National
Chicago man dies on Atlantis Events-chartered cruise
Reports indicate Jonathan Mindrum may have died from drug overdose
The family of a Chicago man who died on an Atlantis Events-chartered cruise last week is searching for answers about the circumstances that led to his death.
Reports indicate Jonathan Mindrum, 36, died on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas at around 3 a.m. on Jan. 24.
The ship left Miami on Jan. 21 and returned to the city on Jan. 28. The itinerary that Atlantis Events posted to its website notes the ship was scheduled to arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 7 a.m. on Jan. 24.
Jim Walker, a Miami-based lawyer who publishes Cruise Law News, a blog that covers “everything the cruise lines don’t want you to know,” published a social media post from Mindrum’s sister, Jennifer Mindrum, in which she requested information about her brother’s death.”
“I believe I saw him die,” said one man in response to the post.
“The party Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was the Neon Playground party in Studio B, which is one of the ship’s entertainment venues that they convert into a nightclub for parties,” he said. “Around 3 a.m. they stopped the music briefly and announced ‘code alpha alpha alpha’ over the intercom, which is code for life-threatening medical emergency.”
The man said Jonathan Mindrum “was seated in one of the front rows of seats overlooking the dance floor, and was surrounded by people trying to get him to wake up.”
“At one point someone tried to pry his eyelids open, but he was not responsive,” said the man in his post. “The Care Team came down and took him to the medical center outside of Studio B and then closed the doors.”
The man said “the rumor mill aboard the ship is saying that he took a fentanyl-laced ecstasy tablet that he purchased on board. I don’t know that for sure, but that’s just what people are saying.”
The Washington Blade has not independently verified this claim.
Jennifer Mindrum told the Blade during a telephone interview that her brother died on board the ship and authorities brought his body to the coroner’s office in San Juan once it docked. They later released it to a local funeral home.
Jonathan Mindrum’s body remains in Puerto Rico.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson on Monday confirmed “we had a death onboard and that it was unexpected and not suspicious.” Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell on Tuesday in an emailed statement to the Blade also confirmed Jonathan Mindrum passed away on the Oasis of the Seas.
“Mr. Mindrum did unfortunately pass away onboard Oasis last week, but the circumstances regarding his death were not suspicious,” said Campbell. “We are very saddened by this loss and our condolences go out to his friends and family.”
Craig Mindrum, Jonathan Mindrum’s father, in a statement to the Blade said his son was a “brilliant person as a professional consultant and thinker.” Craig Mindrum also noted his son was completing a master’s degree in data science at Northwestern University.
“He had a very bright future ahead of him, so losing him is a loss not just to us but to the world,” said Craig Mindrum.
“We are in the depths of grief about losing Jonathan, and we also have important questions about the circumstances of his death and emergency services provided to him,” he added.
Campbell noted to the Blade there “were no other deaths or major medical incidents during our cruise and nothing else out of the ordinary occurred.” He also said Atlantis Events does “not get involved in guest’s personal medical issues of any type.”
“These are the responsibility of the operating cruise line and we do not have access to guest medical records,” said Campbell. “We are made aware of the situation and the cruise line’s care response teams follow up with family members directly. We only are involved when asked by the family, which has not occurred in this case.”
Companies have ‘strict zero tolerance policy’ towards onboard drugs
Spencer Yu, a Warner Bros. lawyer and GLAAD board member, in 2009 died from a heart attack while on an Atlantis Events-chartered cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas. Cruise Law News notes speculation that indicates Yu may have died from a drug overdose.
Joel Taylor, star of the Discovery Channel series “Storm Chasers,” in 2018 died of a suspected overdose on board the Harmony of the Seas, another Royal Caribbean ship that Atlantis Events chartered. Reports indicate Taylor had taken GHB before he lost consciousness and died in his cabin.
“Atlantis and Royal Caribbean both have a strict zero tolerance policy towards any illegal substance use onboard and work with the cruise lines and local authorities to enforce these policies,” Campbell told the Blade. “The policy is in writing both on our website and in all pre-cruise communications.”
“Overall, our 5,200 guests onboard Oasis had a sensational time with no serious incidents of any type,” he added. “Most of the posts we’ve seen on social media were not from people onboard the cruise. We take pride in creating a safe, entertaining and social environment for our community.”
