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Published by Radar Online Mega Kanye West left Julia Fox behind to trailblaze through Paris alone just hours after confirming that Kim Kardashian has a second sex tape with Ray J. The 44-year-old rapper donned the most bizarre face mask yet. Slipping a thick, black cover over his entire face, Ye barely left enough room for his eyes, let alone his nose or mouth for breathing. Kim's estranged husband looked like he was struggling for air when he made his way out of the couple's hotel room sans his girlfriend of three weeks. Kanye West Compares Kim Kardashian To Jesus Christ, Confirms 2nd Sex Tape With Ray J Exists Mega Kanye's mask looked more like a cartoon character with an outline of evil-shaped eyebrows, a round nose, a scrunched mouth, and what seem to be forehead wrinkles. The paparazzi caught up with the Grammy winner during his failed attempt to slip out of the Ritz-Carlton undetected. Pairing the attention-grabbing look with a hooded heather gray sweatshirt, the Yeezy fashion designer, who takes pride in dressing Julia up like a doll, made sure none of his skin showed. Wearing faded jeans and fisherman-inspired black boots, Kanye slipped his hands into a pair of leather gloves for good measure. Holding a backpack in one hand, the rapper hurried passed the paparazzi on Tuesday. Ye whisked Julia away for her first Paris Fashion Week and has been showing her off at events over the past several days. However, this time he dodged the bullet and headed out solo. Wearing face masks is kind of Kanye's thing, which is weird in this instance since he's currently in the same city where his estranged wife was robbed at gunpoint. Mega For those that don't remember, Kim was robbed inside her apartment in 2016 during Paris Fashion Week. They stole nearly $10 million worth of jewelry, including her massive wedding ring from Kanye. 12 people were later connected and charged for the crime. That's not the only thing Gen Z might not remember about Kim. Back in 2007, she made the map when a sex tape was released of her with Ray J. Kanye confirmed on Monday that a second sex tape starring his estranged wife and the rapper exists. Mega View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tessa Thompson has suggested that the romance in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ will be different from past Marvel movies. The 38-year-old actress is set to play Valkyrie – the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) first LGBTQ character – in the upcoming movie and explained the importance of including the superhero’s sexuality in the new project. Tessa told TheWrap: “It’s totally exciting. We talk so much about representation and obviously, in terms of the LGBTQIA community, there’s still so much work to be done. But if you look at the comics in the canon, there are so many queer characters!” The ‘Creed’ actress continued: “It’s hard because Taika (Waititi) and I would’ve even liked to go further, but in the context of the movies, there’s only so much we can do. “Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of time invested in love stories in Marvel movies in general. I think that will be a little different on the new ‘Thor’, which is exciting. And getting to play a character that historically is not written for somebody that looks like me, all of that felt exciting.” The movie’s director Taika Waititi previously stressed that romance is at the heart of the new blockbuster, which will also star Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman. The 46-year-old star said: “I think it’s going to be really good. We’ve been writing the script off and on for a year and I’m just, actually this week, doing another pass on it. “It is so insane and it’s also very romantic. I’m into romances now. I want to make romance. I want to make something that I’ve never done or cared for. I would like to attack something like that.” Thor: Love and Thunder with MCU’s first lgbtq character /n Thor: Love and Thunder MCU’s First LGBTQ Character First LGBTQ Character on Towleroad Lawmakers Say Trans Athlete Bans Are About Protecting Women’s Sports … More Analysis-‘Aggressively conservative’ Supreme Court plunges into U.S. culture wars More US LGBT community draws on AIDS experience to fight Covid More Adele Flees Las Vegas, Spotted In Slippers At Boyfriend Rich Paul’s Beverly Hills Mansion Hours After Tearfully Canceling Shows More Thierry Mugler Taught Me A Man’s Influence is Measured In The Smallest Gestures More First Look Joe vs. Carole; ‘A wild ride’ Into ‘Extreme Lives’ You Only Partly Know. SNL’s Kate McKinnon and Hedwig’s John Cameron Mitchell More On Law & Order: SVU, Noah, 8, Comes Out As Bisexual, And As A Kid Who Protects Victims of Bullying To Mom, Mariska Hartigay’s, Olivia Benson. More Thousands march in Washington against Covid vaccine mandates More JoJo Siwa Celebrates One Year Since Coming Out As Gay: ‘I’ve Felt More Love Than Ever’ More Arabic Version of Perfect Strangers Brings Calls For Netflix Ban: ‘Portraying Taboos’, ‘Promoting Homosexuality’; Egyptian MP Heard ’20 Obscene Words’ More Julia Fox Is Having a Heck of a Run in The Last 2 Weeks, Hits back at Clout Chasing, Attention Claims More Lea Michele unveils son Ever to her fans in sweet birthday Instagram post to husband More U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider limiting wetlands regulation More Load More View the full article

