Hal Dempsey wanted to “escape Missouri.” Arlo Dennis is “fleeing Florida.” The Tillison family “can't stay in Texas.” They are part of a new migration of Americans who are uprooting their lives in response to a raft of legislation across the country restricting health care for transgender people. Missouri, Florida, and Texas are among at least 20 states that have limited components of gender-affirming health care for trans youth. Those three states are also among the states that prevent Medicaid — the public health insurance for people with low incomes — from paying for key aspects of such car…

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Morocco's Islamist party has called for a ban on the award-winning Moroccan movie “The Blue Caftan” from screening in national cinemas over its alleged “promotion of homosexuality” and “violating” the country's religious morals. “The General Secretariat denounces allowing a film that promotes homosexuality to be screened in Moroccan cinemas, in a grave violation of the religious, national, and moral values of the Moroccan Muslim people,” the Islamist party of Justice and Development Party (PJD) added in a press release on Friday. Directed by Maryam Touzani, “The Blue Caftan” depicts the story …

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By Crispian Balmer and Francesca Piscioneri ROME (Reuters) – A state prosecutor in northern Italy has demanded the cancellation of 33 birth certificates of children born to lesbian couples dating back to 2017, saying the name of the non-biological mother should be removed. The move by the prosecutor of Padua, which came to light late on Monday, highlighted the legal morass facing gay families in Italy. It came months after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government ordered city councils to stop registering same-sex parents' children. Italy legalised same-sex civil unions in 2016 under a centre…

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As Finland’s new coalition government is sworn into office on Tuesday, incoming Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is facing a public relations headache over the Speaker of Parliament and the Minister for Economic Affairs, both positions filled by the far-right Finns Party. In Finland, it’s no secret that Jussi Halla-aho, a previous leader of the Finns Party, a former MEP and now in a senior role as Speaker of the House, has a decades-long track record of racist comments, and deeply troubling writings. The blog posts, written years before he was in the public eye, contain disturbing insights into the…

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By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Roman Catholic bishops should discuss how the Church can be more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people and the divorced, and reflect on how to give women more decision-making power and allowing them to be ordained deacons, a Vatican document released on Tuesday said. The 50-page working document for a global synod of the bishops also proposes discussion on allowing married men to become priests in remote areas – a possibility that Pope Francis put on hold following talks in a similar meeting in 2019. It even appears to suggest that the Church should be understa…

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Customs officers found almost 90 reptiles in the luggage of a passenger at Vienna airport. The 85 geckos, two snakes and two scorpions had a total retail value of €47,000 ($51,400), the Ministry of Finance reported on Tuesday. The 50-year-old had flown from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to Vienna. When he wanted to use the exit for travellers without goods to declare, he was checked. To their shock, the officials found an initially unmanageable amount of reptiles in three transport boxes, the ministry added. The animals, none which were considered protected species, were handed over to Sch…

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Madonna has forced her new 29-year-old boy toy boxer, Josh Popper, to sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing him from spilling any bedroom secrets, RadarOnline.com has learned. Sources say the 64-year-old singer decided to not move forward with the romance until Josh agreed to her terms. “The number one rule of dating Madonna is you don’t talk about Madonna,” said a source. “No one is more controlling of her image than she is.” The insider said, “Everyone who works on her upcoming tour had to sign an NDA before they could even audition — and the same applies to boyfriends. Before they even…

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Beyonce’s bidet is for sale on eBay. The ‘Formation’ singer and her husband Jay-Z rented a mansion in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, back in 2015, and when their year-long lease was up and they moved out, the owner sold the property and the people who bought it wanted to carry out a complete renovation. According to TMZ, the new owners passed on a number of fixtures and fittings to Eric’s Architectural Salvage LA in 2017, and the company has now put a number of items from the abode, including the bidet – which has an asking price of $2,400 – exterior lights, window frame a h…

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Activists in Istanbul turned out to march against the discrimination of trans people despite officials banning the city’s Trans Pride Parade on Sunday over fears it posed a threat to family values. However police were nevertheless able to prevent parade participants from demonstrating at the city’s central Taksim Square with large-scale roadblocks. Metro connections that could have shuttled protesters to Taksim Square were also interrupted. According to activist association Kaos GL, police mounted “attacks” on demonstration participants. The governor of Istanbul, Davut Gül, had already announc…

