Florida man gets 200 years prison for drugging, raping young men
A Florida man convicted and sentenced to the maximum 200 years in prison last Friday for knowingly and intentionally distributing GHB to nine men without their knowledge and with the intent to commit a crime of violence, including sexual assault, according to a press release issued by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

After a 13-day trial, a jury in November found Steven Lorenzo, 46, guilty of slipping the date rape drug GHB into the drinks of all nine victims - many were picked up in bars - and then sexually torturing them at his home. The assaults occurred from February 2000 to May 2004.

He is also suspected of killing two of the gay men whom he was charged with sexually assaulting.

The two, Michael Wachholtz and Jason Galehouse, both 26, were killed in December 2003.

The other seven victims all testified about meeting Lorenzo at bars and drinking with Lorenzo before they lost consciousness.

Lorenzo and his friend, Scott Schweickert, could face state murder charges for the Galehouse and Waccholtz killings.

Schweickert told investigators that he saw Lorenzo kill Galehouse and Waccholtz, according to a federal affidavit.

Lorenzo's attorney, Donald Harrison, said he would appeal the case as he said his client was sentenced "as if he was convicted of murder."

"He was convicted of distributing drugs with the intent to commit a crime of violence," Harrison said. "We're not challenging the legality of the sentence, but we can challenge the rationale used by the courts."

Members of the gay rights group Equality Florida are however getting impatient as murder charges had not been filed against Lorenzo.

"To not bring murder charges would be to let him get away with murder," said Brian Winfield, communications director for Equality Florida.

Harrison said his client has denied killing or drugging anyone but admitted to engaging in sadomasochistic sex which his alleged victims consented to.

Schweickert's trial is scheduled for Feb 6.

Tampa Bay Online features an archive of articles and news bulletins on the case, click here to view.

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8 Oscars nods but still too taboo for China, Malaysia
Despite having an acclaimed Taiwanese director and a growing list of awards including eight Oscar nominations announced on Tuesday, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain will not be screened in China nor in Malaysia.

The film, which recently won a Golden Globe for best dramatic movie, was passed over by UPI which holds the rights to release the film in Malaysia.

UIP publicity manager Dawn Liew said, "We believe there is a market for (assassination drama) Munich here, but Brokeback Mountain is definitely not going to make it here because its themes wouldn't be right for our local audiences."

As for China, the state-owned Xinhua News Agency quoted a source from China Film Group, the mainland's sole film importer, that the movie's "sensitive topic" of same-sex love makes it too controversial for theatrical release in the country.

Ironically, Lee said this month at an event in Hong Kong to promote the movie that Asian audiences were more accepting of gay subject matter than audiences in some parts of the United States.

Meanwhile in Hollywood, the movie is leading in the Oscar race with eight nominations including Best Picture, Best Director (Ang Lee), Best Actor (Heath Ledger), Best Supporting Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Best Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams, Ledger's fiancee). Other nominations are in the Best Adapted Screenplay, Achievement in Cinematography and Music (Score) categories.

Other nominations with gay characters and storylines in the running include:

- Capote , which follows gay author Truman Capote (perhaps best known for Breakfast at Tiffany's) forging a friendship with a serial killer, is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Best Adapted Screenplay;

- Felicity Huffman for Best Actress (Transamerica) who won a Golden Globe in the same category this month;

- Tony Kushner, the playwright and author most famous for Angels in America, will also compete for the Best Adapted Screenplay award for his work on Munich. The film is also up for Best Picture and Best Director, for Stephen Spielberg.

Presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Oscars are cinema world 's top prize and will be handed out on March 5 in Los Angeles.

For a full list, visit Oscar.com.

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Fridae and Shaw presents
Brokeback Mountain Charity Premiere
in benefit of Action for AIDS Singapore

Date: 8 Feb 2006 (Wednesday)
Time: 9 pm
Venue: Shaw Lido One
Rating: R21
Tickets: $60, $30
Book your tickets and/or donate to Action for AIDS by clicking here.

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Phuket Gay Pride 2-5 February 2006
Phuket's only gay street parade is set to take place this Sunday on February 5. The annual festival starts on Thursday with an opening party at the Paradise Complex. The Thai island also played host to the popular gay Nation party last November.

The seventh street parade is expected to begin at 3pm from Prachanukroh Road outside Duang Jit Resort, near Club One Seven B&B, through Patong Beach Road and ends at Paradise Complex where almost all of the island's gay bars are located.

Other events include a bowling and volleyball competition, a separate lesbian and gay islands day cruise, and nightly parties at the Paradise Complex.

For more, visit Gaypatong.com.

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