Brooklyn Man Nicknamed “Sally Fingers” Denies Pinning Down And Inappropriately Touching Male Colleague

Plaintiff Michael Sabella leaving the courthouse.

“My name is out there on the street now,” Salvatore Buzzetta lamented after testifying in Brooklyn Federal Court last week. “They call me ‘Sally Fingers!’”

Buzzetta, a married father of three, has been accused by a former male colleague of having “loose hands,” allegations the longshoreman calls “appalling” and “all lies.”

The lawsuit was filed by Michael Sabella, who alleges that, while he was employed at the New York Container Terminal, Buzzetta, who was his supervisor at the time, threw him over a desk, grabbed his crotch, and shoved his finger up his butt. When Sabella filed a complaint with the Waterfront Commission about the alleged attack, he claims he was suspended and ultimately banned from the pier in retaliation.

“I was attacked,” Sabella testified. “[Buzzetta] went to grab my crotch and I pushed his hand away. He threw me over the desk and I couldn’t get out — he was strong.”

His voice cracking, he continued: “He put his finger in my ass. Everybody was looking. If it wasn’t for the old-timer, he said, ‘Let go of that boy.’”

But Buzzetta says he never touched Sabella’s private parts, though he did acknowledge there was some “wrestling with the men” at times in the workplace.

“I played around with the guys,” he testified. “Horsing around.”

Sabella’s lawyer, Matthew Blit, then asked what parts of men’s bodies Buzzetta specifically touched when he was “horsing around.” Buzzetta said it was “only their arms, shoulders, and heads.”

“Mr. Buzzetta, what is your sexual orientation?” lawyer Janine Bauer then asked.

“I like women,” he replied.

As a result of the sexual harassment allegations, Buzzetta says he was mocked so badly by colleagues that it forced him to find a different job on the waterfront.

“The men were just absurd, this thing with this case and all this was too much stress for me,” he said.

Related stories:

NYC Steakhouse To Pay $600K In Male-On-Male Sexual Harassment Suit

This Lesbian’s Boss Thinks She’s Too Ugly To Sexually Harass

What’s Man-on-Man Sexual Harassment Gonna Cost Cheesecake Factory? $345k

Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Graham Gremore

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Procter & Gamble Comes Out In Support Of Same-Sex Marriage – VIDEO

Jim Redmond

www.towleroad.com/2014/11/procter-gamble-comes-out-in-support-of-same-sex-marriage-video.html

Michael Phelps' girlfriend reveals she was assigned male at birth

While given a male name at birth, she found out she was actually intersex and identified as a woman

read more

joem

www.gaystarnews.com/article/michael-phelps-girlfriend-reveals-she-was-assigned-male-birth201114

PHOTOS: The Happy Socks Campaign Is Super Trippy

The Happy Socks Special Special Collection has already got us talking, and not to mention, walking with a little more spring in our step. Never have we ever seen socks shown off in such a way. It has us wanting more trippy bodysuits, more limited edition collections, and obviously, more happy socks. Each of the socks in the Special Special Collection is partnered up with a bodysuit. With patterns that resemble outer space, gummy worms, and even aluminum foil, the socks keep the vibrant and “look at me!” attitude. This new set of socks is absolutely brimming with attitude, and your outfit should follow suit, from head to toe.

For more information, go to The Underwear Expert.

Photo credit: Gregg Homme

Underwear Expert

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Transgender Day of Remembrance: Those We've Lost in 2014

Today we pause to remember the beautiful lives needlessly lost to antitrans violence this year.

read more

Mitch Kellaway

www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/11/20/transgender-day-remembrance-those-weve-lost-2014

'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Episode 7 Recap: Freaks Are Family
*** WARNING: Contains spoilers! Please do not read on unless you’ve seen Episode 7 of “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” titled “Test Of Strength.” Or if you don’t mind spoilers, go right ahead! ***

Everyone’s strength was tested tonight on “American Horror Story: Freak Show” — from Amazon Eve to Dell to Jimmy to Bette and Dot. So many characters pushed their boundaries, and many questioned what their limits even are. How long can Dell hide the secret that he’s gay? Will Jimmy ever be able to leave the confines of the freak show grounds with Maggie? Can Bette and Dot’s newfound aggressiveness (and one swanky coif of blonde hair!) ever release them from Elsa’s strangehold? Of course we don’t get the answers to this (yet), but there’s a definite sea change brewing.

