Trial Begins in Murder of Bisexual Man

By Keith Boykin
Wednesday, October 11 2006, 12:00PM

The trial of a suspect in the murder of a 23-year-old Cleveland man begins today. Deonte Conley was shot and killed on March 1. Conley was described as very active in Cleveland’s black LGBT community and volunteered his time to various community organizations. The suspect, Artez Williams, 24, is charged with killing Deonte Conley, who was walking down Gay Street in East Cleveland at the time of his death.

L. Michael Gipson, director of education for the Cleveland AIDS Taskforce and former director of its Beyond Identities Community Center, noted that Conley attended the youth center for some time, helped with the facility and volunteered to lead workshops. Conley also performed at drag shows under the name Unique. He was openly bisexual.

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