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Published by BANG Showbiz English Maren Morris took a swipe at Tucker Carlson as she picked a prize at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards. The country singer was honoured at the annual event – which recognises those in the media for their exemplary efforts in showing fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of the LGBTQ community – at the Hilton Midtown in New York on Saturday (13.05.23), and couldn’t resist taking a swipe at the outspoken presenter and his recent FOX News departure after he previously mocked her for standing up against transphobia. She said: “Maybe I felt a little badass taking Tucker Carlson’s calling me a lunatic for standing up to transphobia [and] turning it into a t-shirt and raising $150,000 for LGBTQ+ charities. That made me feel a little cool, but I don’t wanna gloat. I would never insult the recently unemployed.” Other big winners at the event included Jonathan Van Ness, who received the Vito Russo Award, ‘Fire Island’ and ‘Anything’s Possible’ tying for Outstanding Film – Streaming/TV, and ‘Heartstopper’ being named Outstanding Kids and Family Programming (Live-Action). ‘The Problem with Jon Stewart’ was given the Variety or Talk Show Episode accolade, and ‘We’re Here’ won the Reality Series prize. In addition, ‘A Strange Loop’ won Outstanding Broadway Production. The evening was presented by ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ star Harvey Guillen and featured a special performance from Idina Menzel. Last September, Tucker branded Maren a “lunatic” and a “fake country music singer” when he invited Brittany Aldean on his show amid criticism of her disparaging parents of trans children. In response, the 33-year-old singer tweeted: “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.” The exchange then became a segment on Tucker’s show, and the “lunatic” insult was eventually used by Maren for a t-shirt, which raised more than $150,000 for trans rights charities. She announced at the time: “*ATTN LUNATICS* New shirt in the shop. All proceeds will be split between @translifeline the @glaad Transgender Media Program.” Earlier this week, the ‘My Church’ hitmaker celebrated the news Tucker was “parting ways” with FOX News. She wrote in an Instagram Story: “Happy Monday, MotherTucker.” She later shared a graphic which read: “The only tuckers allowed are the drag queens.” The New York winners of the 33rd annual GLAAD Media Awards: Outstanding Film – Streaming/TV (tie) ‘Fire Island’ ‘Anything’s Possible’ Outstanding Reality Series: ‘We’re Here’ Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode: ‘The Problem with Jon Stewart’ Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia: Logo’s Trans Youth Town Hall Outstanding Kids + Family Programming – Live Action: ‘Heartstopper’ (Netflix) Outstanding Kids + Family Programming – Animated: ‘Dead End: Paranormal Park’ (Netflix) Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist: Dove Cameron Outstanding Broadway Production: ‘A Strange Loop’ Outstanding Video Game: ‘Apex Legends’ Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: ‘HIV in the Deep South’ – In Real Life (Scripps News) Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form: ‘Pride | To Be Seen’ – Soul of a Nation (ABC) Outstanding Live TV Journalism – Segment or Special: ‘The Last Thing Before We Go: Stephanie Ruhle Talks Spirit Day’ – The 11th Hour (MSNBC) Outstanding Print Article: “Pediatricians Who Serve Trans Youth Face Increasing Harassment. Lifesaving Care Could Be on the Line” by Madeleine Carlisle (Time) Outstanding Online Journalism Article: “Alabama Is Trying to Raise the Legal Driving Age for Trans People to 19” by Nico Lang (TheDailyBeast.com) Outstanding Blog: Mombian Outstanding Podcast: TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones (TransLash Media) and Sibling Rivalry (Studio71) (TIE) Outstanding Spanish-Language Online Journalism Article: “Proyectos de ley anti LGBTQ+ en Florida son una ‘licencia para discriminar’ y reviven el dolor de Pulse, dicen grupos locales” por Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio (OrlandoSentinel.com) Outstanding Spanish-Language Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia “Las abuelas trans buscan dignificar su vejez” por Liliana Rosas y Silvana Flores (ReporteIndigo.com) View the full article