Tonight is pretty much all about Dell. Sure, he can easily knock the bell in the carnival game, but he is absolutely worthless when it comes to real-life strength. He’s more attached to his “hustler” (a deceased Matt Bomer) than he is to anyone at the freak show, and he loses it when Bomer’s not at the bar. Stanley sees Dell smash a glass over the bartender’s head, and then proceeds to use it as blackmail against him. In exchange for his silence, Dell must kill a freak and hand him/her over to Stanley.

Dell’s first target for murder is Amazon Eve, which has to be the stupidest call of them all. Yes, Dell, smart move. Go for the biggest person, the strongest person who’ll put up the most resistance. She kicks his ass in an awesome scene and closes with “Who’s the Strongman now?” action-hero line. Pure gold.

Dell then intends to kill Jimmy, but instead has a drunken father-son chat with him. It would be kind of hard for him to do after Jimmy’s like, “You’re my DAD! SAY IT!” So rather than a brick to the head, Jimmy gets a big fatherly bear hug. Win-win … at least for them.

It’s not a win for us (the audience) and Ma Petite, who ultimately ends up Dell’s victim tonight. Pfft, Strongman. Not even close — he’s killing the smallest person possible. Literally. While we’re spared the horrific image of Ma Petite drowning in that vat/container/cylinder, we’re expected to be able to look at the screen while Dell twists her neck and breaks it. I couldn’t, so I don’t even know what happened. All I saw were Ma Petite’s little hands and painted fingernails fall lifeless against Dell. My heart broke for her. And us. No more adorable popping out of birthday presents, no more cute hair-brushing, and no more of that little voice! Elsa is going to be pissed when she finds out.

Elsa’s already pissed off about Bette and Dot trying to extort money from her, but discovers that Dot wants surgery to separate from her sister for good. Elsa tells Stanley, who then proposes that someone just kill them instead. That seems to suit Elsa just fine, too. (Just as an aside: what does Stanley do all day besides walking around the freak show, concocting plans and making deals with people? If I were Elsa, he’d be out the door. He’s not exactly a good “manager,” either, since he’s gotten Elsa a big fat zero so far.)

In the other story going on — OK, there’s also Jimmy and Maggie, who debate for two seconds about leaving and starting their life together, it doesn’t happen, then they drop it. The show is obviously setting this up for plot reasons down the line — Paul and Meryl Streep, Jr. are together, and she’s caring for his wound. Her father punishes her in the worst way he knows how: by bringing a guy who looks very unsanitary (hi, Morris!) to cover her face in tattoos, fork her tongue and shave her hair into a strange pattern. Straight up, it’s not that bad, but man, did that facial tattoo ever look fake! Paul accepts her with open arms, and of course blames himself. This is not going to end well for Streep’s father, who is unquestionably going to die (hopefully at the hands of Paul!) before this season is done.

I think the same goes for Dell, too, especially now that he’s killed another freak. There are some lines you just don’t cross, and that’s one of the cardinal rules of this season of “AHS”: freaks are family, and they only survive if they look after each other. The threads between them all are unravelling, and with an angry Dandy, an Elsa out for herself, a reprehensible Dell, and a conniving Stanley on the loose, things are going to get worse before they get better.

Freak Of The Week: Sorry, girl. We’ll miss you, Ma Petite.

