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Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Friends’ has been censored in China over its LGBT-related storylines. The hit US sitcom has been edited on Chinese streaming platforms – including iQiyi and Youku – which have removed all references to Ross Geller’s ex-wife Carol being gay and in a relationship with another woman. Carol – who was played originally by Anita Barone, before she was replaced by Jane Sibbett – was edited out of her first appearance in the show, including all references to Ross – played by David Schwimmer – getting divorced, the South China Morning Post newspaper reports. Meanwhile, a scene that showed Joey – played by Matt LeBlanc – and Chandler – played by Matthew Perry – kissing at a New Year’s Eve party has also been removed by the streaming platforms. Fans of the comedy recently took to the Chinese social media site Weibo to voice their opposition to the move, using the hashtag FriendsCensored. However, the hashtag has now been removed from the site, according to CNN. Prior to this release, the unedited version of the sitcom was available between 2012 and 2013 on platforms such as Sohu and iQiyi. However, in 2016, the Chinese government brought in new guidelines that prohibited TV programmes from featuring gay relationships, along with topics that “exaggerate the dark side of society”. The eight-page document banned “vulgar, immoral and unhealthy content” and ruled that homosexuality, extra-marital affairs, casual sex and underage relationships as no-go areas. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the Oscar-winning biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, was previously altered to satisfy the guidelines. Editors of the film removed over two minutes of LGBT-related content, including two men kissing and the use of the word “gay”. View the full article

=Editor’s Notes: Dont Say Gay, Cancel GayPeekaboo Republican laws that address the triggering issues of dream-state parents with laws that make it illegal to acknowledge, discuss, teach them based proliferate “Don’t Say Gay” Laws. Criminalize hunger? What if it was a crime to ask for food, sleep or a hug as our solution to hunger, fatigue or a broken heart. The fantasy of making complex issues magically disappear by willfully not seeing them by enacting eyes-wide-shut laws that make it criminal at the point of recognition has its attractions. Magical solutions to real problems like rapture, confession, afterlife rewards offer a pass and are great solutions when you can get them. Covering one’s eyes to deny the truth goes with the attractions of alternate realities, ignore direct questions, skip meetings where response will be required, limit or prohibit debate, refuse opportunities to learn. A focus on process or threatening those who are in fact the victims also support the peekaboo principal. Gaslighting, bullying, ostracizing, undermining experts, news, institutions solidify the fiction. So does the lawyerly fiction that getting off on a technicality is the same as being right. Peekaboo rules say that as long as you don’t acknowledge you have no responsibility. You may have broken it, but if they don’t see and you don’t say it, it’s not on you. In the real world it takes kids up to 8 months to understand “object permanence”, that items and people exist even when you can’t hear or see them. Feelings, social identities, and a violent history dont’ disappear when we close our eyes. Triggered Parents — Gay Marriage Correlated is the idea that legislating eradicates by fiat. Gay love, and the issues growing up gay can’t be banned like alcohol. Gay marriage opponents were led to believe that a referenda and/or legislation could make gay love go away. Of course that was never the issue, in this century at least. A lot less good vs. evil, the actual issue was equal treatment and equal access to cash and prizes we allocate to couples. But the idea — cynical or idiotic — that not recognizing gay relationships would rid the world of homosexuality prevails somehow. Cancel Gay laws restricting curricula and participation, with book bans don’t let anyone off the hook or end kids growing up and coming out in a hostile society. They would seem on the surface to violate constitutional imperatives of fairness and equal treatment. They exacerbate the problems. –MG, Editor GLSEN focuses on protecting and educating lgbtq youth.More states want to restrict how LGBTQ+ people, issues are discussed in schools At least seven state legislatures are discussing whether to regulate how textbooks, teachers and school curriculums talk about gender and sexualities. Originally published by The 19th At least seven states have introduced bills to regulate how textbooks and school curriculums talk about LGBTQ+ people or how teachers can discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with students. None have become law, although some — like Florida’s bill on classroom discussion, called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by advocates — are advancing in state legislatures, and more could be introduced as the year continues. These bills focused on schools are at the nexus of two movements: adding restrictions to LGBTQ+ youth and limiting what can be taught in schools. The fights over sex and gender are happening alongside those over teaching about bias and systemic racism. Ban public school textbooks that “promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles.” Proposed Tennessee BillProponents of the curriculum bills say that they are designed to give parents a say in their kids’ schools and protect kids. But LGBTQ+ advocates say the bills, if they become law, will put already at-risk kids in more danger of mental health issues or bullying — and even put them at risk of being outed to their families. While many of the nearly 150 anti-LGBTQ+ bills brought so far focus on restricting gender-affirming health care access and limiting transgender students’ ability to play in school sports, according to the ACLU’s count, the number of bills focused on education or curriculum restrictions is rising compared with last year. Some measures are more severe than others: A proposed Tennessee bill would ban public school textbooks that “promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles.” An Oklahoma bill would require school libraries to remove books related to LGBTQ+ issues. In Arizona, another bill would require parents’ written permission for students to join any student group or club involving gender identity and sexuality. require school libraries to remove books related to LGBTQ+ issues Proposed Oklahomo BillMost prominently, in Florida a proposed bill that is moving through House committees would prohibit school districts from encouraging classroom discussions on gender identity or sexual orientation and allow parents to sue if a school violates that agreement. The companion bill passed Florida’s Senate education committee onTuesday, and advocacy groups including Equality Florida expressed frustration that public testimony was halted early. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared to endorse the effort at a Monday press event, linking school discussions about gender identity with critical race theory, an educational framework created 40 years ago that argues the country’s legacy of racism and slavery still affects Black Americans. “We’ve seen instances of students being told by different folks in school, ‘Oh, well, don’t worry, don’t pick your gender yet, do all this other stuff.’ They won’t tell the parents about these discussions that are happening. That is entirely inappropriate,” DeSantis said, adding that “I don’t think it’s going on in large numbers.” require parents’ written permission for students to join any student group or club involving gender identity and sexuality Proposed Arizona BillThe White House denounced Florida’s bill in an emailed statement on Tuesday, adding that the legislation “is not an isolated action,” as more Republican lawmakers “take actions to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn, and most troubling, who they can or cannot be.” Jeanne Nettles, who teaches 7th and 8th grade in St. Johns County, Florida, said the bill could make some of her students — such as those with two moms or two dads — feel like they need to hide parts of themselves at school. “Are they not allowed to talk about their home life? … What are you trying to tell them by saying ‘you can’t talk about it’?” she said in an interview after the school day had ended. prohibit school districts from encouraging classroom discussions on gender identity or sexual orientation and allow parents to sue if a school violates that agreement Proposed Florida LawShe also feels it’s her responsibility as a teacher to be there for students who aren’t ready to talk to their parents about their gender identity or sexual orientation. She’s a safe adult in their lives that they can talk to, she said — and being bisexual has underscored to her the importance of being an out and visible ally for students. Lawmakers’ heightened interest in reining in students’ exposure to LGBTQ+ issues comes during a record-setting legislative onslaught against trans youth in particular. It also follows a year during which some school districts banned Pride flags as political speech and as part of a broader push from the right to censor or ban books about race, sex and gender. “All of those efforts are related,” said Aaron Ridings, director of public policy at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). They