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Don Lemon has declared he is “still a journalist”. The ousted CNN host, 57, who was fired from the network in April following a 17-year stint at the network as part of an apparent shake-up of its image as a liberal station, made the statement as he presented the 7th annual Native Son Awards at the IAC building in New York. Don, who came out as gay in his 2011 memoir ‘Transparent’, told the crowd of black gay and queer men on Friday (16.06.23): “I may not be on CNN, but I’m still a journalist.” He then addressed legislative bills targeting the LGBTQ community, hitting out: “In 2023, there have …

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By Lola Sasturain via El Planteo. There are many children’s and juvenile products that have been even more successful and anchored abroad than in their countries of origin. “The Simpsons,” “Alf…” and “The Pink Panther” can be added to the list. Ignoring talking adaptations of the ’80s and ’90s that do it little justice, the original “The Pink Panther” cartoon, with silent episodes of around 6 minutes, is a creation of Fritz Freleng, cartoonist and animator. See also: Blood, Drugs And Tarantino: A Thrilling Journey Through Iconic Cinematic Masterpieces The first appearance of the main charact…

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A new campaign ad released on Monday suggests Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared war on a new enemy. The 2024 presidential candidate slammed California, portraying it as a decaying state suffering under the progressive policies of its governor Gavin Newsom. “The debate is already over,” read a tweet accompanying the video. “California’s liberal governance is a disaster. Ron DeSantis’ conservative policies have Florida thriving, and would do so for the nation.” The ad comes as speculation mounts over Newsom’s possible entry into the 2024 race as questions continue to swirl over President Jo…

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Racist, antisemitic and homophobic flyers were found early Monday on the lawns of homes throughout areas of Sacramento, including two East Sacramento neighborhoods, a development that Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg immediately denounced. “It’s probably no coincidence that those who hate would spew their vile, racist lies on Juneteenth, a holiday uplifting the ideal that all people are equal and free,” Steinberg said in a statement to The Sacramento Bee. “Sacramento will never cower in the face of antisemitism, racism or prejudice. “The overwhelming majority of people who love their neighbo…

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The number of teenagers who say they’re sexually active has plummeted in New Jersey in the past 12 years, mirroring a nationwide trend that experts say isn’t easy to explain. Less than 18% of high school students in New Jersey reported that they were sexually active in 2021, down from a high of 33.6% in 2009, according to recently released Center for Disease Control and Prevention data. This is the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic that the CDC has conducted it’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, an assessment of the nation’s high schoolers taken every few years that asks about …

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Charges that public schools are subjecting children to leftwing indoctrination are proving to be mostly over-hyped or not at all based in fact. Yet, there’s evidence, according to a new report, that a fast-growing sector of the charter school industry is engaged in indoctrination, only, in this case, the schools are instructing children in white, conservative ideology. The report, “A Sharp Turn Right: A New Breed of Charter Schools Delivers the Conservative Agenda” by the Network for Public Education (NPE), finds that charter schools that market to families a “classical” or “traditional” appro…

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McDonald’s has come under fire from officials in Georgia, who have accused the fast-food chain of promoting “LGBT propaganda” to children. The controversy centers on a book about the life of British musician Elton John, which is included in the children’s menu at McDonald’s. The book briefly mentions John’s homosexuality, which has been seized upon by Georgian Dream party leaders attempting to whip up a culture war in the country.

The offending section? “You will now meet two of the most talented musicians in the world. Both of them had hopes, fears, joys and challenges, as well as their own special dreams. Their stories show you that if you follow your dreams and believe in yourself, you can achieve anything!.

Georgian Officials Criticize McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys

As originally reported by Intellinews, Top figures from Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party have criticized McDonald’s for including a book about the life of Elton John in its Happy Meal toys. The book, which is part of a global McDonald’s campaign featuring childhood stories of celebrities, briefly mentions the singer ‘got married and started the family he always dreamed of with his spouse, David, and two sons’.. Georgian Dream leaders have accused McDonald’s of promoting “LGBT propaganda” in Happy Meal packages.

Several officials have spoken out against the book, with Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the ruling party, calling it “shocking” and “outrageous.” Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, has called the book “disgusting” and accused McDonald’s of trying to “get children used to” LGBT issues from a young age. The Patriarchate of Georgia’s Orthodox Church has also criticized McDonald’s for using “dishonest and covered-up behavior.”

Elton John Draws Criticism from Georgian Officials for “LGBT Propaganda”

Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has previously expressed concerns about “hostile forces” allegedly attempting to undermine family values in Georgia, promising to protect the majority from “minority violence” during a radical right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) conference in Budapest last month. This latest controversy has further damaged the government’s relationship with the European Union, which was already under strain due to Georgia’s ambiguous position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During 2021, the police just watched without intervening as a group of far-right individuals went on a violent rampage in Tbilisi, targeting and opposing LGBT rights. Tragically, a cameraman lost his life during these disturbing events. Although six attackers from the far-right were eventually found guilty of engaging in violent acts, their charges of orchestrating group violence were overturned upon appeal.

