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Published by DPA Reggaeton – a mixture of rap, reggae and other Caribbean sounds – has often been slammed for its highly charged lyrics, which many see as clearly sexist or misogynistic. But a growing number of queer and trans artists are trying to make the genre more inclusive. Meet Niña, a Miami-based duo who aren’t looking to come across as your average reggaetoneras. Daniel A. Varela/Zuma Press/dpa A hard reggaeton beat blasted through the speakers on the streets of Little Havana’s Calle Ocho as a crowd danced around two local reggaetoneras. It was a standard night of Gay8, the annual LGBTQ festival. Then came the milk. The reggaeton duo was performing their new song, a catchy old-school bop called “Dame Leche,” when two grown men dressed in diapers did just that. They poured jugs of milk on themselves and danced as Liz Ferrari and Maripussssy sang the suggestive chorus, “Dame dame dame leche, tengo tengo tengo hambre.” The crowd ate it up. “I want more!” they yelled. This is Niña, a Miami-based, queer, femme reggaeton duo with a penchant for childlike aesthetics. They perform in tutus, glitter eyebrows and butterfly hair clips. They’re not your average reggaetoneras. They don’t want to be. “Que tu crees, niñas!” (What do you think, girls!) Maripussssy shouted into the mic. Niña is the brainchild of visual and performance artists Liz Ferrer and Bow Ty, otherwise known as Liz Ferrari Ouch and Maripussssy, respectively. In a male-dominated genre often criticized as misogynistic, Niña creates reggaeton songs from a feminine, queer point of view. The story behind Niña is as unique as Liz and Bow’s outfits. Niña is just one of several art projects that Liz and Bow collaborate on, and the band’s ethos has captured the attention of Miami’s arts institutions, like Oolite Arts. Though the two artists may look different from their male counterparts, their do-it-yourself approach hearkens back to reggaeton’s underground, low-budget roots. After dropping “Dame Leche,” their first single and music video in March, the band is focusing on the rest of their upcoming visual album. This month, they’re dropping “Zap,” a dembow-inspired bop about zapping away your problems. “There’s all these genuinely fun and cool things about reggaeton,” Bow said. “We just want to do it without the feeling of machismo.” “It needs to open up a bit,” Liz added. Liz and Bow met at a party in Chicago in 2015. Liz, who studied theatre in college, was in town after an art residency and Bow was hired to perform at the party — as a human lamp. “I was just like, whoa!” Liz said. “Who is that lamp?” At the time, Liz was curating a performance art festival. She approached Bow and gushed over how cool they looked as a lamp and told them to come to Miami. It was a one-sided conversation, though. Bow, still acting like a lamp, didn’t say anything. But they were down. A mutual friend formally introduced them, and the two filled a spreadsheet with ideas for collaborations. Besides their individual art practices, Liz and Bow have dedicated much of their time to checking off that list. Liz and Bow share a nuanced relationship with gender identity, a theme they explore in their projects. Liz, who was born female, said she identifies as a girl but doesn’t really believe in gender as a construct. “There’s part of me that’s neither and part of me that’s a girl,” Liz said. Bow, who is trans nonbinary, also identifies as femme, or a queer person who presents feminine. When it comes to pronouns, Bow said that they don’t spend too much energy correcting random people who refer to them as a man. “I deal with the world in different genders in different situations,” Bow said. “In general, I think of myself as a girl or as femme, but a lot of other people might not see me that way.” The two laughed at how neither of them had a straightforward answer about their gender. “It’s complicated,” Bow said. Liz and Bow know how to make an entrance – even at a Nicaraguan restaurant. They walked in Yambo, a popular spot in Little Havana, in frilly pink and blue looks and got in line to order. Bow is 32, bearded, tall and soft spoken. Their hair was tied into pigtails with pink bows and they wore a unicorn sleeping mask as a headband. Their tutu had suspenders, their sneakers lit up and an old Christmas ornament dangled from their necklace. Liz is 37, Cuban American, short and louder than Bow. Her dark hair was tied into a high ponytail, her sleeves were puffy and her baby blue frilly socks matched her baby blue sneakers. Inside her gold hoop earrings was her stage name: Liz Ferrari. A little boy stared and smiled. His mom glanced over her shoulder. An old man on a bike wolf whistled. But Liz and Bow didn’t really care. Yambo is a chill spot, they said. Over a plate of queso frito and tostones, the two recalled the last few years of their friendship and collaboration. They had an art residency in Colombia working with children as family-friendly duo LizN’Bow. They ran an “experimental spa” in a formerly abandoned mall. They even made a telenovela starring Liz’s abuela Olga Ferrer, a natural performer who is not shy about her crush on their friend, Otto. But by 2018, they still hadn’t checked off one line on their list: girl band. Then came a phone call from Chicago. Liz and Bow’s love for reggaeton was sparked while driving around Miami. Liz used to be an avid classical music listener, but her favourite station switched to religious music. She started playing reggaeton instead. The two have been hooked ever since. They’d ride around in Liz’s car bopping their heads to Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Anitta, Wisin y Yandel and their favorite, Bad Bunny. Around that time, in the fall of 2018, some friends in Chicago called with a request. They were planning a queer art festival and were looking for submissions. That was the push they needed to finally start their girl band and finish the catchy chorus they came up with: “Dame dame dame leche.” “Dame Leche” was never supposed to be a real song, Liz said. It started out as a joke, but then they had one month to finish three songs and plan a performance. Niña was born. “With everything we do, it might start out as a joke,” Bow said, laughing. “There’s a funny, humorous element to it, but then we’re like, ‘no, we got to take this seriously.'” Niña continued to focus on live performances instead of recording and uploading their songs to streaming services, a practice most emerging artists do to gain a following. The shows they book have been “very varied,” Liz said, especially before the pandemic. They’ve performed at Gay8 for the LGBTQ community. They’ve performed at Miami’s Institute of Contemporary Art in the Design District and a local film festival for artsy audiences. They’ve been to bars like Gramps in Wynwood and Blackbird Ordinary, a Brickell spot with a young, straight crowd. When they travelled to Puerto Rico, they gave a show to a mixed group. Liz recalled a particularly strange gig when Niña was booked to perform at a bar with folk and indie musicians. Liz asked the event organizer, “Why would you book us, bro?” He replied, “Because I love Niña, man!” Regardless of the venue or audience, Liz and Bow said they’ve been well-received everywhere they go. The duo even planned a Caribbean tour that was cancelled because of the pandemic. “Kids have seen us, old people have seen us,” Liz said. “We want it to be varied.” In one performance, called Niñalandia, the duo threw a full-blown quinceañera party. Everyone was free to dress up in poofy gowns, sing, dance and eat birthday cake. Though Niña performances are joyful and youthful, the group also aims to subvert patriarchal traditions around femininity; Anybody can have a quinces, regardless of gender. “Femininity doesn’t look just one way and doesn’t come from just one source,” Liz said. Niña continues to subvert expectations with their songs. Naysayers may expect a feminist band to steer clear of raunchy lyrics, but “Dame Leche” doesn’t shy away from sexual innuendos. “Dame Leche” isn’t entirely about milk, kind of like how Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” isn’t an ode to fossil fuels. The song oozes with nostalgia, and the music video is a campy, over-the-top, overly saturated visual feast. In the video, edited by Bow, Liz Ferrari and Maripussssy are trying to buy milk at the corner store only to find the fridges empty. Miami’s supply of milk was stolen, and it’s up to them to find it. Cue the music. As homophobia and transphobia remain rampant in Latin America, artists like reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, known for experimenting with feminine clothing and