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Hello and welcome to the latest Creepy Kiki, PRIDEs weekly dissection of all things that go bump in the (gay) night.From the horror genres very inception, queerness has played a major role in its various manifestations, whether that meant subtextual stories of otherness, queer-coded villains, or sapphic sanguisugas.There were rare exceptions, like Countess Zaleska (Gloria Holden) in Draculas Daughter from 1936 or The Hauntings lesbian character, Theodora (Claire Bloom) in 1963, but it took quite some time for out, proud, heroic, and textually LGBTQ+ characters to emerge. Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve) in The Hunger and Angela in Sleepaway Camp are some of the earliest examples of our characters, though neither is an example of heroism. Thankfully, finding queer characters in horror today is relatively easy. Queer horror has essentially become a subgenre all its own with films like I Saw the TV Glow, Knife + Heart, and Thelma not only featuring queer characters but unpacking the anxieties and fears specific to the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people. Some of these queer characters we love, some we love to hate, some we fear, and some we want to protect at all costs. A lucky few fill us with pride through their bravery, humanity, and depth. That being the case, to kick off this Pride month, I want to highlight and celebrate some of those queer heroes that took on the baddies, faced down fears both internal and external and triumphed. Characters that baby queerdos were introduced to from flickering screens in darkened theaters and on television, and recognized in them not only a portion of themselves, but perhaps even a vision of the future.On that note, lets get into it! Jesse Walsh in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's RevengeLet's kick things off with one of the most iconic queer final gays of all time, Jesse Walsh. Played by out actor Mark Patton in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Jesse faced off with the ultimate dream-inhabiting monster, Freddy Kruger, and won!While this film from 1985 never explicitly outs Jessie, any queer person watching can recognize the subtext of his struggles with identity in his friendship with Ron Grady (Robert Rusler), who he turns to for comfort night rather than his girlfriend; his anxiety over the man trying to invade his body; and, of course, the now infamous leather bar scene. All this context was confirmed to be textual by Patton: "It just became undeniable," he told BuzzFeed in 2016. "I'm lying in bed and I'm a piet and the candles are dripping and they're bending like phalluses and white wax is dripping all over. It's like I'm the center of a [...] bukkake video." Jessie was a true queer horror pioneer. Emerald Haywood in NopeIn a film about spectacle, Keke Palmer still manages to steal the show as Emerald Em Haywood in Jordan Peeles incredible film Nope.In the film, Em and her brother, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya), own a horse ranch thats been training horses for Hollywood for generations. Following their father's unexpected and bizarre death, they come to learn that hovering nearby, out of sight, is a UFO-like creature lurking and looking to feed. The siblings become hellbent on finding a way to document the creature and prove that its real. The film is brilliant for many reasons, but right near the top is Em, who swaggers onto the screen with an infectious masc charm that is effortlessly, unquestionably queer. Em is everything; shes funny, tough, and becomes a bit of an action star by the end. Shes also Keke, so of course were obsessed.Gretchen in CuckooIn Cuckoo, Gretchen (Hunter Schaefer) joins her father and step-family on a work trip to the German Alps. She witnesses women behaving strangely at the resort where theyre lodging and is later stalked by a strange, human-like woman. To top it off, she is also in the throes of grief over the loss of her mother. Gretchen could easily have been just another angsty teen stereotype, and theres certainly some of that on display particularly when she meets an attractive woman and the two attempt to run off together. Instead, all that anger and grief is channeled into bravery and, ultimately, empathy, which is where her reserves of strength are found. This is the kind of nuanced queer character we cant get enough of.Mitch in ParaNormanQueer representation came in the form of a wonderful surprise in the stop-motion animated horror film Paranorman. This film, set in Salem, Massachusetts, follows Norman, an odd kid with the gift of seeing the dead, who uses those talents and the help of his friends to take on a witchs curse and her undead minions.One of those allies is Mitch, voiced by Casey Affleck. Mitch first presents as your prototypical dumb jock; in reality, hes anything but. Over the course of the film, Mitch serves as a loyal brother and protector to the crew, whose bravery is instrumental in Norman defeating the curse. Then he tops it all off with the chillest coming out ever! While his queerness wasnt central to the plot, its inclusion in a film geared toward family watching is important. Also, the way that its handled isn't as a punchline, plot twist, or source of angst. It's just woven into the world in a normalizing and graceful way. Hey Hollywood, more of this right here, please.Deena Johnson in the Fear Street' trilogyWhen the Fear Street trilogy kicked off in 2021, it was a surprise and a delight for queer audiences that the three-part epic, spanning centuries, centered around not one but two epic love stories and how homophobia was the root cause of a hundred-year-old curse.The lesson: Dont mess with the lesbians!While both Deena and Sam snatched our hearts as the couple in the first and final film (and the alternate couple they played in the third film), its Deena Johnson, played by Kiana Madeira, who snatches a spot on our list. Why? Well, because of how heroic she is