outdoor smoking banned in New York city

Effective Monday, May 24, 2011, outside smoking will be banned in most public places in New York city.  The law passed and signed in February, makes smoking illegal in New York City's 1,700 parks, on the city's 14 miles of public beaches and pedestrian plazas like Times Square. The law is intended to prevent second hand smoking and the violators could be fined $50.

With this law, New York city joins 105 municipalities (in states including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey) to ban smoking on public beaches and 507 municipalities that ban smoking in public parks.

Lesbian fitness trainers sue David Barton Gyms in New York

David Barton Gyms New York

The management of David Barton Gyms, a high end gym chain in Manhattan, NY, is being sued by two lesbian fitness trainers. They are suing for an unspecified amount for "lost wages, lost benefits, other economic damages, shame, humiliation, embarrassment and mental distress.”

According to NYdailynews, trainers, Deborah Cooke and Christina Rodino, charge that their bosses at  the gym made them the butt of gay jokes and called each of them a "f---ing dyke." The bosses hounded them for sex and suggested that they, two trainers, should vacation on Lesbos Island.

The women were fired Dec. 2 after they complained about nasty locker talk and they were replaced by straight trainers with less experience. Apparently, at least one of the two women, Deobrah Cooke, was earning $100,000 a year.

The first gym was opened by Celebrity bodybuilder David Barton in Chelsea, in 1994. Apparently, the gym was sued previously in 2005 by a straight male member, claiming gay sex was rampant in the locker room and that other members gawked at him when he undressed.

See the original article here