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Published by The Street By Daniel Kline Walt Disney never wanted a war with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The right-wing political leader, however, went after the biggest single-site employer in his state after its former CEO Bob Chapek made a statement criticizing DeSantis’ so-called “don’t say gay” legislation. Hundreds (321 in total) of other companies have signed a petition from the Human Rights Campaign that broadly condemns anti-LGBTQ legislation, but those companies did not specifically call out DeSantis. So, the governor — in a move that plays to his political base — has made a bunch of petty moves against Wal… Read More View the full article

Published by DPA People take part in the Brussels pride parade 2023. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa Thousands of people celebrated Pride on the streets of Brussels on Saturday, marching in a parade with the slogan “Protect the Protest.” “Pride is a great party where everyone can be themselves,” Radjiny Schiltz, spokeswoman for Brussels Pride said, according to Belga, the Belgian press agency. “But there is still a lot to be done to to ensure equality for the LGBTQIA+ community”, Schiltz added. Belgian media reported a playful and colourful crowd of 150,000 people taking part in the celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage in Belgium. Schiltz said the parade’s slogan “Protect the Protest” was taken from Amnesty International’s campaign to protect the right to protest. She stressed too many people take the right for granted. “Everyone thinks that this right is guaranteed everywhere, but this is definitely not the case. There is still a lot to do for freedom and diversity,” Schiltz said. The festival began at Mont des Arts in Brussels’ city centre at 2pm (1200 GMT) near where Pride Village, a forum set up to inform the public about the struggles of the queer community, is also located. Concerts and DJ sets have also been organized, featuring artists like iNess, Manz, DJ Alex Chesko, DJ Aero Plane and members of the Drag Race Belgium cast. Hundreds of associations, artists and partners took part. Pride was organized by gay rights advocacy groups çavaria, Prisme, Rainbowhouse Brussels and Brussels Rainbow Village. People take part in the Brussels pride parade 2023. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa People take part in Brussels pride parade 2023. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/dpa View the full article

Published by PsyPost New research sheds light on bi+ identity visibility and its relationship with psychological well-being. The findings have been published in Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. The term “bi+” is an inclusive term used to encompass various identities that fall under the bisexual spectrum. It is an expansion of the traditional label “bisexual” to recognize and include individuals who are attracted to more than one gender or who may use alternative identity labels such as pansexual, fluid, or queer. Despitecomprising the largest proportion of the U.S. LGBT population, bi+ indivi… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawyers for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican mulling a 2024 presidential run, are asking that a federal judge be disqualified from overseeing a dispute between DeSantis and Walt Disney Co, questioning the judge’s impartiality in the case. Lawyers for DeSantis, who is being sued for allegedly targeting Disney for company leadership’s political views, filed a motion on Friday in Tallahassee, Florida, asking U.S. District Judge Mark Walker be recused in the case. Disney sued DeSantis in April for allegedly “weaponizing” state government in retaliation for the company’s criticism of a law that banned classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children. Opponents labeled the measure the “don’t say gay” law. The company alleged DeSantis rallied the Republican-controlled legislature to strike back at “woke Disney” and seize control of an administrative district, created in 1967, that helped Disney develop theme parks and resorts. The district, originally known as Reedy Creek Improvement District, was also named as a defendant. DeSantis’ lawyers argued on Friday that the judge overseeing that case demonstrated potential partiality while handling separate cases in which the judge mentioned Disney as an example of state retaliation. Considering Walker’s statements, “the court’s impartiality in this matter might reasonably be questioned,” DeSantis’ lawyers said in the their motion. DeSantis is expected to jump in to the Republican presidential nomination contest in the coming days and could be a potentially tough challenger to front-runner Donald Trump. The eventual Republican nominee is expected to challenge President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in November 2024. (Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Timothy Gardner (Reuters) – A