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Published by New York Daily News A federal judge in Indiana on Friday issued a preliminary injunction blocking a ban on gender-affirming care for minors from taking effect, in a ruling celebrated as a “victory” by civil rights advocates. Senate Bill 480, which would prohibit families and doctors from providing gender-affirming care for minors, was signed into law by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 5. Shortly after the signing of the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union and its Indiana affiliate filed a lawsuit on behalf of four trans youth and their families, alleging the law is unconstitutional because it violates … Read More View the full article

Published by Sports Illustrated By Patrick Andres West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins is expected to resign in the wake of his arrest for driving under the influence in Pittsburgh Friday evening, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. Huggins, 69, was observed blocking traffic in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny West neighborhood and pulled over, per a police report. He failed a sobriety test and was taken into custody. The arrest added to an offseason filled with negative headlines for Huggins. On May 8, Huggins referred to [Xavier fans](https://www.si.com/college/2023/05/08/west-virginia-bob-huggins-anti-lgbtq-slur-xavier-fans) as… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK NICOSIA (Reuters) – Separated by politics but united in pride, members of LGBTQ+ communities came together in celebration late on Saturday in the no-man’s-land that splits Cyprus in two. Setting off from opposing sides of Nicosia, Cyprus’s divided capital city, activists converged in a United Nations controlled buffer zone, turning it into a sea of rainbow flags where people cheered, embraced and kissed. Cyprus was split by ethnic violence which culminated in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. The Turkish Cypriot community live in its north, and Greek Cypriots… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet MSNBC Host Ayman Mohyeldin on Saturday interviewed Dr. Marci Bowers, a gynecologic and reconstructive surgeon and president of the World Professional Organization for Transgender Health about the growing attacks by Republicans on gender-affirming care “Talk to us a little bit about that,” host Ayman Mohyeldin began. Citing Bowers’ April 2023 New York Times editorial, Mohyeldin pointed out that “studies show gender-affirming therapy has huge benefits for patients, and fewer than one percent of those who’ve received gender-affirming surgery say they regret their decision to do so, which is a muc… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, we can expect tensions between the political left and right to intensify. That being said, it’s essential to understand the psychological forces at play that may predict a rise not just in disagreement, but in violence. The social psychology theory known as terror management theory offers a powerful lens through which to view the growing polarity and potential hostility, and how that could manifest as violence depending on what happens with Donald Trump — legally and politically — in the coming year. Terror management theory explains how exist… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA A suspected terrorist attack on Vienna’s annual pride parade on Saturday was foiled before it could take place and three suspects were arrested, Austrian security officials said on Sunday, a day after 300,000 gathered to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Three young men – aged 14, 17 and 20 – were accused by the head of the Directorate General for Public Security of being Islamic State sympathizers, and arrested before the parade kicked off. Omar Haijawi-Pirchner said the suspects had taken predatory steps to attack the “Rainbow Parade” in the Austrian capital but there was never any threat to th… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega GOP House Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned the Pride flag this week and dubbed the rainbow flag a “symbol of aggression,” RadarOnline.com has learned. The controversial congresswoman’s contentious remarks came on Monday as she posted a scathing rant about gay and trans rights on Twitter amid this year’s Pride Month. Mega According to Greene, the rainbow Pride flag is not only a “symbol of aggression” but the entire Pride movement is allegedly pushing an “evil, perverted, and hyper-sexualized agenda” that “must end.” “The pride movement is not about rights for gay people anymore,” she tweeted on Monday. “Every American has equal rights.” “[The Pride flag] has become a symbol of aggression that should be concerning to all Americans,” Greene continued. “This is an evil, perverted, and hyper-sexualized agenda that is targeting kids and it must end!” Meanwhile, Greene also posted a clip of her recent appearance on The Charlie Kirk Show – a right-wing radio show hosted by 29-year-old Turning Point USA president Charlie Kirk. Marjorie Taylor Greene Was Compared to the Woman Who Got Emmett Till Murdered During Georgia Town Hall ‘Removing Toxic and Bad People Out of My Life Makes Me Very Happy’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Unloads on Matt Gaetz in Leaked Text Messages Detailing Epic Fall-out Between House Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Boyfriend Brian Glenn Divorce Battle With Ex Sealed From Public As Romance With Congresswoman Heats Up During the episode, both Greene and Kirk fumed over the fact that a Pride flag was hung alongside the American flag at a Marriott-owned hotel where the Turning Point USA founder held a recent summit where Greene appeared as a guest speaker. “You can’t say things like this, and I’m going to say it,” Greene said at the Turning Point USA Young Women’s Leadership Summit. “I just drove up today here at the Gaylord and I saw three flags.” Mega “And one of the flags, which is just as big as the other ones — the United States flag, the Texas flag — was the rainbow flag. Shame on them!” she continued. “Shame on them for hanging that flag out there. Because it shouldn’t be about what people do sexually that causes us to hang a flag somewhere.” “The only flags that should be hung are the United States flag — and it’s big and beautiful in the back of this room — and a state flag,” Greene concluded. “So, shame on the Gaylord!” Mega Then, on Kirk’s radio show, Greene continued to slam the Pride movement, the Pride flag, and the Biden Administration’s decision to hang a Pride flag outside the White House alongside the American flag to commemorate this year’s Pride Month. “Absolutely, I called them out because the Pride movement is not about rights for gay people anymore, that’s been totally determined for a very long time,” the MAGA congresswoman raved. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. “Every single American has equal rights,” she continued. “The equal right to vote, the equal right to buy a home, to have a job if they qualify for job qualifications, get an education, and so much more in America.” “But that flag that you’re showing there, that the White House and Joe Biden prominently displays as more important that the United States American flag, has become a symbol of aggression,” she repeated. “It’s an aggression in a type of form that should be concerning to all Americans, and it is to most Americans.” View the full article

Published by The Philadelphia Inquirer On TV, “Abbott Elementary’s” Gregory Eddie is an endearing first-grade teacher who doesn’t tolerate nonsense from his students. Off camera, the actor who plays him says he also won’t tolerate nonsense — or rumors. In a note published on Instagram, Tyler James Williams shut down a longstanding fan theory that he is gay. “I’m not gay; but I think the culture of trying to ‘find’ some kind of hidden trait or behavior that a closeted person ‘let slip’ is very dangerous,” Williams wrote. “Overanalyzing someone’s behavior in an attempt to ‘catch’ them directly contributes to the anxiety a lot of quee… Read More View the full article

Rebecca Black’s journey in the music industry is turning out to be not so much the “1-hit wonder” narrative in spite of Heinz tapping her to joint certain others clearly in the club. (and who wouldn’t for their own version of Ranch?). She has been navigating her way through a complex landscape of public opinion, reinventing her sound, and embracing her queer identity. Rebecca Black, once known primarily for her viral song “Friday,” has been reinventing herself over the past few years. She started her comeback in 2021 with a hyperpop remix of “Friday,” produced by Dylan Brady of 100 gecs, featuring Big Freedia, Dorian Electra, and the brotronica duo 3OH!3. Her 2023 debut album, “Let Her Burn” did get some mixed reviews, but was a real big step to craft a new image, sucking up influences from Katy Perry to Ariana Grande and Charli XCX. Her look has matured and self-describing as a “queer-celebrated,” Mexican-American, “iconic queer creator”​​ she’s come out and added layers. Published by Cerebral Overload HEINZ® – the condiment category icon and leader – today announced the debut of six new, limited-time Sauce Drops. With the help of viral sensations who know a little something about 15 minutes in the spotlight – Rebecca Black, Kyle Craven (AKA “Bad Luck Brian”) and singing competition sensation William Hung – HEINZ will “drop” one sauce per month at select restaurants across the U.S., giving each exotic and mouthwatering creation its 15 minutes of flavor. “As a consumer obsessed brand at the forefront of food culture, we want to hijack fans’ behavior as they seek out new and unique flavors at … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -President Joe Biden made his 2024 re-election pitch to union members in Philadelphia on Saturday in his first political rally since launching his campaign in April, aiming to shore up a key part of his political coalition and bolster support among white working-class voters. The AFL-CIO, which includes 60 unions representing more than 12.5 million workers, endorsed Biden and his running mate Vice President Kamala Harris this week – the earliest it has ever made an endorsement in a U.S. presidential election – and hosted Saturday’s eve… Read More View the full article

Published by Socialite Life The second season of Queen of the Universe pits immensely talented singing queens from around the world against each other to snatch the coveted title won by Grag Queen last year. On last week’s episode, the queens were split into teams and the competition’s two American representatives, Militia Scunt and Jazell Barbie Royale wowed the crowd with an original (and spicy) duet titled “Gagging for You.” Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Jazell has been on the drag scene for almost two decades. She has won numerous pageant titles and has entertained crowds across the country. She used her platform as… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Howard Donald has been dropped from a pride festival after liking a series of transphobic tweets. The Take That singer, 55, had been set to headline the LGBTIQA event Groovebox in July alongside the likes of Horse Meat Disco, Essel and Sam Sax, but after his actions were slammed by fans he was dropped, issued an apology – and his Twitter account has been removed. Howard said on an Instagram story on Saturday (17.06.23) he was “deeply sorry” after making a “huge error” by “liking social media posts that are derogatory towards the LGBTQIA+ community”. He added: “I have made a huge error in my ju… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lady Gaga feels her recent time out of the spotlight has been “extremely healing and recharging”. The ‘Poker Face’ singe, 37, has been lying relatively low as she prepared her character for the upcoming ‘Joke’ sequel and a film on her ‘Chromatica Ball’ tour, but has now reassured fans she has used the time to grow creatively and personally. She said in a long open letter to her 55 million Instagram followers: “I’ve been experiencing my creativity ever since last summer in a really special and private way. “I wrote and produced music for a special project, I prepared for months developing my ch… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Former President Donald Trump vowed in a speech at a rally in Conroe, Texas on Saturday, January 28th, 2023 that he will prohibit transgender women from competing in female sports if he is reelected in 2024. “We will ban men from participating in women’s sports,” Trump said, as quoted in a January 31st NBC News analysis. Trump claimed that it is “so ridiculous” that “young girls and women are incensed that they are now being forced to compete against those who are biological males” and declared that “it’s not good for women. It’s not good for women’s sports, which worked for so long and so har… Read More View the full article