are part of a broader political push to exclude queer youth and reduce their access to educational opportunities, he said. schools — or specifically teachers, counselors, and nurses — to inform parents about a student questioning their gender identity or being transgender. Proposed Arizona and Alabama Bills“These heavy-handed mandates around parental and family involvement are really unhelpful and increase the risk of LGBTQ+ young people being outed to families and parents who may not be affirming,” Ridings said. Family notification is the goal of several initiatives. Bills recently brought in Arizona and Alabama call for schools — or specifically teachers, counselors, and nurses — to inform parents about a student questioning their gender identity or being transgender. While anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum bills are not new, they have not had this kind of emphasis behind them before, said Cathryn Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel at the Human Rights Campaign. She expects to see more of them as the year progresses. More from The 19th White House condemns South Dakota over anti-trans sports lawPrincipals are expected to be the ‘rock’ of schools, but they’re stressed out‘We feel like we lost two years of education’: School closings are more complicated for parents of children with disabilitiesHRC is especially concerned with how the bills frame restrictions on LGBTQ+ students as supporting parents’ rights, she said — including mandating that parents should know if their child comes out at school, but not at home. “If a kid isn’t safe coming out at home, or they’re not sure, coming out to a guidance counselor is perhaps a significantly better idea,” she said. Austin Johnson, who teaches sociology at Kenyon College and studies LGBTQ+ health, is worried that bills focused on schools — amid other anti-trans legislation — will make the growing problem of poor mental health among LGBTQ+ youth even worse. Concerned bills frame restrictions on LGBTQ+ students as supporting parents’ rights. Mandate parents should know if child comes out at school, but not at home. HRC“It’s a perfect storm for exacerbating what’s already a growing problem,” he said. In his own research with 18- to 24-year-olds last fall, which is expected to be peer-reviewed in March, he found that most queer kids are experiencing poor mental health. Hannah Willard, vice president of government affairs for Freedom for All Americans, said the organization is also seeing an increase in legislation impacting LGBTQ+ kids experience at school — and the overlap between anti-LGBTQ bills focused on schools and curriculums, combined with increased pressure within school districts to ban LGBTQ+ books and flags, also adds further precarity to the situation. “There are a lot of bills that seek to ban diversity, education, inclusion and critical race theory that also seek to ban curriculum and conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity and different family structures,” she said. Ban trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in schools. South Dakota Law, First this yearSouth Dakota is the first state this year to sign an anti-trans bill into law — banning trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in schools. The White House condemned lawmakers in the state on Monday for passing the bill. Johnson said that, if he had been able to learn about what being transgender meant in high school — especially from a teacher — that would have alleviated the despair that enveloped him; despair that he couldn’t understand or find words for on his own. “I think it would have totally changed my life,” he said. “I think that I would have made different choices in terms of self care. … I didn’t know myself, so it was hard to care for myself.” Don’t Say Gay, Cancel Gay, Triggered Parents on Towleroad Joe Rogan Podcast Goliath Got Big Centering Contrarian POVs For Young Men Who Want Provocative Options To This Being All There Is. More Jennifer Coolidge wants to make an ‘a** candle’ More Still Standing, Freedom Convoy Protest Hold Strong After Justin Trudeau’s Deadline To Clear US-Canada Bridge More Kevin Spacey Accuser Claims Actor Played Gay Porn For Him When He Was 16 More Royal Collection Launches Official Buckingham Palace Wine; Joins Line of Condiments Launched Weeks Ago More Italy’s Catholic Church faces pressure for independent abuse inquiry More New York museum pays to tribute to late superstar designer Abloh More The Kentucky Gentlemen’s ‘Whatever You’re Up For’ Is a Country Bop By One Of A New Wave Of Black Queer Country Artists [LISTEN] More New Photo of Prince Andrew With Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey On A Tour Of Queen’s Residence More Marketplace suspends most NFT sales, citing ‘rampant’ fakes and plagiarism More Few signs of Super Bowl trucker protest, monitoring firm says More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: High Baby Jorgeous, Bitter Betty and the Kennedie Assassination More TikTok Bans Misgendering, Deadnaming And Promoting Conversion Therapy; First Platform to Attempt Difficult Enforcement; GLAAD Takes Credit More Load More Photo by By Sam T, Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) View the full article

Joe Rogan’s ability to attract young male listeners is particularly powerful in today’s fractured media environment. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Image Comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan is caught in a spiral of controversies. It began when “The Joe Rogan Experience” hosted COVID-19 vaccine skeptic Robert Malone and a number of musicians pulled their music off of Spotify in protest. It has continued with Rogan apologizing for using racial slurs in past years, which prompted the streaming service to remove scores of his old episodes from the streaming platform. Given the thousands of hours of content that Rogan has produced, the scrutiny is unlikely to stop there. As we argue in our forthcoming book, Rogan’s podcast has long promoted right-wing comedy and libertarian political voices, including some who trade quite gleefully in racism and misogyny. However, what makes Rogan’s rise particularly important is that it goes beyond the standard partisan political battling that Americans have grown accustomed to in social and broadcast media. Rogan is not just a purveyor of right-wing ideologies. He is also someone who has built an empire by introducing these ideas – and a wide range of others – to listeners from across the political spectrum. His truly unique skill is drawing in from that spectrum a massive, young, largely male audience that advertisers highly covet. Ideological whiplash When the Federal Communications Commission introduced the Fairness Doctrine in 1949, radio and television broadcasters were required to present controversial ideas in a manner that reflected multiple perspectives. However, the combination of cable television, niche consumer targeting and President Ronald Reagan’s deregulatory FCC succeeded in toppling the mandate. By 1987, conservative talk radio figures such as Rush Limbaugh embraced fully partisan approaches to content creation and audience accumulation. Ignoring their political opponents as potential listeners, they veered further and further to the right, garnering an increasingly homogeneous audience whom advertisers could easily target. Later, as Fox News’ popularity and reach grew, it took a similar tack, promoting conservative media personalities like Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Greg Gutfeld to preach to the right-wing choir. Today, some conservative voices such as Ben Shapiro and Steven Crowder take this logic a technological step further, embracing the silo-ing effects of social media algorithms to connect with those users most likely to engage with and disseminate their content. Although such figures certainly offend those who disagree with them, their place in the mediasphere is well-established and mostly ignored by opponents. Rogan, by contrast, is prone to ideological whiplash. Initially, he supported Bernie Sanders for president in 2020. Then he flipped to Donald Trump. He interviews and asks open-ended questions to figures ranging from staunchly left-leaning voices such as Cornel West and Michael Pollan to right-wing charlatans including Stefan Molyneux and Alex Jones. There is no political commonality among these people. But there is a demographic connection. For one, they are all men, as are the vast majority of guests on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” They are also provocative guests that appeal to young people and particularly young men, a group that is notoriously difficult to aggregate, often has disposable income and has a tendency to believe that mainstream political ideas don’t reflect their own. While Fox News sells politics to TV watchers, Rogan sells a sense of edgy authenticity to podcast listeners. His blend of comedy and controversy certainly has political implications, but from his perspective, it isn’t politics. It’s demographics. Spotify’s main attraction Rogan’s economic model of accumulating young male listeners, who make up a good chunk of his 11 million listeners per episode, is particularly powerful in today’s fractured media environment. Rogan is, for worse and for better, a true outlier in the world of contemporary talk media. Most political and many comedy podcasts employ the business model of finding an ideological space, connecting via cross-promotion and guest selection with similar shows, and