acrylic nails, have promoted acceptance to a massive audience. In a 2020 performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Bad Bunny wore a black skirt and a T-shirt referencing the murder of a transgender woman in Puerto Rico. Some queer reggaeton artists have been able to make headway, like Villano Antillano, a transgender Puerto Rican rapper who performed at Wynwood Pride 2021. In Miami, Niña is one of a kind, said Esther Park, the vice president of programming at Oolite Arts, a local arts nonprofit. In 2019, Liz was granted $12,000 from The Ellies, Oolite’s annual awards for local artists, to create a video album for Niña. Park said that it’s unusual for visual artists to create a reggaeton band as a project, but “it’s very Liz.” Niña is part of a larger conversation about sexuality, gender and culture that younger generations are eager to have, Park said. “This project that Liz is doing with Bow is indicative to the times,” Park said. “If she did this project 10 years ago, it may not be well embraced, but now, I don’t know, maybe she’ll get a Billboard Top 100 hit.” Despite sexism, the tides are changing. Niña isn’t a criticism of reggaeton as a genre, Bow said, but rather an inclusive addition to the culture. “It’s a good moment to do it,” Bow said. “People are ready to start accepting that machismo itself is not the greatest thing.” Niña is a testament to reggaeton’s ubiquity. The genre is for everybody, not just cisgender straight men. Liz and Bow’s girly lyrics and visuals are a reminder to not take life too seriously, even when you’re all grown up. With the power of glitter and friendship, Liz and Bow do much more than challenge gender norms. They entertain. “We want it to be for everyone,” Liz said. “It’s a celebration of reggaeton as a whole, and it’s opening doors for other possibilities of who can be in that world.” Bow Ty, left, and Liz Ferrer of Niña pose at Yambo, a beloved Nicaraguan restaurant in Miami, on March 29, 2022. Daniel A. Varela/Zuma Press/dpa View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star KANSAS CITY, Mo. — State health officials in Missouri on Saturday identified the first local case of monkeypox, a viral infection that has now been reported in nearly 20 states, the largest outbreak in U.S. history. But monkeypox has been here before, including the Kansas City metro. The first outbreak in the United States, in 2003, affected six Midwestern states, including Kansas and Missouri, when people became sick after coming in contact with pet prairie dogs that had been infected by animals imported from Africa. The current outbreak is also linked to Africa, where monkeypox is endemic in… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in Texas formally rejected President Joe Biden’s election in 2020 as illegitimate and voted in a state-wide convention that wrapped up this weekend on a party platform that calls homosexuality an “abnormal lifestyle choice.” The party’s embrace of unfounded electoral fraud allegations in a bedrock Republican state came as a bipartisan congressional committee seeks to definitively and publicly debunk the false idea that Biden did not win the election. Biden received 7 million more votes than rival Donald Trump. Biden also received 306 votes from the Electoral College, more than the 270 needed to win. The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol is building a case that Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election — including by denying he lost — amounted to conspiracy to illegally hold onto power. Trump, the 45th U.S. president, has denied any wrongdoing. “We reject the certified results of the 2020 presidential election, and we hold that acting President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was not legitimately elected by the people of the United States,” the Texas party said in a resolution, passed in a voice vote at its convention. Texas is a major player in U.S. national politics, with 38 electoral votes, the second highest after California. Voters there have backed Republican presidents for the past four decades. The White House had no comment. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, about two-thirds of Republicans believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump. State and federal judges dismissed more than 50 lawsuits brought by Trump and his allies challenging the election while reviews and audits found no evidence of widespread fraud. PLATFORM ATTACKS ‘CHOICE’ OF HOMOSEXUALITY One of the proposed principles in the latest Texas Republican party platform https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6-Permanent-Platform-Committee-FINAL-REPORT-6-16-2022.pdf also includes new language criticizing homosexuality and voicing opposition to “all efforts to validate transgender identity.” “Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice,” it reads, a statement that is not in the 2020 platform https://texasgop.org/platform. Votes on the provision are being tallied and certified following the bi-annual state party convention, a party spokesperson said. The Log Cabin Republicans of Houston, an organization that represents LGBT conservatives, said it was once again denied a request to set up a booth at the party’s convention this week, as it has been for past conventions. The group called the Texas Republican Convention’s actions “not just narrow-minded, but politically short-sighted.” However, the group is seeing “no evidence” of other state Republican conventions adopting similar bans or exclusionary language, Charles Moran, Log Cabin Republican managing director, told Reuters. “If anything we are being more included” than in the past, he said, noting that the 2020 Republican presidential campaign had an official pride coalition, and the gay Republican vote doubled between 2016 and 2020. “President Trump was the most pro-gay Republican that we have ever had,” he added. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Heather Timmons and Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by AFP An image of former Vice President Mike Pence on the night of January 6, 2021 is displayed during an earlier hearing of the US House panel investigating the attack that day on the US Capitol Washington (AFP) – A new round of hearings this week by the congressional committee probing the January 6, 2021 US Capitol riot promises further drama, with one member saying former vice president Mike Pence might be subpoenaed. As the House select panel works to focus attention on what it says was an illegal scheme backed by Donald Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, a new poll shows most Americans believe the former president should face charges. In three earlier hearings, a series of Trump advisers were shown saying they had warned him of the illegality of attempting to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s victory by persuading Pence to block a normally pro forma process. One committee member, Adam Schiff, told CNN on Sunday that subpoenaing Pence was “certainly a possibility,” adding, “We’re not excluding anyone or anything at this point.” Pence faced intense pressure from Trump to break with history and refuse on January 6 to formally certify Biden’s victory. But even after Trump supporters violently stormed the building, with some chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” he refused to leave the complex and returned to the Senate chamber late at night to carry out the certification. ‘A hero’ The committee would be keenly interested to hear from Pence exactly what pressure Trump placed on him in their private contacts. It is not clear how the former vice president might respond to a subpoena. While the conservative Pence was never a favorite of Democrats, “on that day he was a hero for resisting all the pressure campaigns,” Jamie Raskin, a committee member, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “In a time of absolutely scandalous betrayal of people’s oaths of office and crimes being committed all over the place, somebody who does their job and sticks to the law will stand out as a hero.” The pressure campaign, Schiff said, “put the vice president’s life in danger.” The committee, in hearings Tuesday and Thursday, will also explore “how a similar pressure campaign directed against state and local elections officials put their lives in danger.” Trump, in a taped call, famously called Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, and asked him to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s victory in that key Southern state. Raffensperger, who refused to do so, is to be among the committee’s witnesses this week. Divided public Raffensperger is among several election officials who have received anonymous death threats for refusing to alter vote outcomes in Trump’s favor. Committee member Adam Kinzinger — one of two Republicans on the committee, and one of 10 who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial — said Sunday he had received a menacing message only days ago. “It threatens to execute me, as well as my wife and 5-month-old child,” he told ABC’s “This Week.” Trump remains as divisive a political figure as ever, inspiring furious loyalty among followers and equally passionate disdain from his critics. The public’s division came through starkly in a new ABC News/Ipsos poll about the committee’s work. The poll, taken June 17 and 18, found that 58 percent of Americans believed Trump should be charged with a crime for his role in the January 6 events, up from 52 percent in April. It also found that 60 percent of respondents believed the committee was conducting a fair and impartial inquiry, up substantially from 40 percent in April. But while nearly all Democrats said Trump bore considerable responsibility for the January 6 riot, only a quarter of Republicans agreed. And significantly, only nine percent of Americans said they were following the hearings very closely. View the full article

