Anthony Gay: 97-year prison sentence for the theft of $1 | Fight Back!

Contents:

• ANTHONY GAY’S S SOLARY NFEMENT LED TO SELF-MUTILATN. NOW A PROPOSED LAW TO LIM PRISONER ISOLATN ILLOIS IS NAMED HIS HONOR.
• ANTHONY GAY APPEALS FOR HELP OM FERAL PRISON
• ANTHONY GAY AWAS FED SENTENCG WHILE PLANNG ANTI-SOLARY NFEMENT EVENT
• AFTER 22 YEARS OF 'PSYCHOLOGIL TORTURE' IN SOLARY CONFEMENT, ANTHONY GAY FIGHTS FOR STATE LAW RTRICTG ITS USE
• KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’
• ‘LAST CALL’ TE STORY: HBO DOC IS ABOUT THE SERIAL KILLER RICHARD ROGERS, WHO TARGETED MANHATTAN’S GAY BARS
• LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I'M GAY AND DON'T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT
• ANTHONY GAY - ETPATHE ALBERTVILLE
• KEV SPACEY EXPLAS WHY HE CAME OUT AS GAY WHILE BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT
• 22 YEARS IN SOLARY CONFEMENT: LOOKG AT THE LIFE OF FORMER INMATE ANTHONY GAY
• LOHANTHONY SAID COMG OUT AS GAY FELT LIKE HE WAS TRYG TO "FORCE THGS"
• IS ACTOR ANTHONY GEARY GAY? HIS PAST AFFAIR WH THE OSR WNG ACTRS
• CHARGED FOR STEALG HAT AND $1, ANTHONY GAY RELEASED AFTER 22 YEARS OF SOLARY NFEMENT

ANTHONY GAY’S S SOLARY NFEMENT LED TO SELF-MUTILATN. NOW A PROPOSED LAW TO LIM PRISONER ISOLATN ILLOIS IS NAMED HIS HONOR.

Spurred by a Chigo Tribune vtigatn volvg a man who spent two s isolatn after beg nvicted of stealg a hat and a sgle dollar bill, a proposed state law would lim how long an Illois prisoner n stay solary Anthony Gay Isolated Confement Rtrictn Act would bar the Illois Department of Correctns om placg an mate isolatn for more than 10 days a six-month perd. ”The bill is named for Anthony Gay, a Rock Island native who entered prison 1994 as a young man, nvicted of robbery after brawlg wh another teen who told police that Gay took his hat and stole $1.

Shortly after the isolatn started, Gay began self-mutilatg and attemptg for 23 hours a day and starved for human ntact, Gay took extreme steps to get attentn.

Once, he packed a fan motor si a gapg leg wound; another time he cut open his scrotum and serted a are visible on Anthony Gay's arm while he worships at the Church of Peace Rock Island 2018.

ANTHONY GAY APPEALS FOR HELP OM FERAL PRISON

(Brian Cassella / Chigo Tribune)As his md began to terrate, Gay beme antagonistic toward his guards and ocsnally threw ure or fec at them, unlawful acts of fiance that stretched his origal sentence to more than two s behd Livgston County, where Pontiac Correctnal Center is suated, the state’s attorney’s office lodged a seri of 21 dictments agast Gay between 2000 and 2004 for the many tim he threw his own bodily fluids at guards. The Illois Department of Correctns would later intify Gay urt filgs as one of a few dozen mat whose mental illns were so acute and dangero that they required full patient re.

But a Tribune vtigatn found his psychiatric treatment often nsisted of a therapist shoutg qutns to him through a he reunted how his mental health erod isolatn, the normally stoic Gay broke down tears Tuday durg a news nference promotg the proposed legislatn. While Illois has signifintly rced the number of days juvenile offenrs spend isolatn and no longer segregatn as a punishment for young people as part of a nsent cree between the partment and the Amerin Civil Liberti Unn of Illois, those polici do not extend to the adult has phed unsuccsfully for solary nfement reforms for nearly four years, but he believ the bill has s strongt chanc of passg durg the current legislative ssn given Gay’s volvement.