in taking on genuinely terrifying and deadly supernatural forces in an effort to save her girlfriend and, spoiler alert, she succeeds.Byron in Tammy and the T-RexWhen it comes to cult classic faves, we can't help but have a major soft spot for Tammy and the T-Rex. This absolute oddity from 1994 stars young Denise Richards and Paul Walker as ill-fated lovers whose romance comes to an end when his brain is stolen and wired into an animatronic T-Rex. Just go with it, OK. Tammy (Richards) is on a quest to rescue the brain and her boyfriend, and helping her is her gay best Byron, played by Theo Forsett. At first blush, Byron might come off as your stereotypical flamboyant gay sidekick, but in a move thats surprising for an otherwise absurd and gory B-movie, Byron gets to have a much richer and nuanced role. Not only is he the comedic heart of the film, but he is a hero in his own right. Is the characterization perfect? No, of course not, but it's also leaps and bounds ahead of the way queer folks were largely characterized in the 90s.Josh Detmer in FreakySpeaking of queer heroes in body swap movies, Josh Detmer, played by nonbinary actor Misha Osherovich, is instrumental in saving the day in Freaky.The film, which is a comedic horror take on the Freaky Friday trope, sees teenager Millie (Kathryn Newton) accidentally body-swapping with a serial killer called the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn). While he uses her body to continue his bloody reign of terror, she has to recruit her friends to try and stop them. One of whom is Josh. In previous generations, a gay sidekick character like Josh would pretty much be guaranteed body count. But here, not only does he bravely take on the killer directly, but he survives, defying the standard bury your gays trope. Jake Wheeler & Devon Evans in ChuckyFinally, our last characters are a couple! For three gloriously gory and heartwarming seasons RIP season four, Im still not over that cancellation Jake Wheeler and Devon Evans (played by Zackary Arthur and Bjornvin Arnson, respectively) went toe-to-tiny-toe with a psychopathic possessed doll, and repeatedly won the day all while falling in love in Chucky. The series tracks their relationship from inception, when they are crushing from afar, and Jake, in particular, is struggling with his identity and his family life. Through the excitement of young love and eventually the physical expression of that connection, they are, all the while, joining forces to take on a murderous foe, homophobia, the church, and eventually an evil puppet master (literally).Chucky was a special show for many reasons, but not the least of which was the beautiful gay love story at its heart. And with that, this weeks Creepy Kiki is adjourned! Ill be back with more highlights on queer horror next week. In the meantime make sure you like and follow us on YouTube for more queer news and pop culture content.

Dyke Marches are a dying breed in this country, but WeHo Prides Dyke March is still doing it right every year!And if youre a big fan of Dykes on Bikes, youre in luck because this year they were front and center in West Hollywoods iconic march.On March 31, dyke-identifying members of the cis, trans, and nonbinary community and their allies gathered together for the Womens Freedom Festival, put on by The L-Project, a lesbian nonprofit that promotes and supports LGBTQ+ BIPOC women and nonbinary creatives.The festival featured musicians, comedians, and poets performing for the thousands gathered together to celebrate Pride in a very sapphic way.The WeHo Dyke March is an annual rally with a motorcycle-led march that follows immediately after the festival ended and featured a huge contingent from the motorcycle group Pride Riders LA, who are starting the very first LA chapter of Dykes on Bikes.This years events brought together a community of people who are often relegated to the margins to celebrate and connect during the best month of the year.Keep scrolling to check out WeHo Dyke Marchs Pride Month celebration!How many of these Pride facts did you know? Pride is for EVERYONE! These vintage photos of Pride prove that it is, was, and will forever be about diversity! If you want to celebrate Pride Month, but youre not sure where to start, check out our Pride 2025 calendar and our lists of every Black Pride event, Dyke March and Trans Pride celebration in the country. Don't forget the first Pride was a riot. Know your Stone Wall Uprising history!Is this your first Pride? Here's 5 essential tips you need to know!Want to celebrate Pride with the whole family? Heres how!Pride is a blast but it can also be awkward! These moments are sadly, too relatable. Looking to get kinky at Pride? Heres how to find your kink scene. Pride Month is a time to let your Pride and kink flags fly. Here's how to do it safely.Looking to find a little love at Pride? Heres how to get your flirt on!There are a lot of flags flying at Pride. Heres what they all mean! Want to get busy at Pride? Heres how to play safely.How many of these Pride facts did you know? Pride is for EVERYONE! These vintage photos of Pride prove that it is, was, and will forever be about diversity! If you want to celebrate Pride Month, but youre not sure where to start, check out our Pride 2025 calendar and our lists of every Black Pride event, Dyke March and Trans Pride celebration in the country. Don't forget the first Pride was a riot. Know your Stone Wall Uprising history!Is this your first Pride? Here's 5 essential tips you need to know!Want to celebrate Pride with the whole family? Heres how!Pride is a blast but it can also be awkward! These moments are sadly, too relatable. Looking to get kinky at Pride? Heres how to find your kink scene. Pride Month is a time to let your Pride and kink flags fly. Here's how to do it safely.Looking to find a little love at Pride? Heres how to get your flirt on!There are a lot of flags flying at Pride. Heres what they all mean! Want to get busy at Pride? Heres how to play safely.

Queer joy is a radical act, so join us each week for more stories that uplift, resist, and shine. For more stories on Queer Joy, click here.After dressing some of Hollywoods biggest stars, setting trends on the runway, and starring in his own Netflix show, fashion designer Thi Nguyn is now busy breaking down barriers with his adorable childrens book.Not only is Nguyns book Mais o Di about a little girl who has two dads learning to love wearing a traditional Vietnamese outfit for Lunar New Year, but its also a celebration of two important parts of his identity and because of this has become a hit among children and their parents looking for the kind of representation Nguyn wished he had growing up.Nguyn is both gay and a Vietnamese American, and while he has had a wildly successful career, he wasnt always accepted for being an immigrant or for his sexuality. Being an immigrant left him open to hate and ridicule from society, but he also experienced judgment from his family, who considered being gay to be a sickness, or like a phase, or a trend, which is why he feels like his childrens book is so important. Its really about exposure. Its not just about race, but its all about identity in general, and queerness as well. We need that exposure, Nguyn tells PRIDE. And for my parents, because theyre very traditional, and Im the only child, so that responsibility as an Asian son in an immigrant family, that responsibility that I have to get married to a woman and have kids and carry on the name.Luckily, Nguyns parents have since come around and now accept his partner, whom he has been with for 18 years, with open arms.Nguyn co-wrote Mais o Di, alongside Monique Truong and illustrator Dung Ho, because he wanted to create a childrens book that celebrated the unique parts of his identity in a way he was never able to experience when he was growing up.The book is for the kids, but you don't even know, the Vietnamese mom, Vietnamese dad, they will come up to me and they were like I wish I had this book growing up because for a very long time we had to hide ourselves. There was no exposure whether on media or in literature, so this was not just only for the kids, but also for the adults, he explains. The idea for Mais o Di came after Nguyn made history on the red carpet with Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran. Tran was the first woman of color to play a lead in the popular franchise when she took on the role of Rose Tico in 2017. After a flurry of racist, misogynistic comments and death threats from the Star Wars fandom that drove her out of the public eye and into therapy, she decided to celebrate her cultural heritage in a very public way.Nguyn designed an o di a traditional Vietnamese garment that includes a long tunic and pants for Tran to wear on the red carpet, and the impact it had on the community served as the inspiration for his childrens book. We made that ensemble in 16 hours, and then it became this iconic moment for the whole community, he said.In Mais o Di, the main characters Vietnamese cultural identity is front and center, but Nguyn intentionally made the LGBTQ+ theme more subtle. There is no mention of the little girl at the heart of the story having gay dads, but in the illustration of Mai arriving at the Lunar New Year party, she walks in with her two dads by her side.The book was released in January and while on a book tour Nguyn said that everyone he comes across appreciates seeing their own identities reflected in the book.They appreciate that there is a book like that out there for the kids to see themselves. And also, you know the queer parents who see this it's like it's like a very nice surprise when they read the book, he said.The response to Mais o Di has been overwhelmingly positive, and the one homophobic review Nguyn got on Amazon, only fueled sales of his book.When my co-author sent me that and I saw that, I was like, You know what, this one-star review like push so much sales because so many people were like, Oh my god, what world is he living in? Nguyn said that when you are Vietnamese, youre parents expect you to settle down with a wife and kids and become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, so him turning out to be a gay fashion designer was a hard pill to swallow, but his parents and the community at large have embraced him.I have always been that disappointment, you know, a gay guy doing fashion, its like a double whammy, he shared. Here I am Im truly happy that Im a queer American fashion designer and I have a home. I have a business and I get to celebrate with so many people.

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While Dr. Wang Newton is already one of the most successful and well known drag kings in the biz, hes about to strut his stuff for a brand new audience on a new, massive stage as one of the permanent judges on the upcoming and highly anticipated competition series King of Drag. It's a moment thats been a long time coming for the drag community and one that has Wang asking the same question we are: Why did it take this long for kings to take center stage? he poses to PRIDE. After 16 years of RuPauls Drag Race, 20+ global spinoffs, and nine years of Dragula, the real question is: why not yesterday?It's a hypothetical question but one thats worthy of being answered even if doing so requires taking a hard look at the queer community and who we choose to uplift. Thankfully, King of Drag looks to be equal parts entertaining and restorative representation. When Wang says it's been a long time coming, he means a long time. I joke that kings go way back from the Tang Dynasty to the Wang Dynasty because theatrical male impersonation has existed for over 1,300 years. Weve always been here. Literally, facts.While the inequity between representation of kings and queens is unquestionable, Wang sees this moment as a change for the kings to be seen on their own terms. No pick me, no victim energy were no longer chasing approval from spaces that were never interested in including us, he says. The truth is, [The Boulet Brothers] Dragula led the way with real inclusivity, and now King of Drag follows suit. And man oh man, do we have some snazzy suits!In the same way that queens generally explore heightened versions of femininity, kings play with the ideas and tropes of masculinity. Politically and culturally, this has the potential to become a hot-button topic, particularly in a time when discussions around masculinity have become so fraught, specifically in right-wing spaces that also tend to look for excuses to turn drag into a wedge issue. Wang, however, hopes audiences see kinging generally and King of Drag specifically as an exploration of masculinity that makes much more space for its expression and celebration. Masculinity isnt a monolith its a mood board, he explains. Drag kings came with the remix and the beat drop. If traditional masculinity boxed us in, an all-king show is the jailbreak. Flipping the script to liberated masculinity is kinda hot.Wang has high hopes for the series, and the impact it will have on kings moving forward. I hope it cuts the velvet rope and leaves the door swinging open, he says. After 20 years in the game, I want to see something new. No more comparing apples to oranges with drag queens. I want a surge of facial hair absurdity, feral kings, and quiet masterful kings emerging from the woodwork. We couldnt agree more. But that's not all: like his fellow King of Drag judge Tenderoni, Wang wants to see a positive economic impact for kings as well. Just for fun, maybe some actual social impact like closing the gender wage gap, while performing gender with our gap, he says with a wink. Ive been blessed on this journey but I cant keep all this Wang Privilege to myself! View this post on Instagram A post shared by . () (@drwangnewton)Speaking of Wang himself, he shares that despite his decades in the biz, this experience caused his personal drag to evolve, too. This was my Wang 3.0 glow-up the Outer Wang got some new polished lewks, but the Inner Wang glow turned up a notch, too.But most of all, Wang is thrilled the world is going to get to see kings on the kind of platform they deserve. As for what to expect this season, he says to hold on to your mustache! Fans may think theyve seen it all: Death drops, reveals, rinse, repeat. But kings do their own thing. Expect bold choices, big charm, and a whole new spectrum of sexy!King of Drag premieres June 22 on Revry. Stay tuned for more updates about the series on PRIDE as they roll out, and watch the teaser trailer below.

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by Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, and Mariam Elba, ProPublica This article was produced for ProPublicas Local Reporting Network in partnership with WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, a 2023-2024 LRN partner. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. For half a century, through scandals, investigations, failed state inspections and even the illegal use of seclusion to punish children, Richard L. Bean remained in his perch of power as the superintendent of the juvenile detention center that bears his name.Throughout nearly all of his tenure, there was only one body that could remove him from his post: a board of trustees unlike any other in the state. New reporting by WPLN News and ProPublica shows that for decades the voting members of that board were close friends and allies of Beans.Even for Knoxville, Tennessee, a city known for its old-school politics, the relationship Bean has had with board members past and present stands out. His former secretary, his personal lawyer, the judge for whom he served as a campaign treasurer and a pallbearer of his wifes casket all sat on the board over time as voting members. Hes just been allowed to go unchecked, said Democratic state Rep. Sam McKenzie of Knoxville, a critic of Beans. It was just a bad situation compounded by a rubber-stamp board that really was trying to protect him and not protect our children.Bean, who did not respond to requests for comment, abruptly announced last week that he is resigning in the wake of a new scandal. Had he not chosen to leave himself, McKenzie said, the board never would have unseated him.Watchdogs Over RichardTennessee has 16 other county juvenile detention facilities similar to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center. Oversight of all of those falls to county agencies, like the sheriffs department, juvenile court or commissioners. And a few are run by private companies.In 1972, when Bean started as superintendent, the juvenile detention home in Knoxville was a city-run facility. In the mid 70s, it became a regional facility that had 40 beds and has since grown to three times that. The creation of the board, through a legislative act, was a way for both city and county officials to maintain some say in the facilitys functioning.The boards mandate, as laid out in the Knox County code, is to have administrative control over the center, its budget and its superintendent. Though it was constituted to include 10 members, only three have voting power. The county commission appoints two of the voting members. The county juvenile court judge, who also sits on the board as a nonvoting member, appoints the third.None of the current board members responded to a request for comment. Neither did six current commissioners who helped appoint the voting members now on the board. The juvenile court judge, Tim Irwin, declined to comment.Knox County lawyer Chris Coffey was a voting board member from 1999 to 2020, according to the Knoxville city website. He remembers the quarterly meetings as small usually attended by a handful of board members, the juvenile court judge and Bean, plus occasional staff members from the facility. A cell in the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center. Tennessee has 16 other county juvenile detention facilities similar to the Bean Center. (William DeShazer for ProPublica) The board only knew what Bean told them about the facility, he said. The superintendent would give a presentation during each meeting about how many kids were in the facility, what kinds of meals they served or how many books were donated.Coffey does not recall any serious discussions about issues at the detention center or with Beans leadership.It just never really dawned on me that we were watchdogs over Richard, Coffey said. It never really was explained to me that way.Friends of RichardsLocal lawyers John Valliant, Billy Stokes and Sherry Mahar are the current voting members of the centers board. When Beans wife, Lillian, died last year, Valliant and Stokes were listed as her pallbearers. The latter was also an officiant at her funeral.Stokes worked for Bean at the center for three years, calling some of the children there dangerous thugs in a 1991 letter to the editor defending Bean against The Knoxville News Sentinels criticism of his leadership. Later, Stokes represented Bean as his personal lawyer when he was sued in his capacity as superintendent of the center in 2003.Valliant, appointed to his seat on the board by the county commissioners, has represented county commissioners as their lawyer. After WPLN and ProPublica reported on Beans documented illegal use of seclusion at the facility in 2023, lawmakers called for his resignation. But Valliant told a local TV news station that he thought the Bean Center was the best facility in the state of Tennessee.Mahar is a longtime lawyer in Knox County representing kids in juvenile court. On New Years Day 2025, screenshots provided to WPLN show that she wrote to Bean on Facebook, Just wanting to say Happy New Year and I love you with a red heart emoji.Beans close relationships with the voting members of his board go back years, said Betty Bean, a longtime political journalist in Knox County who said shes a distant relative of the superintendent.Richard made his own rules back in the day, and it hasnt changed a lot, she said. Most of the board are good people. But theyre all friends of Richards.One former board member was Beans secretary, who had donated money to his wifes campaigns for Knox County circuit, general sessions and juvenile court clerk, according to Betty Bean and local news reports at the time. And for decades, another voting board member was Gail Jarvis, a lawyer and former Knox County General Sessions Court judge. Richard Bean was campaign treasurer for Jarvis when she was running to become the criminal court judge in 1998.Jarvis did not respond to a voicemail seeking comment.He had a lot of political influence in town, former board member Coffey said. Back in those days, almost anybody that ran for anything whether it was judicial or political wanted his blessing and endorsement. Photos of people posing with Bean blanket the wall of his office. (William DeShazer for ProPublica) Some of the people listed as appointees to the centers board didnt know they were members until receiving a call from WPLN and ProPublica for this story.At least two people listed on a Knoxville city website as being nonvoting appointees from 1999-2020 said they had no idea they had been members. And the East Tennessee Development District Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, which is listed as having appointed the pair, has not existed for at least 15 years, according to the head of the development district. This is the first Im hearing of it, said Terry Frank, who is now the mayor of neighboring Anderson County. Something definitely as important as a juvenile board, I would definitely appear if I knew that I was a sitting member. Bill Brittain, the former mayor of Hamblen County, said the same.According to the public list, the board has also had a Knox County GOP appointee, but it has had a vacancy for a Democratic appointee since at least 1999.U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett was also a nonvoting member of the board, listed from 1999 to 2017 as the city mayors appointee. When reached by phone he estimated he only attended two meetings during that time.Somebody Was Going to Die in ThereIt would have been hard for the board to miss that the Bean Center was troubled.A 1991 grand jury said the facility had rat problems and no toilet paper. A 2000 grand jury called the detention center a disgrace to the county, citing that the facility was dirty to the point of stinking.In 2003, allegations of sexual harassment and assault by an employee at the center made the papers. The Department of Childrens Services said it was investigating the employee and considering a probe of the center. Three female staffers, and one of their husbands who also worked at the center, filed a lawsuit later dismissed against Bean, Knox County and the employee. The county later settled with the husband, who claimed he was demoted when his wife threatened legal action.A 2023 investigation by WPLN and ProPublica found the facility was illegally using seclusion as punishment and was consistently out of compliance with DCS, according to public records.Stephani Clowers, the nurse whose firing set in motion Beans resignation, said she never considered going to the board for help. She said Bean openly told people they were his best friends.Absolutely not. Because they would have told him, she said. It wouldve made things much harder.Clowers reported the alleged mishandling of medication by the staff to Bean, but nothing changed, she said. She hit her breaking point in 2024 when a child at the center was clearly in need of medical attention and that child was hidden from me, Clowers said. When she was able to see him, she called and consulted a doctor who determined that the boy should be transferred to the emergency room. Clowers said the child was never taken there. She reported these incidents to the DCS workers assigned to those children and then to the state comptrollers office.I knew then that if something did not change, somebody was going to die in there, she said. Teenagers watch a movie at the Bean Center. (William DeShazer for ProPublica) WPLN and ProPublica reached out to board members and the detention center for comment about Clowers allegations. Irwin, the juvenile court judge who is also on the board, declined to comment. The others did not respond.Beans decision to fire Clowers was the apparent last straw for Irwin. He went to Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.Irwin, a former NFL player, and Jacobs, a former professional wrestler, wrote a letter to the 84-year-old superintendent demanding he reinstate the nurse and another fired employee. And Jacobs looped in the governor and called for the facility to be taken out from under Bean and the board.A day later, Bean announced that he plans to leave on Aug. 1. He didnt reply to requests for comment, but in 2023 he told WPLN and ProPublica that he would stay in his position as long as Judge and my board put up with me. He predicted that Irwin would run him out for bad publicity.I am dismayed and disappointed by the rush to judgement by the Mayor, Judge Irwin, and other county leaders, Bean wrote in his resignation letter to board member Valliant.Clowers said she was surprised that Bean decided to resign.I thought he was gonna get away with it. This whole time I knew it would be me or him, Clowers said. And when it was me it was kind of devastating. I was like, wow, he wins again.The Boards Unknown FutureEven with Beans departure, the question of the board remains.Jacobs is asking the commissioners to pass an emergency ordinance dismantling the board. He wants them to delete sections of the Knox County code about the board, its meetings and duties and replace them with a new section that would give operation and control to the Knox County sheriff.Commissioners who came into office after the last board was appointed told WPLN they want an investigation before they reassign control of the center to anyone. That includes the sheriff, who told WPLN in a statement that he was willing to work with the mayor and the state to find solutions in the best interest of the juveniles in custody. McKenzie, the Democratic state representative, said he doesnt think giving the detention center to the sheriffs office is the answer. He pointed to a recent incident in which sheriffs office SWAT deputies shot and killed a Black high school student during a raid.I dont think that office is built or equipped to handle juvenile justice, he said.The sheriffs office said it takes the safety and security of juveniles in our care very seriously, but it declined to comment further on McKenzies statements.McKenzie said giving the facility to the sheriff would be like saying we want to sweep this under the carpet, keeping Knox County business inside Knox County.That type of insular good old boys attitude, he said, created this problem in the first place. Bean in his office in 2023. He plans to leave on Aug. 1. (William DeShazer for ProPublica)

Sick children, families and businesses are among the many people in Haiti, a country plagued by gang violence, likely to be hit hard by a U.S. travel ban.