The story of the murder of James C. Anderson is a terrible and infuriating story; one more than deserving of the attention it has received in the news media and blogosphere.

But new details are emerging; namely that James C. Anderson was a openly gay man, happily living with his partner of 17 years and their 4 year-old daughter. And now his partner is being excluded from the civil suit being mounted by Anderson’s family.  Mississippi law does not recognize same-sex partners.

James C. Anderson was murdered by a group of white teens in Mississippi on June 26th, 2011, and the case is being treated as a hate crime. The seven teens piled into two cars late at night, with one of the teens exclaiming “Let’s go f*ck with some niggers.” They essentially stumbled upon Mr. Anderson, beat him to a bloody pulp, robbed him, and ran him over with one of their vehicles. One of the teens, 19 year-old Daryl Dedmon, is facing capital murder charges.

In addition being utterly tragic, this case reflects a truly fascinating intersection of race and sexuality. BYP will definitely continue to follow this story.

The Grio writer Michael Arceneaux calls out the Maury show in a recent article, questioning whether shows like Maury, The A-List and Basketball Wives should be blamed for the persistent, stereotypical portrayal of minorities on television. He raises some interesting points, and perhaps hits the nail on the head at the article’s conclusion:

“While balance would certainly be appreciated, not everyone wants to be like Oprah and use their forum for the greater good. Even if we removed Maury from the air does anyone seriously think that the stereotypes and phobias promoted on his show will leave with him?”

There’s little doubt that Maury is a douchebag for exploiting single mothers, but is he really the problem? And what person in their right mind goes on the Maury show anyway?

Sadly, Serena Williams lost her bid for glory at the U.S. Open Final yesterday. But you won’t hear very much about that. What you will hear about is how she freaked out at the chair umpire (AGAIN) after being penalized for celebrating before her point was concluded. Much love to Ms. Williams, but this is not cute. It’s time to check that temper, sweetheart. Watch this cringe-worthy moment below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XGFBP22EMM&feature=player_embedded

 

According to The Root, Rev. Al. Sharpton and others are putting some serious pressure on the NYPD regarding the accidental shooting death of 57 year-old Denise Gay, who was struck by a stray bullet during a violence-plagued Labor Day Parade in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Wise words from the Rev:

“There was a crime they were responding to,” Sharpton said of the police. “But to those who act thuggish in our community — with your barbaric disregard for our lives — you make us vulnerable, too. You put us in a position we should never be in.”

 

And finally, check out the Game’s attempt at explaining his recent comments regarding closeted gay men and AIDS. As you might recall, Game made some very poorly-worded statements last week, asserting  that “Down Low” Black men put their girlfriends at risk by concealing their sexuality.

Game still comes across as lacking a truly complete understanding of the issues he’s running his mouth about, but he doesn’t come across like an asshole, either. Check it out:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if92U14mHZk&feature=player_embedded