Published by The Street By Daniel Kline Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made Walt Disney his proxy for every company that embraces diversity and pushes what he calls “woke” values. That’s a political marketing decision that seems pretty flawed because the presidential candidate could have made Starbucks, Target, or lots of other companies his target rather than going after the company that drives billions of dollars in tourism to his state. Starbucks (SBUX) – Get Free Report and Target (TGT) – Get Free Report, however, while they clearly support values DeSantis does not agree with, did not specifically call out the gov… Read More View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Sally Ride was the first American woman in space when she rode on Space Shuttle Challenger from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A on June 18, 1983. She broke barriers, but she wasn’t alone. She was among six women named in 1978 as part of NASA Astronaut Group 8, all mission specialists. Ride was the first, but all six women from that class made it to space including Anna Fisher, who became the first mom in space when she launched on her lone mission aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1984. “I was assigned to my flight two weeks before my daughter was born,” Fisher said duri… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK WARSAW (Reuters) -Tens of thousands marched through the streets of Warsaw on Saturday to demand equality for LGBTQ people, as the community eyes upcoming Polish elections in which gay rights could play a prominent role. The country’s ruling conservative nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has focused on opposing what it calls “LGBT ideology” in previous campaigns. With an election in October or November looking tight, activists expect PiS to use issues like gay marriage or teaching about LGBTQ issues in schools to mobilise socially conservative voters. “I am almost 100% percent sure that i… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Raven-Symoné thinks that coming out was the “biggest hurdle” of her life. The 37-year-old actress announced her sexuality to the world over a decade ago and has been married to Miranda Maday since 2020 but explained that coming to terms with being gay will always be a “mental struggle” and has promised to be there for those who are also battling with their identity. She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “It’s a journey for everyone. No matter how many laws get passed, no matter how inclusive shows are, it’s a struggle that you’re going to go through with yourself and the people around you. That is the biggest hurdle we have to go through: the shame that your society might put on you or your family might put on you or your thoughts, mentally. It’s getting over your personal struggle. And then once you jump over that hump, we’ll catch you. Just gotta get there yourself.” In the joint interview, Raven’s wife urged others to “stay true” to themselves whilst figuring out their identity and promised that if someone chooses to live as their authentic self, everything else will fall into place. She said: “Stay true to yourself… I think that when people live in their authenticity, the pieces fall into place naturally. It just takes time, and you have to be patient and offer yourself a lot of grace. And just continue, you know. It’s life.” Raven became known to audiences around the world when she took on the title role of a teenage psychic in ‘That’s So Raven’ – which ran on Disney Channel from 2003 until 2007 – but insisted that when the sitcom was rebooted as ‘Raven’s Home’ in 2017, there was no need for her alter ego to be made into a lesbian when Disney was rebooting the series in 2016 because she and her character are two different people. Speaking on the ‘Pride’ podcast, she said: “There was a conversation before the series started and I was asked the question, ‘Would you like Raven Baxter to be a lesbian?’ And I said, no. I said no. The reason I said no wasn’t because I wasn’t proud of who I was, or I didn’t want to represent the LGBTQ+ community in any way. “It was because Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter is Raven Baxter. There was no reason for me to change the human that she was in order to fit the actress that played her. And Raven Baxter is a character that I was proud to play, even if she is straight, cisgender, I don’t mind. Let her have her moment.” View the full article

Published by Global Voices A self-portrait. Since his identity as a gay man was discovered, Ashkan Shabani’s life has been in danger, with his parents pursuing him to kill him in order to preserve their honor. Photo by Shababi. Used with permission. Ashkan Shabani shared his personal journey as an Iranian photographer and a member of the LGBTQ+ community in a Zoom interview with Global Voices. He also shared some of his experiences within the community while residing in Turkey. Selected photos are showcased throughout the article, providing a visual representation of his journey. This interview has been edited for clar… Read More View the full article