Published by Reuters BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Swimming’s world governing body FINA on Sunday voted to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions and create a working group to establish an “open” category for them in some events as part of its new policy. The decision was made during FINA’s extraordinary general congress on the sidelines of the world championships in Budapest after members heard a report from a transgender task force comprising leading medical, legal and sports figures. The new policy will require transgender competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women’s competitions. The policy was passed with a roughly 71% majority after it was put to the members of 152 national federations with voting rights who had gathered for the congress at the Puskas Arena. Transgender rights has become a major talking point as sports seek to balance inclusivity while ensuring there is no unfair advantage. The debate intensified after University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history after winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle earlier this year. It followed New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard becoming the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year. (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rowan Atkinson thinks comedians should be allowed to make jokes “about absolutely anything”. The 67-year-old star has hit out at cancel culture, warning that comedy will suffer if current trends continue. He explained: “It does seem to me that the job of comedy is to offend, or have the potential to offend, and it cannot be drained of that potential. Every joke has a victim. That’s the definition of a joke. Someone or something or an idea is made to look ridiculous.” The ‘Mr. Bean’ star thinks it’s imperative that comedians don’t worry too much about the consequences of their own jokes. He told the Irish Times newspaper: “I think you’ve got to be very, very careful about saying what you’re allowed to make jokes about. “You’ve always got to kick up? Really? What if there’s someone extremely smug, arrogant, aggressive, self-satisfied, who happens to be below in society? They’re not all in houses of parliament or in monarchies. There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. “In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.” On the other hand, Rowan remains undecided about the influence of social media. The actor thinks it’ll take “quite a long time” to understand its real impact on society. He said: “It’s terribly young. “In terms of the history of man, it’s been around for a very, very short time and we’re still adjusting. Here, in [the UK], we’ve got something called an Online Safety Bill, which is only possibly coming into the Houses of Parliament soon. And you think ‘Isn’t that sort of 20 years late?’ But you’ve got to live with something for quite a long time to find out how you’re going to live with it.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Billie Eilish thinks she “tried too hard to be desirable”. The 20-year-old singer showcased a radical change of image when she shed her baggy clothes and dyed her green hair blonde to pose on the cover of British Vogue magazine last summer in a pink silk corset but now she feels very detached from the pictures and was horrified by some of the backlash she received. She reflected to Sunday Times magazine: “No matter what you do, it’s wrong and right. “Wearing baggy clothes, nobody is attracted to me, I feel incredibly unlovable and unsexy and not beautiful, and people shame you for not being feminine enough. “Then you wear something more revealing and they’re, like, you’re such a fat cow w****. I’m a s*** and I’m a sell-out and I’m just like every other celebrity selling their bodies, and woah! What the f*** do you want? It’s a crazy world for women and women in the public eye. “Looking back at all of the promo and stuff we did before the album [in 2021], I’m, like, don’t know who that is, but that is not me! I didn’t have any time to think. I just decided who I was. I just became that vibe. And I don’t know if that was necessarily what I really was feeling. I was just grasping on to anything. “I honestly don’t feel desired, ever. I do have this worry that I felt so undesirable that I may have occasionally tried too hard to be desirable. It makes me sad to think about.” But the ‘Ocean Eyes’ singer now has a much more “solid” confidence in herself. She said: “In the past couple of months I feel far more solid in who I am. I feel different now, like I’m desirable. I feel like I’m capable of being as feminine as I want to be and as masculine as I want.” And Billie views her body as her “ugly friend”. Asked how her relationship with her body is, she said: “Nowhere good. My relationship with my body has been a truly horrible, terrible thing since I was 11. “I love that my body is mine and that it’s with me everywhere I go. “I kind of think of my body as my friend. My ugly friend! It’s complicated. But what are you gonna do?” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Rich McKay ATLANTA (Reuters) – With street parties, the trumpets and drums of marching bands, speeches and a few political rallies, people across the United States marked Juneteenth this weekend, a jubilee commemorating the end of the legal enslavement of Black Americans. Events started on Friday and continued through Sunday featuring concerts at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, freedom walks in Galveston, Texas, and jazz music in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. “This is America’s holiday, not just African Americans’ holiday,” said Gerald Griggs, the Georgia state president of the NAACP civil rights organization. “It’s the true Independence Day, the day when all Americans were free.” Juneteenth, or June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of enslaved people in Texas that they were free. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became effective in 1863, during the Civil War, but could not be implemented until Union troops wrested areas from Confederate control. In 2021, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday, and most states and many companies give it recognition and hold celebrations. In a proclamation on Friday, Biden remarked on the 10 people slain in a racist mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, on May 14. “We must stand together against white supremacy and show that bigotry and hate have no safe harbor in America,” the proclamation said. Griggs said Juneteenth – commemorated by Black people for generations – is a somber moment to reflect on the need for reforms on voting rights, prisons and law enforcement seen by many Black Americans as discriminatory. But he also urged all Americans to “go have fun, enjoy the party.” Atlanta began with a festival in the heart of the city on Friday and a parade beginning at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Caroline Ware, 64, a homemaker, was wading through the crowds and colorful tents and bandstands in Atlanta to reach a food truck for a jerk chicken and curry snack. “I’ll be honest, this is great fun, but I worry the young people don’t think enough about what it means,” Ware said. “I lived here through the Civil Rights movement, heard the Rev. King here. He’d say we have more work in front of us.” (Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; editing by Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Arriana McLymore NEW YORK (Reuters) – Clothing retailer Kohl’s is offering gray, green and red “Juneteenth 1865” tank tops and t-shirts for juniors and boys for $23.99. JCPenney.com hopes to lure shoppers with dozens of wall hangings featuring abstract graphic designs and silhouettes of Black women, priced at $60 to $160 apiece. In the first big push to commercialize Juneteenth, commemorated by Black people for generations as the day in 1865 when a Union general informed a group of enslaved people in Texas that they were free, a handful of major retailers are rolling out merchandise. But some of the goods, from cotton tank tops with red, yellow and green U.S. flags, to lawn accessories featuring slogans such as “Freedom,” are raising eyebrows among shoppers who accuse retailers of exploiting Juneteenth to cash in on President Joe Biden making June 19 a federal holiday in 2021. In May, Walmart began marketing pints of a new “Celebrated Edition” red velvet and cheesecake Juneteenth Ice Cream until complaints surfaced on Twitter, prompting Walmart to remove it. “Just saw Pride and Juneteenth ice cream at Walmart I think we’re in the bad place,” one Twitter user posted on June 11. Walmart said in a statement in May that the retailer had “received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers.” The retailer apologized and said it will remove items as appropriate. Walmart.com also sells an array of children’s books on the history of Juneteenth, as well as dozens of t-shirts. Dollar Tree also drew criticism on social media for selling Juneteenth party decorations in non-traditional colors in May. The decorations are manufactured by vendors who aren’t descendants of slaves themselves, according to the National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants, an advocacy group that supports reparations for Black American descendants of slavery. Dollar Tree did not immediately return an email seeking comment. PROMOTE BLACK VENDORS Connie Ross, vice president and chair of diversity, equity and inclusion at Empower consultancy, said Walmart and other brands should use the holiday to promote Black vendors. “Juneteenth was not born out of a pretty story, but give it time, and people are going to find a way to associate it with something positive,” Ross said. Ross expects more companies to “soften” the meaning of Juneteenth by avoiding its connections to the history of slavery. Liz Rogers, a Black founder of Creamalicious ice creams which are sold in Walmart, Target and Kroger, said that none of her retail customers contacted her for Juneteenth partnerships or events and that she often has to pitch companies to get on their shelves. JCPenney’s Chief Merchandising Officer Michelle Wlazlo said the company is donating any net profits from the sales of its Juneteenth merchandise to Unity Unlimited, a non-profit that says it helps communities “overcome racial and cultural division.” Wlazlo said JCPenney looks at customer feedback, traditional retail holidays and other factors to determine promotional events. Brian Packer of public relations agency Golin said that brands looking to tap into Juneteenth should find ways to elevate products and services made by people in those communities. He said it is more complex than “putting a Black Power Fist on something.” Alternatively, there also can be drawbacks to messages that are too subtle. In the product questions area of JCPenney.com’s $30 Masterpiece Art Gallery Juneteenth Framed Canvas Art, a series of orange shapes against a white background, one person asked: “What does this have to do with Juneteenth?” Target, whose headquarters are in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed by police, first acknowledged Juneteenth in 2020 as an official annual company holiday after the spread of national protests against police brutality. The company has provided internal resources detailing the history of Juneteenth and a list of community events for employees to participate in. Workers also can take the day off or work for overtime pay, it said. (Reporting by Arriana McLymore; editing by Grant McCool) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers remain far apart on the most important gun safety issues now under debate in Congress, a Republican senator said Sunday, casting doubts on hopes that the United States could pass the first federal gun legislation in decades. “The issue that we have here is that we don’t have a bill,” Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee told Fox News Sunday. “I kept asking to see text and it became apparent that they didn’t have a bill and in fact they don’t have a deal at all,” Lee said. Lawmakers have been under pressure to reduce gun violence after two mass shootings last month at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Last week, John Cornyn, the lead Republican negotiator in U.S. Senate efforts to craft a bipartisan gun safety bill, walked out of the talks, while the lead Democrat remained optimistic that lawmakers could vote on legislation before leaving for a two-week July 4 recess. A bipartisan group of lawmakers have an agreement on a series of “very broad promises,” Lee said. “But on the most contentious, controversial, potentially impactful provisions there is no language.” (Reporting by Heather Timmons; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House panel investigating the January 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol will present evidence this week that former President Donald Trump was involved in a failed bid to submit slates of fake electors to overturn the 2020 election, a key lawmaker said on Sunday. “We will show evidence of the president’s involvement in this scheme,” Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, a member of the House of Representatives Select Committee, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We will also again show evidence about what his own lawyers came to think about this scheme, and we’ll show courageous state officials who stood up and said they wouldn’t go along with this plan to either call legislatures back into session or decertify the results for Joe Biden,” he said. Schiff’s comments came as the Democratically-led committee prepares to hold its fourth public hearing on Tuesday on their investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and Trump’s role in trying to block Congress from certifying Biden’s election victory. Evidence against Trump could potentially be crucial in an ongoing criminal investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the alleged fake elector plot. In an interview with CNN earlier this year, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco confirmed the department had received referrals about slates of alternative fake electors that were sent to the National Archives, and said prosecutors were reviewing them. In March, the non-profit watchdog group American Oversight published copies https://www.americanoversight.org/american-oversight-obtains-seven-phony-certificates-of-pro-trump-electors of the phony electoral slates, which had been assembled by groups of Trump supporters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Since then, the DOJ has convened a grand jury to subpoena witnesses and documents as part of the probe, multiple media outlets have reported. Jamie Raskin, another Democratic member of the panel, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that new information and tips kept coming in. “There are still people who are turning over information to the committee,” he said. “We know things this weekend that we didn’t know last weekend.” Last week, the DOJ renewed a demand that the House Select Committee turn over transcripts of its interviews with witnesses, saying in a letter those transcripts could be relevant to ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions. The committee’s failure to turn them over “complicates the department’s ability to investigate and prosecute those who engaged in criminal conduct,” the letter said. Asked about the letter on Sunday, Schiff said that usually the two separate branches of government don’t allow one another to “rifle through” each others’ files. However, he added: “When the Justice Department asks for things specifically… We work with them, and we will work with them here.” Trump, meanwhile, has continued to peddle false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. On Friday, he lashed out at former Vice President Mike Pence, saying he “did not have the courage to act” and reject the 2020 election results. On Sunday, Adam Kinzinger, one of the two Republicans serving on the committee, said he received death threats aimed at him, his wife, and their baby. “This threat that came in, it was mailed to my house,” he said on ABC’s “This week.” “We got it a couple of days ago and it threatens to execute me as well as my wife and five-month old child. Never seen or heard anything like that,” he added. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Heather Timmons and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English George Michael was thrilled that Prince George shared his name. The late music legend – who died aged 53 in December 2016 – was still alive when The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revealed the moniker they had chosen for their first-born son and future king, who was born in July 2013, and he was over the moon that they are both Georges that he jumped on the sofa and cheered. The ‘Last Christmas’ hitmaker’s former Wham! backing vocalist, Shirlie Holliman of Pepsi and Shirlie fame, told OK! Magazine: “I was with George when Prince William and Kate Middleton named their son George. “We had the news on and George just stood up on the sofa and started cheering. “He was so happy he shared the same name.” Shirlie went to school with George, 60, and recalls him being a geek in glasses, the complete opposite of herself. She recalled: “I remember George so distinctly. “He carried his violin case everywhere and wore glasses – he was really geeky. “I didn’t really connect with him because I was fashionable and punky.” Shirlie and Helen ‘Pepsi’ DeMacque were George’s backing vocalists in the 80s, and went on to form the duo Pepsi and Shirlie in 1985. Shirlie was the first person George came out as gay to. She remembered: “We were in Ibiza making ‘Club Tropicana’ at Pikes Hotel and we were walking along the road. “He had his little white shorts on and a little T-shirt and he was going, ‘I really need to tell you something.’ “I was so worried as he’d gone all serious and he said, ‘It’s about my sexuality – I’m gay. I think I prefer me.’ “It didn’t bother me but it was such a big deal for him. I feel guilty sometimes that I didn’t take it more seriously.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dame Kelly Holmes has come out as gay. The 52-year-old Olympic champion first kissed a woman when she was 17 and admitted her family and friends have known about her sexuality since 1997, so she finally feels free after making the decision to open up publicly about her personal life. She told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “I needed to do this now, for me. It was my decision. I’m nervous about saying it. I feel like I’m going to explode with excitement. “Sometimes I cry with relief. The moment this comes out, I’m essentially getting rid of that fear.” Kelly confirmed she has a partner but didn’t want to name them. She said: “It’s the first time I’ve had someone who I don’t introduce as a PA or friend.” Speaking about her previous partners, she added: “No disrespect to them, but the relationships have only been a small part of my life. “They haven’t been in this fearful world with me for 34 years.” Kelly came out to her family after leaving the Army to focus on her athletics career and though she was nervous about telling them, they were all supportive. She said: “I was thinking ‘oh s***’, I was in bits about telling them. “But they said they knew anyway. No one’s ever had a problem. They don’t know me any different.” Until 2020, it was illegal for gay, lesbian and bisexual people to serve in the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF and Kelly – who realised she was gay after kissing a fellow female soldier shortly after joining up just before she turned 18 – was terrified of running into trouble because of the relationships she had during her time in the Women’s Royal Army Corps. She said: “I was convinced throughout my whole life that if I admitted to being gay in the Army I’d still be in trouble.” But after battling mental health issues, leading to a breakdown in 2020, the former athlete contacted a military LGBTQ leader to ask if she could still be sanctioned for her Army relationships but was assured she wouldn’t. She reflected: “I felt like I could breathe again. One little call could have saved 28 years of heartache.” View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Police in Oak Harbor, Washington, arrested a 27-year-old man on Friday after he made violent threats against a Pride event in a nearby city, authorities said. Tyler Dinsmoor, of Oak Harbor, was arrested for civil rights malicious harassment with a hate crimes enhancement, the Oak Harbor Police Department said in a news release. Over the last few days, he posted several online comments about killing LGBTQ people on gab.com, a Twitter-like platform popular among far-right extremists, authorities said. He appeared to specifically target Saturday’s Anacortes Pride Parade. An arrest warrant had alr… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adele and Harry Styles reportedly turned down invitations to perform at Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee. The British superstars are believed to have been approached about taking to the stage at the spectacular Party at the Palace concert to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, but they both reportedly declined. A source told The Daily Mail newspaper’s Eden Confidential column: “They were told [Adele] couldn’t do it. Scheduling issues, or something like that, were given as an excuse. It caused a lot of surprise, particularly as she was awarded an MBE. After all, how many chances will there be to perform in front of Buckingham Palace for the Queen?” And a source close to Harry, 28, told the newspaper: “He was asked. He could not participate because of timing with his schedule.” While Adele, 34, and Harry, did not perform at the concert celebration, a number of stars took to the stage outside Buckingham Palace to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth. Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran, Diana Ross and Sam Ryder were among the performers at the two-and-a-half hour event. The Queen kicked off proceedings in a pre-recorded clip, where she enjoyed a cup of tea and a marmalade sandwich from her handbag with Paddington Bear. The duo then started tapping their teaspoons to the rhythm of Queen’s song ‘We Will Rock You’ as the British band and Adam Lambert kicked off the concert. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John paid tribute to his loyal fans and thanked them for their “kindness” as he prepares to retire from touring. The music legend has decided to give up life on the road from next year and he stopped his show in Norwich, England on Wednesday (15.06.22) to offer a sweet tribute to all of his followers who have supported him over the years. He told the crowd at the Carrow Road football stadium: “Tonight is the 229th show on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, we have about 103 shows to do. It’s been quite a journey and it all ends next July. “But I want to thank you because I won’t be playing here again. I want to thank you for all the memories, all the love you’ve sent me, all the loyalty, the kindness, the letters, the dressing up, the costumes, the multiple shows you’ve been to.” The ‘Rocket Man’ singer added: “It means the world to me and I will never forget you guys.” The show marked the opening night of the UK leg of Elton’s farewell tour and he told the audience he will be able to tell his two sons, Zachary, 11, and nine-year-old Elijah, about the experience in his later years. Elton said: “I will take you with me in my heart, in my soul and I can tell my boys all about you when I get old and decrepit. I love you.” The final tour was announced back in 2018 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and due to injury. The shows are now due to run until mid-2023 when the singer will take a step back to spend more time with husband David Furnish and their two boys. Elton will play eight more shows in the UK which include two dates in his hometown of Watford, England in July. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The Duke of Cambridge wrote to the grieving girlfriend of Capitol riot police officer Brian Sicknick. Prince Wiliam, 39, praised Sicknick for his part in “upholding democracy” following the 43-year-old’s death from a stroke a day after last year’s violent insurrection. The royal’s letter – which breaks from royal tradition of steering clear from politics in Britain and abroad – said:”’Please forgive me if I am intruding but I wanted to write and let you know how sorry I am about the death of your partner, Brian.” He added he had watched the “harrowing events that took place at the Capitol” and wanted to hail Sicknick’s “patriotism” and “selflessness”. His note went on: “By all accounts Brian performed valiantly while on duty and despite suffering injuries continued to do his utmost to protect those inside. “I hope you can take some comfort from knowing that it is thanks to law enforcement officers like Brian that the situation did not escalate further and democracy was upheld.” It is understood to be the first time William has waded into US issues, unlike his younger brother the Duke of Sussex, 37, and his wife the Duchess of Sussex, 40, known as Meghan Markle before she married Prince Harry. William’s letter was revealed by Sicknick’s partner Sandra Garza on CNN on Friday. (17.06.22) She also used her appearance to slate ex-US president Donald Trump, 76, who has been accused of inciting a “coup” after his supporters stormed Congress on 6 January 2021 in a bid to thwart the certification of Joe Biden’s election. Garza fumed: “Trump does not give two c**** about law enforcement or Brian and yet Prince William took the time to honour me and Brian.” Kensington Palace has not yet commented on the letter. The Queen refrained from commenting on the global political row that unfolded globally after the riot. But Prince Harry claimed he battled to warn former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, 45, the platform was being used to “plan a staged coup”. He said last November: “Jack and I were emailing each other prior to January 6, where I warned him that his platform was allowing a coup to be staged. That email was sent the day before and then it happened, and I haven’t heard from him since.” Harry added this January the riot was a “literal attack” on democracy that was only possible as it was arranged by extremists on social media by extremists. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cher thinks female musicians have been forced to fight their way “through the testosterone curtain”. The 76-year-old icon – who is one of the best-selling artists of all time – has taken to Twitter to heap praise on Kate Bush, after she recently became the oldest female artist to get a number one in the UK Official Singles Chart. Cher – who previously held the record with her 1998 hit ‘Believe’ – wrote on Twitter: “Bravo Kate “Records Are Meant 2 Be BrokenRemember Back In The Day,When Women Had SHORT SELL BY DATESWe Had 2 Fight Our Way Through The Testosterone Curtain,and We Did it So The Girls Who Came After Us Could Sing As Long As They Want To. With Mega Respect [kiss emoji] “Me (sic)” Kate, 63, has topped the charts with her 1985 track ‘Running Up That Hill’, which was recently featured in the hit Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’. Nora Felder – the series’ music supervisor – previously explained that Kate approved the use of her music in the show. Nora said: “I sat with my clearance coordinator, and laid out all the scripted scenes for song uses that we knew of at that point. “Knowing the challenges, we proceeded to create elaborate scene descriptions that provided as much context as possible so that Kate and her camp would have a full understanding of the uses … When we finished, we were on edge, but excited and hopeful.” Nora also explained how Kate’s lyrics were perfectly-suited to the storyline involving Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink. She shared: “Kate Bush’s lyrics can mean very different things to different people. “In the face of Max’s painful isolation and alienation from others, a ‘deal with god’ could heart-wrenchingly reflect Max’s implicit belief that only a miracle of unlikely understanding and show of support could help her climb the hills of life before her.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Kate Bush has thanked the makers of ‘Stranger Things’ for propelling ‘Running Up That Hill’ to the top of the UK charts. The 1985 single recently featured in the hit Netflix show, and Kate has thanked the Duffer brothers – who created and serve as executive producers of the series – for her record-breaking chart success. Kate said: “The Duffer Brothers have created four extraordinary series of Stranger Things in which the child actors have grown into young adults. In this latest series the characters are facing many of the same challenges that exist in reality right now. I believe the Duffer Brothers have touched people’s hearts in a special way, at a time that’s incredibly difficult for everyone, especially younger people. “By featuring Running Up That Hill in such a positive light – as a talisman for Max (one of the main female characters) – the song has been brought into the emotional arena of her story. Fear, conflict and the power of love are all around her and her friends. “I salute the Duffer Brothers for their courage – taking this new series into a much more adult and darker place. I want to thank them so much for bringing the song into so many people’s lives. (sic)” Kate has broken the record for the biggest gap between releasing a single and topping the UK chart. The singer has also become the oldest female artist ever to score a UK number one, overtaking Cher and her 1998 hit ‘Believe’. The ‘Wuthering Heights’ hitmaker added on her website: “I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force. “I have to admit I feel really moved by it all. “Thank you so very much for making the song a No 1 in such an unexpected way. “Kate (sic)” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – A wealthy person has bid a record $19 million to eat lunch with Warren Buffett, in the 21st and final time that the billionaire businessman auctioned a private lunch to benefit a San Francisco charity. The winning bid at the eBay auction, which ended on Friday, far surpassed the previous record of $4.57 million paid in 2019 by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun. Proceeds benefit Glide, a nonprofit in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district that helps the poor, homeless or those battling substance abuse. Glide offers meals, shelter, HIV and hepatitis C tests, job training and children’s programs. This year’s winner chose to remain anonymous. An eBay spokeswoman said the lunch was the most expensive item ever sold on the company’s website to benefit charity. Buffett, 91, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, raised about $53.2 million for Glide in the 21 auctions, which began in 2000. “It’s been nothing but good,” Buffett said in a statement. “I’ve met a lot of interesting people from all over the world. The one universal characteristic is that they feel the money is going to be put to very good uses.” No auctions were held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Buffett began supporting Glide after his first wife, Susan, introduced him to the charity, where she had been volunteering. Susan Buffett died in 2004. Buffett has pledged to give away nearly all of his fortune. Buffett was worth $93.4 billion on Friday, ranking seventh worldwide, according to Forbes magazine. This year’s auction winner and up to seven guests will join Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan. Buffett will talk about almost anything, but not where he may invest next. Berkshire owns dozens of companies including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurance, energy, manufacturing and retail businesses, and stocks such as Apple Inc and Bank of America Corp. Buffett still owns nearly 16% of the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate, despite having donated more than half of his shares since 2006, including $4 billion on June 14. According to Glide, these bidders have won its auctions: 2000: Pete Budlong, $25,000 2001: Jim Halperin and Scott Tilson, $20,000 2002: Jim Halperin and Scott Tilson, $25,000 2003: David Einhorn, Greenlight Capital, $250,100 2004: Jason Choo, Singapore, $202,100 2005: Anonymous, $351,100 2006: Yongping Duan, California, $620,100 2007: Mohnish Pabrai, Guy Spier, Harina Kapoor, $650,100 2008: Zhao Danyang, Pure Heart Asset Management, China, $2,110,100 2009: Courtenay Wolfe, Salida Capital, Canada, $1,680,300 2010: Ted Weschler*, $2,626,311 2011: Ted Weschler*, $2,626,411 2012: Anonymous, $3,456,789 2013: Anonymous, $1,000,100 2014: Andy Chua, Singapore, $2,166,766 2015: Zhu Ye, Dalian Zeus Entertainment Co, China, $2,345,678 2016: Anonymous, $3,456,789 2017: Anonymous, $2,679,001 2018: Anonymous, $3,300,100 2019: Justin Sun, $4,567,888 2020-2021: No auctions held 2022: Anonymous, $19,000,100 * later became a Berkshire Hathaway portfolio manager (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio, Clarence Fernandez and Frances Kerry) View the full article