Published by Sports Illustrated By Julie Kliegman …Especially when the backers of the laws say they are all about protecting women’s sports. Luc Esquivel wants to beat you at golf. “I want to beat everyone,” he adds, laughing but clearly not joking. “I just love it,” he says. “I just want to get better.” Luc has played with his father, Mario, since sixth grade, and in middle school, while he still presented as a girl, he competed on the girls team. But Tennnessee state law does not allow the transgender 14-year-old freshman to try out to play with other boys at his high school in a Knoxville suburb. Now Luc and his parents… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case that could doom university policies considering race as a factor in student admissions is the latest sign of the conservative majority’s eagerness to put its stamp on America’s most divisive issues. The court already was due to issue rulings by the end of June in cases giving the justices a chance to curtail abortion rights and widen gun rights – major goals of U.S. conservatives. The case targeting the student admissions practices of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, taken up https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-hear-challenge-race-conscious-college-admissions-2022-01-24 by the court on Monday, gives the conservative justices a chance to cripple affirmative action policies long despised by the American right, with a ruling expected next year. The court has become increasingly assertive since the addition of former President Donald Trump’s third appointee, Amy Coney Barrett, in 2020 gave the nation’s top judicial body a 6-3 conservative majority. Her appointment changed the court’s dynamics by marginalizing Chief Justice John Roberts, considered an incrementalist conservative. “This particular six-justice majority seems willing to push ahead in an aggressively conservative direction on multiple fronts, without feeling the need to be moderated by concepts of judicial restraint, stare decisis or incrementalism,” said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the liberal Washington-based Constitutional Accountability Center advocacy group. Stare decisis is the legal doctrine of respecting precedents. Based on oral arguments held last year, the court’s conservatives seem poised, in a case from Mississippi, to undermine or even overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide and, in a case from New York, expand the right to carry firearms in public. The court’s increasingly aggressive stance toward taking up new cases signals an emboldened majority accelerating its rightward shift, court watchers said. The court appears “more willing to reconsider precedent and consider broad questions when the opportunity arises,” said Jonathan Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve School of Law in Ohio. Before conservative Justice Antonin Scalia’s 2016 death and the subsequent addition of Trump’s appointees – Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett – the court had been more cautious in deciding on what types of cases to hear. It had a 5-4 conservative majority, but one of the conservatives, Justice Anthony Kennedy, sometimes sided with the liberals on contentious “culture war” issues including abortion, affirmative action and LGBT rights. That led to the court occasionally avoiding contentious cases or taking up disputes with lower stakes. It appears no longer to have such qualms. ‘POLITICAL APPEARANCE’ Four justices are needed in order for the court to take up a case. And it has at least that many who are undeterred by being perceived as political actors, said University of Denver political science professor Joshua Wilson, who specializes in conservative law and politics. “Given the political appearance of the docket that they’re putting together, it’s all the more remarkable given that they have to know how much the public is paying attention,” Wilson said. The role of Roberts, who has sought to defend the court as an institution and has avoided quick and dramatic moves, has been diminished, with the conservative bloc able to prevail in rulings even if he sides with the liberal justices. Roberts served as the court’s swing vote after Kennedy retired in 2018 and before Barrett replaced the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg two years later. “When Roberts was the median (justice), even the four justices to his right were worried about where he would end up,” said John McGinnis, a professor at Northwestern University School of Law in Illinois. The justices now seem keen to dive in – sometimes even before lower courts have fully considered cases – as they did in multiple challenges to Trump administration policies blocked by lower courts. The conservative justices also have exhibited skepticism toward the power of federal agencies, which could hem in President Joe Biden and future administrations. The court, for example, this month blocked the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing mandate for companies with at least 100 employees. In what might be described as part of what some conservative activists label a “war on the administrative state” – curbing federal agency authority – the justices have taken up two cases challenging the scope of landmark environmental laws aimed at reducing air and water pollution. They did so despite Biden’s administration asking them to hold off while agencies write new regulations. Ian Fein, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council environmental group, said the court was “incredibly aggressive” in taking up the two cases. The court has also made bold moves on religious rights. Before Kennedy retired, it was generally supportive of religious challenges. That stance has deepened since then, including rulings backing religious groups https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-courts-shadow-docket-favored-religion-trump-2021-07-28 challenging COVID-19 restrictions. The court last week heard a case from Maine https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-again-tackles-public-funding-religious-schools-2021-12-08 that gives it an opportunity to further expand public funding of religious entities. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott Malone) View the full article