ANTHONY GAY AWAS FED SENTENCG WHILE PLANNG ANTI-SOLARY NFEMENT EVENT

Once aga behd bars he lls “prsive” for yet another crime he says he did not m, activist Anthony Gay is now a North Carola feral prison awag a mental health evaluatn before his September 20 sentencg. He was released om prison 2019 and had been engaged social jtice issu, such as promotg his Illois SB 3564 Anthony Gay Isolated Confement Rtrictn Act which passed the Hoe but is stuck the Senate. In May, 2020, Gay said he was asslted by Rock Island police, and when he reported the cint, he said they retaliated and filed “tmped up” charg agast him.

AFTER 22 YEARS OF 'PSYCHOLOGIL TORTURE' IN SOLARY CONFEMENT, ANTHONY GAY FIGHTS FOR STATE LAW RTRICTG ITS USE

He was found guilty on May 19, 2022, by an all-whe jury and was sent to the Peoria County Jail before Judge Jam Shadid who nied the motn to move Gay to electronic monorg. Anthony Gay said he was “tortured for s” by his isolatn for up to 24 hours a day a ld, ty cell he likened to a dungeon, and was nied accs to necsary mental health efforts sce his 2018 release to outlaw the procre as a punive measure is reflected a bill that bears his name now makg s way through the Illois legislature. ”The Anthony Gay Isolated Confement Rtrictn Act would lim such extreme nfement for any dividual to no more than 10 nsecutive days any 180-day perd, and pel the Illois partment of rrectns to produce quarterly reports showg the e of the practice.

KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’

Once aga rcerated for a crime he says he never mted, activist Anthony Gay is urgg all to attend an anti-solary nfement awarens fom, as he prepar to be sentenced on posssn of a “bog” firearm and ammunn charge he says was planted by Rock Island police. Usg my hotel key, they went to my room after my hotel room rervatn had expired and planted the ammunn, ” Gay said, referrg to his Rock Island hotel room. This latt charge was filed agast him 2020 by two Rock Island officers who Gay says allegedly amed him on a “tmped up” gun and ammunn charge.

A whe officer doubled back and said they had found the gun claimg that I tripped and fell where they found the gun, which is not te, ” said Gay.

“Then after they locked me up, they waed until my hotel room expired and went si after they had already been my hotel room and planted ammunn and said they found my hotel room, ” reunted Gay. He said the police lied durg his first trial, where Gay reprented himself, but he lost his send trial and now fac a possible sentence om parole to 10 years a feral prison. But the ray of hope Gay hangs onto is the fact that even though the Rock Island police turned his se over to the feds and he was nvicted of posssg a firearm and ammunn, which he ni, the vio expert he hired has the alleged proof that the ps amed him.

‘LAST CALL’ TE STORY: HBO DOC IS ABOUT THE SERIAL KILLER RICHARD ROGERS, WHO TARGETED MANHATTAN’S GAY BARS

Gay said he unrstands sometim the wheels of jtice turn slowly and even though by then he will have been sentenced and sent to a feral prison, the end, he believ he will be ee aga one day. In an terview wh the Chigo Csar om the Livgston County Jail Pontiac, Illois, Gay, now 47, said bis keepg the anti-solary nfement movement alive, the event will also honor high school junr and senr stunts.

Gay said Curtis Dorsey will do an excerpt om the Rope of Hope, a play about Gay’s life, and durg a mil performance by Ashley Stewart, she will sg a song about solary nfement. Senator Peters, who has been phg HB 3564, which would have created the Isolated Rtrictn Act, better known as the Anthony Gay Act now renamed the Nelson Manla Act, will speak via Zoom at the event.

LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I'M GAY AND DON'T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT

“I hope people will show up at the awarens event so they n bee aware of solary nfement and how is a stctn of humanizatn, which needs to be stopped, ” said Gay.