Published by The Spun By Matt Audilet Former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner, now a contributor for Fox News, has weighed in on the Bud Light controversy. Bud Light recently drew a load of criticism from conservative consumers due to an ad campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Jenner, who came out as transgender in 2015, said Bud Light (and Target) went wrong by “throwing it” in consumers faces. “In the Bud Light case, and even in the Target case, they really tried to go so public with it that it just blew up,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “When you throw it in somebody’s face … Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has imposed visa restrictions on Uganda officials after the African nation passed an anti-LGBTQ law that was condemned by many countries and the United Nations, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Friday. The State Department did not mention any names or even the number of officials on whom this restriction had been placed but said the U.S. would hold accountable those who are responsible for abusing human rights in Uganda, “including those of LGBTQI+ persons.” (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Susan Heavey) View the full article

Published by Raw Story He was an early backer of former President Donald Trump, and he contributed to Republicans all over the country, including those advancing anti-abortion causes. Now, tech billionaire Peter Thiel is getting involved in women’s health care in a different way, reported The Daily Beast. “Recharge Capital announced Thursday that Thiel is among the top funders of its $200 million women’s health investment vehicle focused on funding fertility care in foreign countries,” reported Emily Shugerman. “According to Axios, the vehicle will focus on companies working in ‘menstrual wellness,’ ‘women’s disease… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen and Joseph Ax (Reuters) -A jury on Friday found Robert Bowers guilty of dozens of federal hate crimes for the killing of 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Bowers, 50, now faces the penalty phase of his trial at the U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh in which the 12 jurors must weigh whether he deserves the death sentence. Federal prosecutors charged Bowers with 63 counts, including 11 counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death. The jury found him guilty on all counts in what was a foregone conclusion, after defense lawyers did not dispute that he planned and carried out the attack. Instead, Bowers’ attorneys are focused on avoiding a death sentence in the trial’s next phase, scheduled to begin on June 26. During the trial, which began on May 30, jurors heard testimony from some of the survivors of the attack and evidence of Bowers’ antisemitism, including multiple posts attacking Jews made on a far-right website in the months leading up to the attack. In a statement, Jeffrey Myers, the Tree of Life synagogue’s rabbi who survived the attack, thanked God, law enforcement and prosecutors. “Today I’m focused on being with my congregation and praying, singing and clapping in praise of God as we do each Shabbat,” he said. “In the face of the horror our community has experienced, I can think of no better response than practicing my Jewish faith and leading worship.” In the sentencing phase, prosecutors will try to show that aggravating factors were involved, making a case that Bowers carefully planned the attack and that he targeted vulnerable victims. Most of the victims were elderly. Defense lawyers for Bowers have argued that a death sentence would violate the Constitution on the grounds that he suffers from major mental illness, including schizophrenia. All 12 jurors must vote unanimously in order to sentence Bowers to death. Otherwise, he will face life in prison. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen and Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel Wallis) View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Homophobic chants from the crowd forced a referee to end the U.S. Men’s National Team soccer match against the Mexico National Football Team, RadarOnline.com has learned. The USMNT faced Mexico Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The U.S. men beat Mexico 3-0 and earned a spot in the finals against Canada on Sunday; however, the match was plagued with hateful taunting from fans. mega After a dramatic 89 minutes of play, Salvadoran referee Iván Barton was initially forced to interrupt the game due to homophobic chants from Mexico National Team fans. After Barton’s warning was made at the 90-minute mark, twelve minutes of stoppage time was added to the clock. Play resumed — and so did the offensive taunting. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. mega Mexico’s fans reinvigorated the chant around the 8-minute stoppage time mark. The heated crowd began hurling anti-gay remarks at U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner. As a result of the fan’s behavior against U.S. players as they attempted goal kicks, referee Barton called the game. ESPN reported four minutes remained on the clock at the time of Barton’s call, a significant amount of time for the crucial match. mega The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) confirmed the homophobic taunting “led to the activation of the anti-discrimination protocol” in a statement following Thursday’s match. “Concacaf strongly condemns the discriminatory chanting by some fans during the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Semifinal match between Mexico and the United States,” the statement read. “These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high quality football in our region,” the statement continued. “The Confederation is in the process of urgently establishing further details and reports from security and match officials and will make a further statement in short order.” mega Thursday’s incident was not the first time the chant was used by Mexico fans. The anti-gay heckling became an unofficial tradition during the opponent’s goal kicks. Last year, FIFA, the global governing body of soccer, slapped The Mexican Football Federation with a $108,000 sanction over similar homophobic chants from fans during the 2022 World Cup. Despite the federation’s effort to stop the chants through social media posts and player-endorsed PSAs, the behavior continued. View the full article