Published by AFP David Perruzza, owner of the Washington gay bar Pitchers, stands behind signs requiring proof of patrons' Covid-19 vaccination Washington (AFP) – From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as fear and isolation spread, Dave Perruzza had one thought — he had seen it before. “For me, it was thinking about the AIDS epidemic all over again, how nobody took it seriously,” said Perruzza, who owns two LGBT bars in Washington, the US capital. “We were like, ‘Well, we’re going to take this seriously.'” With the Omicron variant fueling fresh restrictions around the world, some older members of the LGBT community say their shared experience of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s put them ahead of the curve throughout the pandemic. Perruzza has for months been requiring customers show Covid vaccination cards to enter his bars — popular gay spot Pitchers and neighboring lesbian venue A League of Her Own, in the Adams Morgan district of the city. He implemented his vaccine rules in July, one of the first in Washington to do so — and months before the local government began this month to do the same. “I think my age bracket is the last bracket that saw people that actually died of AIDS,” Perruzza, 43, who lost his first boyfriend to the disease, told AFP. “I’m not going to let history repeat itself.” The HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States raged for two decades after the first US case was discovered in 1981, and still claims lives today. It primarily affected gay and bisexual men, Black and Latino men and trans women. Then-president Ronald Reagan didn’t declare AIDS research a federal priority until 1985, and the first treatment was developed in 1987. By the end of 2000, at least 450,000 people had died of AIDS in the United States, according to government data. Same ‘hysteria and lies’ The pandemic has also brought back painful memories for Eric Sawyer, a founding member of the AIDS advocacy group ACT UP, who also lost his partner to the disease. “The misinformation, the hysteria, the spread of just absolute lies (and) the attempts by individuals to address it being part of the problem,” said Sawyer, who also worked with the UN’s HIV/AIDS program. “The stigma and discrimination that people who had Covid face… completely parallel the HIV response.” But some lessons may have been learned between the two health crises. “The HIV epidemic taught us that education, testing and access to prevention methodologies” can be effective, said Sawyer. HIV activists have also advocated for better distribution of supplies, as well as vaccine access for poor communities, communities of color and homeless people. Even as these activists worked to combat Covid-19, however, the pandemic took a toll on the ongoing fight against HIV. Studies by the Global Fund and UNAIDS found that the pandemic worldwide caused an 11 percent drop in prevention and treatment and a 22 percent drop in testing in 2020. UNAIDS attributed the decrease to lockdowns that forced people into isolation, shuttered health services and disrupted HIV/AIDS programs. ‘You have to care’ “Because of our community’s now-four decades of experience with HIV, we understand chemical trials, we understand antivirals,” Chris Beyrer, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told AFP. “We’re not afraid of science.” “As a community, we have a lot of solidarity,” he added, pointing out that many of those living with HIV are immunocompromised and need extra support. LGBT activists rallied early in the pandemic to organize financial aid and safe housing for HIV-positive people. They also set up Covid testing at sexual health centers and Pride events. Gay bars across the country began requiring proof of vaccination at the door, months before some US states followed suit. Almost half the states still reject any such requirements. “LGBTQ bars are different… more like community centers,” said Ed Bailey, who co-owns Washington gay bars Trade and Number 9, pointing out that gay bars have distributed HIV literature and condoms for decades. “Our bars are sometimes the only place some of the people that patronize us are able to go and be comfortable enough to be who they are,” said Bailey, 55. “That creates an entirely different level of responsibility.” “You have to care about your community.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Adele left Las Vegas immediately after canceling her Las Vegas shows for what was supposed to be her residency opening weekend. The 33-year-old songbird was photographed arriving at her boyfriend Rich Paul’s Beverly Hills, California, home in the dead of night following her tearful announcement that left several fans stuck in Sin City without a show to go to. Adele Vegas Show: The Real Reason She Canceled Her Residency Debut And Her Diva Demands Mega Adele was caught wearing slippers and an expensive $450 Louis Vuitton shawl over her hoodie, signifying that she left Vegas with her tail between her legs in a hurry. According to Daily Mail, the photos of the Go Easy On Me singer were taken outside of her sports agent beau’s residence just two hours after she pulled the plug on her Caesars Palace residency. Of course, the Grammy winner spared no expense when she high-tailed it to Rich’s. Adele was seen arriving at the Van Nuys airport on a private plane. A black Mercedes sedan was on hand to collect the singer and drive her 25 minutes to her boyfriend’s $14 million home. Upon arrival, Adele jumped out of the car and pushed the callbox, which is located outside Rich’s gate. See the photos here! Mega As Radar reported, Adele cried COVID as the main reason for postponing her shows without any replacement dates. Sobbing at times uncontrollably, the Rolling In The Deep singer told her followers that the majority of her crew came down with the virus, making it impossible to continue forward. However, we’ve since learned that wasn’t the whole story. According to insiders, the singer’s diva-like demands were almost impossible to reach from the get-go. Not only did she make last-minute changes to the show’s lineup, but she reportedly clashed with the set designer. Sources claim Adele and her team were a “total nightmare,” demanding impossible things last minute. “Apparently, Adele and her team refused to use the house equipment in The Colosseum,” Vegas journalist Scott Roeben reported. “The theatre has a massive video screen, very high tech, but Adele’s team insisted upon an entirely new system – a larger screen, essentially built a few inches in front of the existing screen,” he continued. “Such demands not only drive-up production costs but, at a time when supplies are disrupted, it’s a recipe for disaster – in this case last-minute delays or cancellations.” “I also hear from a source that Caesars had to replace the cutting-edge Meyer sound system and replace it with a different system for her.” At the time of this post, Adele has not released new dates for her shows, but as many pissed-off ticket holders point out they will be unable to afford another trip to Las Vegas. Mega View the full article

