Gay rights lawyer immolates self in protest

NEW YORK — A well-known gay rights lawyer and environmental advocate has burned himself to death in a grisly protest against ecological destruction.

Police say the charred remains of 60-year-old David Buckel were found early Saturday in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. The Daily News reports that Buckel left a suicide note saying he had used fossil fuel to burn himself as a metaphor for the destruction of the planet. He added that he hoped his death was “honourable” and “might serve others.” Buckel was the lead attorney in in a lawsuit involving Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was murdered in Nebraska. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Teena in the 1999 movie “Boys Don’t Cry.”