Georgian Officials Attack McDonald’s Over Elton John’s “LGBT Propaganda” in Happy Meal ===

The controversy surrounding McDonald’s and Elton John highlights the continuing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Georgia and other countries where conservative values still hold sway. While Georgian Dream leaders have attempted to whip up a culture war against Western values such as gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights to bolster their domestic support, the government’s actions have damaged its reputation with the European Union and other international organizations. As this controversy continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Georgia’s leaders will respond to the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.

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Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are reportedly not splitting. The 50-year-old ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ actress’ partner, 56, with whom she has five children, announced their separation on Instagram on Saturday (17.06.23), but he has deleted the post and a source has claimed the couple aren’t divorcing. An insider told UsWeekly hours after ‘Due South’ actor Dean’s post made headlines: “They’ve had their ups and downs like any couple, but have continued working on their marriage through couple’s counselling. “They love each other and are not going to split.” According to the source, Dean’s friend…

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Sarita Choudhury was “almost scared” of how much sex features in the new season of ‘And Just Like That’. The 56-year-old actress – who portrays real estate agent Seema Patel in the ‘Sex and the City’ spin-off – teased that “a lot is happening” in the upcoming episodes and she had a lot of fun because her character is single. She told Britain’s Grazia magazine: “Let’s just say the intimacy coordinator was there every day. “[There’s so much sex] I’m almost scared. “When we were shooting it, I was like ,’Oh my God, it’s going to be so much fun.; “Literally, everyone’s up to something. “[With Seem…

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After news broke that Pat Sajak is leaving Wheel of Fortune after 41 seasons, it looks like his costar Vanna White might be trying to take his job. “Vanna doesn’t want to leave Wheel of Fortune even after Pat’s announcement of retirement and she would highly consider taking over his role as host on the show,” the insider revealed. “The next year is going to be quite the ride and Vanna wants to be a part of it all even after he leaves, and she hopes they don’t force her out,” the insider continued. Since the blonde babe has co-hosted the show alongside Sajak since 1982, she is hoping to have he…

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By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Even when he was president, Donald Trump lacked the legal authority to declassify a U.S. nuclear weapons-related document that he is charged with illegally possessing, security experts said, contrary to the former U.S. president’s claim. The secret document, listed as No. 19 in the indictment charging Trump with endangering national security, can under the Atomic Energy Act only be declassified through a process that by the statute involves the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. For that reason, the experts said, the nuclear document i…

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to press ahead with his controversial overhaul of the judiciary despite months of huge street protests. Netanyahu accused the opposition at a Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on Sunday of stalling for time in negotiations mediated by President Isaac Herzog. He said the prominent opposition politicians Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz had only feigned dialogue and never meant to find common ground with the government. “That is why we will gather this week and take practical steps,” Netanyahu said. Referring to his election victory last year, he added that…

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Ariana Grande has always been a queen — and will be one for years to come — but, most recently, Grande has transformed into Glinda the Good Witch in her upcoming lead role in the film version of the Broadway musical Wicked, set to be released on November 27, 2024. Whether it be acting in a Nickelodeon sitcom, igniting an award-winning music career or combining both her skills in one for the highly anticipated Wizard of Oz spinoff, the 29-year-old has always reigned at the top among beloved Hollywood stars. From a childhood star to a present-day icon, keep scrolling to view OK!’s gallery of Gra…

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A federal judge in Indiana on Friday issued a preliminary injunction blocking a ban on gender-affirming care for minors from taking effect, in a ruling celebrated as a “victory” by civil rights advocates. Senate Bill 480, which would prohibit families and doctors from providing gender-affirming care for minors, was signed into law by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 5. Shortly after the signing of the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union and its Indiana affiliate filed a lawsuit on behalf of four trans youth and their families, alleging the law is unconstitutional because it violates …

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By Patrick Andres West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins is expected to resign in the wake of his arrest for driving under the influence in Pittsburgh Friday evening, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. Huggins, 69, was observed blocking traffic in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny West neighborhood and pulled over, per a police report. He failed a sobriety test and was taken into custody. The arrest added to an offseason filled with negative headlines for Huggins. On May 8, Huggins referred to [Xavier fans](https://www.si.com/college/2023/05/08/west-virginia-bob-huggins-anti-lgbtq-slur-xavier-fans) as…

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