Thierry Mugler taught me a man’s influence is measured in the smallest gestures. In 2010 I worked with Mugler on a play he was directing for his muse Joey Arias. I was hired to create projections for the show. I’ve never been as nervous and starstruck as our first meeting. For gay men from the 90s, Mugler was a titan. He used lizards, insects, aliens and angels to wrap supermodels in latex and wings. During AIDS, his aesthetic was about survival, sex, and the Queer heavens. His music video for George Michael’s Too Funky was a moment for Queers in small towns: there was a world where glamour was resistance. The elevator opened into a penthouse castle in Chelsea. My life was about to change. I was a hungry twink, greeted by Warhol’s Querelle, a Moiro hanging in a room of light, a fireplace the size of my bedroom. In person Manfred (as he now preferred to be called) was intimidating and frankly, a little scary. Plastic surgery, implants and exercise had transformed his dancer body into a mountain, his face was almost creature-like. His eyes were lasers. Everyone seemed a bit scared of him… With me, he was attentive, even a little goofy. He spoke with a thick accent in strange sentences (“My apologies it smells like tuna in here, for my lunch is tuna.”) He sent late night emails, rambling with ideas and odd commas. He paid close attention to my weird experimental films, when he liked something, he patted me on the back with those enormous hands. I felt anointed. One day, walking around the stage, we brainstormed about the textures of rain, fur and eggs. He was excited, talking with his hands. His bottle of Muscle Milk flew and landed at my feet. I bent to pick it up and he waved at me sternly. “No.” An assistant hurried on stage to pick it up. The smallest of gestures. The play was canceled. I was devastated. Manfred sent a long message explaining why and encouraged me to keep working. He didn’t need to do that. Like the Gods, he returned to Mount Olympus and I never saw him again, but the mere rumor I was working with Mugler jump started my career in NYC. I put so much beauty into the world because of him. So many others did too. Thierry Manfred Mugler was a man who created galaxies, redefined the body and made it effortless, all in the wave of his hand, all in the smallest of gestures. Embed from Getty Images View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Joe vs. Carol March 3 on Peacock From the Writer/ Executive Producer of Joe vs. Carole, Etan Frankel Kate McKinnon is CAROLE BASKIN in Joe vs. Carole. Photo courtesy PeacockJohn Cameron Mitchell is JOE EXOTIC in Joe vs. Carole (Photo by: Mark Taylor/Peacock)View the full article

Noah (Ryan Buggle) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay)“Then I Said That I Was Bi” LA & Order: SVU writers were deft of touch while featuring its expected no holds-barred depiction of tough subject matter simultaneously in its introduction of a new storyline, the bullying and coming out as bisexual by a major characters’s 8 year old son. In a moment it’s hard not to be moved by how Olivia Benson, Mariska Hargitay’s character, responds to to walking in on her son being bullied and then to his announcement that he is bisexual. Noah, played by Ryan Buggle, presents all of it in such a way that it’s clear the team understands the significant evolution in how it is to exist and understand being an LGBTQ young person today compared even to a few decades ago. All of this would have been seen as wildly precocious even a decade ago. Today’s complexity and options are testament to both the internet as well as the multiple generations that have each pulled at, experimented with and expanded the options available since the days of “Gay is good”. The show opens with a glimpse of Noah as the victim of serious bullying. The viewer is given a glimpse of Noah in a cage with a collar on as another young boy named Hudson tells him to “bark like a dog”…just as both mothers show up and see it. Both boys insist they were “just playing.” When alone, Olivia gets Noah to say, “Hudson’s a jerk. He put his dog’s collar on me, locked me in the cage and he wanted me to eat dog food.” That got her attention but he says “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” And she has a case to work for the episode. Hudson’s a jerk. He put his dog’s collar on me, locked me in the cage and he wanted me to eat dog food.” — Noah on Law and Order, SVUAt the end, Mother and son take a walk. Olivia spoke to Hudson’s mother, though Noah said not to. She’s asked for the next play date be at their house, and yes, she did speak mom-to-mom about the dog cage episode. “Mom, I asked you not to! Hudson’s just an idiot, no one likes him anyway…He bullies everyone: It was just my turn to be his target.” She asks, “Why” Noah explains Hudson’s bullying problem, and about him picking on a kid with they/them pronouns who was being called a “fairy” “Then I said that I was bi,” Hartigay takes it in for a second. Noah goes on, “And that there’s no shame in being true to yourself.” “That’s right, Noah…That is incredibly brave,” Hartigay’s character says. “Well, it’s my truth. I just hadn’t told anybody before.” “Well thank you for telling me.” “No big deal. It’s not like I have a boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s just not fair for anybody to be left out.” She lets him say it, hugs him, says she’s proud. And life goes on. “SVU” fans weighed in on social media and for the most part seemed supportive of hot the show treated Noah’s coming out moment, “To anyone thinking that Noah is too young to know he’s bi, kids have crushes all the time. If they’re old enough to have crushes, they’re old enough to know who they’re into,” said one Twitter user. “Sexuality isn’t just about who one wants to have sex with. He’s a child. Crushes are 100% valid … He’s thinking about who he thinks is cute.” “As a leader of the LGBTQ club at my school, I loved seeing Noah come out and be