Tag Archives: professionals

Viral

Social media sleuths aid investigation into gay couple’s beating in Philadelphia

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Police in Philadelphia searching for a group of people suspected in the beating of a gay couple got an outpouring of help from Twitter and Facebook users, who located a photo of the clean-cut young men and women at a restaurant and helped match names to faces.

Attorneys representing a number of those seen in the video notified police they would bring in their clients to tell their side of the story, a police spokesman, Sgt. Eric Gripp, said.

A security video of the group strolling downtown was posted by police earlier this week and set the online community to work.

Within hours, a Twitter user posted a photo of the well-dressed men and women gathered at a restaurant on the night of the attack. Social media users soon figured out which restaurant, used Facebook to find people who had “checked in” there, and started coming up with the names of those pictured.

“This is how Twitter is supposed to work for cops,” Detective Joe Murray tweeted as the crowd-sourced investigation exploded online. “I will take a couple thousand Twitter detectives over any one real detective any day.”

“Love the outpouring of social media sleuthing happening in our city tonight! Let’s keep it up!” another department posting said.

The victims, a gay couple in their late 20s, were held down, punched and beaten after they bumped into a group of about a dozen people on the street, just blocks from a part of town known affectionately as “the Gayborhood.” Members of the group hurled gay slurs as the men were pummeled, police said.

One man was left with a broken eye socket and a wired jaw, while his partner had bruises and a black eye.

A defense lawyer, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he had not been formally retained, suggested the fight could have stemmed from random contact, not bias. Pennsylvania’s hate-crimes law, in any case, doesn’t cover crimes motivated by a person’s sexual orientation.

The lawyer said he was contacted by a potential client before police posted the video. He said the group consisted largely of working professionals.

Philadelphia police routinely seek the public’s help with criminal investigations through Twitter, YouTube, a department website and other online forums.

News

FemCity Milwaukee celebrates first year

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FemCity Milwaukee, which launched in January, now has 95 members and is the fastest growing chapter in the Femfessionals network.

The group reported that it has raised thousands of dollars for local nonprofits serving women in the community.

“It’s been an amazing first year. So many positive, energetic, and savvy women have joined FemCity Milwaukee,” stated Michelle Marie Bertholf, chapter president. “What makes us so successful is offering women what they value most. Our members are able to build their professional networks, develop social relationships and friendships and support charities serving women. Many other organizations focus on one or two of these aspects. We are proud to combine all three.”

The organization is looking forward to 2013.

“We are excited to renew memberships, retaining some wonderful women as well as gain new members,” Bertholf said. “We are also looking to fill some board member positions and committee roles to add further focus on women helping women and expanding our current efforts on supporting the community and each other.”

For more, email .

Community, News

Young LGBT professionals to meet

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Young LGBT Professionals of Milwaukee will gather for drinks and conversation at 5:30 p.m. on May 15 at Cuvée Champagne Lounge, 181 N Broadway, Milwaukee.

The group also will hold a steering committee meeting to plan future events at 5:30 p.m. on May 23 at a location to be named.

For more, go to the group’s Facebook page.

Download a PDF of the current issue of Wisconsin Gazette and join our Facebook community.

Milwaukee

Young LGBT professionals invest in their careers

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Jason R. Rae is offering an investment opportunity. He’s hoping that people buy into the concept of Young LGBT Professionals of Milwaukee, a new organization.

“We really want this to be something organic that people can invest in and feel ownership (of),” said Rae, who works in public affairs, serves on the Fair Wisconsin board and serves an a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Rae and other founders will launch the new group with a party at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Vino 100 in the Third Ward. In recent weeks, they’ve sprinkled news of the group’s formation on Facebook and Twitter, and they are hoping to capitalize on the might of social media to build membership and encourage participation.

“We know that the overwhelming majority of those under 40 access most of their information via the Internet and through their phones, so it only makes sense that this is our primary means of communication – and it is cheap for a fledgling organization,” Rae said.

WiG recently connected with Rae – to ask about the new organization, its purpose and its founders. 

WiG: Tell me about your background. What’s on your resume?

Jason R. Rae: I moved to Milwaukee in 2005, when I started at Marquette University, and decided after graduation a few years ago that Milwaukee really felt like home. Milwaukee is a small big city that has many of the amenities of a big city while not being too overwhelming and I love it. … I work at Nation Consulting, a public affairs consulting firm in Milwaukee, doing a variety of work with corporate, nonprofit and political clients. 

Why did you decide to form a young LGBT professionals group?

I’ve always believed in building stronger communities. I have felt for some time that the LGBT community of Milwaukee could become more closely knit. I know a number of young LGBT professionals on an individual basis, but it seems that most are not connected to one other in a more professional setting. I brought my idea to some friends – one with a background similar to my own in politics and nonprofit organizations and one with a marketing and business background – and the three of us started planning and organizing what might this group look like.

This is a difficult time for young professionals, especially the youngest ones — those just of out college. Do you see LGBT Young Professionals of Milwaukee as a way to help them find jobs or advance in their careers?

Certainly, I think this will be a great opportunity for folks to network in their respective fields, make connections and create ties across professions. We see this group forming from the ground up, where individuals shape the direction of the activities. … I also see this as a way we can simply build a stronger, more connected community. To me that is goal No. 1. I want young LGBT professionals to feel a broader sense of community in Milwaukee and to feel connected to one another.

Why do you, as a young professional, need an LGBT young professionals group?

I think for me, as is the case with others, we want to simply build a stronger and broader community here. … I think we wield a great amount of potential influence and power in this city, and I am hoping that this is yet another step in bringing us together and to really unite.