Overwatch 2LGBTQ video games have never been stronger or more plentiful. The annual E3 video game conference didn’t occur for the second time in the last three years, but that didn’t mean that the week normally reserved as “E3 season” didn’t include a flood of game news and announcements, including many notabe title infused with distinct brands of queerness. Major publishers, games press outlets and Geoff Keighly’s “Summer Games Fest” stepped into the space vacated by the Electronic Software Association, delivering a week’s worth of updates, and we’ve gathered the best LGBTQ games discussed. The Last Of Us Part 1 Remake “The Last Of Us” franchise is one of the most popular PlayStation exclusives ever, and developer Naughty Dog is going back to the well one more time with a complete, from the ground up remake of the title that started it all in 2013. The remake will feature updated and enhanced graphics and will include the heartwarming LGBTQ “Left Behind” DLC. “The Last Of Us Part 1” remake will release on PS5 later this year and will come to PC at a later date. Saints Row: Boss Factory The upcoming reboot of the “Saints Row” franchise showed off its robust character creation app, “Boss Factory,” which features the most gender-affirming set of tools seen in a major video game release. The app is available to download now and any creations made in it can be imported into the game when it releases on August 23, 2022. Overwatch 2 Goes Free-To-Play The sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s successful hero shooter “Overwatch” is nearing its early access release, and it noted that moment by announcing that “Overwatch 2” will be free-to-play and will be available on Xbox Game Pass. Fans can get their hands on one of the queerest shooters ever made on October 4, 2022. Thirsty Suitors Outerloop games’ mixture of turn-based combat, skateboarding and cooking places players in an experience that tackles the tough task of mending broken relationships and mistakes of youth. And it does all of that with style for days. Spirit Swap Release Window Announced “Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats To Match-3 To” showed off more of its queer, witchy and cute spin on the match-3 genre, but the big news is that the game finally ha a release window. Fans will get to take a trip into its interesting world in 2023. Boyfriend Dungeon Announces Secret Weapons Update The best game where you can date you’re weapons is adding even more weapons one year after release. The “Secret Weapons” update adds two more characters to romance, which also means that there are two more weapons to woo as you slay throughout the game’s various dungeons. The update also adds a new villain, Mr. Holmes, created by beloved developer Ikumi Nakamura. The update arrives Summer 2022. Kaichu: A Kaiju Dating Sim Who doesn’t love seeing big monsters smash up national moments and then get to smooching? “Kaichu” is an adorably destructive take on the dating sim genre, allowing players to pair off their monster with others as you destroy the world and find love together. The game is currently scheduled for release later this summer. League Of Legends, Valorant Coming To Xbox Game Pass Riot Games’ library of incredibly successful games, including “League of Legends” and “Valorant,” are making the jump to Xbox Game Pass later this year. The move will also make all characters in those games, which were previous sold to players on an individual basis, free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Grid Force: Mask Of The Goddess LGBTQ developer and Playtra Games founder Dan Bernardo leads a team building out this fast-paced tactical role-playing game set for release on August 11, 2022. The game’s story mixes plenty of emotion with the frantic action, and Playtra is currently partnered with the It Gets Better Project. Desta: The Memories Between Ustwo Games, the creators behind “Monument Valley,” are back with a new take on the tactical puzzle genre. “Desta: The Memories Between” send players on an emotional journey through a families memories, both happy and painful, through isometric environments where a dodgeball is your main navigation tool. It’s an odd mixture coated in a pleasing art style that looks to be greater than the sum of its parts. Calico: Pawsome Edition Announced “Calico,” the cutesy cat cafe management sim, is back with a number of updates. The “Pawsome Edition” packs in new animals to meet, a large overhaul to its cooking mini-games, changes to the character creation tool and additional content that players will get later this summer. We Are OFK A blend of interactive narrative and music biopic, “We Are OFK” takes players through the journey of indie band OFK, including romance, tribulations and making rad music. The game openly embraces its queer characters and vibes and welcomes players into its musical world later this summer. Cassette Beasts Sticking with the music motif, “Cassette Beasts” takes the open-world turn-based RPG experience made popular by “Pokemon” and adds a new twist. Players use cassette tape recordings of monsters they’ve collected to transform and do battle with other characters, and the game allows for some customization with its Fusion system. Roots Of Pacha “Roots of Pacha” places the tenets of the city-builder genre into the Stone Age, charging players with building a thriving village. The game includes same sex relationships, so you can build your little gay family while farming your way to prosperity. Pen Pal Princess A self-described “queer romantic comedy,” ceschiii’s new visual novel places players in the shoes of a princess locked away in a tower who exchanges letters with dragons, heroes and one buff lady knight. There is plenty of love on display, not to mention the tease of “hot dragons?” Hill Agency: PURITYdecay Who wants a noir mystery game that is looking to lean into queer identities? The moody detective game also places Indigenous identities front and center amid its cybernoir backdrop. Players can jump into its intriguing style on August 31, 2022. ValiDate: Struggling Singles In Your Area This dating sim places BIPOC identities searching for love amid many of the daily struggles we all face in our lives, including vexing jobs and Millennial life crises. The game also features queer romance, letting users of all backgrounds see themselves. LGBTQ video games: Previously on Towleroad The Best LGBTQ Video Games Featured During ‘Summer Games Fest’ and the rest of ‘Not-E3’ Week Brian Bell June 18, 2022 Read More The Sims Pronouns Update Is Here: ‘The Sims 4’ Adds Customizable Pronouns To In-Game Characters Brian Bell May 28, 2022 Read More EA, Paradox Heed Calls For Same-Sex ‘Crusader Kings’ Weddings; And To Keep Them in ‘Sims 4’ Russia Editions; Plus Gayming Award Noms — ROUNDUP Brian Bell February 18, 2022 Read More Writer Of Bisexual Superman Has Perfect Way Of Dealing with Those Protesting Too Much; Also Brockhampton Splits Up; G4 Host Blasts Boys Who Belittle and Sexist Viewers: Entertainment Roundup Brian Bell January 18, 2022 Read More Wonder Woman’s 1st Trans Amazon; ‘Battlefield’s 1st Non-Binary Specialist; ‘Superman’ Colorist Quits Offended By New Motto. Brian Bell October 26, 2021 Read More China Bans Games With LGBTQ, Effeminate Men or Nazi Characters; Activision Blizzard Settles; ‘Life Is Strange’ Promotion Benefits Community Brian Bell October 4, 2021 Read More Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment View the full article

