RadioRob

In a surprising turn of events, the Vatican has blessed same-sex couples under specific conditions, marking a little break from the Catholic Church's traditional stance on homosexuality. Vatican's Blessings: An Acknowledgement, Not an Endorsement of Same-sex Relationship The Vatican has emphasized that the blessing does not indicate an endorsement of homosexual acts, which they still consider sinful. The blessings merely acknowledge the “lifelong commitment of same-sex couples.” The details of these conditions have not been fully disclosed, according to Reuters. Pope Francis, known for his somewhat progressive views, has been the driving force behind this change. His even limited support for same-sex unions sets him apart from his predecessors and adds a dimension to the Church's engagement with sexuality and marriage issues. They seem determined to maintain their awkward discomfort and disdain. Blessings too little and too late? At the heart of the debate of course is the fact that this issue — like the rotation of the sun around the moon, evolutionary theory, contraception, divorce, adoption, the role of women, and considering what LGBTQ lives to be defined by sin –is question of traditional teachings remaining stubbornly out of sync with scientific facts, and changed societal attitudes, even by a majority of members ion the church. German Priests Have Gone Rogue. US Church Attendance is in Free Fall This type of separate and not liturgical blessing may be literally the least they could do. The Vatican has been unable to do anything about priests in Germany going rogue to bless unions and others continue to bless gay couples quietly around the world. Responses will undoubtedly be mixed, as are the reasons behind making this move right now. While there are clearly some in the Vatican concerned with recognizing our humanity, likely as many or more hope to slow the free-fall in church affiliation and attendance of recent decades. It's a move similar and cynical as the increased corporate presence at Pride Events driven by recruiting needs. A show of company values to get young heterosexual Millennial and Gen Z workers. By The Folks Who Sexually Molested Millions of Kids and Covered it Up… Then, of course there is the elephant in the room. The insane hypocrisy of priests being restrained or at all judgmental about blessing anyone, let alone upstanding gay couples of majority age in supportive relationships is not likely to be acknowledged any time soon. (The number of children sexually molested by priests globally is estimated to be in the millions. Here's an AP global roundup.) It's been more than 33 years since ACT Up and WHAM's STOP The Church action in New York to protest the Cardinal and Church policies discriminating people with AIDS even under their substantial contracts to provide public care, denying reproductive health, refusing to allow condom use,. Among the more controversial, most widely covered, and most reflexively condemned protest by the group, it actually sparked mainstream groups like GMHC to ask more of the church, catalyzed local change and provided another frame for talking about its role. . So, there's alway a possibility this announcement will lead even more Catholics to leave when offered more concrete proof that their church is not getting there any time soon, and they won't likely be alive to see it. Many, many — if not a majority of — American Catholics have come a long way already. 76% favor changing the ban on contraceptives and they may join the rest of the country in seeing this announcement as so very little and so late. All that said, this decision does indicate the possibility of a new era of openness within the Church, though many clergy globally oppose any movement. It may be the first in a long line of drawn out tortured steps to bring the church in line with changing societal attitudes towards homosexuality and same-sex relationships. When they get there will anyone be around to care? Also on Towleroad Pope Francis: Gay Couples are Not Families Pope Francis: Gay Children ‘Have the Right to a Family, and the Family Not Throwing Them Out' Pope Francis Calls for Civil Unions for Gay Couples Illustration created by the AI machine View the full article

Published by AFP Washington (AFP) – One month from now, the Midwestern state of Iowa kicks off the US 2024 primary season, and Donald Trump will discover whether he has an insurmountable lead for the Republican presidential nomination, or opponents can spring a surprise. Four criminal indictments are pending against Trump, putting the former president at risk of imprisonment. Still, he has one of the biggest poll advantages in modern times over Republican rivals at this point in a campaign. While they all are vying to run in next November's election as the party seeks to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden, … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A surprising decision by the Supreme Court this past week to not even consider taking up a challenge to a so-called “gay conversion” ban in Washington state caught the eyes of two legal scholars who claimed members of the nation's highest court seems to have had theirfill of specious far-right legal claims. In a back-and-forth between Slate's Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick, Stern noted the fact that a proposed review of the Tingley v. Ferguson case received only three votes from a court with a six-to-three conservative to liberal membership. That rebuke of the case that needed only four… Read More View the full article

Published by Mirror By Sarah Lumley “Gooning” is the hottest sex act of the last five years – with Google searches for the term having risen by almost 800% during this time, figures have revealed. The kinky term refers to prolonging sexual arousal through sensory overload, often involving hypnotic stimuli. And it has topped a list of kink-related searches that have seen the biggest surge of Google searches since 2018 – coming out ahead of femboy, a male who displays traditionally feminine characteristics, which has seen a 504% increase in searches. Other popular terms of recent years include thirst trap, which in… Read More View the full article

