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National News

Married Massachusetts Gays Sue for Federal Benefits
More than a dozen married gays and lesbians in Massachusetts are suing the federal government, claiming the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) discriminates against gay couples because it makes them ineligible to file joint tax returns, and denies them other federal benefits. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Boston by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the same group whose successful legal challenge led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

Three Charged with Hate Crimes in Texas Gay Bar Attack
Police said three men are facing assault and hate-crime charges after allegedly throwing large rocks into a Galveston gay bar. Eyewitnesses reported one man opened the door to Robert’s Lafitte bar, while two others hurled rocks into the establishment. Two patrons were injured in the attack. The suspects were arrested shortly after the incident.

Lawrence Lewis III, 20; his brother, Lawrneil Lewis, 18; and Alejandro Sam Gray, 17, all of Galveston, were being held on aggravated assault and hate-crime charges, according to the Associated Press.

Gay Twin Waiters Win Restaurant Harassment Suit
A jury in Los Angeles found that gay twin brothers were sexually harassed by the openly gay owners of the restaurant where they worked, and awarded each of the men $1,000. Jed and Wyatt Lorenzen sued Vermont restaurant owners Manuel Mesta and Michael Gelzhiser. Wyatt Lorenzen testified he showed up for a party at the restaurant in 2005 in a “naughty Girl Scout” costume, and that Mesta put his hand up the dress he was wearing and told him the uniform made him “look like a schoolgirl who was deserving and asking to be raped.” Jed Lorenzen testified that Gelzhiser told him he touched himself while looking at a photo of the Halloween party.