Random Thoughts:

• Dandy was absolutely livid during that first scene. I find it hard to believe that he didn’t attempt to go to the freak show camp by the next day. He didn’t even show up for the rest of the episiode!
• Why does “Freak Show” insist on killing the cutest, smallest things? First Meep, now this. If I had a baby/toddler right now, I’d be holding them super tight.
• Anyone else mistake Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson’s bizarre letter-reading shots for second-rate kids’ theatre monologues? So strange to shoot straight-on like that.
• You’d think Ma Petite would be a bit more cautious about someone bearing a wrapped gift in the middle of the night. Especially the guy from the freak show who could bench press 50 of her. Just sayin’.
• It just dawned on me tonight why Dell had no problem sleeping with Ethel — because of that damn beard! At least on some level he could pretend she was a man.
• Speaking of Kathy Bates’ beard, that thing was looking super pube-y tonight.
• Evan Peters singing “Come As You Are”: Kurt Cobain isn’t just spinning in his grave, he is gently weeping. Weeping for all of us.

“American Horror Story: Freak Show” airs on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. EST on FX and FX Canada.

Episode 6 Recap
Episode 5 Recap
Episode 4 Recap
Episode 3 Recap
Episode 2 Recap
Premiere Recap

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/20/american-horror-story-freak-show-episode-7-recap_n_6188122.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Recognizing Transgender Awareness Week
As a suicide-prevention organization, The Trevor Project knows how important it is for young people to feel accepted for who they are and know that someone out there cares about their future. That’s why we’re standing alongside national organizations, colleges, and communities nationwide during Transgender Awareness Week (November 14-20) to help raise the visibility of trans* people and the unique issues they face.

Trevor’s social-media platforms feature quotations from trans* youth — including TrevorLIVE Youth Innovator Award Honoree Skyler Kergil and Trevor supporter Jazz — as they share what makes them truly happy. On Thursday, Nov. 20, we are also excited for “Trans Awareness Week Google Hangout on Air,” hosted by GLAAD Senior Strategist Tiq Milan. During the hangout, Tiq will be joined by Jack Ori, a Trevor volunteer; Charlie Kerr, a member of the Trevor Youth Advisory Council; and Miasha Forbes, a human-rights activist, to talk about trans* visibility, awareness, and more. We hope you can join us!

Every day, The Trevor Project makes it a priority to offer nonjudgmental support for transgender and questioning youth who have nowhere else to turn to for help. Our crisis-services volunteers go through extensive training to understand the distinct challenges these young people face, and they continue to learn about various LGBTQ topics throughout the year. TrevorSpace, our secure social network for LGBTQ youth and their allies, gives members a chance to choose from a myriad of gender terms; they can use more than one or forgo a label completely. For some youth, this can be the first time they’ve ever identified as their true self.

Our newest resource, the Trevor Support Center, features accessible information about gender, transgender and gender-nonconforming identities, and more. No matter how old you are or where you live, this life-affirming online hub allows readers to explore a wide range of topics, Q-and-As, and resources in a way that promotes visibility, spreads awareness about diverse identities, and offers support to youth around the country.

For example, in our “Trans* + Gender Identity” section, we talk about how most of us were taught that there are only two genders (men and women) when in reality, there is a wide spectrum of additional gender identities out there. Above all, who we are is something each of us decides for ourselves. It shouldn’t matter if we identify with the gender we were given at birth (which is called being “cisgender”) or if our gender is fluid and changes over time; everyone’s experience is unique, valuable, and valid and deserves respect.

But even with educational and affirming resources like the Trevor Support Center, there are far too many youth who encounter hate, rejection, and even assault just because they identify as, or are perceived to be, transgender. Researchers estimate that over 40 percent of transgender people have reportedly attempted suicide. In school, 80 percent of transgender students stated that they felt unsafe because of their gender expression. This year, Europe’s Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) project reported that there have been over 1,500 reported murders of trans people worldwide since January 2008. To honor the people we have lost to anti-trans violence and discrimination, Transgender Remembrance Day is observed on Nov. 20.