transgender Mississippi girl declined to participate in high school graduation on Saturday after a U.S. District Judge said the school district could bar her unless she dressed in clothes required for boys, a lawyer for the girl said. U.S. District Judge Taylor McNeel, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, said in filing late on Friday after a hearing that he would not stop the Harrison County School District from barring the 17-year-old girl, local media reported. The girl was listed as L.B. in court papers. “Our client is being shamed and humiliated for explicitly discriminatory reasons, and her family is being denied a once-in-a-lifetime milestone in their daughter’s life,” Linda Morris, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project, said in an email. “No one should be forced to miss their graduation because of their gender.” The ACLU sued the school district this week, on behalf of L.B., saying that it informed her she should could not attend the ceremony while wearing a dress and heeled shoes, the Mississippi Free Press said in a report. The school district’s dress code requires boys to wear a white button-down shirt, black dress plants, black shoes and a tie or bowtie. Mississippi lawmakers have introduced more than 30 bills this year seeking to limit rights of LGBTQ citizens. In 2021, Mississippi became the first U.S. state to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girl’s sports, when Republican Governor Tate Reeves signed legislation. The Harrison County School Board attorney Wynn Clark said in court papers that participating in a graduation was voluntary and not a constitutionally protected right, the Associated Press reported. Efforts to reach the school district and Clark on Saturday were unsuccessful. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Nick Zieminski) View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Britney Spears has responded to the bombshell TMZ documentary detailing her life post-conservatorship. Days after the special — which claimed Spears and Sam Asghari‘s marriage is in trouble, that the songstress sleeps with a knife under her pillow and “binge” sleeps while living in “virtual isolation” — aired on Monday, May 15, the princess of pop took to social media to hit back at the news outlet. mega Spears, whose 13-year conservatorship was terminated in November 2021, began her Instagram rant by shaming the media for airing such wild allegations, “Considering what happened to me during the conservatorship and how hard I work everyday to be a better person since it’s been over !!!” “The concern and just effort on TMZ’s part of being the trashiest news channel for news !!! Damn I’m flattered !!! These men who I have no idea who they are, are talking about me as if they have any right at all to do so !!!” she seethed, referring to the documentary producers that claimed Spears has gotten physical with her husband among other “big problems” that she’s allegedly dealing with. The “Toxic” musician explained her girlfriend called her after seeing the special, titled Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom, and said, “‘because I know you I was laughing at these men and what they were saying.'” “But she also said it was really disturbing how incredibly conniving and foolish it was !!!” Spears continued. “The media has always been cruel to me and most people probably wouldn’t even comment on it but I do think some people might believe this and I care !!!” Britney Spears Awkwardly Makes Out With ‘Incredible Husband’ Sam Asghari as Rumors of Toxic Marriage Mount Britney Spears and Sam Asghari Put on United Front in First Sighting Since Rumors of Toxic Marriage Britney Spears Strangely Dances Without Pants After Documentary Reveals She Lives in ‘Virtual Isolation’: Watch mega Comparing her “life in the business” to that of a “girl at school who was bullied and laughed at,” the mother-of-two pointed out: “But in my case there is no superior person to set it straight.” “My dad was supposedly the one who was supposed to protect my mind and heart from things of this matter but he was the main one who was secretly loving it,” she ranted, referring to Jamie Spears, who served as the conservator of estate until he was suspended in September 2021. Spears, who has accused her estranged father of conservator abuse, speculated that “some people” are wanting to hear her story — “either through a book or what have you ???” “I’ve had to stop a couple of times,” she wrote, hinting at the delay in her upcoming memoir due to legal threats and push backs from a few celebrities said to be mentioned in the bombshell book. “It may take me a year, maybe longer who knows … to share my story !!!” Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! The Grammy winner concluded: “My great grandmother told me two things that I will never forget !!! People come here for two reasons … either for a lesson or a blessing and she said ‘Dear sweetheart the real key to happiness is to forget every f**king thing that ever happened’ !!! It’s a new day y’all !!!” View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Queen Bey is back with her spectacular Renaissance World Tour, the megastar’s first solo tour in seven years. She kicked things off with her first performance in Stockholm, Sweden last week (10 May), but the 41-year-old singer is currently in the UK, having played to colossal, cowboy hat-wearing crowds in the Welsh capital Cardiff on 17 May. “You could have been anywhere in the world tonight, but you choose to be here with me,” Beyoncé told the audience after taking to the stage. The tour’s 43-date run, which is due to end in September 2023, is a no-expenses spared extravaganza of out of this … Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Pics: https://randomhouse.box.com/s/9yb9nzx9xyxlfeiuiis3wtmp6wvsy0r8 Eva Baltasar seems almost nonchalant when she talks about her nomination for the International Booker Prize. Already a well-known writer and poet in Spain, she seems unimpressed that she may be about to walk off with one of the literary world’s most prestigious awards for her novel Boulder. Baltasar’s second novel in a triptych is one of the finalists for the prize whose winner will be unveiled on May 23. When we meet she mentions, almost in passing, that the Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar has said he wants to… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Miley Cyrus has been undergoing eye movement therapy for a year. The ‘Wrecking Ball’ singer, 30, who is dating musician Maxx Morando, 24, after divorcing actor Liam Hemsworth, 33, in 2020, added she has been working with “amazing” healers as part of her counselling. She told British Vogue: “I did a lot of EMDR. It’s so helpful. Essentially, you delete the physical sensations associated with these painful memories. The EMDR really helped me.” EMDR is short for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and is said to help people come to terms with traumatic experiences. Miley added in the chat she is now “sober” and hasn’t been drinking, and only hangs around with “gay men” as part of her fitness obsession. She said: “I only hang out with, like, gay men. So they come over, and we do a whole class based off of Nicki Minaj or we have a Britney series. “I have a Madonna ‘Vogue’ series, which is doing the entire bow choreography with, like, our little weights.” She added about being asked for fitness advice: “I actually had this idea of doing kind of like a wellness comedy, which was me basically saying, ‘I’m Miley Cyrus and I’m a pop star and I can’t tell you what to eat or what supplements to take because I haven’t seen your lab work.’” The singer is also a big fan of journaling, and her British Vogue interviewer said she read out a recent entry from her phone during their interview. It said: “I make choices that I’m proud of that protect me… I put my mental and physical health before a paycheque… I freed up space for myself to be with friends and family doing what I love, which is working out, eating well, learning ways about how to enhance my life, staying dedicated to practices and protocols that are specifically designed for me.” The June 2023 issue of British Vogue is on newsstands from Tuesday 23 May and at https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/miley-cyrus-british-vogue-interview. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Tim Scott, the sole Black Republican in the Senate, on Friday filed official paperwork launching his run for his party’s presidential nomination in 2024. The impoverished child of a single mother Scott of South Carolina often points to his personal story as proof that America remains a land of promise. He filed his declaration of candidacy with the Federal Election Committee on Friday. On the campaign trail, his sunny disposition presents a major contrast with other declared and prospective candidates, including former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. (Reporting by Jason Lange and Gram Slattery; Editing by Scott Malone) View the full article

Published by AlterNet MSNBC’s Emmy-award winning anchor and host Chris Hayes dissected then disintegrated Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the Republican Party in general, for their authoritarian lunge and overall hypocrisy. For nearly eight minutes Thursday evening, Hayes explained to viewers how DeSantis peddles fake claims about freedom, while enacting some the most hypocritically “authoritarian” and “dystopian” laws in the country. Hayes says that “in Ron DeSantis’ Florida, the state will decide what books your child can or cannot leave their school library by threatening teachers and librarians with time in … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Eric Andre has remained tight-lipped over his romance with Emily Ratajkowski. The 40-year-old comedian dated ‘Gone Girl’ actress Emily, 31, for a short period of time earlier this year and when pressed for details on the dalliance, quipped