so comfortable with himself. We need all kids to be like this,” said another Twitter user. “I hope #SVU at least taught some parents a lesson last night. Olivia simply saying ‘thank you for telling me,’ when Noah said he was bi was such an amazing moment. Exactly how all parents should respond to their kids confiding in them about their sexuality,” added another. Noah comes out on SVU: Previously on Towleroad On Law & Order: SVU, Noah, 8, Comes Out As Bisexual, And A Kid Who Protected A Bully’s Victim To Mom, Mariska Hartigay’s, Olivia Benson. Brian Bell January 24, 2022 Read More “Batgirl” Film Likely Introduces DC Comics’ First Major Trans Character To Its Cinematic Universe Brian Bell January 21, 2022 Read More Kristen Stewart Engaged: DC Comics Gets Police Protection; Kal Penn; Dan Levy’s ‘Big Brunch:’ Entertainment Roundup Brian Bell November 3, 2021 Read More Jonas Brothers land Netflix comedy show Towleroad October 27, 2021 Read More ‘Chucky’ is Back… This Time With Young Gay Protagonist, Jake; It’s a Horror Cult-Classic Meets Burgeoning Gay Love on USA/SYFY TV Series Brian Bell October 17, 2021 Read More Tom Hardy on ‘Venom’ As LGBTQ Icon; Takei Rips Dean Cain’s Super Bi-Panic: Co-CEO Repeats At Netflix Trans Lives Don’t Matter As Much As Ratings; Brian Bell October 16, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of NBCUniversal View the full article

Published by AFP Thousands of people gathered in the center of the US capital on January 23, 2022, to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates Washington (AFP) – Waving signs denouncing President Joe Biden and calling for “freedom,” several thousand people demonstrated in Washington Sunday against what some described as the “tyranny” of Covid-19 vaccine mandates in the United States. Speaker after speaker — including notorious anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust — took to the microphone in front of the white marble Lincoln Memorial to decry the rules. Like other Covid restrictions aimed at reining in a disease that has infected more than 70 million people in the United States, killed more than 865,000 and brought much of daily life around the globe to a stuttering halt for two years and counting, vaccine mandates have become a deeply polarizing political issue. “Mandates and freedoms don’t mix, like oil and water,” another speaker said. “Breathe. Inhale God, exhale fear,” exhorted yet another to applause from the crowd, made up of people of all ages, including children, and largely unmasked. “I’m not anti-vaccine, but I’m anti this vaccine,” Michelle, a 61-year-old physical therapist from Virginia who declined to give her last name, told AFP. She said the messenger RNA serums developed by companies such as Pfizer and Moderna in record time were “too experimental” and “rushed.” The mRNA vaccines, given to millions of people around the world in the past year, have been proven safe and effective, as well as being hailed as potential gamechangers in modern medicine. Michelle, who paused in the interview to sing the national anthem with other demonstrators, said she has a religious exemption from taking the vaccine — but that to continue coming to work in Washington she has to get tested every week. To her regret, her son, who initially had also resisted taking the vaccine, has now relented. “He went and got it without me knowing — so much peer pressure,” she said. ‘My body, my choice’ Another demonstrator, Therese is adamantly opposed to vaccines — all vaccines. She explained that she came by bus from Michigan, in the north of the country, to protest. “Mandates are not appropriate… vaccines aren’t working, we’ve been lied to about the vaccines,” said the 61-year-old, who worked in a school cafeteria before her retirement and also refused to give her last name. “And we should not be masking our children,” she added. “I talked to a couple of psychologists who say our children are suffering and they’re depressed… It’s terrible. We need our freedom back.” Further up the steps, the speakers — including some people in white coats, presented as doctors from Texas — continue to come and go. “We are Americans and that’s what we do, we fight tyranny!” claims another. A few joggers, as if lost, walk through the crowd amid the signs proclaiming slogans such as “My body, my choice” or “God is our rock that will take down Goliath.” There are also many anti-Biden posters and a few flags bearing the name of his predecessor Donald Trump — under whom the vaccines were developed and who has taken credit for them. Isaac Six, 34, shrugged off the difficulty of being unvaccinated while in Washington, where proof of vaccination is now required to go to restaurants and other public places. “It’s OK, we’re saving money,” the 34-year-old charity worker said with a laugh. Vaccines in general “are wonderful, they have helped millions of people,” he added. But mandating these vaccines, which like all vaccines are not 100 percent effective at preventing transmission, is “completely irrational,” he argued. What worries him are policies adopted “out of fear and panic” and “by one person.” “I would like to see more of the legislative process involved, the people that we elected to represent us be the ones to actually pass legislation,” he said. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine MEGA JoJo Siwa is feeling the love. The Dancing With the Stars alum celebrated her one-year anniversary since coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community with a heartfelt post over the weekend. “In the last 365 days I’ve felt more love than ever. A year ago today I posted this picture and shared with the world that I was gay,” Siwa captioned her array of posts starting with a throwback snap of herself wearing a T-shirt that read: “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” MEGA The 18-year-old shared with her 11.4 million Instagram followers that she often gets asked if coming out was a “scary” experience, to which she admitted: “yes of course,” noting: “Anything that’s different about you is scary, however… it’s what makes me… me. so I had no fear with sharing it with the world.” JOJO SIWA REVEALS HER SPLIT WITH KYLIE PREW HAPPENED JUST