Thankfully, society is slowly changing to be a more affirming and accepting place. Shows like Transparent and The “T” Word are promising advancements in visibility and understanding. Heroes like Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Geena Rocero, Chaz Bono, Laura Jane Grace, and Lana Wachowski are starting invaluable new conversations about what it means to be transgender. Organizations like The Trevor Project will continue to be there for trans* youth who need lifesaving help or want to connect with someone who simply lets them know that it’s OK to be who they are. Advocates will continue to push forward in the fight for true equality, and for the rights of trans* people nationwide who face disproportionately high risks and discrimination. Whether or not these pivotal steps continue to make a difference is up to all of us. As author and activist Jennifer Finney Boylan said in GLAAD’s recent video series, I AM: Trans People Speak:

People don’t need to understand all the ins and outs of what it means to be trans in order to be loving. If we begin with love, everything else will flow from there. And the things that we need to understand will flow from that as well.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, please call the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

www.huffingtonpost.com/abbe-land/recognizing-transgender-awareness-week_b_6188542.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Finn Wittrock: Six Things To Know About Freak Show’s Deadly Dandy

On a supernatural television series that features Jessica Lange as a German chanteuse belting classic Bowie, Sarah Paulson as conjoined twins, Angela Bassett sporting three breasts, the world’s smallest woman and the most terrifying clown known to man, it must be tough to hold your own. So it’s a testament to Finn Wittrock’s undeniable talent and immense charisma that he not only steals scenes on American Horror Story: Freak Show, but has emerged as a stand-out among its illustrious cast. As Dandy Mott, the bratty rich boy, Wittrock certainly knows how to make a bloody impression. Besides, any actor who can evoke sympathy for his character after slaying Matt Bomer and Patti Labelle is definitely on the fast track to stardom.

Below are some facts you might not already know about the devilishly handsome 30-year-old actor.

Finn first became a fave of TV viewers when he played Damon Miller on ABC’s lamented daytime drama All My Children.

He has a solid stage resume, having appeared in acclaimed productions of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth opposite Diane Lane and the 2012 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman opposite Andrew Garfield and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (pictured above).

Ryan Murphy, c0-creator of American Horror Story, met Wittrock and cast him in his Emmy-winning adaptation of The Normal Heart and, impressed with his work, asked him to be part of Freak Show.

In an interview with Yahoo, Wittrock said he became friendly with Matt Bomer while working on Normal Heart and “it made sawing his arm off without clothes on a lot less awkward.”

Wittrock will soon be seen in the upcoming Unbroken, the true-life WW2 story directed by Angelina Jolie, whom he described to Yahoo as a “down-to-earth, gracious, intelligent person.”

Oh yeah, he’s straight. Despite some speculation/wishful thinking about his sexual orientation, Finn is hetero and married his longtime girlfriend Sarah Roberts last month.

Jeremy Kinser

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WATCH: 'Wicked' Sing-along Heals Manchester After Antigay Attack

Tram passengers and LGBT choir members joined forces this week to prove that Manchester is a place #SafeToSing after a violent antigay attack earlier this month.

read more

Thom Senzee

www.advocate.com/world/2014/11/19/watch-wicked-sing-along-heals-manchester-after-antigay-attack

The Unauthorized Top 5 Gay NYC Holiday Musts
First off, in creating a gay holiday must see list, lets set the record straight: my picks may be unauthorized (as in who deemed him queen of NY!), but they are not uninformed.

I’ve been swirling through gay Manhattan for two decades. Before I began writing novels, I spent a year as editor of the city’s gay guide Next Magazine, and for several years contributed queer content to Access NY guide books.

