my own apartment. Mr. Hawkins Sr. insisted we give the interview and statements were made. I believe Mr. Hawkins Sr. is very manipulative, I believe he organized the family and orchestrated the media represenation to portray himself in a better light. I do not feel safe there. I was very uneasy and nervous while I was there. I was still very disoriented, weak, and intimidated. Mr. Hawkins Sr. has also threatened me with harm based on my relationship with his daughter. Travis Hawkins Sr. threatened me with a metal pipe while I was waiting in the car on a prior occasion. Travis Hawkins Jr. used a metal pipe to assault me on a prior occasion. He and his son pose a very real threat. I will not go back there.

It will be a very long time before I feel safe again. This sort of attack, whether it is proven to be a hate crime or a crime derived from one man’s hate of another human being, should not happen to anyone in this country. No one should have to endure an attack the way that I did. Neither should a mother have to see her daughter in the state that my mom had to see me.

During this investigation, many statements were made to the media, some were premature and misguided. All of us involved have been at the center of a huge media storm. At this time, we want to let the investigation continue and we need to heal. Ally Hawkins has continued to release statements and make arbitrary facebook posts and she has even offered a motive for her brother’s actions. Please know that Ally Hawkins is NOT SPEAKING for me, she is NOT representing me in the media in any way. Her statements and public posts on Facebook or any other form of social media are NOT representative of my opinions, beliefs or words.
 
I am fortunate that my family’s love for me is unconditional. I fell in love with a girl. My family loves, accepts and supports me. They have shown nothing but love and acceptance throughout my attack, my time in the hospital, and the investigation of this brutal attack, they have been there for me, loving me and supporting me. I want to thank and publicly show my appreciation for my mom, my brother and sister, my Uncle Ricky, Linda, my grandma. Besides the countless individuals who have offered their support financially and in words of kindness, I also want to thank organizations like Equality Alabama and GLAAD for offering their direct support to me and my family, as well as working to create a culture in Alabama where people aren’t attacked for being who they are and loving who they love. Thank you to all those who have prayed, supported and advocated for myself and my family. For those of you who pray, we ask you to continue to pray for us as we heal.

Photo: Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed. 

The first gay friendly mosque is getting ready to open near Paris. The mosque will be in a small room in a Buddhist dōjō. Until it opens, the doors will be open every Friday to gay, lesbian and transgender worshipper. Men and women will even be encouraged to sit next to each other, breaking free from many of the usual restrictions of the Muslim faith.

"It's a secure place that welcomes all Muslims and others," says the mosque's creator, 35-year-old Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed. He is a gay French Muslim, who created the foundation Homosexual Muslims of France, which has 325 members. He hopes the mosque will be inviting for those who feel they're excluded from the Muslim faith. 

The opening of the mosque doesn't come without controversy, many of Frances Imams consider it "contrary to the principles of Islam".

Mallory Owens with her girlfriend, Ally Hawkins. 

Over American Thanksgiving, Mallory Owens was brutally beaten at the home of her girlfriend, Ally Hawkins, in Alabama. The person responsible for the beating that left her with a broken nose, two black eyes, several lacerations and needing surgery to have metal plates put in her face, was Ally's brother, Travis Hawkins Jr. 

Despite earlier claims that the attack was a hate crime, while talking to WKRG News 5, Owens said, "I'm okay, I'm good. Just a bad, bad night. A lot of things happened between us, but it doesn't make me hate her brother. I don't hate her family at all, or anyone for that matter."

"It's not a hate crime at all," Ally Hawkins said about the attack. "We both know the reasons why this happened, and it doesn't make any excuses for him, I'm not defending him at all. I know why he was angry, and that will come out." 

Hawkins Jr was arrested and charged with second degree assault and released that same night after posting bail. His lawyer, James Byrd, is accusing the online community of jumping to conclusions about the violent act, which has forced his client to go into hiding after "fearing for his life."

"People get a story and go with it, and before it's over it's an entirely different animal," Byrd said. "People have taken this and overreacted and made it something that it's not."

Well, it's kind of hard not to "overreact" after seeing the horrifying pictures of a beaten Owens, who was released from the hospital Tuesday, and is now back at the Hawkins' home.

Mallory Owens, pictured in the hospital after the attack. 

The mug shot of Travis Hawkins Jr.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new Vital Signs report about HIV among youth in the United States. The kids are all right  infected, and most of them don't even know it.

About 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year, and 1 in 4 is 13 to 24 years old. Youth make up 7% of the more than 1 million people in the US living with HIV. About 12,000 youth were infected with HIV in 2010. The greatest number of infections occurred among gay and bisexual youth. Nearly half of all new infections among youth occur in African American males. 