allowing the algorithms of social media to drive traffic their way. It’s estimated that ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ attracts 11 million listeners per episode. Cindy Ord/Getty Images “The Joe Rogan Experience” takes this idea and pulls it in multiple, contradictory directions. Media figures left and right have – until now, at least – coveted opportunities to appear on the show. Once a comedian or podcaster has saturated their own political space, Rogan offers a chance to win over new converts and, in principle, have a discussion that breaks free of partisan constraints. For many Rogan fans, this breadth of discussion and freedom from norms is the heart of the show. Rogan, however, is far from a neutral host of a new public sphere. His feigned naiveté is all too often a cover to promote edgy, offensive and irresponsible theories that appeal to his audience’s self-styled suspicion of authority. He pushes the boundaries of political discourse by “just asking questions,” but then hides behind his background as just a comedian to distance himself from any undesirable repercussions. Spotify, like other streaming services, is primarily built on a wide range of content creators, each of whom attracts a small, dedicated audience, but none of whom are, on their own, particularly powerful. Rogan is the closest thing to a mass cultural product to be found in the podcast world. He is also one of the only names in podcasting big enough to garner headlines, good or bad. For a company like Spotify trying to boost subscriptions, Rogan’s cross-partisan, youthful, mass appeal is very hard to resist. Rogan’s recent apologies, however, prove that he is not impervious to pressure. We suspect Spotify will try to thread the needle: covering up Rogan’s penchant for misinformation and offensive provocation just enough to meet the minimum standard of acceptable corporate citizenship without tarnishing the comedian’s brand and demographic appeal. [Like what you’ve read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter.] Matt Sienkiewicz, Associate Professor of Communication and International Studies, Boston College and Nick Marx, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, Colorado State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Joe Rogan Podcast Goliath Spotify on Towleroad Jennifer Coolidge wants to make an ‘a** candle’ More Still Standing, Freedom Convoy Protest Hold Strong After Justin Trudeau’s Deadline To Clear US-Canada Bridge More Kevin Spacey Accuser Claims Actor Played Gay Porn For Him When He Was 16 More Royal Collection Launches Official Buckingham Palace Wine; Joins Line of Condiments Launched Weeks Ago More Italy’s Catholic Church faces pressure for independent abuse inquiry More New York museum pays to tribute to late superstar designer Abloh More The Kentucky Gentlemen’s ‘Whatever You’re Up For’ Is a Country Bop By One Of A New Wave Of Black Queer Country Artists [LISTEN] More New Photo of Prince Andrew With Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey On A Tour Of Queen’s Residence More Marketplace suspends most NFT sales, citing ‘rampant’ fakes and plagiarism More Few signs of Super Bowl trucker protest, monitoring firm says More ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’: High Baby Jorgeous, Bitter Betty and the Kennedie Assassination More TikTok Bans Misgendering, Deadnaming And Promoting Conversion Therapy; First Platform to Attempt Difficult Enforcement; GLAAD Takes Credit More U.S. Congress passes ban on forced arbitration of worker sex abuse claims More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jennifer Coolidge wants to develop an “a** candle”. The 60-year-old star will feature alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in the Super Bowl commercial for Uber Eats and joked that she wants to develop a product to rival Gwyneth’s infamous ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’ candle. Jennifer told PEOPLE: “You know what I want to do? I want to have an a** candle. I want to be the first that comes up with it!” The Uber Eats advertisement shows both Jennifer and Gwyneth – as well as Trevor Noah and Nicholas Braun – taking bites out of inedible objects such as paper towel rolls, dish soap and more. In the clip, Paltrow is seen biting her Vagina candle – uttering the words: “This candle tastes funny. Not bad, but funny.” Jennifer admitted that she was stunned to have the chance to appear in the advertisement and thought it was “crank phone call” at first. The ‘White Lotus’ actress said: “This is my first Super Bowl ad. Who would have thought? When they told me they wanted to do this, I thought it was a crank phone call! “It’s been so great working with Uber Eats because they’ve really made this into a great business. It’s a concept I didn’t know anything before I signed up to do this commercial. I thought they just did food, but there are so many things you can have delivered with Uber Eats. “It’s just so cool that you can just get on an app and get everything brought to your house!” Meanwhile, Gwyneth previously revealed that she hoped that her Vagina candle – which launched on her Goop website – removed the stigma around female sexuality. The 49-year-old actress said: “The idea [is] that women have been taught to have a certain amount of shame about their body. So, if you just light a candle that says ‘This Smells Like My Vagina’, and put it on the coffee table, it’s kind of a punk rock statement.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega The “Freedom Convoy” protesters still occupy the US-Canada Ambassador Bridge in stance against COVID vaccine mandates set by the Canadian government. The convoy is holding up even though Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered a State of Emergency to have the truckers evacuated from the bridge. Mega Trudeau declared that ‘everything is on the table’ to end the protest. Ottawa police were stationed on the bridge with threats to forcibly remove the truckers who have been blocking the border bridge. Officers also reportedly handed out flyers warning those refusing to retreat risk having to pay up to a $100,000 fine each. Threats were also made to have the drivers permanently lose their commercial driving license. The blocking of the bridge went from a highly covered protest to Canadian COVID restrictions to a full blown illegal act after Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz granted an injunction. The judicial order illegalized the occupation of the bridge and gave authorities the power to arrest anyone who violated the warning. The convoy on the bridge didn’t budge. Both deadlines set for 7pm — and then midnight — never came to bare any fruit as police never moved in on the hundreds of protesters refusing to back down. Police were flashing the lights from their cars, but few officers were seen by the time they were supposed to disperse the crowd. Mega The convoy has gained so much notoriety now American based organization ‘Convoy to Save America’ is set to converge with the Freedom Convoy on the bridge that connects Ontario Canada to Buffalo, New York. The multiple convoys are set to join forces during the evening this Friday. The trucker protest has garnered a lot of sympathy across the two countries — but they’ve also received plenty of criticism from people calling the convoy a right wing anti-vax demonstration. Vox even reported about sightings of confederate and Nazi flags seen at the demonstration. “President Biden and I both agreed that for the security of people and the economy, these blockades cannot continue” Trudeau said at a press briefing on Friday. “We talked about the U.S.-based flooding of the 911 phone lines in Ottawa, the presence of U.S. citizens in the blockade and the impact of foreign money to fund this illegal activity.” Mega Police in Ottawa have claimed that numerous 911 calls have “flooded” their phones Ottawa in recent weeks, which seemed to intend to tie up and confuse police away from the protest. They also reportedly claim a significant number of calls came from “United States addresses.” As of right now no protester has been arrested and the crowd reportedly are bolstered after defying the Prime Minister’s deadline to leave the bridge. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA A man testified under oath that actor Kevin Spacey was inappropriate with him when he was a minor — and tried coming onto him after piling him with alcohol. MEGA According to court documents obtained by Radar, the man who has come forward is named Justin Dawes. He agreed to voluntarily speak as part of actor Anthony Rapp’s lawsuit against Spacey. Rapp is suing Spacey claiming he sexually harassed him in 1986 when he was 14. He claims while at Spacey’s home the actor grabbed his butt and laid on top of him without consent. Spacey denies the accusations. He even hired an expert who produced a report that claimed Rapp fabricated the story to be a part of the #MeToo movement. MEGA Spacey’s defense didn’t sit well with Dawes who then reached out to Rapp offering to speak about his own experience with the actor. The House of Cards star is working overtime to try and have Dawes testimony thrown out of court. He claims the man has failed to provide the name of his friend who was allegedlly with him the night of the incident. During Dawes’ deposition, he said he met Spacey in 1988 when he was 16 working at a local theater in Connecticut. Spacey allegedly invited Dawes and his friend back to his apartment to watch movies. They arrived at the pad to see gay porn playing on the television. Dawes testified that Spacey made him a cocktail and things got weird. He says Spacey proceed to try to “make a sexual advance on him” despite him making it clear he was still in high school. MEGA In Rapp’s new motion, he is fighting Spacey over the testimony being allowed in court. He reveals Spacey denies the entire encounter with Dawes. Rapp argues Dawes — who lives in Brazil — has answered all questions posed and tedtified he has turned over the entirety of his communications concerning the subject interaction between him and [Spacey.]” “Mr. Dawes’ testimony shows that defendant Spacey was engaging in similar predatory behavior with male minors around the time that Spacey sexually assaulted Mr. Rapp,” the motion reads. A judge has yet to rule on the matter. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The Royal Collection has launched an official Buckingham Palace wine. The sparkling wine is a classic blend of Chardonnay Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier using hand-picked fruit from vineyards in Kent and West Sussex and has been created in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee as she marks 70 years on the throne. The luxury 12 percent abv English Sparkling Wine Platinum Jubilee Release 2022 is described as having “enticing aromas of rich and honeyed citrus fruit, white peach and hints of sweet spices” and the Royal Trust suggested that it can be paired with mature English cheddar, seafood and in particular fish and chips, noting that when enjoyed with British staple, the wine is the “perfect addition” to the Jubilee celebrations. The trust added: “It also complements British seafood, such as crab, langoustines or classic fish and chips, making the wine a perfect addition to Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer.” The special edition bottle – which features a label design inspired by the gold embroidery on the Queen’s Robe of Estate worn on her Coronation Day – retails for £39, with all profits going to conservation charity The Royal Collection Trust, which oversees the care of the Royal Collection. A set of hand-cut Champagne Flute Glasses engraved with an emblem depicting the national flowers of the United Kingdom have also gone on sale at a cost of £120 a pair. Her Majesty, the Queen reached the Platinum milestone on February 6th and celebrations are set to take place with a four day Bank Holiday weekend in the UK from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June. Buckingham Palace English Sparkling Wine (70cl) and Champagne Flute Glasses can be purchased online via www.rct.uk/shop or in Royal Collection Trust shops in London, Windsor and Edinburgh. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Philip Pullella and Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) – At a trial under way in Sicily, a 28-year-old Italian is seeking justice against a man he accuses of forcing him to perform sex acts before going on to become a priest. The victim says the alleged abuse, committed more than a decade ago when he was a minor and the accused was a seminarian leading youth groups, included forced masturbation and oral sex in sacristies and schoolrooms. The accused denies the charges. The victim went to the police only after the Church failed to act on his accusations, which he spelled out to two priests and at a meeting with a bishop involving his parents. Victims’ groups say there are thousands of similar cases hidden in Church archives, and they are increasing pressure for an independent investigation in Italy to mirror recent moves in France and Germany. Nine Italian groups have formed a consortium and on Tuesday will announce a campaign called “Beyond the Great Silence” and unveil a hashtag #ItalyChurchToo. It aims to put public pressure on the Italian government to investigate past and present abuse in the Church or for the Church to commission an impartial investigation by outsiders. The campaign is the latest move worldwide to force the Catholic Church to establish the full extent of sexual abuse by clergy that has cost it millions of dollars in compensation to victims. “The state and the government have to take the initiative on this,” Francesco Zanardi, the head of one of the groups, Rete l’Abuso (The Abuse Network), which tracks clerical abuse in Italy, told Reuters. “If the Church investigates itself, its first objective will be to protect itself,” said Zanardi, who is a victim of clergy sexual abuse. ‘POWDER KEG’ The campaigners did not say how many sexual abuse crimes they suspect have been committed in Italy, but Rete l’Abuso has documented hundreds of such cases, most of them current or recent. The German study, released in 2018, showed 1,670 clergymen abused 3,677 minors from 1946 to 2014. The French investigation released last year and covering seven decades, said more than 200,000 children were abused in Catholic institutions. Pope Francis has expressed shame at the Church’s inability to deal with sexual abuse cases and said the Church must make itself a “safe home for everyone”. Former Pope Benedict has acknowledged that errors occurred in handling sexual abuse cases when he was Archbishop of Munich and asked for forgiveness. The results of an independent investigation going back decades could be devastating in Italy, where about 74% of the population are Catholic. “The Church does not want this because it would be a powder keg,” Zanardi said. Bishops in Italy are divided over what type of investigation should be done. Some say the Church has the resources, such as diocesan anti-abuse committees, to do the work itself. Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, who favours an internal investigation, explained his position in a newspaper interview. Paola Lazzarini, head of Women in the Church, which is part of the consortium, told Reuters that Bassetti’s position “does not satisfy us one bit”. Other bishops, including Erio Castellucci of Modena and Paolo Lojudice of Siena, have signalled support for commissioning an outside investigation. Victims groups and some abuse experts within the Church have warned that an inside investigation will not be convincing. “We can have the best intentions but as long as we do it in-house nobody is going to believe us,” Father Hans Zollner, who heads the department of safeguarding and prevention of sexual abuse at Rome’s Gregorian University, told Reuters. A decision is due to be taken in May at a plenary to elect the new president of the Italian Bishops Conference because any investigation will be done during his five-year mandate. (Reporting by Philip Pullella, Editing by Timothey Heritage) View the full article

Published by DPA This pair of sneakers with an accompanying travel case were among 200 pairs of shoes designed by the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh to have been recently auctioned in New York for a total of 25 million dollars. Sotheby’s/PA Media/dpa The Brooklyn Museum in New York is celebrating the life and work of the US fashion designer Virgil Abloh with an exhibition dedicated to the renowned Louis Vuitton menswear artistic director who died in November. The “Virgil Abloh: ‘Figures of Speech’” show is scheduled to open on July 1 and display sketches, sculptures, pieces of clothing and other memorabilia until January 29, 2023, the museum in the borough of Brooklyn has announced. Abloh pieces have become prized possessions in the fashion scene, particularly after the designer’s death, and a series of Nike shoes designed by him fetched a total of 25 million dollars at auction earlier in February. The planning for the exhibition has been going on for about three years, and Abloh himself had been working on it before his death, museum director Anne Pasternak said. The aim is to “celebrate his explosive talent”. The Brooklyn Museum, which opened in 1887, is the second largest exhibition space in New York and houses natural science and ethnological collections as well as design and art of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Abloh died of cancer in November at the age of 41. The 41-year-old American had been battling a very rare and aggressive cancer for more than two years. Abloh, who was also known as a DJ and founded his own streetwear brand, Off-White, had been creative director of the men’s line at Louis Vuitton since March 2018. Star menswear designer Virgil Abloh had been working on an exhibition of his works before his death in November. Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Wire/dpa View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by The Boot The Kentucky Gentlemen know how to party. “Whatever You’re Up For,” the new song from the country duo made up of twin brothers Derek and Brandon Campbell, is the kind of inclusive, innovative banger that country radio could use more of. “Yeah, you love to keep me guessing / And you know that’s fine with me,” Brandon sings in the first line, setting the stage for a more respectful kind of country party song. Instead of telling their partners what they want to do with them — a hallmark of the macho country songs that have dominated radio for over a decade — the singers are happy to let the other… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ghislaine Maxwell was reportedly introduced to VIP guests at Buckingham Palace as “Prince Andrew’s ex-girlfriend”. The 61-year-old prince appears in a newly-published photograph from 2002, which shows him at his mother Queen Elizabeth’s official residence with Maxwell – who is facing 40 years in jail after being convicted of sex offences – as well as former US president Bill Clinton. The former US leader was being given a tour of the palace with disgraced ‘House of Cards’ actor Kevin Spacey, and another member of the group claimed Maxwell seemed to know the royal residence well. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph newspaper – who have published the photograph – the unnamed person said: “Ghislaine Maxwell was the one who led us into Buckingham Palace. We walked in the main gates and Ghislaine showed us where we needed to be. She knew her way around this area of the palace. Ghislaine was described to me [as] an ex-girlfriend of Prince Andrew’s. “The tour was for Clinton and Spacey – they were Prince Andrew’s guests. But Ghislaine seemed to be leading the charge. The impression we all had was that there was some relationship there between Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell. “They clearly knew each other very well. She was very friendly and cheery.” Sources have previously insisted Andrew – who is being sued by Virginia Giuffre, who has alleged she was forced into having sex with him when she was just 17 years old – had “no recollection” of being present for the tour, which took place on 30 September, 2002. The photograph was taken in the ballroom and shows Andrew pointing into the distance while Maxwell, to his left, looks over at Mr. Clinton while he examined two thrones. Giuffre – who was formerly known as Virginia Roberts – has accused convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – who committed suicide in August 2019 – and his one-time girlfriend Maxwell of arranging and forcing her into having sex with Andrew in 2001. The prince has denied all of the allegations and in legal documents insisted he and Maxwell were not “close friends”. Andrew – who is not facing any legal action in the UK – previously requested a trial by jury and is due to sit for a deposition in London next month. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON (Reuters) -The platform which sold an NFT of Jack Dorsey’s first tweet for $2.9 million has halted most transactions because people were selling tokens of content that did not belong to them, its founder said, calling this a “fundamental problem” in the fast-growing digital assets market. Sales of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, soared to around $25 billion in 2021 https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/nft-sales-hit-25-billion-2021-growth-shows-signs-slowing-2022-01-10, leaving many baffled as to why so much money is being spent on items that do not physically exist and which anyone can view online for free. NFTs are crypto assets that record the ownership of a digital file such as an image, video or text. Anyone can create, or “mint”, an NFT, and ownership of the token does not usually confer ownership of the underlying item. Reports of scams, counterfeits https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-tech-art-idUKL8N2TM0VV and “wash trading” https://www.reuters.com/technology/unreal-demand-irregular-sales-worth-billions-fire-up-wild-nft-market-2022-02-07 have become commonplace. The U.S.-based Cent executed one of the first known million-dollar NFT sales when it sold the former Twitter CEO’s tweet as an NFT https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/twitter-boss-jack-dorseys-first-tweet-sold-29-million-an-nft-2021-03-22 last March. But as of Feb. 6, it has stopped allowing buying and selling, CEO and co-founder Cameron Hejazi told Reuters. “There’s a spectrum of activity that is happening that basically shouldn’t be happening – like, legally” Hejazi said. While the Cent marketplace “beta.cent.co” has paused NFT sales, the part specifically for selling NFTs of tweets, which is called “Valuables”, is still active. Hejazi highlighted three main problems: people selling unauthorised copies of other NFTs, people making NFTs of content which does not belong to them, and people selling sets of NFTs which resemble a security. He said these issues were “rampant”, with users “minting and minting and minting counterfeit digital assets”. “It kept happening. We would ban offending accounts but it was like we’re playing a game of whack-a-mole… Every time we would ban one, another one would come up, or three more would come up.” “MONEY CHASING MONEY” Such problems may come into greater focus as major brands join the rush towards the so-called “metaverse”, or Web3 https://www.reuters.com/article/tech-yearender-buzzwords-idCAKBN2IZ11H. Coca-Cola and luxury brand Gucci are among companies to have sold NFTs, while YouTube https://www.reuters.com/technology/youtube-will-explore-nft-features-creators-2022-01-25 said it will explore NFT features. While Cent, with 150,000 users and revenue “in the millions”, is a relatively small NFT platform, Hejazi said the issue of fake and illegal content exists across the industry. “I think this is a pretty fundamental problem with Web3,” he said. The biggest NFT marketplace, OpenSea, valued at $13.3 billion after its latest round of venture funding, said last month https://twitter.com/opensea/status/1486843201352716289? more than 80% of the NFTs minted for free on its platform were “plagiarized works, fake collections and spam”. OpenSea tried limiting the number of NFTs a user could mint for free, but then reversed this decision following a backlash from users, the company said in a Twitter thread, adding that it was “working through a number of solutions” to deter “bad actors” while supporting creators. “It is against our policy to sell NFTs using plagiarized content,” an OpenSea spokesperson said. “We are working around the clock to ship products, add features, and refine our processes to meet the moment.” To many NFT-enthusiasts, the decentralised nature of blockchain technology https://www.reuters.com/technology/what-is-metaverse-2021-10-18 is appealing, allowing users to create and trade digital assets without a central authority controlling the activity. But Hejazi said his company was keen on protecting content-creators, and may introduce centralised controls as a short-term measure in order to re-open the marketplace, before exploring decentralised solutions. It was after the Dorsey NFT sale that Cent started to get a sense of what was going on in NFT markets. “We realized that a lot of it is just money chasing money.” (Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft, Editing by Louise Heavens and Andrew Heavens) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Raphael Satter (Reuters) – A reported trucker protest planned to coincide with the Super Bowl appears to be going nowhere, a social media monitoring firm that has been tracking the issue said on Saturday. After media reported on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo warning of potential disruption around Sunday’s Super Bowl, there was a notable increase in social media mentions about a convoy of anti-vaccine truckers purportedly planning to descend on Los Angeles. The memo drew attention amid signs that the Canada’s “Freedom Convoy” protests, started in the national capital Ottawa by Canadian truckers opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers, is inspiring copycat demonstrations elsewhere. But while protests and traffic blockades inspired by the Ottawa protests have gained steamed in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, similar rallies in the United States have been slower to take off despite plenty of chatter in extremist circles and favorable coverage by right-wing outlets such as Fox News. On Friday, U.S. organizers, including Penny Faye of an organization dubbed “Convoy to Save America,” told Reuters they were planning convoys for this weekend or early next month. “I think they ran out of time,” Welton Chang, whose Washington-based firm, Pyrra, has been following online talk about the plan to protest the Super Bowl, said Saturday. He also cited the lack of consensus around whether the marquee sporting event was an appropriate target. A Reuters review of social media has also found little support for a Super Bowl plan. There was scant mention of a Super Bowl protest on TruckersForFreedom, a popular Telegram channel devoted to sharing news from the protests in Canada and abroad, for example. A partner channel purportedly devoted to the Super Bowl rally just had a single poll surveying participants on whether they planned to participate in a Super Bowl protest; the overwhelming majority of the 8,000 users who voted said they couldn’t come. (Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

RuPaul’s Drag Race Pit Crew delivering big packages.RuPaul’s Drag Race got a rush delivery of DRAMA this week, and the queens are starting to CRACK. We’ve got a dramatic unconventional materials challenge. We’ve got the Joker origin story of Daya Betty. We’ve even got an Untucked so hot they had to cut into the main ep. It’s a lot to unpack. Let’s get into it. After Jorgeous’s definitive lip sync victory last week, there’s not much left to resolve. (The girls couldn’t even be bothered to read Orion’s overly long mirror message.) There’s also no time to spare. Ru introduces this week’s challenge to create a runway using random junk Michelle Visage allegedly bought late night on Amazon like Miranda Hobbes, and we’re off to the races. RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 queens just before the fur begins to fly.It’s a whirlwind in the Werk Room as the ladies start tearing open the boxes and divvying up the trash from the slightly-more-useful trash. Willow is at immediate disadvantage given her troubles with her fingers, but she manages to scrounge around the leftover wreckage for pieces to create a nightmarish children’s toy. As soon as Willow reveals her idea, Daya Betty swoops in to tell her in no uncertain terms that SHE is doing a babydoll something and she will NOT change it. It’s the earliest sign of Daya’s full heel turn. She’s already maniacally focused on landing in the top this week, spending the majority of the episode muttering to herself about how THIS IS WHAT SHE DOES. SHE’S NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS. SHE SHOPS AT THRIFT STORES. It’s exhausting, but it’s just the tip of the rapidly crumbling iceberg. What really pushes her into full mental meltdown is a visit from Ru and Carson. It starts with a familiar impulse. You know, a queen is safe for weeks on end and starts to resent even the bottom-ranking girls for their one-on-one time with Ru. It’s resolved for most queens by either using it as motivation to snag a top win, or it proves to be a curse as their long-awaited time with the judges is a bottom placement (if not a lip sync). For what it’s worth, Daya at least disrupts the usual narrative. Instead of sweating it until she hits the runway, Daya seizes the opportunity to cut to the chase and ask Ru directly for some feedback. It’s perfectly reasonable, but it’s a reality show no-no. These visits are about laying the foundations for the episode’s subplots; save the drama for the runway! Unfortunately, Daya gets exactly what she asks for. Carson and Ru read her for being too close to her drag inspo, Crystal Methyd. It’s the same criticism they had when she first faced elimination earlier this season. As much as she tries to shrug off the comparison, she struggles to define the differences between them both in her confessional interviews and in her live Lady Macbeth breakdown. Crystal’s a clown … but Daya is also funny! Crystal is playful, Daya is “also still a good party fun time.” Ok, gurl! I’m just saying, if it walks like a Crystal and it talks like a Crystal … Lady Camden gets promising early reviews from Ru, but she gets an important note, too: She needs a bigger lip. As inexplicable as some of Ru’s feedback/behavior can be at times, she’s absolutely right on this one. Camden is also hungry for a win after weeks of strong performances. She’s got a great vision, combining strips of an inflatable kiddie pool to create a pastel bodypiece adorned with coordinating netting flowing behind. It’s great. Maddy on the hunt for fashion on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The judges have some concerns over Maddy’s non-descript character costume and Angeria’s fabric choice. However, it’s Jorgeous that once again seems to be in the most danger. She can’t quite get a furry piece of fleece to work, and she finds herself scrapping the whole thing and scrounging in Angeria’s leftovers at the last minute. She quickly throws together a printed shower curtain with some cookie-cutter accents instead. It’s rough enough for the other queens to really worry about a bottom two finish, because they’re sure they’d be up against the newly minted lip sync assassin, Jorgeous. On the runway, Jorgeous sells the hell out of the garment. Here is all that sexy confidence the judges have been waiting for, just wrapped in a Wet Seal knockoff of Kerri’s Versace dress from two weeks ago. Her shining personality is definitely enough to keep her safe, in my opinion. But it’s not up to me. Ru thinks the whole thing is worthy of this week’s win, despite it being literally thrown together at the last minute into a body suit in Michelle’s least favorite color. Look, I love Jorgeous too, but this is insanity. I can’t imagine there will be much of gay twitter left standing after this, possibly one of the most off-key judges’ calls in herstory. Lady Camden knows big hair, full lips, can’t lose on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The win would’ve made much more sense on Lady Camden, whose pastel angel outfit turned out downright heavenly (and she smartly applied a larger lip to address Ru’s criticism). Or even Angeria, who walked a flawless, elegant LBD down the runway that looked just as good as any poly-cotton blend would. They both get top marks, but fall short on the win, thanks to Ru’s obsession with Jorgeous. The judges get it closer with this week’s bottoms. Maddy absolutely whiffed the challenge, cobbling together a lopsided mess that she tries to pass off as the next “Coat of Many of Colors.” The judges can barely muster pithy comments as they rip it to shreds. It’s just plain bad. DeJa gets slightly dinged for crafting cheap accessories from gold doilies, but the judges are gaga for her Grecian-inspired dress. Filling out the bottom is surprisingly Jasmine, a queen whose always looked stunning on the runway. The problem here stems from over-embellishing — a problem we’re seeing the judges harp on time and time again this season. (Because, you know, drag is about RESTRAINT … ) In truth, it doesn’t seem nearly as egregious as, say, Maddy, but that’s where we’ve got to duck into this week’s Untucked. Usually, I don’t cover the Untucked in these recaps, but USUALLY they don’t edit it into the main episode, so I’m making an exception. Backstage, Daya is already seething assuming it’s Jasmine in the top, and, in her mind, she only wrapped some fabric around her waist. (It makes her face crack after JORGEOUS is announced the winner even sweeter.) But the real meat of Untucked is between the week’s presumed bottoms, Maddy and Jasmine. It all starts because Maddy attempts to make a bold, brave proclamation that she’s staying, she is staying, and you, and you, you’re gonna love her, or whatever. I get that it’s supposed to be about self-empowerment and not a direct threat to Jasmine, but it’s kind of hard not to take it that way. Jasmine then proceeds to completely destroy Maddy in truly epic fashion. Maddy is trying to cover her insecurity with bravado, but Jasmine is dismissing her so thoroughly, it’s borderline cruel. Jasmine flat-out tells Maddy she is not worried at all about this lip sync. She is not pressed, in the slightest. She doesn’t miss a beat, and Maddy is left obviously shook. Am I on Jasmine’s side here? Am I becoming a villain? All I know is I couldn’t help but yell GET HER in support throughout the whole exchange. By the time the queens return to the runway, Jasmine is practically salivating, hungry to rip Maddy limb from limb. The lip sync is to Beyoncé’s “Sugar Mama,” an absolutely killer track for this. Maddy is fine. Better than expected, even. But it’s just no contest. Jasmine acts like that cavernous studio is the friggin Super Bowl halftime show, murdering the choreo and slamming her body on the floor. It’s like using a mastercrafted samurai sword to slice deli salami. It’s gorgeous, but a tad overkill. And thus ends Maddy’s run, and we’re already down to less than 10 queens. Let’s see where they stand in our rankings. Angeria‘s excellent Drag Race run continues this week as she created one of the most stylish and ready-for-the-runway garments. She also is gunning for Miss Congeniality by saving Jorgeous with some last-minute fabric options and giving us a goofy moment when she needed Kerri to explain what a step-and-repeat is. As Michelle said, I keep waiting for this bitch to fall, and she’s just not falling.The edit had me worried for Willow this week, but she brought her freaky vision to life. She tends to have the clearest concepts each week, and it makes me really excited to see what her twisted brain comes up with next.There wasn’t much Bosco this week, but what we saw was solid. If anything, she was a more worthy top choice than the eventual winner, Jorgeous.Huge week for Lady Camden. Ru was so right about the bigger lip. She looked gorgeous on the runway. The upgraded mug and fantastic fashion on the runway bumps Camden up to a solid top four, even if her angelic outfit was robbed of this week’s win.No hate for Jorgeous, a beautiful queen with a lovable personality and serious dance skills, but this was not her week to win.Well, we’ve got our season villain in Daya Betty. She came in hot already popping off on DeJa at the top of the episode, and she slipped further and further into her spiral from there. It’s clear that she really doesn’t know how to differentiate herself from Crystal Methyd. Her weird puppet outfit and makeup were solid, but … could’ve been worn on Crystal in season 12.Kerri is thankfully stepping up and taking Kornbread’s spot as talking head queen. She added some levity to the proceedings with little jokes and extended metaphor. She got a few opportunities to share more of her background this week, both with Ru and with the other girls in the Werk Room. I just wish her outfit came together as beautifully as her narrative did. Instead, she must’ve just barely missed the bottom.I didn’t have as much of a problem with Jasmine‘s lewk as the judges did, but, then again, “too much” tends to be my whole aesthetic. Jasmine still packs plenty of talent, but the judges tend to run hot and cold with her. She made a fan out of me on Untucked keeping it truly 100 and letting Maddy know she’s no match in a lip sync.DeJa‘s Grecian gown was gorgeous, but not pretty enough. DeJa is a seamstress, so this was her challenge to blow out of the water. After surprising in acting/comedy challenges, it was a big letdown to see her slip backward. She needs to give us something to get excited, especially up against queens like Angeria, Willow and Jorgeous that push all of Ru’s right buttons.In some ways, it’s a shame to see Maddy go. We barely scratched the surface on what it means to be a cishet drag queen, and she’s already gone. At the end of the day, was Maddy qualified for this contest? Or was she cast primarily for being straight? Jasmine was right. She shouldn’t have worried about Maddy, because Maddy frankly was just not on the same level as the other girls. I’m not convinced she was unqualified because she’s straight (though I’m not convinced that’s not part of it), but, regardless, even the judges couldn’t pretend to take it seriously. I can’t shake the feeling we’ll finish this story with Maddy on an upcoming All Stars season.How would you rank the queens? Catch up on our RuPaul’s Drag Race coverage. View the full article

TikTokMisgendering, Deadnaming Banned Social media mega TikTok banned multiple forms of anti-LGBTQ hate speech and content from the platform this week in an effort to make it “a safe, secure and welcoming environment.” Cormac Keenan, Tikok’s head of trust and safety, made the announcement in a blog post Tuesday, stating that misgendering and deadnaming users are “prohibited on our platform.” Keenan also stated that content promoting conversion therapy and misogyny is also banned as the video platform provided more clarity on its content moderation policies. “When anti-transgender actions like misgendering or deadnaming, or the promotion of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ occur on platforms like TikTok, they create an unsafe environment for LGBTQ people online and too often lead to real world harm,” Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO, said. “TikTok’s move to expressly prohibit this harmful content in its community guidelines and to adopt recommendations made in GLAAD’s 2021 Social Media Safety Index raises the standard for LGBTQ safety online and sends a message that other platforms which claim to prioritize LGBTQ safety should follow suit with substantive actions like these.” TikTok’s revised policy falls in line with its pattern or being more progressive and inclusive than similar guidelines for other social media hubs. But, as Input’s Matt Wille points out, enforcing bans on misgendering and deadnaming may prove more difficult than other violations. “Deadnaming and misgendering are far more complex concepts,” Wille writes. “Both require knowledge of a person’s gender identity — deadnaming requires knowledge of a person’s deadname. These aren’t exactly quick and fast variables that can be plugged into an algorithm.” “Human moderation tends to be the only somewhat successful method of removing these instances from TikTok,” Wille continues. “In many cases, that will require users to report those instances themselves, which puts a significant burden on the user who is being deadnamed or misgendered.” TikTok Ban: Previously on Towleroad Trump Lies Introducing His New Social Platform ‘TRUTH’: Says He’s Your Favorite President; Will Compete With Amazon; And More Towleroad October 21, 2021 No Comments Truth? Trump lies. Does anything come even close to confirming your dystopian current reality than Donald Trump’s Truth network launched to balance the ills of … Read More Britney Spears Topless Photos Are Being Posted By the Singer Herself. She Says It’s Strong, Not Sleazy and Reveals Rationale Michael Goff August 18, 2021 No Comments Britney Spears topless photos have been coming fast and furiously lately and from a kind of surprising source, the singer herself. Joking that they are … Read More Want More Thirst Traps On Your Instagram Feed? The New ‘Sensitive’ Content Tool Lets You ‘Loosen’ Restrictions. (Or ‘Tighten’) Towleroad July 22, 2021 No Comments Published by AFP Facebook-owned Instagram is adding user tools for filtering inappropriate content on the social network San Francisco (AFP) – Instagram on Tuesday added a way … Read More Parler Investor Dan Bongino Rages on FOX News After Conservative Platform Gets Zapped: ‘What Are We Gonna Talk By? Carrier Pigeon?’ — WATCH Andy Towle January 11, 2021 No Comments Former Secret Service agent, former Republican congressional candidate, and Parler investor Dan Bongino exploded on FOX & Friends Monday morning about the conservative extremist social … Read More Conservative Social Network ‘Parler’ Goes Dark After Amazon, Apple, Google Bans in Wake of Capitol Insurrection Andy Towle January 11, 2021 No Comments Parler, the social network favored by conservative extremists, has gone dark after Amazon, Apple, and Google banned the app from its platforms and app stores. … Read More TikTok Admits Secretly Restricting ‘Gay’ and ‘LGBTQ’ Hashtags in Certain Countries Andy Towle September 10, 2020 No Comments Reacting to a new report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the social video-sharing platform TikTok admitted that it restricted LGBTQ-related hashtags in certain countries. The … Read More Image courtesy of TikTok/ByteDance View the full article

Published by Reuters By Moira Warburton and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would ban companies from forcing employees who allege sexual assault or harassment to settle their claims with an arbiter without the option of filing a lawsuit. The bill, which the House of Representatives passed earlier this week, was sent to President Joe Biden to sign into law. The Senate approved it in a voice vote, indicating broad bipartisan support in the narrowly divided chamber. The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act was first sponsored by Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in 2017. It would provide federal protection for employees’ right to sue their employers over allegations of sexual harassment or assault, nullifying clauses in employment contracts that force employees to enter arbitration with their employer instead. An estimated 60 million Americans are subject to forced arbitration clauses that are “especially common in female-dominated industries,” Gillibrand said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. The legislation, she said, would address “a broken system that protects perpetrators and corporations and end the days of silencing survivors.” The forced arbitration clauses are often are accompanied by a non-disclosure agreement, Gillibrand said. “Instead of being allowed their day in court these survivors are pushed into a system designed by the same corporations they are challenging,” she said. Republican Senator Joni Ernst, in a speech on the Senate floor said the bill will ensure that “survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment … voices will not be silenced.” She noted that the bill is narrowly written. “This bill should not be the catalyst for destroying pre-dispute arbitration agreements in all employment matters.” The bill is one of the few pieces of legislation passed in a narrowly divided Senate this year, including Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill and a debt limit increase. (Reporting by Moira Warburton and Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nathan Layne (Reuters) – When Idaho nurse Joan West received a fundraising mailer from U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, she saw a way to address her regret for having voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and her worry about the future of U.S. democracy: She wrote a $500 check. Cheney, of Wyoming, is the most high-profile of the nine congressional Republicans that former President Trump is trying to drive from office after they rejected his false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread fraud. That high profile has attracted thousands of donors ranging from celebrities to average Americans like West, all hoping to help her fend off primary challengers, including a candidate endorsed by Trump and the Republican Party, which last week broke precedent and agreed to campaign against one of its own. “We are hopeful that sanity will prevail, that there are people in Wyoming who will wake up and realize that following Donald Trump’s insanity is the wrong move,” said West, 60, an independent voter who leans Republican. “We wanted to help her.” The $7.2 million raised to date by Cheney is already a record for Wyoming’s sole House district, and has given her a big financial edge over her main challenger, land-use lawyer Harriet Hageman, who has pulled in $745,000. But Hageman has raised a majority of funds from Wyoming residents, who unlike out-of-state donors can vote in the Aug. 16 primary, a distinction being stressed by her campaign. In contrast, Cheney’s campaign has raised 96% of its dollars from outside Wyoming, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Open Secrets of itemized donations by individuals. “Liz Cheney cannot buy this race with out-of-state money,” said Tim Murtaugh, a Hageman campaign advisor. Cheney, who voted with Trump 93% of the time, believes support for her policies will attract voters. Cheney had more individual donors from inside Wyoming than Hageman as of the end of September, according to campaign filings. “Liz is an unwavering conservative who is committed to fighting for the people of Wyoming and defending the Constitution,” said spokesman Jeremy Adler. The flood of money into Cheney’s campaign shows no sign of slowing. Reuters spoke with a dozen people who had donated in the last three months of 2021, and all said they were considering donating again. Gerry Dee, a carpenter from Rochester, New York, said he gave $200 because he was worried about the country moving towards authoritarianism, and saw Cheney as one of the few Republicans standing up for democratic principles. “I’m a registered Democrat. I believe she is doing the right thing,” said Dee, 59. “I’m just a working Joe, but I’m concerned about the country.” The Republican National Committee censured Cheney and Representative Adam Kinzinger last week for participating in the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, saying they were focused on destroying Trump rather than supporting Republicans in 2022. The RNC also granted a request by Wyoming party officials for a rule exception allowing the national party to provide financial and practical support to Hageman, should it choose to take the unprecedented step of using funds against an incumbent. Robert Boatright, a professor at Clark University and an expert on congressional primaries, said that while the two major parties have in the past stopped short of supporting incumbents, the RNC helping finance Hageman’s campaign would be a first. “Nothing like that has happened before,” Boatright said. Money may not prove to be the decisive factor. Trump won Wyoming with 70% of the vote in 2020, and his endorsement should solidify support for Hageman even if Cheney keeps fundraising at her current pace. The winner of the primary is almost certain to sail to victory in the general election in the deeply red state. Last month the non-partisan Cook Political Report said Cheney faced a “far-fetched path to renomination” that would depend on Democrats switching parties to vote for her — which they can do in the state’s primaries — and Hageman splitting votes with state Senator Anthony Bouchard, who along with retired military officer Denton Knapp has stayed in the race. Cheney’s supporters are not deterred. Bobbie Kilberg, a well-connected Virginia Republican, said more than 200 people have indicated they will attend the March 14 fundraiser she is hosting with Senator Mitt Romney as featured guest, prompting her to change the venue from her home to a hotel that could accommodate more guests. “In the end she’s going to surprise people,” Kilberg said. “A lot of people who have been quiet will stand up and vote for Liz.” (Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA Beating around the bush? Adeleseemingly dodged questions about a possible engagement to Rich Paul during a new interview. The “Easy on Me” songstress recently sparked engagement rumors after flashing a giant diamond ring while on the red carpet for the 2022 Brit Awards in London on Tuesday, February 8, as OK! reported. MEGA According to Daily Mail, Adele, 33, was wearing the sparkling ring in question during an appearance on BBC’s The Graham Norton Show, where she was directly asked about the engagement rumors that have been floating around. ADELE IGNITES CONTROVERSY AFTER DECLARING SHE ‘LOVES BEING A WOMAN’ WHILE ACCEPTING GENDER-NEUTRAL BRIT AWARD When asked whether she was engaged, the “Rolling in the Deep” vocalist reportedly responded: “If I was would I ever tell anyone if I was or wasn’t?” While she avoided answering the question about a possible proposal from Paul, she did reveal the flames are hoping to have a baby together sometime soon. According to the outlet, she explained her plans to have a baby with the sports agent sometime next year. During the interview, Adele also touched on the recent controversy surrounding her Las Vegas residency, which she apparently canceled because the show wasn’t quite ready yet. While sharing her “regret” of telling fans about the cancellation at the very last minute, she insisted the show wouldn’t have been up to par had she gone forward with it. MEGA As the publication reported, Adele said her highly-anticipated performance would have been a “half a**ed show,” if she took the stage before she was fully ready. As OK! reported, Adele revealed that her “Weekends with Adele” shows in Las Vegas would be canceled and rescheduled only 24 hours before she was set to take the stage last month. MEGA While Adele explained the cancellation was a result of COVID delays, sources later pointed out the singer’s struggle with anxiety and perfectionism caused her to make “endless changes” to the show. INSIDE ADELE’S BLOWOUT SQUABBLE WITH RUMORED FIANCÉ RICH PAUL AHEAD OF VEGAS RESIDENCY CANCELLATION: ‘THINGS GOT LOUD AND CONFRONTATIONAL’ “In spite of the set costing millions to put together, Adele was unhappy with the result and she made her feelings very clear,” an insider dished at the time. “She was already nervous and the falling out sent her spiraling into a panic because she was desperate that everything should be perfect.” “It seemed that while she has always preferred a stripped-back performance, she was under some pressure to come up with a huge extravaganza,” the source added. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Adam Lambert has dealt with his “share of anxiety”. The ‘For Your Entertainment’ singer – who first shot to fame as a runner-up on ‘American Idol’ in 2009 – has opened up about his battle with mental health, which was exacerbated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and admitted anxiety is “a beast”. Speaking to the digital edition of Hunger Magazine – of which he is the cover star – Adam shared: “I think something that I haven’t gone into a lot of detail about, that I’ve definitely been experiencing over the past five years, is that my journey with mental health has been really interesting. I think that’s something that’s becoming less taboo for people, but it’s not something that’s at the forefront of the line of questioning. I’ve definitely dealt with my share of anxiety. What’s great is that the more we all talk about it, the more we realise it’s pretty common, especially in this day and age. Especially after the year and a half we’ve had. Anxiety’s real. It’s a beast.” The 40-year-old star – who is Queen’s touring frontman – admitted it’s important that people who are suffering have an “open dialogue” with others. The ‘Starstruck’ judge added: “I think it’s really important not to feel like there’s something wrong with you. I think it’s more common than we all realise. It’s now becoming more of a conversation, but I think for people that are older it’s been a taboo thing. This is all cliché, but it is okay to ask for help. I feel some people think that if they don’t ask for help then it’s not real. So, people avoid admitting themselves and getting the help they need because they’re in denial. You’ve got to be real with yourself and honest with yourself. If people in your inner circle aren’t volunteering that, you need to be like, ‘Hey, do I seem okay today?’ It needs to be an open dialogue that people care about.” Read the full interview here: www.hungertv.com/editorial/from-american-idol-to-queen-adam-lambert-is-going-all-the-way. View the full article

Bipartisan Support A bipartisan-backed bill that would extend anti-discrimination protections to Arizona LGBTQ citizens at the state level for the first time is garnering support from notable religious groups, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. According to the Associated Press, the bill’s co-sponsors, Arizona Republican House speaker Rusty Bowers and Democrat Rep. Amish Shah, introduced the legislation during a press conference Monday outside the Arizona State Capitol. The bill would ad sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes and provide housing, employment and public accommodation protections to those populations. The bill also includes provisions banning licensed health care professionals from practicing conversion therapy. A lawsuit filed by LGBTQ BYU students against the university alleging discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was dismissed by the Department of Education on Thursday. The DOE’s Office of Civil Rights stated the case was dismissed “because the university is exempt from the regulatory provisions of Title IX” because of its religious affiliation rather than proof that refuted the students’ complaint. The bill’s fate remains unknown currently. Despite having the support of a top conservative official in the state legislature and segmenting protections for religious organizations, there is doubt that the heavily Republican governing body will support pro-LGBTQ protections. Bowers was non-committal on if he would hold a vote on the bill if it doesn’t receive support from a majority of House Republicans. Arizona LGBTQ: Previously on Towleroad Florida’s Peekaboo Republicans Used Toddler Logic To Craft Their ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Legislation — In Effect A Gag-Order-Plus-Eye-Cover Mandate To Make Gays Disappear. Good Luck. Brian Bell January 27, 2022 Read More Jim Obergefell, Plaintiff In The Supreme Court Case That Won National Marriage Equality, is Running For Ohio State House Brian Bell January 19, 2022 Read More BYU Bans Protests In Response to Rainbow School Logo; Clay Aiken Running For Congress Again; France Ends Gay Blood Ban: NEWS ROUNDUP Brian Bell January 15, 2022 Read More Andrea Jenkins Wins Unanimous Support To Lead Minneapolis City Council As President; At Divided Tense Time, Becomes First Trans Woman To Lead Council Brian Bell January 14, 2022 Read More Canada Conversion Therapy Ban Goes Into Effect; European Court Declines Gay Marriage Cake Case; New Study on Blood Donations By Gay Men Underway: NEWS Brian Bell January 10, 2022 Read More Man Still Has To Register As A Sex Offender For Consensual Gay Sex in 2001. ACLU Sues South Carolina. Brian Bell January 5, 2022 Read More Photo courtesy of InSapphoWeTrust/Creative Commons View the full article