Tennessee
Tenn. lawmakers pass transgender “watch list” bill
State Senate to consider measure on Wednesday
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill last week to create a transgender “watch list” that also pushes detransition medical treatment. The state Senate will consider it on Wednesday.
House Bill 754/State Bill 676 has been deemed “ugly” by LGBTQ advocates and criticized by healthcare information litigators as a major privacy concern.
The bill would require “gender clinics accepting funds from this state to perform gender transition procedures to also perform detransition procedures; requires insurance entities providing coverage of gender transition procedures to also cover detransition procedures; requires certain gender clinics and insurance entities to report information regarding detransition procedures to the department of health.”
It would require that any gender-affirming care-providing clinics share the date, age, and sex of patients; any drugs prescribed (dosage, frequency, duration, and method administered); the state and county; the name, contact information, and medical specialty of the healthcare professional who prescribed the treatment; and any past medical history related to “neurological, behavioral, or mental health conditions.” It would also mandate additional information if surgical intervention is prescribed, including details on which healthcare professional made a referral and when.
HB 0754 would also require the state to produce a “comprehensive annual statistical report,” with all collected data shared with the heads of the legislature and the legislative librarian, and eventually published online for public access.
The bill also reframes detransitioning as a major focus of gender-affirming healthcare — despite studies showing that the number of trans people who detransition is statistically quite low, around 13 percent, and is often the result of external pressures (such as discrimination or family) rather than an issue with their gender identity.
This legislation stands in sharp contrast to federal protections restricting what healthcare information can be shared. In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, requiring protections for all “individually identifiable health information,” including medical records, conversations, billing information, and other patient data.
Margaret Riley, professor of law, public health sciences, and public policy at the University of Virginia, has written about similar efforts at the federal level, noting the Trump-Vance administration’s push to subpoena multiple hospitals’ records of gender-affirming care for trans patients despite no claims — or proof — that a crime was committed.
It has “sown fear and concern, both among people whose information is sought and among the doctors and other providers who offer such care. Some health providers have reportedly decided to no longer provide gender-affirming care to minors as a result of the inquiries, even in states where that care is legal.” She wrote in an article on the Conversation, where she goes further, pointing out that the push, mostly from conservative members of the government, are pushing extracting this private information “while giving no inkling of any alleged crimes that may have been committed.”
State Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), the bill’s sponsor, said in a press conference two weeks ago that he has met dozens of individuals who sought to transition genders and ultimately detransitioned. In committee, an individual testified in support of the bill, claiming that while insurance paid for gender-affirming care, detransition care was not covered.
“I believe that we as a society are going to look back on this time that really burst out in 2014 and think, ‘Dear God, What were we thinking? This was as dumb as frontal lobotomies,’” Faison said of gender-affirming care. “I think we’re going to look back on society one day and think that.”
Jennifer Levi, GLAD Law’s senior director of Transgender and Queer Rights, shared with PBS last year that legislation like this changes the entire concept of HIPAA rights for trans Americans in ways that are invasive and unnecessary.
“It turns doctor-patient confidentiality into government surveillance,” Levi said, later emphasizing this will cause fewer people to seek out the care that they need. “It’s chilling.”
The Washington Blade reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, which shared this statement from Executive Director Miriam Nemeth:
“HB 754/SB 676 continues the ugly legacy of Tennessee legislators’ attacks on the lives of transgender Tennesseans. Most Tennesseans, regardless of political views, oppose government databases tracking medical decisions made between patients and their doctors. The same should be true here. The state does not threaten to end the livelihood of doctors and fine them $150,000 for safeguarding the sensitive information of people with diabetes, depression, cancer, or other conditions. Trans people and intersex people deserve the same safety, privacy, and equal treatment under the law as everyone else.”
National
Glisten’s 30th annual Day of Silence to take place April 10
Campaign began as student-led protests against anti-LGBTQ bullying, discrimination
Glisten’s 30th annual Day of Silence will take place on April 10.
The annual Day of Silence began as a student-led protest in response to bullying and discrimination that LGBTQ students face. It is now a national campaign for the LGBTQ community and their allies to come together for LGBTQ youth.