About 1 in 4 (26%) of all new HIV infections is among youth ages 13 to 24 years. About 4 in 5 of these infections occur in males.

Over half (54%) of new infections among young gay and bisexual males are in African Americans.

About 87% of young males got HIV from male to- male sex, 6% from heterosexual sex, 2% from injection drug use and about 5% from a combination of male-to-male sex and injection drug use.

About 60% of youth with HIV do not know they are infected and so don’t receive treatment, putting them at risk for sickness and early death. These youth can also unknowingly pass HIV to others.

Gay and bisexual men are 40 times more likely to have HIV than other men. Research has shown that young gay and bisexual males who have sex with older partners are at a greater risk for HIV infection. This is because an older partner is more likely to have had more sexual partners or other risks, and is more likely to be infected with HIV.

Less than half (44%) of gay and bisexual males in high school used condoms the last time they had sex.  

I had an HIV test last week at HIM (Health Initiative for Men). It's on the fourth floor of 1033 Davie St. Check out the website for more information. They can do tests for all STDs, and it takes only minutes to take their rapid HIV test and get your results. They squeeze a few drops of blood from your finger to perform the test, which is easy and efficient. The HIM staff is there to answer any of your questions and give you their support. They are kind, discreet and a strong, supportive force for our community. They cater to gay men and their specific health needs, making the process if not enjoyable, at least comfortable.

I feel like the majority of my sexual partners try to get me to engage in unprotected sex. It troubles me, especially when I'm with a partner I just met online or at the club (sorry, Mom: the hard, cold truth is I not only take the candy from the stranger, but fuck his brains out, too). Often, someone who just met me, and doesn't know anything about my health or sexual history, wants to engage in high-risk behaviour, gambling with both our lives. This can be intimidating, especially if I've had a few drinks, because as the CDC report confirms, those who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs are more likely to submit to unprotected sex. I've also had partners try to bully me into have bareback sex by whispering sweet and sexy(ish) pleas. As a result of this "pillow talk," I've been in a position where I want to give in and be with someone in such an uninhibited way and feel torn between my morals and my desire. And I resent being backed against that wall. Someone's decision to be safe should always be respected. There should never be "But I was just tested last month" or "I'll pull out" promises. There should only be understanding, followed by the opening of a condom, which HIM hands out free like they're going out of style. Oh, wait . . .

I'm being honest about my thoughts and concerns because I'm young, and I hope other young people (or the people who sleep with them) can relate, or learn something from how I feel. Too many people have confused and dangerous mindsets when it comes to HIV and bareback sex.

If you don't believe me, then believe the statistics. Unfortunately, they don't lie.

I think all the negative reviews about Lindsay Lohan’s performance in Liz & Dick are unwarranted. She’s a great actress! She was raw and fully alive in her performance. The film’s clichéd writing was what made Lifetime’s bio-pic about Hollywood star-crossed lovers Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor a mediocre portrayal of one of the most iconic love stories of the 20th century. 

I don’t think people are able to separate Lindsay’s personal life from her acting. She’s being unfairly picked apart because critics aren’t looking at her work objectively. I found her entertaining and emotional. I thought Lindsay was believable as Elizabeth, and her version of the screen legend was worth the hour and a half of my day. There isn't a boring frame in the film filled with old Hollywood allurement. Liz & Dick did feel like a guilty pleasure and is worth the indulgence.

Lindsay’s fame is from an entirely different world than Elizabeth’s, but like her predecessor, she knows how to get people talking. She was a trending topic on Twitter last night, and three and a half million people tuned in to see her perform on Lifetime. She not only possesses Elizabeth's liquid eyes, but the power they held, making it unable to look away. And if while looking all you saw is a trainwreck, I think you missed the beauty of the ride. 

If Elizabeth were a child star coming into adulthood in a century fuelled by instant celebrity, social media and the intrusiveness of modern fame, her life would resemble that of Lindsay Lohan, who, like Elizabeth before her, is a product of her time.

They’re both gay icons. While Elizabeth won gay hearts with her AIDS activism and larger-than-life glamour, I can’t keep track of all the gays in their 20s who grew up watching Lindsay’s movies (I think I lost my virginity to Mean Girls) and still worship her. She secured the respect of her admirers for not only dating a woman, Samantha Ronson, but for being defiant about it. In a recent interview about their toxic relationship, Lindsay revealed that she was “bold enough to say, ‘Yeah, I like a girl. And?’” 

Through the years, Elizabeth’s fans remained loyal because they liked to live vicariously through her. Lindsay’s fans are the same. Vodka, Dexedrine and diamonds (stolen or otherwise) included.