that “a gentleman never tells” but did joke that he would like to date former First Lady Michelle Obama and split her up from the former President. Speaking on SiriusXM’s ‘The Howard Stern Show’, he said “A gentleman never tells! I need to respect her privacy and boundaries. Michelle Obama is the one. I think if I can date Michelle and get her to break up with Barack!” The comedy show host went on to add that he thinks it is “time” to settle down and potentially have children, as he noted that his life is “out of balance” without a woman in it and teased that he is currently “hanging out” with a certain someone. He added: “I think it’s time. I’m getting the itch [to settle down], maybe have kids. Kids are a big responsibility. A woman in your life brings you balance though, your life is out of balance without that in your life. I’m hanging out with somebody.” On Valentine’s Day, a revealing photo of Andre that appeared to have been taken by Emily surfaced online but a source later claimed to E! News that the photo had been taken in the days before the annual romantic holiday and that she had in fact “broke up with Eric days before he posted that photo.” Just weeks later, Eric explained to Rolling Stone: “I was drinking wine, she started dying laughing, and she was like, ‘I have to take a picture of this. She took the picture, we both started cracking up, and she was like, ‘This is iconic’—she kept saying ‘iconic.’ We both agreed this was a beautiful image that we had to share with the world.” View the full article

Published by AFP Spore room: psilocybe cubsensis can now be commerically grown in Oregon Portland (AFP) – Tori Armbrust grows magic mushrooms. Not secretly or furtively, but commercially. Because in the western US state of Oregon, it’s legal. Anywhere else in the United States “I would get in big trouble for this, 1,000 percent,” she laughs. From this year, licensed growers like Armbrust have been able to sell what the Aztecs called the “flesh of the gods” to centers offering psychedelic therapy sessions, a legalization that proponents say could offer real help to people struggling with psychological problems. Hallucinogenic mushrooms have long been associated with America’s counterculture, most closely with Timothy Leary, whose phrase “Turn on, tune in, drop out” helped define the 1960s. After decades of being socially frowned upon, the active ingredient of such fungi, psilocybin, is now the subject of increasing research interest: a promising possible treatment for depression, addiction or post-traumatic stress. Oregon, a rugged, rural state with a distinctly liberal streak, is defying a federal ban to allow people over the age of 21 access to magic mushrooms without a prescription, as long as they are ingested under the auspices of a certified facilitator. A ‘shroom trip under these circumstances lasts about six hours and must be followed by at least one — non-trippy — session of counselling. Tool Certification requires the completion of a 160-hour training course, and appeals to mental health professionals like Tyler Case, who paid around $10,000 for the qualification in the hope of being able to offer an alternative to patients with personality disorders that are often considered incurable. Psilocybin is “a tool that can help people who… haven’t found help anywhere else,” the 44-year-old counsellor told AFP. “We use powerful psychotropic medications all the time, do things that will alter the way people’s brains function. Why not try this too?” Scientists are still studying how psilocybin works, and little is known about its long-term use. But research suggests that — in common with other psychedelics such as LSD (acid) or MDMA (ecstasy) — it increases neural connections, effectively re-formatting the brain and encouraging new ways of processing information that can help users resolve longstanding emotional or behavioral problems. Tobias Shea thinks this re-formatting helped pull him out of a deep depression. Two tours of Afghanistan with the US Army in which he lost comrades left Shea with debilitating anxiety that sometimes meant he was unable even to leave the house. Psychotherapy and antidepressants did not work for him, so more than a decade before Oregon’s legalization, he twice took mushrooms. “My experience in both sessions involved visual hallucinations that resembled a colorful prism, like a rainbow that covered everything in my visual field,” he said. “Emotionally, I felt an abundant joy, and also an overwhelming sense of awe at the vastness and complexity of the universe, and wonder at how I was connected to everything around me.” Working with a facilitator, he “unpacked that scary content in my head” and was able to process it in a way that he is now comfortable with. ‘Vulnerability’ Such off-the-books use of mushrooms has long existed on the fringes of psychotherapy. But operating in grey areas left patients open to abuse. Curbing bad behavior and establishing a legal framework is one of the main advantages of