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Published by BANG Showbiz English Ben Affleck has said that the poor response to ‘Gigli’ was depressing. The 49-year-old actor starred in the romcom alongside popstar Jennifer Lopez – who was his girlfriend at the time and is again following his 2018 divorce from Jennifer Garner – admitted that the poor response to the film left him “questioning” things. He said: “I thought my job was to be a cipher. I can see now how people looked at me and thought of this person as some callow frat guy who’s cavalier, or has too much.” The actor-turned-director went on to explain how he felt the movie – which grossed $7.2 million against a $75.6 million budget – left fans with “negative feelings” towards him. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he explained: “[That movie] engendered a lot of negative feelings in people about me. There’s that aspect of people that I got to see that was sad and hard, it was depressing and really made me question things and feel disappointed and have a lot of self-doubt.” Ben went on to claim that for being such a “famous bomb” at the box office, in actual fact, “very few people” have even seen it. He said: “The truth about that movie and what it taught me was how much everything around a movie sort of dictates the way people see it. But for being a movie that’s such a famous bomb and a disaster, very few people actually saw the movie. It doesn’t work, by the way. It’s a sort of horse’s head in a cow’s body. And the studio at the time, because I had begun having this relationship with Jennifer Lopez, which was selling a lot of magazines and appeared to generate a lot of enthusiasm, they just predictably latched onto, ‘They want a romantic comedy. They want the two of them together. More of that!’ And it was just like that ‘SNL’ sketch.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Sonali Paul and Courtney Walsh MELBOURNE (Reuters) – World tennis No. 1 and vaccine opponent Novak Djokovic blamed “human error” on Wednesday for a mistake in his Australian immigration paperwork and apologised for breaking isolation for a photoshoot when he had COVID-19 last month. The 34-year-old Serbian superstar is chasing a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open beginning on Monday, but could be deported by the government which is unhappy with his medical exemption from inoculation. The unvaccinated Djokovic was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne for several days before a judge said that was unreasonable and ordered him free. Though training now for the tournament at Melbourne Park, Djokovic could still have his visa cancelled again if Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercises discretionary power. Djokovic’s cause was not helped by a mistake in his Australian entry declaration where the “no” box was ticked saying he had not travelled elsewhere in the previous two weeks. In fact, he had gone to Spain from Serbia. “This was submitted by my support team on my behalf – as I told immigration officials on my arrival – and my agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake,” Djokovic said on Instagram. “This was a human error and certainly not deliberate. We are living in challenging times in a global pandemic and sometimes these mistakes can occur.” Giving wrong information on the form carries a maximum penalty of 12 months’ prison plus a fine and potential visa cancellation. There is widespread anger among Australians, who have a 90% vaccination rate among adults, over the saga. “I don’t like his arrogance,” said one Melbourne resident, Teyhan Ismain. “It does seem that he’s been telling a few fibs too. So I think he should just probably go back.” ‘ERROR OF JUDGEMENT’ Djokovic was also contrite over an interview and photoshoot for French newspaper L’Equipe on Dec. 18 while infected with COVID-19 for the second time. “I didn’t want to let the journalist down, but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken,” he said. “This was an error of judgement and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment.” “Anti-vaxxers” opposed to inoculation have lionized Djokovic, but he said on his post that he would not comment more on the controversy out of respect for Australian authorities. “I just want to have the opportunity to compete against the best players in the world and perform before one of the best crowds in the world,” he said. Djokovic’s visa was initially cancelled on grounds he was unvaccinated and his medical exemption – based on having COVID last month – was unsatisfactory. He denied media reports he also knew he was infected when he attended a Dec. 17 tennis event in Belgrade to present awards to children. Social media showed him posing with the children, without wearing a mask. “I was asymptomatic and felt good, and I had not received the notification of a positive PCR result until after that event,” he said, adding that a rapid antigen test before the event was negative. However, in an affidavit to an Australian court, Djokovic said he was diagnosed on Dec. 16, the day before. ‘ARROGANT, SELFISH INDIVIDUAL’ Fans, including many Serbian Australians, gave him noisy support when he was detained and his family have portrayed him as a champion for individual rights. But he may face hostility from the crowd if and when he walks out on court. Australians are battling a wave of the Omicron variant and Melbourne has endured one of the world’s strictest lockdowns. “If an unvaccinated man with untenable views on the science of immunology, who chooses to mix with children without even a mask one day after testing positive to COVID-19, is inexplicably allowed to compete in a sporting event in Melbourne, the holders of tickets to the Australian Open should demand an immediate refund,” Dr David Edgar wrote to Melbourne’s The Age newspaper. “Why should they risk being exposed to an ignorant, arrogant, selfish individual who has no good reason to not be vaccinated? Legal gibberish should be no substitute for rational thinking,” he added, among a stream of mainly angry letters. There may be resentment in the dressing room too – all but three of the top-ranked 100 men are inoculated With sensitivities heightened as governments and medics worldwide insist vaccination is the only way out of the pandemic, Australia’s top-rating TV network unwittingly revealed the passions behind the scenes. Two Seven West Media anchors were caught in an expletive-laden “hot mic” off-air conversation condemning Djokovic as sneaky and lying. There was at last some sympathy on the streets though. “I’m desperately waiting for him to just come onto the court and play in front of Australian people and entertain us, that’s it,” said Nick Shukla, also in Melbourne. (Reporting by Sonali Paul and Courtney Walsh in Melbourne; Byron Kaye in Sydney; Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Angus MacSwan) View the full article

Published by AFP Former US president Donald Trump tells National Public Radio that he recommends getting the Covid-19 vaccine, but says it should be an individual choice and not mandated by government Washington (AFP) – Former US president Donald Trump expressed support for getting vaccinated against Covid-19 but said it should be up to individuals, in an NPR interview aired Wednesday that he cut short after again falsely claiming election fraud. In a rare alignment with President Joe Biden, Trump said he does “recommend taking” vaccines. But the Republican former leader, whose administration oversaw development of the coronavirus vaccines, said he opposed mandating them for Americans. “The mandate is really hurting our country,” Trump told National Public Radio, adding that “a lot of Americans aren’t standing for it.” Getting vaccinated “has to be an individual choice,” he said, “but I recommend taking them.” The US Supreme Court is currently considering two Biden rules: a Covid vaccination-or-testing mandate for larger businesses, and an administration requirement that healthcare workers at facilities receiving federal funding get their shots. The United States has recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other country, and the latest highly infectious Omicron strain is running rampant, sending infections skyrocketing and pushing hospitals to their limits. The telephone interview was a rare appearance by Trump on mainstream media, which he largely shunned during his presidency, preferring the relative safety of right-leaning outlets. When NPR reporter Steve Inskeep pressed Trump on his debunked theory that he lost the 2020 election due to fraud, the billionaire insisted he — and not the many judges and some Republican lawmakers who rejected his claims — was right. “You know the real truth, Steve. This election was a rigged election,” Trump said, citing without evidence the conditions in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin where he said major election fraud occurred. “Go into Detroit and just ask yourself: is it true that there are more votes than there are voters?” Trump said. “It is not true,” Inskeep pushed back. But Trump was undeterred, saying it was “an advantage” to keep discussing 2020 because voters remained concerned about potential mischief in this year’s midterms and in the 2024 presidential election. “The only way it’s not going to happen again is you have to solve the problem of the presidential rigged election of 2020,” Trump said before hanging up. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Wednesday awarded $105 million in grants to nonprofit groups and state and local governments in 29 states to protect children and families from home health hazards such as lead-based paint, mold and carbon monoxide. The Department of Housing and Urban Development said the grants would help recipients identify and address health and safety hazards in some 7,400 homes of families with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income level. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge has rejected a bid by Britain’s Prince Andrew to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was 17 and being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. In a decision made public on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan said it was premature to consider the prince’s efforts to cast doubt on Giuffre’s accusations, though he would be allowed to do so at a trial. Kaplan said it was also too soon to decide whether Giuffre and Epstein intended to release people like Andrew in their 2009 settlement agreement. Such settlements can restrict plaintiffs from pursuing further litigation, even against third parties. Lawyers for Andrew and Giuffre did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Andrew has denied Giuffre’s accusations that he forced her to have sex more than two decades ago at the London home of former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and abused her at two other Epstein properties. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gloria Dickie (Reuters) – Thawing permafrost could put as much as 50 percent of Arctic infrastructure at high risk of damage by 2050, requiring tens of billions of dollars in maintenance and repairs, scientists warned on Tuesday. The world’s permafrost — land that remains frozen year-round — has been warming at between 0.3 and 1.0 degree Celsius per decade since the 1980s, with some areas of the High Arctic having increased by more than 3°C over four decades, according to a scientific review of research from the last two decades published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. That’s enough to thaw much of the long-frozen ground. Already, some roads are buckling and building foundations are cracking in northern Russia, Alaska, and Canada. “Infrastructure is in trouble,” said report co-author Dmitry Streletskiy, a geographer at George Washington University. “But it’s not like an earthquake. It’s a relatively slow process, which gives us enough time” to prevent some damage. Scientists say this trend will continue as climate change escalates. From satellite imagery, they estimate that at least 120,000 buildings, 40,000 km (24,850 miles) of roads, and 9,500 km (5,900 miles) of pipelines could be at risk, highlighting threats to some Canadian highways, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, and the Russian cities of Vorkuta, Yakutsk, and Norilsk. But people are still building in the Arctic. Satellite images show that coastal infrastructure has increased by 15 percent, or 180 square km (70 square miles), since 2000, according to another study published last year in the journal Environmental Research Letters. About 70 percent of that growth is linked to the oil and gas industry, especially on Russia’s Yamal Peninsula and near the Yamburg gas field, according to that study’s lead author, Annett Bartsch, a polar researcher with the Austrian-based b.geos research and consultancy group. “There are a lot of new roads and rail tracks,” Bartsch said. Engineers use several costly strategies when building on permafrost. For example, they place heat-diverting pipes along roads and building foundations to help keep the frozen ground stable. Maintenance costs for major infrastructure could increase by $15.5 billion by mid-century, but would still be unable to prevent some $21.6 billion in damages, according to the review paper’s most conservative estimates. For decades, researchers have focused on monitoring the carbon long locked in permafrost https://graphics.reuters.com/CLIMATE-CHANGE/PERMAFROST/oakveelglvr, worrying that the release of climate-warming carbon dioxide and methane could push the world toward runaway global warming. But “the impact on infrastructure is already happening today,” said Vladimir Romanovsky, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks whose research was among the more than 160 studies assessed in the review. “It’s much more urgent for people who live and work on permafrost.” (Reporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by The Daily Scrum News Reading Time: 2 minutes After acquitting rainbow halo women, authorities must end their witch-hunt against activistsLGBT2QS rights are human rights, however, if you live in Poland those rights are constantly being violated by the government. Each year the Polish government makes it harder and harder for members of the LGBT2QS to live, laugh and love who they want. In 2021 three human rights activists were taken to court on serious charges of religious violations for their posters depicting the Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo. If convicted the women could have faced long prison sentences under … Read More View the full article

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Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Canada’s Quebec province is working on a plan to require a “health contribution” from residents who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccinate for non-medical reasons, Premier Francois Legault said on Tuesday. Hospitals in Quebec are stretched after the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant brought in more COVID-19 patients and took healthcare workers off their jobs. “The vaccine is the key to fight the virus. This is why we’re looking for a health contribution for adults who refuse to be vaccinated for non-medical reasons,” Legault told reporters at a briefing. “We need to focus our efforts on two things : getting the first, second and third doses of a vaccine and reducing our contacts especially with older people.” Legault said even though the province has about 10% unvaccinated people, they account for about 50% of those in intensive care units. People who cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons would be exempt under the proposal, Legault said. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese and Grant McCool) View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Did Gay Keyboardist Billy Preston Save The Beatles From Breaking Up? worldofwonder.net Christian Mom: Hilton Ad Promotes “Perversion” By Showing Gay Men with a Child Michael Steele Spits Fire Over Possible Future GOP Dystopian Autocracy Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele issued a stark warning on The Beat with Ari Melber about the future of the country and what may happen if we do not act, and act fast. His warning was aimed largely at the Republicans, who seem to fall into 2 camps: supporters of autocracy or those who deny that it will happen. BIDEN (speech): The former President and his supporters have decided the only way for them to win is to suppress your vote and subvert our elections. It’s wrong. It’s undemocratic, and frankly it’s un-American. You can’t obey […] O’Connor Will Star With Paul Mescal In Upcoming Gay Romance Film • Instinct Magazine In A Few Minutes You May Really Feel Like You Want Some Comfy Boots… Last Week it was MAC, Now Cher Phones Home For Furry Shoes. And Sales Are Up 1,300% [This post contains video, click to play] Rabbi Raymond Apple What should a synagogue do if a gay member of the community applies for membership? – J-Wire Jewish Australian News Service We’re not familiar with this “digital voice” for Australia New Zealand, but In what seems to be a regular “Ask the Rabbi” feature, his response to the question feels dated. They should be allowed to be members, though not asked to about it. All fine unless “they use a synagogue involvement in order to make a statement or promote a militant cause.” The biggest concern in Jewish teaching is “any form of sexual (including heterosexual) obsession.” And most concerned with ” any form of selfishness and self-centredness; it sees (heterosexual) marriage as balancing the self and the other.” …. So gays are fine, other than being selfish, militant, obsessed with sex, and flaunting it?. Ricky Martin Says New Song On The Way, in the Tub; Durst Dead; Some Royals Furious With Others.. Morning Show Renewed Ricky Biden, Obama And More Celebrate The Life Of Harry ReidQAnon/GOP Rep: Withholding Horse Paste Is “Murder”Prince Charles & William are ‘absolutely furious’ with messy Prince AndrewFrom his bathtub, Ricky Martin promises “new song, new video, new moments” soonOMG, a new ‘sexier, darker’ re-imagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is here c/o producer Will SmithChris Noth’s friends think that his ‘drinking has played a big role in his problems’Jamie Lee Curtis And Arnold Schwarzenegger Were The Only Celebrities Involved With The 2022 Golden Globes Last NightRobert Durst Dead – Convicted Murderer & 'The Jinx' Subject Dies at 78'The Morning Show' Renewed for Season 3 with a New Showrunner!Tom Prior cover shoot/chat w/AttitudeMagawa, the landmine-sniffing hero rat, dies aged eight [This post contains video, click to play] Magawa, the famous mine-clearing rat who was awarded a gold medal for his heroism, has died at the age of eight. In a five-year career, the rodent sniffed out over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia. Hot Links: From Cold to too Hot. Enjoy Hawaii. View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Florida Senator Marco Rubio is being accused of anti-Semitism after bashing what he called the “upscale liberals who control the media” in a tweet he posted responding to the coverage of the January 6 Capitol riots as well as Vice President Kamala Harris’ comments regarding the infamous insurrection that took place just over one year ago. According to Daily Mail, the 50-year-old senator took to Twitter to call out Kamala Harris just hours after she compared the violent and deadly insurrection to the likes of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the September 11 terror attacks during a speech on the one-year anniversary of the Capitol riots. MEGA “The upscale liberals who control the media and Democrat party believe Jan 6th was another Pearl Harbor or 9/11,” Rubio wrote in his tweet posted Thursday. “And the rest of America, including many Democrats, think they are nuts,” he added. But the part of his tweet that has many people up in arms is the fact that he is reportedly referring to a well-known anti-Semitic trope – the idea that the media is allegedly run by rich and powerful Jewish individuals. Following Rubio’s tweet, he found himself in hot water not only by Democrats on the other side of the aisle, but even his own Republican colleagues. “Marco what happened to you man? You’re correct, it wasn’t like Pearl Harbor. Because after Pearl, America woke up and defeated fear,” Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger wrote on Twitter in response to Rubio the next day. “Now, leaders like you keep stoking it,” he added. “You’re better than this.” Another alleged ex-Rubio supporter, former Arkansas Representative Nate Bell, took to the social media platform to call out Rubio and even emphasize how he left the Republican Party because of GOP politicians like the Florida Senator. MEGA “Back in 2016, every member of our family supported your candidacy for POTUS. We donated, volunteered and advocated for you. All of us were dedicated Republicans,” Bell tweeted Saturday. “Your god led you and your party to a place where even sedition is ‘no big deal.’ I’m disappointed.” Although it is clear that Rubio was responding to Harris’ comparison of the January 6 insurrection to other infamous attacks on the country and its Democracy, it is unclear exactly who and what he was referring to with his jab at the “upscale liberals who control the media.” “Certain dates echo throughout history, including dates that instantly remind all who have lived through them, where they were and what they were doing when our democracy came under assault,” VP Harris said during her speech last year marking one-year since the Capitol riots. “Dates that occupy not only a place on our calendars but a place in our collective memory: December 7, 1941, September 11, 2001, and January 6, 2021,” she added. While Rubio is now finding himself under fire for his controversial tweet last week, he has yet to respond or clarify what he meant by his seemingly offensive anti-Semitic social media post. MEGA View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Former President Donald Trump‘s niece Mary — who spilled all her family’s dirty secrets in a tell-all book last summer — dropped millions on a new luxurious New York pad. According to real estate records, Donald’s archnemesis dropped $7 million on a 3-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 2,244 sq. ft. pad in SoHo. Mary was somehow able to negotiate the seller down from the $7.8 million asking price. The property’s amenities include keyed elevator access, a private elevator that leads directly into your formal entry foyer, 10 ft ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a master bedroom with a large walk-in closet. Sex Pests & Tech Titans: Inducting Radar’s Rogues & Renegades – The Class Of 2021 Mary’s unit is one of 22 residences in the complex. The building comes with a 24-hour doorman and concierge, 55-foot indoor heated lap pool, steam room, sauna, spa, and a fitness center. In her book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, the formerpsychologistunleashed on her uncle and wrote he was a terror to grow up around. “For Donald, lying was primarily a mode of self-aggrandizement meant to convince other people he was better than he actually was,” she wrote. Donald Trump’s Children Ivanka & Donald Jr. Subpoenaed By New York AG As Part Of Ongoing Civil Investigation Against Father Mary said his remarks about women were nothing new. “I was reminded of every family meal I’d ever attended during which Donald had talked about all of the women he considered ugly fat slobs or the men, usually more accomplished or powerful, he called losers,” she said. “That kind of casual dehumanization of people was commonplace at the Trump dinner table.” MEGA Mary also admitted to providing The New York Times with Trump family tax documents. The leak lead to the paper accusing the former President of engaging in fraud along with writing claims he cheated on his SAT test. During promotional for the book, Mary said, “He is utterly incapable of leading this country and it’s dangerous to allow him to do so … based on what I’ve seen my entire adult life Donald was not a fan of the book and even claimed Mary “was not exactly a family favorite.” In an interview with Fox News, the then-President said, “We didn’t have a lot of respect or like for her.” “She’s a very scarred person,” he said. “She was not much of a family person.” Donald added, “I would’ve never said that except she writes a book that’s so stupid and so vicious and it’s a lie.” At one point, Donald discussed with his team taking legal action against the book’s release. His brother Robert filed suit demanding an injunction but the case ended up being dismissed. The book went on to become a bestseller with 950,000 copies sold in pre-orders alone. MEGA View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Shumaker (Reuters) – The United States reported at least 1.13 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total of any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing. The previous record was 1.03 million cases on Jan. 3. A large number of cases are reported each Monday due to many states not reporting over the weekend. The seven-day average for new cases has tripled in two weeks https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR to over 700,000 new infections a day. Not all states have yet reported on Monday and the final figure is likely to be even higher. The record in new cases came the same day as the nation saw the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients also hit an all-time high, having doubled in three weeks, according to a Reuters tally. There were more than 135,500 people hospitalized with COVID, surpassing the record of 132,051 set in January last year. While the Omicron variant is potentially less severe, health officials have warned that the sheer number of infections could strain hospital systems, some of which have already suspended elective procedures as they struggle to handle the increase in patients and staff shortages. The surge in cases has disrupted schools, which are struggling with absences of staff, teachers and bus drivers. Chicago canceled classes for a fourth day as the district and teachers failed to agree on how to deal with increased infections. New York City suspended service on three subway lines due to a large number of workers out sick, according to its Twitter account. Companies’ plans for workers to return to office have also been derailed. Deaths are averaging 1,700 per day, up from about 1,400 in recent days but within levels seen earlier this winter. A redesigned COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant is likely needed, Pfizer Inc’s CEO said on Monday, adding his company could have one ready to launch by March. (Reporting by Lisa Shumaker in Chicago; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jarrett Renshaw WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday will begin an effort to weaken rules that allow a minority group of senators to kill proposed laws, arguing democracy is in peril unless new voting-rights legislation passes, the White House said. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday will speak in Atlanta, a city with a majority Black population and capital of the battleground state of Georgia, where Democrats won two crucial U.S. Senate seats in January 2021. Since then, Republican state lawmakers have passed dozens of state voting laws https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-erect-voting-barriers-politically-crucial-us-states-2021-06-16 around the country in response to former President Donald Trump’s false allegations he lost the 2020 election because of voting fraud. Democrats say the state laws will make it harder for minorities to participate in elections. “Tomorrow is an opportunity to speak about what the path forward looks like,” said White House spokesperson Jen Psaki, before confirming that Biden is expected to address changing Senate rules. Atlanta was the home of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader slain in 1968, who is remembered in a national U.S. holiday on Jan. 17. Biden is expected to support changing filibuster rules https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-10-06 that require 60 senators to back most legislation, including voting rights bills that do not have that many supporters. The specifics of Biden’s plans were not clear. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema, who represent the more conservative states of West Virginia and Arizona, say they want to protect the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to ensure bipartisanship. Republicans have said they support keeping the filibuster because it gives minority lawmakers a voice in policymaking. In October, Biden said the United States should “fundamentally alter” https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-wants-fundamentally-alter-senate-filibuster-some-issues-2021-10-22 the Senate filibuster on certain issues. He has signaled he would support requiring dissenting members to speak on the floor to delay a vote on a bill, a step up from the current system where they can just note their opposition. The so-called “talking filibuster” would require senators to physically take the floor and likely speak for hours to halt legislation. Democrats have also discussed voting on rule changes that would only apply to the voting rights bills or requiring at least 41 senators in the 100-member chamber to block legislation. Biden and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have huddled over the legislative strategy for months, starting before Biden publicly acknowledged his support for weakening the filibuster on voting rights during an October CNN town hall. Reverend Al Sharpton, a prominent civil rights activist who is traveling to Atlanta to attend the Biden speech, said he has warned the White House that half-measures on voting rights will not work. “This is a defining moment, not just for the president, but for the country and the future of democracy,” Sharpton told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Moira Warburton and Merdie Nzanga; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by AFP New 25-cent pieces with Maya Angelou have been minted and are going into circulation New York (AFP) – Maya Angelou, the African American poet and activist, has officially joined a select group of Americans to appear on the currency of the United States government, US authorities announced Monday. Angelou, author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” will be the first figure commemorated through the American Women Quarters Program, which was signed into law in January 2021. The US Mint “has begun shipping the first coins” with Angelou’s likeness on the American quarter, a 25-cent piece, according to a press release from the agency. “It is my honor to present our nation’s first circulating coins dedicated to celebrating American women and their contributions to American history,” said Mint Deputy Director Ventris Gibson. “Each 2022 quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated throughout this historic coin program. Maya Angelou, featured on the reverse of this first coin in the series, used words to inspire and uplift.” The program directs the US Mint to issue quarters each year between 2022 and 2025 featuring five different female trailblazers who have contributed to the country. The quarter has for the last 90 years shown the nation’s first president, George Washington, on one side, and an eagle on the other. The new quarters — which have been minted in Philadelphia and Denver — show Washington on one side and Angelou on the other. The other figures to receive the honor in 2022 are: Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; Nina Otero-Warren, a New Mexico suffrage leader and Anna May Wong, a Chinese American film star. Angelou, who was born in Missouri in 1928, was a well-known essayist and poet who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement. Angelou, who delivered the poem at former President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, died in 2014. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also signaled support for recognizing former slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman on US currency. Former president Barack Obama launched a project to put Tubman’s face on the $20 bill but it stalled under the administration of Donald Trump. Putting Tubman, a Black woman who escaped slavery and became a leader of the pre-Civil War abolitionist movement, on the $20 bill would be an “honor” but designing banknotes takes time, Yellen said in September. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Yereth Rosen ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – The Biden administration announced on Monday that it will reverse a Trump-era policy that opened up vast swathes of Arctic Alaska land to new oil development. The U.S. Department of the Interior said it will scrap the Trump administration’s decision that authorized expanded leasing and development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, or NPR-A. Even though Trump took several steps to try to boost oil-and-gas development in Alaska, production in the state fell to a 43-year low in 2020, as drillers focus their attention in Texas and other lower 48 states. Official notice of the change will come in a notice to be filed on Monday in federal court in Alaska, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a division of Department of the Interior, said in a statement. “This decision reflects the Biden-Harris administration’s priority of reviewing existing oil and gas programs to ensure balance on America’s public lands and waters to benefit current and future generations,” it said. The Trump administration in its waning days approved a plan to allow oil leasing and development in more than 80% percent of the 23-million-acre (9.3-million-hectare) reserve. That replaced a 2013 Obama administration plan issued that protected about half of the reserve. One of the most controversial elements of the Trump administration’s Cplan was the approval of future oil development in Teshekpuk Lake, the largest lake on the North Slope and the site of important habitat for migratory birds, caribou and other Arctic wildlife. Plans and policies dating back to the Reagan administration had kept Teshekpuk Lake off-limits to development. The Obama-era plan expanded protections in the wetlands near the lake. Located on the western side of the North Slope, the NPR-A has been the site of important new oil discoveries and developments. None of those projects will be affected by the decision to revert to the Obama-era management plans; all the existing projects are on leases sold in past years. No lease sales had been conducted under the Trump administration’s plan, as the last NPR-A lease sale held by the BLM was in 2019. The state last year produced 448,000 barrels of oil day, according to the U.S. Energy Department; production in the state peaked in 1988 at more than 2 million barrels per day. (Reporting by Yereth Rosen; Editing by David Gaffen and Sandra Maler) View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Insurance companies will be required to cover eight over-the-counter at-home coronavirus tests per person each month starting Saturday, the Biden administration said, expanding access to highly sought-after kits as Americans grapple with a surge in coronavirus cases. The White House also said on Monday that there is no limit to the number of COVID-19 tests, including at-home tests, that insurers must cover if they are ordered or administered by a health care provider. The measures are part of a bid by President Joe Biden to make testing more widely available to Americans facing soaring coronavirus cases due to the highly infectious Omicron variant. In a speech in December, Biden outlined plans to distribute 500 million at-home coronavirus test kits and stand up new federal testing sites, adding to the 20,000 already in existence. However, experts decried the announcement as “too little too late” amid testing shortages nationwide. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that Americans should be able to order the tests online later this month, noting that all contracts for 500 million rapid tests should be awarded over the next two weeks. The first two were signed last week, with two more announced on Monday. Under the insurer coverage plan announced Monday, the administration said that insurers are still required to reimburse tests purchased by consumers outside of their network, at a rate of up to $12 per individual test. It was not immediately clear what incentives were offered to insurers to agree to the plan. The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Monday, the Defense Department said it had awarded contracts to Atlantic Trading, LLC, of Austin, Texas, and Medea Inc. of Pleasanton, California, for a combined total of 27 million at-home test kits. The contract awards bring the total of test kits ordered to over 50 million, a White House official said. (Reporting by Eric Beech, Alexandra Alper and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese and Cynthia Osterman) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta and Tyler Clifford (Reuters) – Robert Durst, the multimillionaire real estate heir who was serving a life sentence for murder in California and was the prime suspect in two other murders over the past four decades, died in prison at age 78, his lawyer’s office said on Monday. The law office of Chip Lewis told Reuters he died of natural causes, while Lewis told the New York Times that Durst went into cardiac arrest and died at the San Joaquin General Hospital, where he had been taken for testing. Durst had once been groomed to take over The Durst Organization, one of New York City’s premier real estate companies, but instead spent many of his formative years evading law enforcement and the last several years of life in jail. Durst mostly stayed one step ahead of the law until he told on himself during the making of the 2015 HBO documentary series “The Jinx,” in which Durst was caught on a hot microphone saying to himself, “What the hell did I do? … Killed them all, of course.” Durst was arrested just before the final episode aired. His wife Kathleen McCormack Durst went missing in New York in 1982, but no charges were filed until after a Los Angeles County in September found Durst guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman in 2000. Prosecutors said Berman was about to reveal she helped Durst create a cover story about his wife’s disappearance. In New York, after the Los Angeles trial ended, a Westchester County grand jury indicted him for his wife’s murder. Prosecutors also said Durst killed his neighbor Morris Black in Galveston, Texas, in 2001 because Black discovered his identity at a time when Durst was hiding from the law, sometimes disguising himself as a mute woman. A Galveston jury acquitted Durst, who argued self-defense, even though Durst also admitted to dismembering Black’s body. Durst listed his many health problems on the witness stand including surgeries for esophageal and bladder cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, neuropathy, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. A shunt relieved pressure on his brain. Shortly after his Los Angeles sentencing, his lawyer disclosed he had also contracted COVID-19. Los Angeles County prosecutor John Lewin, who had pursued Durst for years, credited “The Jinx” filmmakers Andrew Jarecki and Marc Smerling for their revealing interviews with Durst, telling reporters after the verdict: “Without them having conducted the interviews, we wouldn’t be where we are.” Durst’s story was also depicted in the 2010 film “All Good Things,” starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Jarecki. Durst is the grandson of Joseph Durst and son of Seymour Durst, who built The Durst Organization into one of New York City’s premier real estate companies and developed some of Manhattan’s signature skyscrapers. Robert Durst long ago left the company, now run by his estranged brother Douglas Durst, who testified at trial and said of his sibling: “He’d like to murder me.” (Reporting by Daniel Trotta and Tyler Clifford; Editing by Susan Heavey and Howard Goller) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cassandra Peterson claims she lost 11,000 followers after coming out last year. The ‘Elvira: Mistress of the Dark’ star revealed in September she had been in a relationship with fitness trainer Teresa ‘T’ Wierson for 19 years and she’s now revealed her decision to speak publicly about her decision drove away many of her “old men” fans. Speaking on David Yontef’s ‘Behind the Velvet Rope’ podcast, she said: “I knew that there were going to be some horny old men out there who were just not going to like the fact that they didn’t have a chance with me anymore. And I hate to tell them they already didn’t have a chance with me anyway.” The 70-year-old actress – who gained 60,000 new followers after speaking out – admitted her revelation came as a shock to a lot of people. She said: “[It] flipped everybody out. Nobody was ready for that. People just said, ‘Elvira, you lied to me. I don’t respect you anymore. Goodbye.’ “ Cassandra previously admitted it had been a “little scary” but “very liberating and a real relief” to open up about her relationship and sexuality, and she praised the LGBTQ community for being “so supportive and sweet”. She said: “It’s been fantastic. Everybody is happy and thrilled about it. “I felt the strangest and most worried about my LGBTQ fans because I was thinking, ‘Are they going to think I’m a big hypocrite?’ And that I talk about coming out, being who you are, and then I’m hiding this gigantic secret.” Cassandra opened up about her relationship with Teresa in her memoir ‘Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark’, explaining how they had met at Gold’s Gym in Hollywood – but she thought she was a man at first. She wrote: “I couldn’t help noticing one particular trainer, tan, tattooed, and muscular, stalking across the gym floor, knit cap pulled so low over his long brown hair that it nearly covered his eyes. “Dark and brooding, he gave off such intense energy that when he crossed the enormous gym floor, the waters parted and people stopped in their tracks to stare. “A typical sexy bad boy, he was unaware he was so charismatic that he garnered his own unofficial fan club.” The “bad boy” turned out to be Teresa. Cassandra was married to her manager, Mark Pierson, at the time, but they later split. It wasn’t until later when Teresa became Cassandra’s trainer and the two developed a friendship, which eventually turned romantic. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will travel to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace of Atlanta on Tuesday to jump-start efforts to reform U.S. voting rights after some states passed new laws that activists say will deter Black voters from the polls. Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, will speak at Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College, two historically Black schools, as Democrats gird themselves https://www.reuters.com/world/us/first-months-2022-crucial-biden-agenda-november-midterms-loom-2022-01-10 for tough 2022 congressional elections that could strip them of their majority and the chance to change federal voting laws. The speech will be Biden’s second in as many weeks warning about the health of democracy in the United States. On Jan. 6, he targeted https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-call-trump-threat-democracy-us-capitol-attack-anniversary-2022-01-06 former President Donald Trump’s “web of lies” about the 2020 election, blaming his Republican predecessor for the deadly attacks on the U.S. Capitol a year before. Trump continues to say that the 2020 election was stolen by Biden’s Democrats through voter fraud, despite recounts and investigations that found no evidence of the claim. Since then, Republican lawmakers in 19 states have passed dozens of laws https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-erect-voting-barriers-politically-crucial-us-states-2021-06-16 making it harder to vote. Critics say these measures disproportionately affect minorities. Biden wants to build public support for proposed reforms to strengthen voting rights, particularly the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Both have so far withered under opposition from Republicans, who argue they would impose questionable national standards on local elections. “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation,” Biden plans to say Tuesday, according to excerpted remarks provided by the White House. “Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of United States Senate stand?” Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday: “Leading Democrats say they want to break the Senate because of a sinister anti-voting plot that is sweeping America. Of course this is totally fake. It does not exist.” Biden will be joined in Atlanta by Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, two of the slain civil rights leader’s children, as well as top civil rights activists, including Reverend Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al Sharpton, NAACP President Derrick Johnson and National Urban League President Marc Morial. But some advocacy groups have been frustrated with a lack of progress and will boycott https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-black-hispanic-voting-rights-groups-boycott-bidens-atlanta-speech-2022-01-10 the president’s visit. “We, along with other Georgia-based groups, told the president this is not the time and that we don’t need a photo op,” said April England-Albright, legal director for Black Voters Matter in Atlanta. “There has not been any real movement around voting rights legislation.” Notably absent will be Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia lawmaker and voting rights activist who is seeking the Democratic nomination in Georgia’s governor’s race this year. Representatives for Abrams could not be immediately reached for comment, although she backed Biden’s efforts in a post on Twitter on Monday. “The fight for voting rights takes persistence,” wrote Abrams, who narrowly lost the 2018 gubernatorial election. “Thank you, @POTUS, for refusing to relent until the work is finished. Welcome back to Georgia where we get good done.” ‘NATIONAL IMPERATIVE’ Georgia was a battleground state in the 2020 election, and Democrats won two crucial U.S. Senate seats in runoff contests in January 2021 that gave them effective control of the chamber. Later in the year, the Republican-led state legislature approved sweeping voting restrictions https://www.reuters.com/world/us/big-changes-under-georgias-new-election-law-2021-06-14. The U.S. Justice Department sued, saying the law infringes the rights https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-sue-georgia-over-restrictive-new-state-voting-law-source-2021-06-25 of Black voters. King, who agitated for voting reforms and civil rights in the then-segregated South, was assassinated in 1968 and is remembered with a national U.S. holiday that will fall on Jan. 17 this year. Democrats have set the holiday as a deadline for action on voting rights. Biden, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats have for months been honing a strategy to pass bills that would expand early voting and strengthen federal oversight in states with a history of racial discrimination at the polls, according to people familiar with the matter. Biden and Democrats “believe that passing federal legislation is a national imperative,” a White House official said. The president will support changing filibuster https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-biden-filibuster-idUSKBN2JK1L8 rules https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-10-06 that currently require 60 senators to support most legislation, the White House has said, but those changes do not have the support of all Democratic lawmakers. Amid the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, McConnell this month signaled interest in changing the Electoral Count Act, an 1887 law that allows members of Congress to dispute presidential election results. But Democrats have said such reforms do not ensure voting rights. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Merdie Nzanga, Richard Cowan and Susan Heavey; Editing by Heather Timmons, Cynthia Osterman and Paul Simao) View the full article

Published by NJ.com The right for gay couples to get married in New Jersey is now officially enshrined in state law. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday he signed a bill into law that codifies marriage equality in the state amid concerns the ability for gay couples to wed could be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. “Despite the progress we have made as a country, there is still much work to be done to protect the LGBTQ+ community from intolerance and injustice,” Murphy said in a statement. “New Jersey is stronger and fairer when every member of our LGBTQ+ family is valued and given equal protection under the law… Read More View the full article

Terri White (middle)“Queer Eye” Subject Faces Homophobia, Racism Allegations A Gawker report recently resurfaced a range of Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google Reviews with accusations that the family-owned business where “Queer Eye” subject Terri White gave dance lessons was rife with racial slurs, inappropriate groping, and a less than serious take on the severity of sexual assault during dance lessons. In 2016, Annetta White, Terri’s mother and co-owner of the Austin-based Broken Spoke bar, threatened to kick two women out after seeing them kiss at the bar. Annetta’s late husband James White said at the time that they did not allow public displays of affection at bar regardless of sexual orientation. Reviews published by Gawker claim tat straight couples “grinding and kissing” at the bar can “have at it.” “I think it’s more the homophobia than the racism. At least that’s what I’ve observed,” an Austin local who has interacted with the White family for two decades told The Daily Beast. “People will tell little jokes and it’s a little racist, but not over the top, you know, it’s enough to have plausible deniability. But the homophobia – they will straight up tap somebody on the shoulder and tell them they can’t do that, if it’s like two women dancing or if they’re sitting too close.” Queer Eye Subject Has Mixed RecordGender-diverse writer Karla Margeson experienced White’s teaching style firsthand while attending a lesson with White in 2020. “At one point she actually yelled in the microphone, ‘Her next tattoo should be “loser” across her forehead because she’s so bad at this,'” Margeson told The Daily Beast. “It was hard for me to root for her because I just know her to be so abusive to people who are vulnerable and excited, which in my mind there’s no excuse for that,” she said after viewing White’s episode of “Queer Eye.” Neither Netflix or the Queer Eye stars have returned requests by Gawker for comment regarding the vetting process for the show or White’s participation. Trans Texas Prisoner Challenges For Gender-Affirming Surgery Christina Iglesias, a trans woman currently incarcerated in Texas, could become the first person to receive gender-affirming surgery while detained in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengal opened the door for Iglesias with a Dec. 27 decision that stated that the Texas Bureau of Prisons’ Transgender Executive Council (TEC) must evaluate Iglesias for receiving gender-affirming surgery by Jan. 24. Iglesias must get approval from both the TEC and the Bureau of Prisons’ medical director in order to move forward. If approval is granted, the bureau is required to begin planning for her surgery and care. Multiple incarcerated trans people have received approval for gender-affirming surgeries in state prisons, but Iglesias would be the first to do so in the federal prison system. Iglesias argued that denying her necessary gender-affirming care constituted “cruel and unusual punishment,” classifying it as a violation of her eighth amendment rights. “I am happy to have had the chance to tell my story and am hopeful that other transgender people will benefit from my case,” Iglesias told the Dallas Morning News following the decision. The decision marks another step in Iglesias’ quest for gender-affirming treatment and care during her 27 years in prison. Though she identified as a woman when jailed in 1994, Iglesias wasn’t moved to a women’s facility until May 2021. According to the ACLU of Indiana, who filed suit against the Texas bureau on Iglesias’ behalf, moving her to a facility that aligned with her gender only came after “experiencing severe physical and sexual violence.” “For years, Christina has suffered greatly from the denial of appropriate healthcare and the constant threats to her life while in BOP detention,” said the ACLU of Indiana’s John Knight in a statement. “Christina has fought for years to get the treatment the Constitution requires. The Court’s order removes the unnecessary hurdles and delays BOP has repeatedly constructed to prevent her from getting the care that she urgently needs.” Knight is hopeful that Iglesias’ case will help set precedent for “the many other transgender people in BOP’s custody who have also been denied surgery and other much-needed gender-affirming care.” Queer Eye: Previously on Towleroad Judge Rules Denying Inmate Gender Affirming Care is ‘Cruel and Unusual Punishment’; Queer Eye Subject Accused Of Homophobia, Racism; Brian Bell January 10, 2022 Read More Queen Honors Olympian Tom Daley for His Athletics and Advocacy; Diver, Knitting Entrepreneur Now ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ Brian Bell January 4, 2022 Read More Stonewall UK Critic Joins Equality Commission; Quidditch Renaming After J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia; Chile Elects Pro-LGBTQ President Brian Bell December 21, 2021 Read More Pulse Arsonist Arrested; 2021 Deadliest For Trans People in the US; Chinese LGBTQ Group Shuts Down; World Cup Homophobia: News Roundup Brian Bell November 10, 2021 Read More Texas Trans Ban Is Law; Isiah Brown Sues for $24 Million; Twitter Suspends And Liz Cheney Busts Rep Jim Banks For Different Violations Brian Bell October 26, 2021 Read More Biden Recognizes National Coming Out Day, Condemns Against Anti-LGBTQ Bills and Again Calls For Passing Equality Act Brian Bell October 11, 2021 Read More Photo courtesy of Ilana Panich-Linsman/Netflix View the full article

Vancouver PrideCanada’s Conversion therapy Ban Goes Into Effect The Canada conversion therapy ban went into effect on Friday, making the practice a punishable offense. The ban, passed last year, classifies practicing conversion therapy as punishable by up to five years in prison regardless of the age or consent of those being subjected to the practice. Simply promoting or profiting from the practice carries a prison sentence of up to two years. The development makes Canada the fourth nation to ban the anti-LGBTQ practice, joining Brazil, Ecuador and Malta. practicing conversion therapy [in Canada] as punishable by up to five years in prison regardless of the age or consent of those being subjected to the practice. According to CTV News, The Canadian government called the new statute is “among the most comprehensive” in the world. A number of proposals to ban conversion therapy, including laws in 20 U.S. states and 100 U.S. cities, have only classified subjecting minors to the practice as a criminal offense. Washington, D.C. is the only American jurisdiction where subjecting adults to conversion therapy is banned. “Our government’s legislation has come into force – which means it is now illegal to promote, advertise, benefit from or subject someone to this hateful and harmful practice. LGBTQ2 rights are human rights,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter. “This is a victory for Canada’s LGBTQ2 community and our entire country,” added Canadian MP David Lametti. “We are stronger when everyone can be who they are and love freely without fear.” Study Launched On Risk Of Blood Donation by Gay Men Blood donation non-profit Vitalant is partnering with OneBlood and the American Red Cross to gather and analyze data to determine the actual risk of blood donated by sexually active gay men. Dubbed the “ADVANCE Study,” the analysis will look at blood samples and survey answers provided by volunteers in hopes it will remove some limitations on the blanket banning of gay male blood donation. The blanket policy dates back to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Gay men were prohibited from donating blood for decades until the ban was revised to allow gay men who hadn’t engaged in sexual activity for one year to donate blood in 2015. That deferral period was reduced to three months in 2020, but blood donation organizations’ policies still applied simply on the basis of sexual orientation and base level sexual activity. “I think we understand a lot more about HIV and we don’t have to use those kinds of blanket deferrals in the future,” Dr. Brian Custer, Vitalant vice president of research told San Francisco local news outlet KPIX. “Maybe, one day, it will be eliminated altogether and the ADVANCE study is kind of the first step,” added Vitalant spokesperson Kevin Adler. [This post contains video, click to play] European Court Declines Religious Cake Refusal Case on Technical Basis The European Court of Human Rights turned down hearing a case out of Northern Ireland Thursday that challenged a Christian baker’s refusal to make a cake supporting gay marriage. The case dates back to 2014 when activist Gareth Lee asked Belfast bakery Ashers Baking Co. to make a cake showing “Sesame Street” characters Bert and Ernie and the phrase “Support Gay Marriage.” Bakery owners Amy and Daniel McArthur refused to make the cake, citing doing so would go against their religious beliefs. The Court deemed the case “inadmissible” because Lee “failed to exhaust domestic remedies” to settle the dispute. The decision was determined based on the fact that Lee hadn’t filed a challenge to a 2018 U.K. Supreme Court decision in the McArthurs’ favor in U.K. courts. Lee filed his complaint with the European Court claiming the Supreme Court’s ruling was counter to the European Convention of Civil Rights. The ruling drew frustration from Lee and other U.K.-based LGBTQ advocacy groups. “When a commercial business is providing services to the public, they cannot discriminate against their customers or clients on any grounds protected by equality law,” Rainbow Project director John O’Doherty told NBC News. O’Doherty stated that the 2018 ruling created legal uncertainty and “with today’s decision, that uncertainty will remain.” Canada Conversion Therapy: Previously on Towleroad 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 Repeated Misgendering Of Employees On Purpose is a Human Rights Violation in Canada. ‘Like a Name, Pronouns are… part of a Person’s Identity’ Brian Bell October 5, 2021 Read More Canada Transgender Pastor Sues Former Church For Being Fired After Coming Out During Pride Month Sermon Brian Bell August 12, 2021 Read More Soccer Star Quinn is First Out Trans Nonbinary Olympic Gold Medalist as Canada Tops Sweden in 3-2 Shootout Brian Bell August 6, 2021 Read More U.S. Extends Severe Travel Restrictions On Land Border Crossings to Canada, Mexico Through Aug. 21 Towleroad July 22, 2021 Read More Meet Your New ‘Canada’s Drag Race’ Queen [FINALE RECAP] Bobby Hankinson September 23, 2020 Read More Photo courtesy of vl04/Creative Commons View the full article