“The purpose of this event is to ntue the fight to dismantle solary nfement, ” said Gay, who has spent 23 years solary nfement several prisons, ially nvicted of robbg a teenager of $1 and the teen’s hat, a charge he ntu to ny. Frank Chapman of the Chigo Alliance Agast Racist and Polil Reprsn, who attend a pre-trial hearg for Gay on May 9 Peoria, said, “I’ve never heard of somebody reprentg themselv and gettg a hung jury a feral trial.

"It wasn't somethg that I wanted to do, but beme a survival mechanism for me, " Gay said, "bee psychologilly, I uldn't stand – so the physil pa would alleviate the psychologil pa. It beme a vic cycle – until 2018, when Gay got out and began fightg for a law pendg Sprgfield that would lim a prisoner's time solary to 10 days every six months. He said some members of his team disagreed wh the urse of actn but they took a vote and ultimately released a statement which Spacey revealed he was gay.

ANTHONY GAY - ETPATHE ALBERTVILLE

"Like his victims, who were bisexual and gay, Rogers is a gay man, per his trial ’s book go over some of his bgraphil tails: Rogers was the elst of five children born to a fay Plymouth, had had n-s wh the law before for siarly morbid allegatns. A total of four murrs were brought up at his trial, but he was only charged Thomas Mulhy and Anthony Marrero’s four victims were middle-aged, gay or bisexual men, last seen at gay bars Manhattan.

KEV SPACEY EXPLAS WHY HE CAME OUT AS GAY WHILE BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angel Tim)To the edor: I wonr if the LGBTQ+ muny realiz that the Supreme Court lg favor of a webse signer who didn't want to create weddg s for gay upl n work our favor as well. ("How the ripple effect of the Supreme Court’s 303 Creative cisn uld swamp civil rights, " Opn, July 12)As a gay man, I am always ncerned if the bs where I spend my money are supportive of my muny. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (4-12-1)CAMP SITE: Wtfield, IndianaKEY ADDITIONS: Head ach Shane Steichen, offensive ordator Jim Bob Cooter, QB Anthony Richardson, QB Gardner Mshew, K Matt Gay, DE Samson Ebam, DT Taven Bryan, CB JuJu Brents, WR Josh Downs.

After spendg 22 years solary nfement, Anthony Gay is tryg to make sure no other prisoner Illois has to experience the same level of trma that he went is the face of the state's Anthony Gay Isolated Confement Act, a bill veloped over the last 10 years that would lim solary nfement to no more than 10 days per six-month perd. "The worst part is beg trapped a cell 24/7, not beg able to receive social ntact and human ntact, " said Gay, who was released om prison 2018 after reprentg himself over 80 appeals before he was able to reta the help of a 's path to solary nfement began when he was 20 years old. "After spendg 22 years solary nfement, Anthony Gay is tryg to make sure no other prisoner Illois has to experience the same level of trma that he went, of Rock Island, Illois, said he was arrted durg his probatn for drivg whout a license.

"When we learned about Anthony Gay's suatn and how impacted him mentally, and what he had to do to get out of solary nfement, was vastatg, " said Ford. More about Sheryl Gay StolbergA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 15 of the New York edn wh the headle: Virologists Deny to Panel That Fci Swayed Report Agast Lab Leak Theory.

22 YEARS IN SOLARY CONFEMENT: LOOKG AT THE LIFE OF FORMER INMATE ANTHONY GAY

Behavr problems add to his sentence, and by the time he was released Augt, he had served 24 years prison — 22 of which were spent solary nfement si a cell "smaller than the size of a parkg space, " acrdg to Gay. Bee of his misbehavr, Gay was referred to the Illois state prosecutor, who brought 22 succsive crimal s agast him — not regnizg his nstant trips to solary and lack of mental health treatment, acrdg to Chardon.