Oregon’s move, says Elizabeth Nielson, a psychologist and founder of Fluence, one of the companies approved to train new supervisors. In her workshops, trainers emphasize the “extreme vulnerability” of patients during their transcendental journeys. Would-be facilitators are taught to intervene as little as possible so as not to influence their clients. They must also agree beforehand which parts of the body can be touched, especially in cases where someone might be experiencing a bad trip. While Oregon is out in front, the experiment in legalization is gaining ground elsewhere in the United States. In November, Colorado voted to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms and create “treatment centers.” A dozen other states, including New York and California, are considering similar measures. But beyond the therapeutic promises, there is another question: who will be able to afford such services? The $3,500 sessions offered by Oregon’s first licensed center, which has only just opened, are outrageous to some locals like Don, who runs a fungiculture shop in Portland. “You can grow your own for $40,” says the 49-year-old, who declined to give his last name. “I feel that it’s gonna be mainly towards the tourists.” View the full article

Published by AFP While US politicians voice concerns that China could get TikTok user data, the lack of national data privacy law leaves brokers free to gather and sell information about what people do online San Francisco (AFP) – A total ban of TikTok in the US state of Montana is set up to face an epic battle in the courts, but many experts wonder whether the law is even technically possible. Montana is the first US state to ban TikTok, with the law set to take effect next year as debate escalates over the impact and security of the popular video app that is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. “You would have to build a Great Fire Wall of Montana,” said Tarah Wheeler, chief of cyber security firm Red Queen Dynamics and a senior fellow for Global Cyber Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Maintaining a ban in the state and remaining free of the kind of surveillance you are trying to escape is not possible,” she added. The prohibition will serve as a legal test for a national ban of the Chinese-owned platform, something that lawmakers in Washington are increasingly calling for. Five TikTok creators in the state have already filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing the ban is illegal and violates free speech rights. The app is accused by a wide swathe of US politicians of being under the tutelage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, something TikTok furiously denies. Despite its immense popularity, TikTok faces an ultimatum by the White House that it split from its Chinese owners or stop operating in America. According to the law, which was signed on Wednesday by Governor Greg Gianforte, a violation takes place each time “a user accesses TikTok, is offered the ability to access TikTok, or is offered the ability to download TikTok.” Montana could not enforce the ban “without doing a whole bunch of other things we don’t want the governments of any level in the United States being able to do,” said Cyber Threat Alliance chief Michael Daniel. Causing further trouble, young TikTok fans are likely to take advantage of free virtual private network (VPN) software that lets people disguise where devices are. Technically adept teenagers in Montana will suddenly use VPNs to be seen logging from other states, Wheeler said, which also introduces vulnerabilities to spyware or malware, which are known to lurk in some VPNs. Teens being teens While the ban was passed under the auspices of protecting TikTok users in Montana from China snooping, no clear evidence of that has been shown, according to Jason Kelley, acting activism director at internet rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation. It is the lack of national data privacy law in the United States that leaves users vulnerable, with brokers free to gather and sell internet user information, Kelley noted. “If China wants data on users, they could just go buy it,” Kelley told AFP. The bill behind the ban mentioned TikTok pranks referred to as “challenges,” and one Montana legislator lamented his son taking part in one of those. “Reading between the lines, I think these legislators are angry that they don’t understand the culture of TikTok and how young people use it,” Kelley said. “Montana legislators wanted to do anything to push back on the negative impact of teenagers being teenagers and the influence of TikTok to do stupid things.” And, while the law bans Apple or Google from making TikTok available for download in Montana there are other places online to get apps for Android-powered smartphones. “There is no chance this law will work, even if it is implemented by TikTok to the extent possible,” Kelley said. The ban will take effect in 2024, but be voided if TikTok is acquired by a company incorporated in a country not designated by the United States as a foreign adversary, the law read. This was an invitation by Montana legislators for TikTok and the White House to come up with some sort of arrangement that would see the app divest from ByteDance. Lyrissa Lidsky, professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, told AFP that the ban will easily be seen to violate fundamental free speech laws in the US where companies are afforded the same rights on speech as individuals. “The politicians think that this is a successful political strategy whether it’s constitutional or not,” she added. View the full article