Published by PsyPost Marriages originating from online dating platforms differ in satisfaction and stability compared to those formed through traditional offline means, according to a new study published in Computers in Human Behavior. The findings suggest that while online dating leads to more diverse marriages, it also brings unique challenges affecting the quality of these relationships. With online dating becoming a common avenue for seeking partners, researchers sought to understand its long-term implications on relationships, particularly marriages. Earlier research suggested that marriages beginning online … Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News A congressional staffer has reportedly been fired after footage featuring him and another man seemingly having sex in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill was leaked online. The eight-second clip was published by the Daily Caller alongside an article penned by Henry Rodgers, who reported that the video was initially shared in a group chat for gay men in politics. The video appears to show a pair of men copulating in Hart 216, the same room where the 9/11 commission hearings were held and former FBI Director James Comey delivered testimony about Donald Trump in 2017, according to Pol… Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) 2023 has spoiled us for choice when it comes to music output. Whether it's the ongoing soul revival, a tonne of spellbinding pop, the Afrobeats explosion and a smattering of scuzzy rock, the year has been vibrant in all sorts of sonic ways. The Euronews Culture team have made some hard choices and ranked their favourite releases of 2023. These are the records that we've had on heavy rotation all year round, and made 2023 truly memorable. Our countdown to the best album of the year begins with… 20) King Krule – Space HeavyThe moody but deeply compelling ‘Space Heavy' marks the fourth musical … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A binder holding top-secret intelligence that contributed to a U.S. assessment that Russia tried to help throw the 2016 U.S. election to Donald Trump has been missing since the last days of his presidency, a source familiar with the issue said. The Russia intelligence was included with other documents in a binder that Trump directed the CIA to send to the White House just before he left office so he could declassify materials related to the FBI probe of Russian interference in the 2016 vote, the source said. The Russia materials included highly classif… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rudy Giuliani must pay more than $148 million in damages to two former Georgia election workers he defamed through false accusations that they helped rig the 2020 election against Donald Trump, a jury decided on Friday. The jury in federal court in Washington found that Giuliani owes the workers, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman, roughly $73 million to compensate them for the reputational and emotional harm they suffered and $75 million to punish the former Trump lawyer and one-time New York mayor for his conduct. “Today's a good day. … Read More View the full article

Published by Mirror By Zara Woodcock A iconic UK popstar looked totally different as she showcased her dramatic new look for her birthday celebrations. Little Mix icon Jade Thirlwall took to her Instagram page to share her transformation into a Brazt doll. The look included sharp eye make-up that made her eyes look bigger, pink lipstick, a lot of highlighter and blush. She also rocked a black wig with a straight fringe which she covered with a beanie. The singer also wore a white shirt with a glittery ‘Angel' printed over the chest. She shared the collage of her endless poses with fans and told them: “In a Bratzy… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Matthew Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” a sedative sometimes used to treat depression, with drowning and heart disease found to be contributing factors, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office reported on Friday. The coroner's autopsy report listed “the effects of buprenorphine,” a drug used to treat opioid use disorder, as a contributing factor in Perry's death, which was ruled an accident. Perry, 54, best known for his role as Chandler Bing of the 1990s hit television sitcom “Friends,” was found lifeless in the jacuzzi o… Read More View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri Republican lawmakers have pre-filed more than 20 bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights ahead of the 2024 legislative session, which begins next month. For Kale Marie Michael, a 22-year-old transgender woman from Kansas City, it feels like her community is always under attack. “I'm terrified honestly,” she said in a phone call. “A lot of people in my community, I can see that they're worried and I can see that they're struggling.” The legislation is a sign that conservatives targeting LGBTQ issues are emboldened and will look to build upon last session, when lawmakers… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Charlie Hunnam had to be hospitalised after becoming “incredibly sick”. The 43-year-old actor suddenly became ill but needed to be at the premiere of his new movie ‘Rebel Moon' on in Los Angeles Wednesday (13.12.23) so discharged himself from the London hospital because he has “never missed an hour of work” in his whole career. He told Access Hollywood: “I got incredibly sick and was in the hospital in London 32 hours ago, I just checked out of the hospital just to come here. The last, I would say, 48 hours have been a real trial, but here we are. We're here, we're smiling. I, in 25 years, am … Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Christian Ziegler, the embattled chair of the Florida Republican Party who reportedly is under investigation after being accused of rape by the same woman he and his wife had a three-way sexual relationship with, has refused to resign but now is willing to depart if given a multi-million dollar payout, according to Florida Politics. “Multiple sources confirm Ziegler has asked for a massive payout — one source said $2 million — to go away. Officials within the state party confirmed emissaries for Ziegler approached the party on his behalf,” Florida Politics reported Thursday. “Overtures of a bu… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet To mark the grim eleven-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, where 20 six- and seven-year olds were shot to death as were six adult staff members, the bipartisan group Mothers For Democracy has released a videotitled “Thoughts and Prayers.” It has gone viral and is being called “devastating” by professor of law and former top DOJ official Andrew Weissmann. The Austin, Texas-based Mothers For Democracy, founded by Nancy Thompson in 2021 originally as Mothers Against Greg Abbott to battle the Lone Star State's Republican governor, says they are “Uniting in bipartis… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Taylor Swift celebrated her 34th birthday party by throwing a star-studded party in New York. The ‘Shake It Off' star reached the milestone on Wednesday (13.12.23) and she marked it by hosting a dinner at Freemans Restaurant in the Big Apple for celebrity friends including Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively, Jack Antonoff and Zoe Kravitz which was followed by an outing to Manhattan night club The Box. The singer later took to Instagram to share pictures from the party and thank fans for their well wishes, writing: “Can't believe this year … actually … happened? Thank you for all your beautiful birthday … Read More View the full article