Eventually, though, a state appellate fenr disvered Gay's se, wrote briefs on his behalf and got the attentn of prosecutors, who were willg to renegotiate his sentence. ' So I'm tryg not to foc on my srs, but foc on those that [are] left behd and try to throw them a lifele to help pull them out the dch, " Gay bt part about the day he was released, acrdg to Gay: beg able to see his niece, who thought he still had a life-sentence left to serve.

“At the time he was told, ‘There’s two thgs we don’t want to know: if you’re an alholic or if you’re gay…’ All tak is for one of those people that posn of power to say that, and rippl through… so, yeah, of urse I thought that. While he was publicly out before Bridgerton, beg a proment gay actor  a major streamg TV show n serve as a step towards improvg this reprentatn Hollywood. In another vio, "J livers - survivg sexualy (TW: SEXUAL ASSAULT), " Lohanthony discsed how his past inty as a gay man was no longer fully accurate, and how he was practicg celibacy for God.

LOHANTHONY SAID COMG OUT AS GAY FELT LIKE HE WAS TRYG TO "FORCE THGS"

"When I entered middle school, I began what would be my -long search for gay love, that would ultimately end wh disappotment towards the solace I thought I was bred to solely fd men, " he shared. There are ntradictg piec of rmatn favorg the possibily of him beg both gay and the General Hospal actor's relatnship wh his former -star suggts him beg straight, his active volvement speakg up for gay rights has led several fans to speculate otherwise.

He also quipped how the people there didn't spend time argug thgs like abortn rights, gay rights, and dividual rights simply bee they didn't have to. It was great to be a place where telligent people didn’t spend so much time argug about thgs like abortn rights, gay rights, and dividual rights.

”Gay entered the Illois Department of Correctns 1994 as a young man, nvicted of robbery after brawlg wh another teen who told police that Gay took his hat and stole a sgle dollar bill. Shortly after the segregatn started, the cuttg and suici attempts Illois Department of Correctns would later intify Gay urt filgs as one of a few dozen mat whose mental illns were so acute and dangero that they required full -patient re.

IS ACTOR ANTHONY GEARY GAY? HIS PAST AFFAIR WH THE OSR WNG ACTRS

(Brian Cassella/Chigo Tribune)By keepg Gay isolatn, the state ntued the creasgly discreded practice of segregatg prisoners om others for long stretch. The Amerin Correctnal Associatn — the anizatn that provis expected practic for prisons across the untry — issued new standards 2016 that lled for lims on rtricted hog, cludg a provisn that prisoners wh mental illns should not be placed solary nfement for an extend IDOC spokwoman cled to ment on Gay’s rceratn or the treatment he received. The Tribune tablished a timele of his nfement by reviewg thoands of pag of urt documents, medil rerds and ttimony transcripts and nductg terviews wh Gay, his relativ, his lawyers, prosecutors and prison experts.

CHARGED FOR STEALG HAT AND $1, ANTHONY GAY RELEASED AFTER 22 YEARS OF SOLARY NFEMENT

A feral judge orred the Illois Department of Correctns October to improve s mental health servic — a groundbreakg lg ma after Gay ttified about his troublg treatment Gay’s telligence and an extraordary abily to articulate his mental terratn solary nfement, his lawyers believe he uld be a pivotal voice the growg prison reform movement. ”A rough begngGay’s early fay life his native Rock Island wasn’t always was raised a workg class neighborhood by an nt and uncle who adopted him, although his blogil mother, who had endured stggl of her own, lived the same Quad Ci town along the Mississippi River.

(Brian Cassella/Chigo Tribune)He avoid a ser crimal rerd until age 18, when he fought another young man om a nearby block after Gay says the teen sulted his sister. Gay was acced of takg the other man’s hat and $1 after beatg plead guilty to robbery exchange for a sentence of probatn, but that was soon revoked after he was ught drivg whout a license.

And was solary nfement — one Illois prison or another — where Gay would rema for more than 8, 000 panic settg durg those early weeks, he first sought attentn by rememberg somethg he had done when he was 12 years old back Rock Island.