Published by Reuters By Joey Roulette and Eric M. Johnson (Reuters) -Private rocket company SpaceX fired at least five employees after it found they had drafted and circulated a letter criticizing founder Elon Musk and urging executives to make the firm’s culture more inclusive, two people familiar with the matter said. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The New York Times reported on Thursday that SpaceX had fired employees associated with the letter, citing three employees with knowledge of the situation. It had not detailed the number of employees who had been dismissed. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell sent an email saying the company had investigated and “terminated a number of employees involved” with the letter, the New York Times said. The newspaper said Shotwell’s email said employees involved with circulating the letter had been fired for making other staff feel “uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views”. Reuters could not independently confirm that report. Billionaire Musk is pursuing a $44-billion bid for Twitter and has made clear his support of freer controls on speech on the site. On Thursday, he told Twitter employees the platform should allow “pretty outrageous things” as long as the content is not illegal. The SpaceX letter, headed “an open letter to the Executives of SpaceX,” seen by Reuters, called Musk a “distraction and embarrassment” to the company he founded. In a list of three demands, it said “SpaceX must swiftly and explicitly separate itself from Elon’s personal brand,” “hold all leadership equally accountable to making SpaceX a great place to work for everyone” and “define and uniformly respond to all forms of unacceptable behavior”. Musk, also head of electric automaker Tesla Inc, has been in the headlines and featured in late-night comedy monologues in recent months, including over his quest to take over Twitter, his criticism of Democrats and a reported allegation of sexual harassment, which Musk has denied in a Twitter post. The open letter at SpaceX, first reported by The Verge, was drafted by SpaceX employees in recent weeks and shared as an attachment in an internal “Morale Boosters” group chat that brings together thousands of employees, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named. Musk, also the company’s chief engineer, has been viewed as a central figure in many of SpaceX’s high-profile successes, such as pioneering the re-use of orbital rocket boosters and bringing back routine human spaceflight from U.S. soil after a nine-year hiatus. Shotwell, who leads much of the company’s day-to-day business, has said she will enforce SpaceX’s “zero tolerance” standards against employee harassment. Founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX has played a central role in the U.S. space program, becoming the only company capable of launching NASA astronauts into space from U.S. soil and planning to send humans to the moon for the space agency within the next decade. SpaceX is also one of two companies on which the Pentagon depends to launch into space the bulk of U.S. military and spy satellites. (Reporting by Joey Roulette, Eric M. Johnson, Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; editing by Shailesh Kuber, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Barbara Lewis) View the full article

Published by Hong Kong Free Press By Jerome Yau Marriage equality was once unthinkable, but the world has seen remarkable progress in the past two decades. The number of places that recognise same-sex marriage grew from zero to 31, and the advancement did not lead to the apocalypse – life went on as usual. It is no surprise that the topic of equal marriage elicits strong and emotive views in our society. Yet, these views are often based on fear and misunderstanding. More importantly, culture and religion are not trump cards when it comes to issues that involve the treatment of a minority group. After all, discrimination is une… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lil Nas X says awards shows have a long way to go before they are fully inclusive. The 23-year-old rapper shared his hope things will improve at the 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame gala Thursday night (16.06.22) in New York City, where he was honoured with the ‘Hal David Starlight Award’, which pays tribute to young songwriters whose work is impacting the music industry. He said: “I think we have a long way to go in some places, but I feel like the world is definitely trying its best to change in many ways.” The comment came after the Grammy-winner hit out at the Black Entertainment Television network. It announced nominations for this year’s edition of its long-running awards show but he received zero nominations He said in now-deleted tweets: “Thank you BET awards. An outstanding zero nominations again. Black excellence!”, before going on to argue the move highlighted a larger trend of exclusion and erasure of queer black artists by black spheres of power. He also tweeted: “This not over no bet award this is about the bigger problem of homophobia in the black community, y’all can sit and pretend all u want but imma risk it all for us.” Lil Nas X then emphasised the limitations around self-expression often imposed on queer artists and argued other black queer rappers such as Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator, were “more respected when they do less feminine things”. In his new track dubbed ‘F*** BET’, Lil Nas X also appears shirtless and raps about being snubbed, while listing his accolades as a chart-topping artist. But in a statement to Entertainment Tonight, the network explained the nomination process while vowing it is committed “to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community”. It added: “We love Lil Nas X. He was nominated for a ‘Best New Artist BET Award’ in 2020, and we proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity on the show twice: he performed ‘Old Town Road’ with Billy Ray Cyrus at ‘BET Awards 2019’ and his ‘BET Awards 2021’ performance was a highlight of our show. No one cheered louder that night than BET. “Unfortunately, this year, he was not nominated by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of nearly 500 entertainment professionals in the fields of music, television, film, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, influencers, and creative arts… at BET, we are passionate advocates for the wonderful diversity that exists within our community.” Lil Nas X responded: “These are literally just buzz words placed together.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Morgan and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The day after the latest U.S. congressional hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters, the former president criticized Mike Pence’s actions that day, saying that his vice president had lacked courage. The hearings have detailed the ways in which Trump urged his supporters to turn on Pence for refusing his requests to reject the November 2020 election results, before they stormed the Capitol, fighting with police as some chanted “hang Mike Pence!” “Mike Pence had a chance to be great. He had a chance to be, frankly, historic,” Trump told an audience of Christian conservatives in Nashville on Friday. “Mike, and I say it sadly because I like him, but Mike did not have the courage to act,” Trump added. Republican Trump repeated his false claims that his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud, assertions that were rejected by multiple courts, state election officials and members of his own administration. Multiple Trump allies including his daughter Ivanka, former attorney general William Barr and other officials have testified to the committee that they did not believe Trump’s false claims. Pence’s staff were not immediately available for comment. Pence defended his actions, however, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Friday. “Ultimately, I believe that most Americans understand that we did our duty that day under the Constitution and the laws of this country,” the newspaper quoted Pence as saying. Trump attacked the bipartisan nine-member Jan. 6 select committee, which has held three hearings in little more than a week and is building a case that Trump acted illegally by trying to overturn his election loss. “Let’s be clear, this is not a congressional investigation, this horrible situation that’s wasting everyone’s time. This is a theatrical production of partisan political fiction. That’s getting these terrible, terrible ratings and they’re going crazy,” Trump said. On Thursday, former Pence aides told the committee that Trump pressed Pence to overturn the election results in Congress, after being told repeatedly that it was illegal to do so. Democrats on the panel said Trump kept up the pressure even though he knew a violent mob of his supporters was threatening the Capitol, where Pence and lawmakers worked to certify the election results. Trump has protested that the hearings lack “equal representation.” Democrats initially pressed for a balanced bicameral investigation, but Republicans rejected the plan. The committee’s proceedings are taking place in the runup to congressional elections in November, which will determine the balance of power in the Senate and House of Representatives ahead of the 2024 general election. Trump continues to flirt publicly with the idea of running for president again in 2024. But for now, the former president is concentrating on a revenge election campaign this year against his perceived enemies, including 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him after the Capitol attack, among them Representative Liz Cheney, who is vice chair of the investigating committee. (Reporting by David Morgan, Doina Chiacu and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Scott Malone; editing by Grant McCool) View the full article