HOURS BEFORE HER DISNEY NIGHT PERFORMANCE ON ‘DWTS’ Siwa revealed she also frequently gets asked whether she worries about opening up about her sexuality to her fans since her demographic is so young. “Truthfully I feel like I was put on this earth to be a role model for kids, and letting all the kids of the world know that loving everyone for who they are no matter what is something that I will always believe in and always share,” the former Dance Moms star explained. While wrapping up her impassioned post, Siwa encouraged her followers and fans to be and love who they want. “Please never forget that no matter who you are, what you look like, who you LOVE that you are absolutely perfect,” she concluded. “thank you for showing me the most love throughout this year and throughout my entire life. I love you all.” MEGA Siwa also gushed over the milestone during her concert in Bakersfield, Calif., on Friday, January 21, where she discussed being so open about her sexuality with her young fanbase. JOJO SIWA SPOTTED AT LAKERS GAME WITH RUMORED NEW GIRLFRIEND KATIE MILLS FOLLOWING KYLIE PREW SPLIT “A lot of people said, ‘You have a really young demographic. Aren’t you afraid of telling them that you’re gay?’” she began to tell the crowd, per Daily Mail. “And I said, ‘I am definitely not afraid of telling my young demographic that loving everybody for who they are was exactly what you should do.’ I want to tell you that no matter who you are, no matter who you love, it’s OK.” The dancer first hinted she was part of the LGBTQ+ community last year when she posted a video to TikTok of herself singing along to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” One day later, the pop star posted the photo of herself wearing the “Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever.” T-shirt, leading fans to speculate she was coming out to the world, per Page Six. Siwa confirmed she was a member of the LGBTQ+ community two days later. MEGA Last April, Siwa clarified that she identifies as queer and pansexual, sharing: “My human is my human.” Siwa — who made DWTS history as the first performer in the U.S. to compete with a same-sex partner — revealed she was dating ex-girlfriend Kylie Prew in February 2021. The former couple made their red carpet debut seven months later before calling it quits in November. View the full article

=Arabic Version of Perfect StrangersTowleroad’s Egyptian Sources Have Seen the Version, and not calling for Netflix ban …. “It’s a very normal movie. No nudity at all. It’s just the homosexual character and the Egyptian actress took off her panties and put them in her purse. But nothing showing when she did that.” — One of Towleroad’s Egyptian sources living in the United States who saw the adaptation in the last few days, –MG Editor Published by Al-Araby CAIRO – A recently launched Arabic adaptation of the popular rom-com ‘Perfect Strangers’ on Netflix has sparked a heated debate in Egypt between supporters of artistic freedom and ultraconservatives for allegedly “promoting homosexuality” and “portraying taboos”. Egyptian MP and journalist Mostafa Bakry claimed the film “violates” social and moral values in Egypt and the Arab world, calling for a ban on the Netflix streaming platform in the country. “When I watch a film entailing more than 20 obscene words, a film that involves a father agreeing to his teenage daughter having sex with her boyf… Read More Arabic Version Pefect Strangers Netflix Ban A Rippon Married on Towleroad Julia Fox Is Having a Heck of a Run in The Last 2 Weeks, Hits back at Clout Chasing, Attention Claims More Lea Michele unveils son Ever to her fans in sweet birthday Instagram post to husband More U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider limiting wetlands regulation More U.S. Supreme Court to hear challenge to race-conscious college admissions More Spice Girls ‘to reunite at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding’ More Bill, Hillary Clinton Allegedly Tried To Erase Jeffrey Epstein Ties Ahead Of 2016 Presidential Election More Texas rejects hundreds of mail ballot applications under new voting limits More Election fraud belief undimmed for Trump fans, despite party hopes More Exclusive – U.S. opposes strengthening World Health Organization; China’s Influence Has Biden Backing Donor-Controlled Alternate More Christina Aguilera Defends Britney Spears Two Months After Awkward Red Carpet Snub Over Conservatorship More Adele FaceTimes Upset Fans As Consolation For Postponing Las Vegas Shows, Offers Them Drink Tokens Before Realizing They’re Underage More Julia Fox Reunites With Kanye West Claiming It’s Not The Fame & Publicity, “Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real.” More Prince Andrew ‘could have his royal patronages restored’ More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Julia Fox has hit back at claims she is dating Kanye West for “attention”. The 31-year-old actress insisted that their relationship is real and denied accusations that she is with the 44-year-old rapper for fame and money. Speaking on her ‘Forbidden Fruits’ podcast, Julia said: “It’s funny cause I’m getting all of this attention, but I really couldn’t care. “People are like ‘Oh, you’re only in it for the fame, you’re in it for the clout, you’re in it for the money.’ Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real. “Watch my movie, read my book. That is more thrilling to me now than eyes on me. I couldn’t care less.” Meanwhile, Julia recently declared she is the “ideal candidate” for the “position” of Kanye’s girlfriend, because she doesn’t worry about what is being written about her and isn’t trying to make everyone “love” her. She said: “People shouldn’t be defined by their darkest moment. As humans, we commit violence to each other, we police each other. We’ve created such a hostile environment, especially on the internet. That’s why I don’t read the headlines. “No [I don’t read the comments]. And that’s why I feel like I’m a really good candidate for this position, because a lot of people in my shoes would probably be reading the comments and freaking out. I’m not trying to have everybody love me, I’m just trying to connect with people that are like-minded.” When Kanye first started dating his now-estranged wife Kim Kardashian West, he famously overhauled her wardrobe, and Julia suggested he has done the same with her, but she is happy to be “surrendering” control to the rapper. Asked the widest thing Kanye has dreamed up that she’s seen come to life, Julia told Interview magazine: “My transformation. After meeting him, a couple days later, all my s***was in boxes, gone. It was so cathartic. It wasn’t like I was just packing up my old clothes, it was like I was packing up my old life. I was like making that very conscious decision to really put everything in the box. To let go of the past. “I’m really surrendering. For someone like me who’s such a control freak and always so used to taking care of myself, to just let go and be taken care of is foreign at this point in life. I’ve been the primary caretaker of everyone for so long, so it’s a new sensation, but honestly, I think I deserve it… I just feel really safe with him. It’s a redemption story.” Julia Fox on Towleroad Lea Michele unveils son Ever to her fans in sweet birthday Instagram post to husband More U.S. Supreme Court agrees to consider limiting wetlands regulation More U.S. Supreme Court to hear challenge to race-conscious college admissions More Spice Girls ‘to reunite at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding’ More Bill, Hillary Clinton Allegedly Tried To Erase Jeffrey Epstein Ties Ahead Of 2016 Presidential Election More Texas rejects hundreds of mail ballot applications under new voting limits More Election fraud belief undimmed for Trump fans, despite party hopes More Exclusive – U.S. opposes strengthening World Health Organization; China’s Influence Has Biden Backing Donor-Controlled Alternate More Christina Aguilera Defends Britney Spears Two Months After Awkward Red Carpet Snub Over Conservatorship More Adele FaceTimes Upset Fans As Consolation For Postponing Las Vegas Shows, Offers Them Drink Tokens Before Realizing They’re Underage More Julia Fox Reunites With Kanye West Claiming It’s Not The Fame & Publicity, “Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real.” More Prince Andrew ‘could have his royal patronages restored’ More Arizona Democratic Party formally censures Sinema More Load More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lea Michele has unveiled her son’s face on social media for the first time. The ‘Glee’ star shared the first glimpse of her 17-month-old son Ever’s face on Instagram as she posted a shot – taken by celebrity photographer Ashley Barret – to celebrate her husband Zandy Reich’s 39th birthday. In the caption, the 35-year-old actress wrote: “Greatest man, father, husband and friend. I wake up every day so thankful you are ours Z. Happy Birthday! Ever and I love you so much.” In the photo, the father and son duo rock matching Ray-Ban sunglasses, sweater and cap look. Ever – who was born in August 2020 – appears frequently on his parents’ social media profiles however, this is the first time his face has been visible. In November, the Broadway leading lady reflected on her journey to motherhood during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how making her album ‘Forever’ was soothing. She said: “The moment that my son was handed to me was truly the greatest moment of my life. I’ve never been more thankful to God than in that moment. “There were moments where we were told he would not be born, even very late into the journey of pregnancy, which is even scarier because as things go along, you get more and more frightened. “It was just all OK the moment that we saw him. “I was pregnant during the pandemic and I used music during my pregnancy, singing to my son, to let him know that everything was OK.” The ‘Scream Queens’ star also praised Zandy for being “an incredible father” who helps her when it all gets a bit overwhelming. Lea said: “I’m a very anxious person. Luckily it just brings me down to earth and grounds me and helps me to just enjoy it more and be less hard on myself. “I’m very lucky to have such a supportive partner.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider limiting the scope of a landmark federal environmental law as it took up for the second time an Idaho couple’s bid to build on property the federal government has deemed a protected wetland. The justices will hear an appeal by Chantell Sackett and her husband Mike Sackett, who own property in Priest Lake, Idaho where they hoped to build a home, of a lower court ruling favoring the government. The court will consider what test courts should use to determine what constitute “waters of the United States” under the landmark 1972 Clean Water Act, the answer to which determines whether the property is subject to regulation, requiring owners to obtain permits in order to carry out construction. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 determined that the Sacketts’ land was part of a wetland and that they were required to obtain a permit under the Clean Water Act before beginning construction, which they had failed to do. There has been lengthy litigation and political debates over how much of a connection with a waterway a property must have in order to require a permit, with the Supreme Court issuing a ruling in 2006 that led to further uncertainty. The justices are expected to hear the case in their next term, which begins in October and ends in June 2023. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a bid to bar Harvard University and the University of North Carolina from considering race in undergraduate admissions in a case that imperils affirmative action policies widely used to increase the number of Black and Hispanic students on American campuses. The justices agreed to hear appeals by a group called Students for Fair Admissions, founded by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, of lower court rulings that upheld the programs used by the two prestigious universities to foster a diverse student population. The cases give the court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, a chance to end such policies. The lawsuits accused the universities of discriminating against applicants on the basis of race in violation of federal law or the U.S. Constitution. Blum’s group alleged in the Harvard case that the school discriminated against Asian American applicants. In the UNC case, Blum’s group alleged that the university’s policy discriminated against white and Asian American applicants. The universities have said they use race as only one factor in a host of individualized evaluations for admission without quotas, and that curbing the consideration of race would result in a significant drop in the number of Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented students on campus. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. U.S. conservatives long have opposed affirmative action programs used in such areas as hiring and student admissions to address past discrimination against minorities. The use of affirmative action has withstood Supreme Court scrutiny for decades, including in a 2016 ruling https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-affirmativeaction-idINKCN0ZA08C involving a white student backed by Blum, who challenged a University of Texas policy, though the justices have narrowed its application. The eventual ruling in the new challenge could dilute or potentially eliminate college affirmative action programs. Blum’s group sued Harvard in 2014, accusing it of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Harvard is a private university founded in 1636 and located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It receives federal funds. The group also sued UNC in 2014, accusing the university of impermissibly using race as the main factor in admissions in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection under the law. UNC, located in Chapel Hill and chartered in 1789, is North Carolina’s flagship public university. The Supreme Court first upheld affirmative action in college admissions in a landmark 1978 ruling in a case called Regents of the University of California v. Bakke that held that race could be considered as a factor but racial quotas could not be used. Blum’s group asked the Supreme Court to overturn a 2003 Supreme Court ruling in a case called Grutter v. Bollinger involving the University of Michigan Law School that held that colleges could consider race as one factor in the admissions process because of the compelling interest of creating a diverse student body. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote in that ruling that she expected “the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary” by 2028. President Joe Biden’s administration has backed Harvard, telling the justices in a court filing not to hear that case. The court’s precedents “correctly recognize” that the educational benefits that result from diversity justify race-conscious measures. Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, a Republican, had backed Blum’s lawsuit against Harvard. Students for Fair Admissions said Harvard’s policies limited Asian Americans to 20% of incoming undergraduate classes and left them less likely to be admitted than white, Black and Hispanic applicants with comparable qualifications. It said in court papers that Harvard “automatically awards racial preferences to African-Americans and Hispanics.” Harvard said the challengers depicted its policies inaccurately. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has widened since it ruled 5-4 in favor of the University of Texas in 2016, with now-retired conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joining four liberal justices. The addition of three justices appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump moved the court rightward. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the court has been hostile to other efforts to remedy past racial discrimination. In 2013 it struck down https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-voting/supreme-court-guts-key-part-of-landmark-voting-rights-act-idUSBRE95O0TU20130625 a key part of the Voting Rights Act, enacted in 1965 to ensure that minorities could vote. In 2020, the court weakened https://www.reuters.com/world/us/voting-rights-breyers-future-spotlight-us-supreme-court-2021-07-01 another key part of that law. The case is expected to be heard during the court’s 2022 term, which begins in October and ends in June 2023. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York and Lawrence Hurley in Washington; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English The Spice Girls are set to be reunited at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding. The 22-year-old star is poised to marry actress Nicola Peltz in Florida in April, and Victoria Beckham has invited her former bandmates – Mel B, Melanie C, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner – to the lavish event. A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “It was a lovely invitation and the girls are all excited to attend. “It will be the first time they have all been together socially for some time, so they are looking forward to the chance to really catch up. “While Nicola has opted to wear two Valentino dresses on the big day, they will have their pick of Victoria Beckham dresses if they like.” Last Year, Melanie C revealed that the Spice Girls are “constantly” talking about touring again. The iconic pop group reunited for a series of shows in 2019, and Melanie admitted she’s keen for another reunion to take place in the coming years. She shared: “This has to happen. We talk about it constantly. We did the shows in 2019, the plan was to continue on. “Of course, the world has been in such turmoil, but the plan beyond this is to get out there when it’s safe, when we can do it. What’s tough is there’s so many artists that want to get out there, and there’s only so many venues, so we’re all kind of queuing up going, ‘I want to! I want to!'” Melanie starred alongside Mel B, Emma and Geri for the comeback shows in 2019. And the pop star revealed she’s also been “chipping away” at Victoria to join them on stage, after she previously opted out of the reunion tour. She said: “We would love to have her back onstage. In all honesty, I think it’s gonna happen. At some point, I think Posh Spice will be back onstage.” View the full article