Published by Raw Story A new report from The Daily Dot has revealed that North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, whom polls suggest is the frontrunner to be the North Carolina Republican Party’s nominee for governor, went on furious anti-LGBTQ rants in which he called transgender Americans “black-hearted haters of Christ.” In one particularly lengthy social media rant from 2017, for instance, Robinson declared that the goal of the LGBTQ rights movement was nothing less than “to turn God’s creation backward, and make it into a sickening image of rebellion to glorify Satan.” What’s more, Robinson argued that the push f… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Prints of Madonna’s ‘SEX’ book photographs are set to be put up for auction. The 64-year-old pop icon released the coffee table book back in 1992, and Christie’s – the world-renowned auction house – has now confirmed that the snaps are poised to go under the hammer. Christie’s said in a statement: “Christie’s is pleased to announce its participation in the ongoing anniversary celebration initiated by Madonna and Saint Laurent’s re-issue of ‘SEX’, the boundary-pushing 1992 photography book by Madonna and Steven Meisel. “As part of the project, Christie’s will present Madonna x Meisel – The Sex Photographs an auction of over 40 works, as editions of one, in a live sale taking place in New York on 6 October 2023.” Madonna has also taken to Instagram to announce the news. The ‘Vogue’ hitmaker explained that proceeds from the auction will go to Raising Malawi, a non-profit organisation that is changing the lives of children in Malawi through “health, education and community support”. Madonna wrote on the photo-sharing platform: “It took us 4 Decades and several Provocative photo shoots to open people’s minds through ART! “It took @stevenmeiselofficial almost as long to join Instagram – just in time to announce our Christie’s auction, to benefit @raisingmalawi “Proof that great causes can move mountains. [winking and heart emojis] (sic)” Last year, Madonna described releasing ‘SEX’ as an “empowering” experience. The chart-topping star also slammed her critics for sex-shaming her at the time. She wrote on her Instagram Story: “Thirty years ago I published a book called S.E.X. in addition to photos of me naked. There were photos of men kissing men, woman kissing woman, and me kissing everyone. I also wrote about my sexual fantasies and shared my point of view about sexuality in an ironic way. “I spent the next few years being interviewed by narrow-minded people who tried to shame me for empowering myself as a woman. (sic)” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Police have been criticised over plans to use live face recognition cameras on fans at Beyonce’s concert in Cardiff. South Wales Police had revealed plans to use the software to identify people wanted for “priority offences” after the cameras were used by law enforcement earlier this month at the coronation of King Charles. The facial recognition technology was set to be used at the Beyonce concert “to support policing in the identification of persons wanted for priority offences”. The decision was also made to “support law enforcement” and “ensure the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons”. A spokesperson for South Wales Police told the BBC: “Facial Recognition is not a condition of entry and it will not be on the stadium footprint.” The camera uses artificial intelligence to compare faces with a “watch list”, which could be made up of people wanted for crimes. South Wales Police had said if someone wasn’t on a watch list, the biometric data would be immediately deleted rather than being stored. The CCTV footage is kept for up to 31 days. Human rights campaigners have criticised the move, including Surveillance Camera watchdog Fraser Sampson, who argued more work has to be done to ensure there is no bias, while he warned a planned new law could weaken the rules governing the process. Recently, European law-makers backed plans to effectively ban live face recognition cameras being used in public spaces. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine @ladygaga/tiktok Is that Lady Gaga? The “Shallow” singer took to TikTok on Wednesday, May 17, to share a clip promoting her makeup line. However, fans were alarmed, as they seemed to think it was not Gaga herself featured in the video. @ladygaga/tiktok “These NEUTRALS are HOT LIKE THIS RECORD @HausLabs (Grrrrrrr…I’m wearing maple matte ),” the pop sensation captioned the short clip of herself whirling around in a black tank top to the song “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj. “This might not be lady gaga?? am i crazy,” one fan speculated, while a second person noted that she looked like another famous artist, “Miley Cyrus cosplaying as Lady Gaga.” A third user noted, “She looks like somebody who kinda looks like lady Gaga,” and another added, “My mind is fighting over deciding whether this is Miley Cyrus or Lady Gaga.” @ladygaga/tiktok ‘Sister Wives’ Star Christine Brown Reveals She Rocks Out To ‘Empowering’ Playlist Featuring Kelly Clarkson Oscars 2023: What You Didn’t See On TV — Lady Gaga To The Rescue, Cara Delevingne Hangs With Florence Pugh & More Lady Gaga & Michael Polansky Secretly Split After Butting Heads Over Marriage & Kids, Spills Source: They ‘Hit A Wall’ Despite the online chatter, one person pointed out that the American Horror Story actress’ appearance has changed for a new role. “She lost weight for her role in joker 2 and the video is mirrored, y’all are so quick to judge,” the user claimed. Gaga has been hard at work on the upcoming action film after nabbing the role from Margot Robbie — who was not thrilled about losing out on the project. “Lady Gaga playing Harley Quinn in the Joker sequel instead of Margot Robbie is a joke. Every real actor in Hollywood should be nervous that they are going to be replaced with some pop culture phenomenon who hasn’t paid their dues,” an insider spilled exclusively to OK!. @ladygaga/instagram Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for! “Margot isn’t angry about the choice; she is insulted,” a source continued. “This isn’t about casting the most talented person for the role, but rather casting someone who get the most press attention.” Other Tinsletown insiders have not been thrilled with the casting decision either. “This might be a ‘happy’ day for Lady Gaga, but it isn’t for Hollywood,” one top publicist said. “Next Nicole Kidman will be replaced by Kim Kardashian.” View the full article

Published by City AM By Adam Bloodworth Brokeback Mountain play review and star rating: ★★★ Where was all the spine-tingling intimacy? The kissing scenes that show what two men together can be like, the caressing of a shoulder with the tuft of hair, the chin nuzzling into the armpit, the gazes of adoration? Brokeback Mountain, originally a 1997 short story published in the New Yorker, became a masterpiece of the big screen in 2005 when Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal played two closeted gay lovers who worked on a ranch and fell hopelessly in love. The film is singular in its beauty: it still retains its crown as … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Penguin Random House and PEN America have sued a Florida school district over the removal of books that address race and LGBTQ issues Washington (AFP) – Publisher Penguin Random House and the writers’ group PEN America filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against a Florida school district over the removal of books from public school libraries that address race and LGBTQ issues. The book removals are unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, according to the suit against the Escambia County School District and the school board. “Books are being ordered removed from libraries, or subject to restricted access within those libraries, based on an ideologically driven campaign to push certain ideas out of schools,” the complaint said. “These restrictions and removals have disproportionately targeted books by or about people of color and/or LGBTQ people,” it added. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has been a driving force behind a campaign in the southern state to restrict children’s access to certain books. Florida has been a leading battleground in the so-called “culture wars” in the United States and scores of books have been removed from library shelves in recent months, deemed inappropriate for children by conservative parents and school boards. Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, denounced the book removals in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “Children in a democracy must not be taught that books are dangerous,” Nossel said. “In Escambia County, state censors are spiriting books off shelves in a deliberate attempt to suppress diverse voices. “In a nation built on free speech, this cannot stand.” Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, said “books have the capacity to change lives for the better, and students in particular deserve equitable access to a wide range of perspectives. “We stand by our authors, their books, and the teachers, librarians, and parents who champion free expression.” Several authors who have had their books removed joined the lawsuit along with the parents of children who attend schools in Escambia County. According to the lawsuit, at least two books published by Penguin Random House — “The Bluest Eye” by Nobel Literature Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and “Push” by Sapphire — have been removed from some school district libraries and others are being targeted. They include “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, “Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan and “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut. According to PEN America, 1,648 unique book titles were banned in 32 states during the 2021-22 school year, with the most occurring in Florida and Texas. View the full article

Published by NJ.com Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to include a response from the Hanover Township school board and the state’s largest teachers union. The New Jersey Attorney General filed a civil rights complaint Wednesday against the Hanover Township Board of Education and public schools, challenging a policy passed Tuesday requiring school staff to notify parents of their children’s gender identity and sexual orientation. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin joined Sundeep Iyer, Director of the Division on Civil Rights, in filing an emergency motion in Superior Court to prevent the new policy from g… Read More View the full article

Published by The Spun By Andrew Gould The Los Angeles Dodgers uninvited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from their Pride Night following an anti-trans backlash. On Wednesday, the team said the non-profit charity organization, whose queer and trans members use drag and religious imagery to satire bigotry, will no longer attend their 10th annual event on June 16. “Given the strong feelings of people who have been offended by the sisters’ inclusion in our evening, and in an effort not to distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night, we are deciding to remove them from this year’… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Andy Cohen “could have some good threesomes” with Anderson Cooper. The 54-year-old star has been single since he split up with Broadway actor John Hill in 2020 but insisted that while he “loves” CNN co-host Anderson – who called time on his long-term relationship with Benjamin Maisani in 2018 – they are “truly just good friends” and he loves being able to team up with him for work. Speaking on US talk show ‘Sherri’, he said: “We could have some good threesomes, me and Anderson! But by the way, that is what it would take because we are truly just good friends. I love him to death. We have gotten so much closer over the years and it’s also so fun being part of a duo. We’ve toured the country, 50 plus cities and we’re on every New Year’s Eve. I love making him giggle, it makes me so happy!” Towards the end of last year Andy – who has four-year-old son Benjamin and 13-month-old Lucy whilst Anderson is father to three-year-old Wyatt and Sebastian, 13 months – explained that their friendship had strengthened since they had become gay dads and noted how “glad” he is that their children will get to grow up together. Speaking on the ‘Table for Two’ podcast, he said: “We are these geriatric patients hobbling around chasing our children, but look it’s another bonding thing. I think what is going to be really interesting to us, as it develops, is being gay dads and as our kids start realizing more and more ‘Oh I have gay dads.’ I am so glad that Ben [Cohen] will grow up with Wyatt [Cooper] and that Ben with grow up seeing Anderson and Benjamin [Maisani] raising Wyatt and Sebastian.” View the full article

Published by The Seattle Times SEATTLE — Brandy Clark has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, so long that most people outside her home state of Washington don’t realize the decorated singer-songwriter hails from the Pacific Northwest. But that’s about to change, thanks to her perfectly unvarnished new album, produced by another Washington star. Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile have moved in overlapping circles for years, yet their first proper collaboration came through early-pandemic recording sessions that saw a Zoomed-in Carlile producing two songs for Clark, including their Grammy-nominated duet “Same Devil.” On paper (and a… Read More View the full article

Published by PsyPost In new research published in the journal Human Nature, researchers found that heterosexual men in romantic relationships who sought services from sex workers preferred a “variety experience” rather than a “relationship experience.” The study sought to examine male use of a dual mating strategy, a theory in evolutionary psychology that suggests humans often employ two different mating strategies to maximize their reproductive success. According to this theory, men seek short-term sexual encounters to maximize their chances of spreading their genes widely. This strategy is driven by the desire f… Read More View the full article