It takes place annually and has multiple ways for supporters to get involved in the movement.
Glisten, originally GLSEN, champions LGBTQ issues in schools, grades K-12. Glisten’s mission is to create more inclusive and accepting environments for LGBTQ students through curriculum, supportive measures, education campaigns, and engagement, such as the Day of Silence.
There are three main ways for the community to get involved in the Day of Silence.
Glisten has a Day of Silence frame, a series of pictures used as profile photos across social media that feature individuals holding signs. The signs allow for personalization, by providing a space to put the individual’s name, followed by filling in the prompt “ … and I am ENDING the silence by…”
Participants are encouraged to post the photo on social media and use it as a profile picture. The templates can be found on Google Drive through this link.
Using #DayOfSilence and #NSCS, as well as tagging Glisten’s official Page @glistencommunity, is another way to participate in the Day of Silence.
Glisten also encourages participants to tag creators, friends, family and use a call to action in their caption, to call attention to the facts and stories behind the Day of Silence.
“Today’s administration in the U.S. wants us to stay silent, submit to their biased and hurtful conformity, and stop fighting for our right to be authentically ourselves,” said Glisten CEO Melanie Willingham-Jaggers. “We urge supporters to use their social platforms and check in with local chapters to be boots on the ground to help LGBTQ+ students feel seen, heard, supported, and less alone. By participating in the ‘Day of Silence,’ you are showing solidarity with young people as they navigate identity, safety, and belonging. Our voices matter.”
South Carolina
Man faces first S.C. ‘hate intimidation’ charge
Timothy Truett allegedly shot at gay club in Myrtle Beach on April 1
A South Carolina man remains in custody on a more than $300,000 bond after he allegedly opened fire at a Myrtle Beach nightclub on April 1, according to WMBF.
Reports say 37-year-old Timothy James Truett Jr., of Clover, S.C., was detained by the Myrtle Beach Police Department after the April 1 incident outside Pulse Ultra Club. He was later arrested and charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, discharging a firearm into a dwelling, discharging a firearm within city limits, malicious injury to real property valued over $5,000, and assault or intimidation due to political opinions or the exercise of civil rights.
At 10:57 a.m. on April 1, officers responded to a call about a possible shooting at Pulse Ultra Club, located in the 2700 block of South Kings Highway.
In an affidavit released later, the club’s owner, Ken Phillips, said he was doing paperwork that morning when he heard “five or six” gunshots. He went outside and found a window and the windshield of his SUV shattered by bullets. An SUV with blue plastic covering one window was left at the scene.
Police later reviewed footage that showed a silver vehicle stopping in the middle of the road. The video appeared to capture muzzle flashes coming from the passenger-side window.
According to the affidavit, an officer later pulled over a vehicle driven by Truett and found spent shell casings in the back seat, along with a gun.
Documents do not detail why Truett was ultimately charged under the state law covering assault or intimidation tied to political opinions or the exercise of civil rights.
As of April 1, records show Truett is being held in Horry County on a combined bond of more than $312,000.
WMBF spoke with Phillips after the incident and asked whether there was any prior conflict that might have led to the shooting.
“I don’t know if it’s personal, I don’t know if it’s related to being gay, I don’t know if it’s related to the bar issues,” Phillips told WMBF. “Anybody with a mindset of pulling out a weapon in broad daylight is not right.”
“My primary concern has and always will be the safety of my community and my customers,” he added. “It’s given me great concern … as to how far people will go.”
WMBF also spoke with Adam Hayes, vice chair of Myrtle Beach’s Human Rights Coalition, who was involved in pushing for the ordinance. He said that while the incident itself is troubling, it shows the policy is being put to use.
The ordinance is intended to deter “crimes that are motivated by bias or hate towards any person or persons, in whole or in part, because of the actual or perceived” identity, in the absence of a statewide hate crime law.
“It’s nice to see that something we put into policy is not just a piece of paper, that it’s actually being used,” said Hayes.
He said the shooting underscores the need for a statewide hate crime law in South Carolina and added that the incident has left the local LGBTQ community shaken.
South Carolina and Wyoming are the only two states in the U.S. without a comprehensive statewide hate crime law.
Truett remains in jail as of publication.
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