Truth is, I absolutely adore Manhattan during the holidays. There’s no better place in the world. It was tough to come up with a top five must do list, but I considered everything from literary lushness to naked ambition. And to add a touch of spice, I’ve enlisted the charming Jamie Brickhouse, a fellow Huffington Post Blogger and author of the upcoming sure-to-be-a-hit Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir (May, 2015) to name a must do. Enjoy!

Hit The Stores!

The city holiday windows are awe inspiring. Forgot botox, the years melt away every time I take in this treat. Visit the four Bs (Bergdorf Goodman, Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bendels). They do not disappoint. It is key, however, to go at night. The windows shimmering in the dark are fabulous, plus if you go after dusk, you avoid the crowds and the gawkers. You can press your nose against the glass, sip a flask of hot cocoa (or toddy)and bask in gay glory.

And a note on the Barney’s Baz Dazzled windows: Baz Luhrmann created the windows with his wife Catherine Martin and Barney’s will donate 25 percentf of all sales from the limited edition Baz Dazzled Holiday collection to Room To Read, a non-profit organization for improving literacy and gender equality in education in the developing world.

The Santa Closet

As much as I relate to Valerie Cherish in HBO’s The Comeback (if you haven’t seen this insanely brilliant show stop reading this and cue up season one now!) my inner holiday child wept snowflake tears over Jeffrey Solomon’s wonderful solo show, The Santa Closet which has returned to the city for a very limited run. It’s a multi-character smorgasbord focusing on a boy who writes to Santa Claus for a doll, and receives a truck instead. I asked for an easy bake oven and got a chemistry set. Ugh! There are only two performances so get a move on girls! November 25th and December 10 at 7pm at STAGE 72 / THE TRIAD NYC. The performance will benefit PFLAG NYC on 11/25 and Truth Wins Out on 12/10.

Get Lit!

As a writer, I had a host of ideas for a great gay literary holiday must do, including curling up next to the fire with a great book like The Stranger’s Child by the Man Booker prize winning author Allan Hollinghurst. I went with poetry, as poets and their use of language never cease to amaze me. Check out the star studded poetry reading at the Bureau of General Services-Queer Division in NYC (208 West 13th Street, Room 210 Between 7th Ave. and Greenwich Ave.). The reading is hosted by Lawrence Kaplun and features Adam Fitzgerald, Maureen McLane, and Stephen Burt. Adam Fitzgerald is the author of The Late Parade (Liveright / Norton) and serves as editor of the literary journal, Maggy. Maureen McLane is the author of three books of poems, most recently, This Blue (FSG) which is a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award. Stephen Burt is the author of three books of poems, most recently, Belmont (Graywolf).

Lettuce Rejoice!

From fellow Huffington Post Blogger and author, Jamie Brickhouse: “If it weren’t for Hedda Lettuce’s annual holiday show, ‘Lettuce Rejoice,’ Christmas would be nothing but a lousy reason to give Grandma another pair of Isotoner Gloves. Hedda’s jolly cocktail of live singing and comedy reminds me that Christmas isn’t about Jesus.” It’s about Mary! “Lettuce Rejoice: The end is near, but nothing can stop Christmas” December 13 – 24 at> The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St. $25.00 (212) 206-0440. Jamie Brickhouse is the author of Dangerous When Wet: A Memoir (May, 2015)

Naughty New Year

I promised a bit of naked ambition before I closed out my list, so here it is, for those of you who want a little spice in your stocking (I confess I’m quite happily vanilla). In my single years (before I met my amazing boyfriend!), I danced many a summer night away at Daniel Nardicio’s Fire Island Underwear party. What a hoot! Indeed, my dear friend Charlotte and I would toss on our 2xist and hit the Cherry Grove boardwalk. So, if all the holiday windows and eggnog aren’t your gay thing, try something a touch naughty at Daniel Nardicio and Owen Hawk’s New Year’s Cockin’ Eve! The 13th Annual NYE Masked Ball. www.dworld.us

www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-alexander-hess/an-unauthorized-top-five-_b_6140620.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices