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Published by Reuters By Gabriela Baczynska, Philip Blenkinsop and Sabine Siebold BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Respect LGBT rights or leave the European Union, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told his Hungarian counterpart as the bloc’s leaders confronted Viktor Orban over a law that bans schools from using materials seen as promoting homosexuality. Several participants spoke of the most intense personal clash among the 27 EU leaders in years on Thursday night. “It was really forceful, a deep feeling that this could not be. It was about our values; this is what we stand for,” Rutte told reporters on Friday. “I said ‘Stop this, you must withdraw the law and, if you don’t like that and really say that the European values are not your values, then you must think about whether to remain in the European Union’.” French President Emmanuel Macron called it a battle over civilisation and culture. Hungary is now likely to face a legal challenge at the EU’s highest court. Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said Budapest should also be subject to an as-yet untested procedure to cut EU funding for those who violate democratic rules. The new mechanism was introduced as closely aligned conservative governments in Poland and Hungary have shielded one another for years from grave sanctions under existing tools to protect EU democratic and human rights values. The provisions for schools have been included in a law primarily aimed at protecting children from paedophiles – a link that Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo described as “primitive”. In power since 2010 and facing an election next year, Orban has become increasingly conservative and combative in promoting what he says are traditional Catholic values under pressure from the liberal West. He told reporters before the closed-door meeting that the law was not an attack on gay people but aimed at guaranteeing parents’ right to decide on their children’s sexual education. The EU is pushing Orban to repeal the law – the latest in a string of restrictive policies towards media, judges, academics and migrants. Seventeen out of 27 leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, signed a joint letter reaffirming their commitment to protecting gay rights. “We all made it very clear which fundamental values we adhere to,” she said. Bettel, who is openly gay, said the only country other than Poland to support Orban in the discussion was Slovenia. He said it was time for Brussels to test its new procedure: “Most of the time, money is more convincing than talk.” (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Kevin Liffey) View the full article

JESSICA STERN, Named LGBTQI+ Special Envoy by President BidenPresident Joe Biden named OutRight Action International executive director Jessica Stern as America’s LGBTQI+ Special Envoy as Pride month nears its end on Friday, making her the second person to hold the position since its creation in 2015. The White House announced Stern’s appointment ahead of an appearance from the President where he addressed multiple topics pertaining to the nation’s LGBTQ community. Stern becomes the first to hold the position since current ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry did from 2015-2017. The position remained vacant during the Trump administration. “The Special Envoy will play a vital role in leading implementation of the Presidential Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Around the World,” read the White House’s statement. “At a time when the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons are increasingly threatened in all regions of the world, the Special Envoy will bring together like-minded governments, civil society organizations, corporations and international organizations to uphold dignity and equality for all.” “This administration is ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign aid promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world,” tweeted Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “[President Biden’s] appointment of Jessica Stern as the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons reaffirms our commitment.” In addition to her work with OutRight Action International, Stern worked extensively with the United Nations to secure protections for LGBTQ populations worldwide. She co-founded the UN LGBTQI Core Group, secured the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity mandate and advocated for the inclusion of gender identity in the UN General Assembly’s mandate. “LGBTIQ communities in the United States and around the world need and deserve a clear-eyed human rights champion to galvanize a wise reemergence of the U.S. government insisting on full human rights for LGBTIQ people everywhere. Jessica is that person,” said Jenny Pizer, co-chair of OutRight Action International’s board of directors. “No one works with deeper commitment, greater integrity, or more skillful strategic vision on behalf of our global LGBTIQ family.” “She has provided expert opinions to governments globally, regional human rights institutions, and UN mechanisms, including UN Women where she serves as a member of multiple leadership bodies. Her writing has been cited by the Indian Supreme Court in its seminal judgment decriminalizing same-sex relations,” read The White House’s statement. Stern expressed gratitude and “bittersweet” feelings at departed OutRight Action International to take her new position with the State Department. “Serving as OutRight’s executive director has been the honor of a lifetime. I can think of no organization that works with more integrity, more skillful staff, more motivated board members, more valued partners, or greater impact,” Stern said. Biden signs HR 49 Making Pulse Nightclub a national memorial and more President Biden also signed HR 49 into law, designating the location of Pulse nightclub a national memorial, pushed the Senate to vote on the Equality Act and addressed the wave of trans-exclusionary legislation introduced in more than 30 states during Friday’s events. “Our presence here this afternoon makes a simple, strong statement: Pride is back at the White House,” Biden said. “Above all, Pride month stands for love. Being able to love yourself, love who you love and love this country enough to make it more fair and more free and more just. “ “No one works with deeper commitment, greater integrity, or more skillful strategic vision on behalf of our global LGBTIQ family [than Stern].” Jenny Pizer, Co-chair OutRight Action International Biden stated that his administration would have more to say about how it will address the increased threats to LGBTQ and specifically trans Americans in the coming days. He also stated his commitment to “finally ending the AIDS epidemic.” He also praised the youth of America as the “least prejudiced,” “most open,” “most giving” and “best educated” generation “in all of history.” “We must protect the gains we’ve made and fend off the cruel, unconscionable attacks we’re seeing now to ensure that everyone enjoys the full promise of equality, dignity and protection,” Biden added. “Our work is unfinshed.” Jessica Stern: Previously on Towleroad Hungary LGBTQ Crisis: Leader Has Wiped Out Marriage, Adoption, Gender Rights; Now, Ties to Paedophilia, ‘Morally There is No Difference’ June 18, 2021 Read More Nine ‘Thumbs Up’ From Supreme Court Says Catholic Agency Can Turn Away Same-Sex Foster Parents, Cite 1st Amendment June 17, 2021 Read More Biden Speech Speaks Directly to Trans Youth, ‘Your President Has Your Back’ as 30-states debate anti-trans bills; Wants to Sign Equality Act April 29, 2021 Read More Covid On Edge Roundup: Vaccines for 50+ in NYC; 1 in 3 Global Tourist Spots Closed; Spring Break; Topline Impact on LGBTQ, 6 Studies March 22, 2021 Read More Ohio GOP Judge Sorry for Letter Telling Gay People, ‘Please Keep Your AIDS to Yourself’ January 24, 2020 Read More Parents File Lawsuit Against Kentucky School That Expelled Daughter Over Rainbow Cake January 24, 2020 Read More Screenshot via YouTube View the full article

That’s not it.. Joyce Vance, Diane Warren, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jesse Tyler Ferguson Would like us to #FreeBritney, as does Courtney Love. Rose McGowan is ‘brutally angry’, Others ‘with you…hear you’, ‘ready to raise hell’; Keke Palmer says All of them need to go to jail!!!!!’ Free Britney ; 2004 Madame Tusoauds in London By John Bäckstrand CC-by … and we’re off…. with Elie Mystal, Justice reporter for The Nation. It is: Elie, Joyce, Reece, Paris, Mariah, Cher and Amnesty Australia. But, that’s only Part 1. britney – Curated tweets by michael_goff Click to Page 2 for Gaetz, Jordan, mixed with some Megan McCain… and reactions to their responses, Page 2 –> View the full article

Yara Sofia is an agent of chaos on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere.RuPaul All Stars 6 is back, and, no, there’s no Yvie Oddly, despite the mass of season 11 queens and more twists and turns than a contortionist’s routine. Before we even get into the “game within a game,” we’ve got to talk about a few other “twists” in the franchise. All Stars season 6 is the first to air exclusively on Paramount+, which means many RuPaul’s Drag Race fans may now have three separate providers to keep up. I’ve been watching on Logo and then VH1 on old-school cable, international editions on WOW+ Presents and now All Stars on Paramount+. It’s like a gay tax! During this, our month of Pride? Furthermore, Paramount+ is taking the Netflix/Disney+ approach and releasing episodes at 3 a.m. Thursday mornings. It’s certainly changed the way we watch. Drag Race is a community experience. Whether you’re watching on Twitter or at a bar, we are gooped and gagged in real time, together. It’s not dissimilar from televised sporting events. They wouldn’t release the Super Bowl in the middle of the night on a weekday. Plus, it makes the already pesky spoiler even harder to avoid. (For our recap purposes, we’re putting these up on Fridays to give folks a chance to watch.) RuPaul All Stars 6: It’s A Lot, But Always Something And I haven’t even started complaining about the overstuffed episodes, and, my favorite refrain, “Too Many Queens!” (available now on iTunes). Ma’am, we’ve got 13 queens, two full hours, 48 runway looks and so many mediocre dance songs with the queens repeating what they think their catchphrase was during their season. It’s a lot! Folks have already snarked about the caliber of the All Stars cast, and last night’s double feature did little to assuage concerns. The preponderance of season 11 queens — one of the less beloved installments among the fandom — doesn’t help either. We’ve got Scarlet Envy, Ra’Jah, A’Keria and the divisive Silky Nutmeg Ganache. (Personally, y’all know by now I like a big girl with attitude, but judging by comments, your mileage may vary.) And yet? I still had fun! By now we’ve watched queens, All Stars, international queens, gay veterans and C-list celebrities all play some variation of the game. The format just works. Sure, we’ll always find something to critique (otherwise what’s the point of even being gay?), but tell me you wouldn’t be equally invested in watching a spin-off called RuPaul’s Drag Race Worst Queens? It’s like queer people are just … inherently interesting? What’s more impressive is, despite the exhausting runtime, it feels like very little substance. Barely a gag, nary a goop. It may not be the queens’ fault. With so many contestants to feature, the breakneck speed skipped across so many moments so swiftly, hardly anything the queens did left a sizable impression. Take the premiere episode. After the queens arrive to show off their new teeth, lips and wigs, the first mini-challenge is the reading challenge. As we learn later in the episode Trinity K. Bonet has no relationship with any of the other girls, and it feels like that may be more broadly the case. The reads are mostly very basic variations on “you’re not good enough to be an All Star,” and nothing seemed to really crack Ru up (the surest sign of a good read). We didn’t see much from each queen, but the edit gives the impression Ginger and Pandora excel as expected, Yara gets laughs being Yara, while Serena, Jan and Silky struggle. Ginger Minj gets the first win of this race, but the real highlight is guest (via video) Miss Piggy, making a long overdue Drag Race appearance. Has anyone made her reactions into GIFs to drop into everyday group chats yet? (This is why we need synchronous viewing!) RuPaul All Stars 6How our 13 queens made their entrances on the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere.The main challenge for this RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere is a variety show that’s, well, light on variety. The task is to showcase your best talents, which for most of these All Stars is … lip syncing. It’s just, I don’t think that’s the assignment. That’d be like entering a beauty pageant and just “being a beauty pageant contestant” for your talent. It’s all original tracks, and they are … fine! They are fine. The dancing is fierce, but there are Real Housewives with better lyrics and more range. It makes the standouts stand out even more. Ra’Jah manages to sew a simple. chic garment in a mere 60 seconds to the delight of the judges. (Many fans — and Michelle — clock that this is a signature Bianca del Rio routine, but Ra’Jah’s garment has more wow factor in less time.) Scarlet puts a fun twist on a burlesque routine using all manner of bubbles. Even though they were lip syncs, Pandora and Yara Sofia shine. Pandora infuses her performance with lots of campy, physical humor, but Yara takes physical humor to a whole new place — a place of sight and sound, but apparently no gravity. Wearing a massive chest plate filled with what I can only assume is … Flubber? … Yara performs a Spanglish sync while juggling these jumbo Jell-O jigglers to the absolutely delight of Ru. She’s the clear winner. Less successful are Silky, whose low-energy live singing I’ve seen at lesser school recitals, and our bottom two, Trinity and Serena ChaCha. TKB tries to recapture the magic of her “Grandma’s Light Bill” routine, but she stumbles and never fully recovers. Serena’s spastic lip sync feels like a huge missed opportunity, forgoing the chance to better use props, tell more of a story or, as Ru request, do more cha-cha! The All Stars format is in tact (so far). The top of All Star of the week, Yara, will pick the lipstick of the queen she thinks she should be eliminated. The other queens will pick their lipsticks. The winner faces off in a lip sync battle against a former lip sync assassin. If the week’s winner is the victor, she picks who goes home. If the assassin wins, the other queens’ pick goes. Between Serena and Trinity, it feels a bit like a foregone conclusion. Yara turns in a satisfactory performance against Coco Montrese to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.” Coco is certainly lacking the legendary diction she displayed during the absolutely iconic “Cold Hearted Snake” lip sync. Neither seems particular committed to the words, and the stunts are minimal. Ru declares Coco the winner, and Ms. Montrese reveals the gals are sending Serena home. But wait! As Serena packs, Ru appears on screen like a gay Jigsaw to let her know there is still a game afoot. Does she want to play? Onto episode two of the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere, we begin with the ceremonial certifying of the lipstick votes. They take out all the lipsticks from the non-winning queens and quickly deduce they ALL voted for Serena, which makes Trinity feel good. They unanimously have her back. Then, Yara, agent of chaos, chooses violence, taking out her lipstick and revealing she would’ve eliminated Trinity. Now we’re getting started. The gals untuck after the Blue Ball on the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere.Brace yourself, because we’re going right into the next challenge: the Blue Ball! That means we’ve got a staggering THIRTY-SIX LOOKS to get through. Oh, honey, I’m not gagging, I’m CHOKING! Someone give me the Heimlich, there’s a paillette blocking my airway! The categories are Blue Betta Work (blue-collar realness), Blue Jean Baby and Blue Ball Bonanza, custom-made from unconventional materials. A few of the girls are traumatized from former sewing challenges — I’m looking at you, Jiggly. (May I call you Jiggly?) The show is a blue blur, but Ra’Jah, Kylie Sonique Love and Eureka manage to make a good impression on the judges and get a top spot. Ra’Jah takes the ultimate win with her smartly tailored lewks and sickening futuristic jumpsuit made in the werkroom. It’s no surprise Jiggly is less lucky. Her second sk8r ensemble looks right off the rack at Pacific Sunwear in 2002, and her constructed garment is something anyone with a throw blanket and a safety pin could whip up (in a minute or less, even). The judges also find fault in A’keria’s presentation, but it’s mild criticism and she’s clearly safe. In a bit of a shocker, joining Jiggly in the bottom is episode one’s winner, Yara Sofia. Carson thinks Yara’s unconventional outfit is too busy, and the return of her bouncing boobies felt a bit redundant. It all comes down to Ra’Jah and the lip sync assassin, Brooke Lynn Hytes. In the pantheon of dancing queens, BLH has got to be somewhere toward the top of the list. Ra’jah absolutely keeps up in a neck-and-neck lip sync that combines sex, competition, interplay and acrobatics in the way all the best syncs do. Ru has no choice but to call it a tie. (Although, I would have given the edge to Ra’Jah.) That means there’s potentially two gals going home, but both lipsticks say Jiggly. We bid adieu to Jiggly — for now — before Ru appears again like a puppet on a tricycle to see if Jiggly wants to play a game. That just leaves one enormous piece of business: rankings! Longtime readers know the deal by now, but for any new squirrel friends, these are my own, personal, completely subjective, armchair drag critic rankings based on this week, previous weeks, previous seasons, perceived potential, star power, moxie and whatever my mood may be. Disagree? Leave your rankings in the comments! And remember: It’s only drag! These rankings were tough, and not because it’s such a tight race for the crown. It’s just a struggle to see a majority of these queens in the Hall of Fame. Maybe this season will slowly change my mind. But for now, here’s how they’re shaking out for me. I am so here to see Ra’Jah get some Ru-demption in the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere. The talented queen and expert confessional quipper has more talent than attitude, despite her reputation. Her speedy sewing skills were on full display in both episodes, and holding her own against Brooke like that was impressive. Eureka was already one of Ru’s favorites, competing on two previous seasons of Drag Race, reaching the finale in her second go-round. Now, she’s got a lot more exposure and experience, thanks to her work on HBO’s We’re Here. Her variety talent performance — which borrowed the projection technique most recently in the zeitgeist thanks to previous winner Sasha Velour — was too overly earnest for me, but it’s the kind of thing I can see RuPaul eating up. Eureka is the kind of queen custom made to excel here. Even A’Keria‘s competitors want to be her, that’s how fierce she is. We know she can be funny, we know she can turn it on the runway and we know she can lip sync. I thought her placement in the bottom on episode two was misguided, but her variety lip sync was meh enough to justify it for me. I love how Jan came in so determined to undo her narrative of being so over-the-top extra, and she immediately is 10x more intense. Her variety show singing escalated until she was just fully screaming. It was impressive, but not necessarily pleasant. Every single one of her Blue Ball outfits were incredible. Methinks she may have gotten some fashion notes from recent Ru girl Rosé. Ginger is a pro, there’s no doubt about that. Her “Gummi Bear” lip sync in the variety show was dumb, but it was dumb done right. She considered all the details, from the set to the Gummi Bear belt buckle to her Gummi Bear-esque puffs on her head. Everything was executed with precision and showmanship. For Ginger to really shine this season, she’ll need to surprise us. It doesn’t matter how well she does “Glamour Toad” — we know she’s got that — but if she can give us sex or edge, it would really make a statement. Similarly, you know what you’re getting with Pandora. It’s good! I like it! But does she have the versatility, branding and media savvy to take the title? I wasn’t a huge fan of Scarlet her first go round, but so far, so good. She has looked consistently great. The bubble routine was very fun (and an incredibly refreshing change of pace), but she had little memorable confessional presence. Maybe she’ll have more room to shine in coming weeks. I’m glad to see Kylie Sonique Love get a proper run at the Race. One of two trans women competing this season, it’s great (though long overdue) to see Drag Race catch up and highlight all the talent in the community. Kylie is already worlds ahead of where we last saw Sonique. Let’s hope coming episodes give her more highlight. I was all in on Yara in episode one, but, like the judges, I fell off in episode two. Bringing the boobs back the next time on the runway was a big mistake. Yara is still Yara. There are flashes of brilliance in all the chaos, but it’s just a matter of catching it at the right moment. One thing you can say about the rest of these gals, they are CONSISTENT. That makes Yara a wild card. A little surprise can go a long way, it’s just a matter of in which direction. Silky may not be the most popular Drag Race alum, but I was ready to root for her. The variety show performance was a real disappointment that started uneasy and went nowhere. She looked good at the ball, but my favorite part was the crash sound they edited in when she put the box down on the third runway. That’s some *chef’s kiss* foley work. Trinity is another queen so many people are rooting for. She came in with more confidence, but it dissipated on the main stage when she stumbled. It was tough to watch. I think Blue Collar lewk should have earned her a spot in the bottom. It was Kohl’s lady pants and a summer camp craft Stop sign. Not good enough for All Stars! I wish it weren’t true, but Jiggly was the right call to go home in episode two, just based on challenge performance. I think she has potential, and there’s still the lingering hope of whatever this “game within a game” turns out to be. Serena is certainly improved, but, alas, not quite an All Star. What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments. And, FYI: If you share your thoughts online using the hashtag #ParamountPlusPride, the streaming service will donate $1 to the Point Foundation, the nation’s largest LGBTQ scholarship granting organization for more than 20 years. Make an impact while spilling the tea. Before the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere: Get caught up on previous Towleroad coverage View the full article

New £50 notes memorializing groundbreaking British computer scientist and World War II hero Alan Turing went into circulation on Wednesday, the date of what would have been his 109th birthday. The new note, which the Bank of England announced in 2019, is the first to be printed on plastic instead of paper and features Turing’s portrait on the note’s back along with a collection of signifiers highlighting Turing’s legacy in the fields of computing and mathematics. Those include listing Turing’s birthday in binary code, a table and formula from his foundational paper “On Computable Numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem” and one of Turing’s more memorable quotes: “This is only a foretaste of what is to come and only the shadow of what is going to be.” “Our banknotes celebrate some of our country’s most important historical figures. That’s why I am delighted that Alan Turing features on the new polymer £50 note,” said Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England. “Having undertaken remarkable codebreaking work here at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, he went on to pioneer work on early computers, as well as making some ground-breaking discoveries in the field of developmental biology.” “He was also gay and was treated appallingly as a result. Placing him on this new banknote is a recognition of his contributions to our society, and a celebration of his remarkable life,” Bailey added. The appalling treatment Bailey refers to is the criminalization of his gay identity despite his efforts to help defeat the Axis Powers during World War II by decoding the German Enigma codes. The new note features drawings of the British Bombe, one of the tools Turing used to break the Nazis’ code. Despite his heroic status, Turing was still prosecuted for being a gay man and underwent forced chemical castration at the hands of the Crown in 1952. Turing would die by suicide two years later. He was 41. The U.K. government didn’t apologize for Turing’s treatment until 2009. Queen Elizabeth II posthumously pardoned Turing in 2013 and named a law pardoning hundreds of other men prosecuted for simply being gay after him. The Bank of England also flew the Progress Pride flag on Wednesday in honor of Turing’s memory. “Alan Turing’s appearance on the £50 note is a landmark moment in our history. Not only is it a celebration of his scientific genius which helped to shorten the war and influence the technology we still use today, it also confirms his status as one of the most iconic LGBT+ figures in the world,” said Jeremy Fleming, Director of British spy agency GCHQ. “Turing was embraced for his brilliance and persecuted for being gay,” he added. “His legacy is a reminder of the value of embracing all aspects of diversity, but also the work we still need to do to become truly inclusive.” Alan Turing: Previously on Towleroad Gay WWII Codebreaker Alan Turing to Be New Face of UK £50 Note July 15, 2019 Read More Justin Bieber, Rebecca Romijn, Donald Trump, Alan Turing, RBG’s Mentor, Joy Behar In Black Face, A Transgender Reveal Party, and More: HOT LINKS February 7, 2019 Read More Thousands of Gay UK Men Convicted for Gross Indecency Have Today Been Officially Pardoned January 31, 2017 Read More 93-Year-Old Gay WWII Vet Convicted of Gross Indecency Demands Apology From UK Government November 2, 2016 Read More ‘Alan Turing Bill’ to Pardon 49,000+ Gay Men Fails in UK Parliament: WATCH October 21, 2016 Read More UK Unveils ‘Alan Turing Law’ to Pardon 49,000+ Gay Men Convicted For Gross Indecency October 20, 2016 Read More Image courtesy of the Bank of England View the full article

Published by Reuters By Patricia Zengerle and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Members of the U.S. Congress said on Wednesday they would press ahead with efforts to change the law in order to overhaul how the military prosecutes sexual assault and related crimes, while welcoming Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s unprecedented support for the shift. Democratic and Republican members of Congress announced the introduction in the House of Representatives of legislation to shift prosecution of such cases from the chain of command and make it the responsibility of trained military prosecutors. Their bill is named for Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, who was murdered after reporting sexual harassment. A companion bill is co-sponsored by two-thirds of the Senate, although it has been held up by opposition from the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Armed Services Committee. Advocates and lawmakers have been calling for years for commanders to be taken out of the decision-making process when it comes to prosecuting the thousands of cases of sexual assault and related crimes among service members every year. Senior military officials, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Mark Milley, have stopped short of endorsing the move, despite acknowledging failings in addressing sexual assault in the ranks. They argue, supported by some members of Congress, that preserving commanders’ authority over prosecutions is vital to maintaining discipline. Backers of the legislation argue that the military has failed to improve the system despite years of promises. Austin, in a major break from his predecessors, said on Tuesday he supported the change and would work with Congress to make changes. “That is a huge, monumental step forward to recognize that good order and discipline does not rest on a commander deciding on if a case goes forward,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has spearheaded efforts to change the policy, told a news conference with House members and members of Guillen’s family. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to the floor soon and it would pass. “I hope that it will succeed in the Senate as well,” she said. A 2018 Pentagon survey estimated that 20,500 male and female service members experienced some kind of sexual assault that year. Guillen, who was based at Fort Hood in Texas, was 20 when she was bludgeoned to death, her body found mutilated and buried in a shallow grave. An investigative panel looking into violent crimes and abuse at Fort Hood, the largest active-duty armored post in the United States, said in December it had found a command structure that was “permissive” of sexual assaults. “When we have a system that fails victims, everyone is failed,” Republican Representative Mike Turner told the news conference. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Idrees Ali; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Sexual Assault in Military previously on Towleroad Dutch Prime Minister Tells Hungary’s Orban to Respect LGBT rights or leave EU June 25, 2021 Read More President Biden Names Jessica Stern U.S. LGBTQI+ Special Envoy, Signs Pulse National Memorial into Law June 25, 2021 Read More Free Britney. Strange Bedfellows: Cher, Gaetz + Jordan, Megan McCain, the Justice Reporter From ‘The Nation’, Andy Cohen, Rose McGowan, and Amnesty F’in International June 25, 2021 Read More RuPaul All Stars 6 Premiere: Variety Extravaganza, Blue Ball and a New Viewing Experience [RECAP and RANKINGS] June 25, 2021 Read More Gay WW2 Hero Alan Turing Memorialized on New British £50 Note; ‘A Celebration of His Remarkable Life’ June 25, 2021 Read More League Forbids Rainbow-lit Munich Stadium For Hungary Match to Protest Anti-Gay Laws. So Fans, Other Stadiums Put Rainbows Everywhere June 24, 2021 Read More View the full article

The Munich Stadium has worn the colors of the rainbow and looks great doing it as recently seen at the city’s Christopher Street Days pride celebration. But citing a policy on “political and religious neutrality” the League forbid the planned protest lights. Picking up the slack, other German Stadiums went full rainbow and fans filled the stadium with flags and face paints and arm bands and other rainbow products, joined by some players. The growing divide over anti-LGBTQ legislation recently passed in Hungary even played out on the pitch Wednesday when the German soccer team hosted Hungarian national team for a UEFA EURO 2020 tournament group stage match in Munich. The Hungarian government has explicitly targeted the country’s LGBTQ population under authoritarian leader Viktor Orban, including the passage of a law banning the “promotion” of LGBTQ identities to minors. This and many other discriminatory laws passed in recent years have prompt human rights groups to decry the European nation for its attitude of erasure toward the LGBTQ community. Germany planned to illuminate Munich’s Allianz Arena, the location of Wednesday’s match, in the colors of the rainbow as a public response to Hungary’s treatment of LGBTQ communities, but European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, blocked the move, citing its commitment to remain “politically and religiously neutral.” What could have been…. The Munich Stadium as it appeared for Christopher Street Days, part of Munich Pride a few years ago“The rainbow colors are a tribute to diversity and to the fact that we are all equal. It has nothing to do with politics,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand told German press outlet dpa. “I pay respect to the fact that [German team captain] Manuel Neuer and the German national team want to take social responsibility.” “I find it shameful that UEFA forbids us to send a sign for cosmopolitanism, tolerance, respect and solidarity with the people of the LGBT community,” Munich mayor Dieter Reiter told France24. Orban and other Hungarian officials have consistently maintained that the law isn’t discriminatory toward LGBTQ Hungarians despite critics highlighting that the legislation equates homosexuality with pedophilia. The European Union has also weighed in, stating its opposition to the Hungarian laws. “This Hungarian bill is a shame,” said Ursela von der Leyen, European Commission president. “This bill clearly discriminates against people based on their sexual orientation. It goes against the fundamental values of the European Union: human dignity, equality and respect for human rights … I will use all the powers of the Commission to ensure that the rights of all EU citizens are guaranteed. Whoever they are and wherever they live within the European Union.” Germany joined with 13 other EU nations in support of a statement from Belgian officials condemning Hungary’s latest anti-LGBTQ law as being discrimination disguised as an effort to protect children. “A union of values is not an à la carte menu. We have a collective responsibility to protect the rights of all EU citizens, and therefore we have a duty to make our voice heard and to react when those rights and our values are undermined,” said Sophie Wilmès, Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister. Wednesday match ended in a 2-2 tie and Hungary was eliminated from UEFA EURO 2020. Munich Stadium: Previously on Towleroad League Forbids Rainbow-lit Munich Stadium For Hungary Match to Protest Anti-Gay Laws. So Fans, Other Stadiums Put Rainbows Everywhere Brian Bell June 24, 2021 Read More U.S. Soccer Stars Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are Engaged Andy Towle November 2, 2020 Read More Pro Soccer Star Junior Flemmings Suspended, Fined for Homophobic Slur That Prompted San Diego Team to Walk Off Field in Support of Gay Player Andy Towle October 8, 2020 Read More U.S. Soccer Team ‘San Diego Loyal’ Walks Off Field, Forfeits Match in Protest After Gay Player Called Homophobic Slur By Opponent: WATCH Andy Towle October 1, 2020 Read More Justin Fashanu, Britain’s First and Only Out Gay Footballer, to Be Posthumously Inducted in Hall of Fame Andy Towle February 18, 2020 Read More Trump Appears to Renege on Promise to Invite World Cup Champion U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to White House Andy Towle July 8, 2019 Read More Photo courtesy of Twitt View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -Rudy Giuliani’s law license in New York state was suspended on Thursday, as a state appeals court found he had lied in arguing that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from his client, former U.S. President Donald Trump. Giuliani, 77, a former U.S. Attorney in Manhattan and New York City mayor, was sanctioned for making unsubstantiated claims in court, testimony before lawmakers, press conferences and other media appearances about electoral fraud. The five-justice Appellate Division in Manhattan found “uncontroverted” evidence that Giuliani made “demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public” in trying to overturn the election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. “These false statements were made to improperly bolster (Giuliani’s) narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client,” the court said. “We conclude that respondent’s conduct immediately threatens the public interest and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law.” Giuliani could not immediately be reached for comment. John Leventhal and Barry Kamins, two lawyers for Giuliani, said they were disappointed with the decision. “Our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest,” they said in a joint statement. “We believe that once the issues are fully explored at a hearing Mr. Giuliani will be reinstated as a valued member of the legal profession that he has served so well in his many capacities for so many years.” The court said Giuliani made numerous false statements about the voting in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, including that hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots or votes, including from dead people, had been improperly counted. It highlighted a Pennsylvania court hearing on Nov. 17 where Giuliani alleged widespread voter fraud – though his formal written complaint on Trump’s behalf made no mention of it. The court rejected Giuliani’s argument that the investigation of his conduct violated his constitutional right to free speech. It also suggested the suspension may become permanent. “We find that there is evidence of continuing misconduct, the underlying offense is incredibly serious, and the uncontroverted misconduct in itself will likely result in substantial permanent sanctions,” the court said. Giuliani’s suspension takes effect immediately, pending further proceedings before an attorney grievance committee that had recommended it. The suspension adds to the legal problems for Giuliani, who as New York City mayor won wide praise for his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have been examining Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine, including whether he violated lobbying laws by acting as an unregistered foreign agent while working as Trump’s lawyer. Giuliani received his law license in 1969. He began representing Trump in April 2018 as federal Special Counsel Robert Mueller was probing Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York and Jan Wolfe in Washington; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Dan Grebler) Rudy Giuliani Law License previously on Towleroad Dutch Prime Minister Tells Hungary’s Orban to Respect LGBT rights or leave EU June 25, 2021 Read More President Biden Names Jessica Stern U.S. LGBTQI+ Special Envoy, Signs Pulse National Memorial into Law June 25, 2021 Read More Free Britney. Strange Bedfellows: Cher, Gaetz + Jordan, Megan McCain, the Justice Reporter From ‘The Nation’, Andy Cohen, Rose McGowan, and Amnesty F’in International June 25, 2021 Read More RuPaul All Stars 6 Premiere: Variety Extravaganza, Blue Ball and a New Viewing Experience [RECAP and RANKINGS] June 25, 2021 Read More Gay WW2 Hero Alan Turing Memorialized on New British £50 Note; ‘A Celebration of His Remarkable Life’ June 25, 2021 Read More Bi-partisan Effort To Move 20,000+ Sexual Assault Cases/Year Out of Command Chain Gets Surprise Support of Defense Secy. Austin June 24, 2021 Read More View the full article

“Lessons learned and trauma experienced early in HIV helped urban gay areas respond quickly and effectively in the face of early federal govt paralysis.” HIV and Covid: A study and possible forthcoming book strongly suggest that those who worked and agitated in their communities absent recognition, let alone support, for the Americans fighting the last pandemic, emerged with some skills to go with that trauma. And indications are that the lessons, insights and agitation likely mitigated some amount of pain during quarantines and contributed to greater resilience. — Editor How gay neighborhoods used the traumas of HIV to help American cities fight coronavirus HIV and Covid: HIV health and support groups offered COVID-19 testing and other community services during the pandemic. iStock / Getty Images Plus Throughout the pandemic, local neighborhoods have played a critical and well-documented role providing the health and social services necessary for American communities and businesses to survive and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Gay neighborhoods were particularly well equipped to meet this challenge, according to our latest research on these communities. We find that the lessons learned and trauma experienced early in the HIV/AIDS pandemic helped urban gay areas respond to COVID-19 quickly and effectively – especially in the face of early federal government paralysis. How gay neighborhoods fought HIV/AIDS Gay neighborhoods are those that welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer and other sexual minorities – a population generally referred to by the shorthand LGBTQ+. Well-known examples include the Castro district in San Francisco, Dupont Circle in Washington and Greenwich Village and Chelsea in New York City. HIV and Covid: New York City’s West Village neighborhood during Pride month, June 2021. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images “Gayborhoods” grew during the sexual liberation movements of the 1960s and 1970s, offering LGTBQ people and their allies an escape from pervasive discrimination and prejudice. In these areas, sexual minorities could rent apartments, socialize in bars and express themselves freely in a like-minded, compassionate community. Even as LGBTQ people in the U.S. began to live more openly, gay neighborhoods really coalesced around the HIV/AIDS pandemic. When that mysterious new disease began ravaging the LGBTQ community in the 1980s, the U.S. government turned away from, not toward, those communities. Support critical for fighting HIV – including health care subsidies for uninsured people and funding for research on treatments and cures – was initially not provided. Information given by governments about disease transmission and treatment was inconsistent and sometimes inaccurate. Government neglect ended up stigmatizing people with HIV and leading to many avoidable deaths. So, as we uncovered in our most recent book, gay neighborhoods filled the void where government and mainstream organizations failed. They became the battlefields where the AIDS pandemic was fought and eventually won. People in gay neighborhoods developed community organizations and systems to deliver health care and mental health services, provide social support for LGBTQ+ people and support LGBTQ-friendly businesses. Public health organizations like New York City’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis also stepped in to do what many doctors would not. They shared information about slowing and stopping the spread of HIV and also distributed condoms, conducted free HIV testing and connected people who tested positive to help. HIV and Covid: New York City’s Pride march in June 1985, featuring a contingent from the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Suzanne Poli/Getty Images Building community through crisis The COVID-19 pandemic shares many similarities reminiscent of early days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. With both HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, there was a disjointed and bungled government response that endangered lives and produced both fear and stigma. Even some of the same government-appointed leaders were in place: Both Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx worked on marshaling government resources to spearhead the medical response to HIV in the 1990s. With COVID-19, as with HIV/AIDS, city and state governments were unprepared to fight a disease outbreak. They lacked both planning and infrastructure to effectively fight a rapidly accelerating public health threat. Several U.S. states, as a result, looked to organizations within gay neighborhoods for help, relying on neighborhood-based LGBTQ+ health care organizations to help support their COVID-19 pandemic response. HIV and Covid: Example of social distancing signage from Toronto gay neighborhood. Robert Modzelewski, CC BY For example, in New York, the Erie County Department of Health requested that Evergreen Health – an LGBTQ community group originally established in the 1980s as a volunteer effort to fight HIV – assume responsibility for HIV testing during the COVID-19 pandemic so that the county government could focus on COVID-19 testing. Evergreen also opened a drive-though COVID-19 testing center in the spring of 2020 – four decades after it had introduced HIV testing to the Buffalo region. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Evergreen Health not only continued to provide health care and other supportive services to Buffalo’s LGBTQ community but expanded offerings to better serve underserved and minority neighborhoods across the city. At that time, New York state was the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Chicago and other cities, activists used LGBTQ+ urban social and professional networks established during the HIV/AIDS pandemic to tackle this latest disease. Queer communities disseminated information about COVID-19 to neighbors and distributed face masks and other protective gear, just as they had once shared information about HIV transmission and given out condoms. [The Conversation’s most important coronavirus headlines, weekly in a science newsletter] Lessons learned States with major grassroots activism in the HIV crisis also applied lessons from that era about overcoming misinformation and fear of contagious diseases. For instance, New York state used a network of small laboratories to process its COVID-19 tests and administer vaccines – a model pioneered during the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic when large, centralized laboratories were initially nervous about working with HIV-positive blood samples. Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, this allowed New York to react effectively and process COVID-19 tests relatively quickly. Previously on Towleroad Coronavirus: Three Lessons from the AIDS Crisis New York, followed by California, was among states in which COVID-19 infection first showed up in the U.S. As these state governments set up testing procedures, they drew upon methods for testing established during the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The experience in both New York and California with HIV/AIDS helped, at least in part, to establish robust testing networks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Kingdom government, on the other hand, chose centralized laboratories to process tests, rejecting an offer to create a complementary network of smaller local providers. That decision may have complicated testing and slowed results and contact tracing, according to reporting by SkyNews. Our research also finds gay neighborhoods banded together to meet the needs of the broader community. Activist mutual aid networks formed decades ago within “gayborhoods” deployed peer-to-peer mobile technologies to help feed locked down and sick people – not only within the LGBTQ community. Many of these efforts to combat COVID-19, like actions taken to fight HIV/AIDS, were done quietly, without fanfare. This neighbor-helping-neighbor approach is a hallmark of the leadership that can be found in gay neighborhoods – experienced rescuers in times of crisis. Daniel Baldwin Hess, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University at Buffalo and Alex Bitterman, Professor of Architecture and Design, Alfred State College of Technology, The State University of New York This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. HIV and Covid previously on Towleroad Masonry Personhood is Powerful. Lesbian Bars Adjust, Ask, Include–And Rebrand to Match:’Queer Human Bar Built by Lesbians’ June 5, 2021 Read More For Sir Ian McKellen Age Was Not a Barrier to Enjoying Pilates Instruction During in Covid Lockdown May 31, 2021 Read More Your Employer May Require A Covid Vaccine Card to Work, Federal Equal Employment Commission Said Friday May 30, 2021 Read More LGBTQ Nightlife is Opening Up, But Honor Systems, Fake Vaccination Cards Still Pose Risks May 22, 2021 Read More Covid-19 Spike Close to Overwhelming Hospitals; Tokyo Doctors ‘strongly request’ Officials Cancel Delayed Japan Olympics May 18, 2021 Read More HIV vaccine: Why Are We Incapable of Making a Shot for AIDS 37-years Later, When We Had Several for COVID-19 In a Few Months? May 17, 2021 Read More View the full article

Have you seen every side of Miami Neighborhoods? Photo courtesy of the GMCVB.When you picture yourself in Miami, a few images likely come to mind: Dancing the night away among hot, sweaty bodies; enjoying the eye candy on a beautiful beach; mingling with the fashionable Art Basel crowd; or savoring Cuban flavors on your plate and on the dance floor. And that’s still just a fraction of the adventures awaiting. A single trip to Miami can have you cruising the Everglades in an airboat and cruising the guys at a world-famous gay nightclubs, all in the same day. The wealth of experiences available for gay travelers visiting the famously LGBTQ+-friendly city means it can be hard to cram it all in on one trip. To make sure you get at least a taste of Miami’s many flavors, we’ve put together four totally unique must-visit Miami spots for your next trip. Add one of these areas to your next itinerary for an unforgettable first-time experience or a new flavor to a return trip. Click to Page 2 for ART in WYNWOOD Page 2 –> View the full article