Published by Ultimate Classic Rock Hit songwriter Desmond Child says that “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” carries a message that's more valid today than when the track was released by Aerosmith in 1987. It was the first piece Child worked on with the band after being sent to help them assemble Permanent Vacation. In a new episode of The Kenny Aronoff Sessions (video below), he told drummer Aronoff that Steven Tyler and Joe Perry didn't even introduce themselves before asking his opinion on the track – which was originally inspired by Vince Neil. “I go to Boston, car picks me up, takes me to this big warehouse, like an airplane hanga… Read More View the full article

Published by Business Insider Africa A 25-year-old gay man who has been living and working in Edmonton, Canada, since 2018 is about to be deported back to Uganda after his refugee application was denied. The man, identified as “Sue” to protect his identity, came to Canada as an international student and had been working as a nurse, but his work visa expired. Sue, a 25-year-old gay Ugandan man, faces deportation from Canada after his refugee application was denied.He has been living in Edmonton, Canada, since 2018 and worked as a nurse, but his visa expired.Sue's refugee application was rejected, allegedly due to difficulties veri… Read More View the full article

Published by Mirror By Jacob Leeks Jordan Henderson's claims that he can help to improve the lives of LGBT+ Saudis has been slammed by members of the community who have been forced to flee the country. Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool in the summer transfer window. During his time at Anfield, the England international was a vocal supporter of the Rainbow Laces campaign and also sent messages to Jake Daniels after the Blackpool striker came out as gay. But he was accused of betraying the community when he opted to move to Saudi Arabia, where LGBT+ people face the death penalty. The midfielder has tried t… Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Sophie Turner is playing both sides of the field, it seems. The Game of Thrones actress has kept quite busy since her estranged husband, Joe Jonas, filed for divorce on Tuesday, September 5 — as she’s been spotted making out with Peregrine “Perry” Pearson and was most recently caught locking lips with her female friend Tabitha Doherty. On Thursday, December 14, the 27-year-old was seen enjoying an intimate girls’ day with Doherty in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood, where they grabbed coffee before finding a seat outside to smoke a cigarette. The pair seemed to be having fun during the caref… Read More View the full article

Published by Mirror By Nia Dalton The pathway to success hasn't been easy for Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, who has struggled with depression and homelessness. The Rwandan-Scottish actor is one of the breakout stars of Netflix's Sex Education and has since been cast as the 14th Time Lord, taking over from Jodie Whittaker. Ncuti will join the likes of David Tennant and Matt Smith to portray the iconic role of Doctor Who. But what do we know about the 31-year-old actor? Here, we take a look at his life past and present off-screen, including his experience of being homeless, why he has fought for his privacy, and how… Read More View the full article

Published by Knewz A Lyft driver reportedly took off with a prized 17th century painting during an art festival in Miami, Florida. Knewz.com has learned the work by Spanish Baroque painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo is estimated to be worth between $500,000 and $1 million. On Sunday, December 3, gallery owner Rodrigo Salomon loaded works into a truck for a booth he was curating at the festival Art Miami, according to an exclusive report by Artnet News. He also brought along the Murillo piece, a Madonna and Child, which he planned to give to a buyer. Salomon told the outlet he spent the day unloading the artwork, … Read More View the full article

Published by HITC (UK) Wonka frontman Timothée Chalamet reacted to the “insane” moment a dancer who looked eerily similar to him gave a “wow” worthy vogue performance. English writer Oscar Wilde once said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” For celebrities, who are arguably flattered constantly, there rarely comes a moment where they are completely taken off guard. But A-list actor Timothée Chalamet was shown a video of a Vogue dancer that bared his likeness and had the reaction of a lifetime. What is Vogue dancing?Vogue is a form of underground dance that originally began in Harlem in the late 70s and e… Read More View the full article