Published by AlterNet The U.S. appears likely to legalize over-the-counter contraception—a critical step in increasing women’s bodily autonomy and economic independence. A committee of advisers recently recommended that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) begin allowing sales of an over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill—the first of its kind in the nation. All 17 members of the committee voted to recommend sales of Opill to the public, at a time when the Republican Party has carried out a widespread assault on reproductive health care. Although the FDA can decide whether or not to follow the committee… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet The president of the North Carolina State Bar Association triggered an explosion of outrage this week after he canceled a drag trivia night so that the organization’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee could “present both sides” of the right-wing-led culture war, The Daily Beast reported on Sunday. The incident is but the latest in a long line of LGBTQIA+ scapegoating by state-level Republicans across the country, who insist without evidence that drag queens are a negative influence on kids. “NCBA president Clayton Morgan said the committee wouldn’t be ‘perceived as trying to adv… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Last week, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) fumbled some comments about white supremacy in the military. According to Tuberville, they’re nothing more than Americans. Since then, he’s tried to explain away the comments. First, he asked how one defines a white nationalist. He then claimed he was just being sarcastic. Finally, he pivoted to another topic, complaining that people call supporters of Donald Trump white nationalists. Speaking to MSNBC on Sunday, the political panel lamented that Republicans have grown increasingly accepting of radical right-wing extremism and extremists themselves. Demo… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dolly Parton joked about having a threesome with Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, while at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards. The 77-year-old country icon gave the acronym for ‘Greatest Of All Time’, G.O.A.T., a whole new X-rated meaning while co-hosting the star-studded bash at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday night (11.05.23) with the 61-year-old Grammy winner. The ‘Jolene’ hitmaker began by pulling a real goat onstage in a cart, before she told Garth: “I’ve got your G.O.A.T. right here!” Dolly gushed: “He changed the name of country music forever. In a flash, he became one of the biggest stars of all time.” And Garth replied: “The world … will always love you.” She then joked: “I think it stands for ‘Garth organised a threesome!’” Dolly – who is married to Carl Dean – took things one step further and jokingly added that she was given a “hall pass” to have sex with him and his 58-year-old spouse. A hall pass is when a couple will allow their other half to dream about sex with another person, usually a celebrity. After taking to the stage to perform some of her greatest hits with Carly Pearce, Trisha quipped that Dolly is both her and her husband’s “hall pass”. She added to ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “Everybody loves Dolly. Actually, people think this is Dolce and Gabbana but it’s Dolly and Garth. “Everybody loves Dolly. We love Dolly so much.” Jokes aside, Lainey Wilson was the big winner of the night, after triumphing in four categories. The 30-year-old singer scooped the Female Artist of the Year gong, as well as the Album of the Year accolade for ‘Bell Bottom Country’, and Visual Media of the Year and Music Event of the Year awards for Hardy’s ‘Wait in the Truck’, which she featured on. After being presented with the Female Artist of the Year prize by Dolly, Lainey said: “I can’t believe I just met Dolly Parton, first of all. This is crazy. “I want to say thank you to my father. Thank you, Jesus, for this, this is absolutely insane.” Lainey also thanked her family, record label and team for fighting for her “every single day”, and paid tribute to Dolly, as well as her fellow nominees, Kelsea Ballerini, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, and Carly Pearce. She said: “I look up to y’all so much, and I’m up here cause of y’all, cause of people like Dolly Parton paving the way. “For the little girls watching this, this right here stands for hard work. If you’re gonna be a dreamer, you better be a doer.” Other big winners on the night included Chris Stapleton, who landed the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine @madonna/instagram Madonna‘s tour rehearsals are hardcore. On Thursday, May 11, the Queen of Pop took to her Instagram Story to share a series of photos showing off her bruised-up body. @madonna/instagram “Sacrifice,” Madonna wrote across the first image — which featured a close-up shot of her forearm and thighs. The “Material Girl” singer seemed to reference the dedicated work she has been putting into preparing for her upcoming tour, titled The Celebration Tour, set to kick off on Saturday, July 15, in Vancouver. @madonna/instagram Madonna’s second snap highlighted her overgrown roots, as she wore over-the-knee socks and a baggy sleeveless T-shirt while revealing multiple dark bruises on the top half of her legs. Another image captured the 64-year-old’s body from a separate angle of the pop sensation sitting on a chair with her microphone in hand. Madonna Admits ‘It Took 4 Decades and Several Provocative Photo Shoots to Open People’s Minds Through Art’ Madonna Shows Off Her Boxing Gloves With the Help of Boyfriend Josh Popper: Photos Madonna Confesses She’s ‘Fallen Down the Rabbit Hole’ as Fans Remain Concerned About Her Bizarre Behavior 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 mother-of-six continued to pose for pictures, this time pouting her lips and slightly sticking out her tongue while staring at the camera through a pair of glasses with both hands on her knees. Madonna’s world tour is just two months away and fans are overly excited to watch the icon perform four decades worth of award-winning music. @madonna/instagram “Come join the party! ,” the “Like a Virgin” vocalist announced on Tuesday, January 17, following months of speculation about the covert series. Not only will Madonna be performing “as many songs as possible” throughout the highly-anticipated show, she will also be wearing “updated versions” of her iconic cone bra and other unforgettable designer outfits from the singer’s past, as OK! previously reported. “Madonna will be reflecting on her entire career in the tour and that won’t just be the music — it will be the clothes too,” a source spilled back in March of the generational idol. “She has been a trailblazer with her fashion and is getting a lot of her designer friends involved in helping her,” the insider added. Madonna has let her fans in on the fun, as she recently shared photos from a trip to her storage archives with Jean Paul Gaultier in preparation for her upcoming tour. View the full article

Published by Raw Story A California congressman on Friday pushed back against a colleague’s recent homophobic remark by introducing a new resolution that recognizes the contributions of LGBTQ+ parents, The Advocate reports. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) introduced the Honoring All Families resolution in response to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s assertion last month that a gay person who is the stepmother of two isn’t really a mother. Greene made the comment at an April 26 House Select Subcommittee on the pandemic during American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten’s testimony. Greene said Weingarten wasn’t qual… Read More View the full article

Published by GB News Bud Light’s trans rights row has escalated yet again after several LGBT+ venues started ditching the beverage over claims influencer Dylan Mulvaney had been “abandoned”. Five LGBT+ bars in Chicago dropped Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch CEO said he “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people”. Sidetrack Bar, a gay bar which is known for its showtune nights, announced its boycott on social media. In a post on Instagram, Sidetrack Bar said: “For 41 years Sidetrack has encouraged liquor and beer companies that have wished to garner the LGBTQ+ customer base to actively support ou… Read More View the full article

Published by Relaxnews By Courtesy of Victoria Secret Four years after canceling its legendary Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, tainted by various controversies, the famous lingerie brand has announced the return of its annual runway showcase with a new format, billed as more inclusive, more artistic, and based on a vision of beauty that’s more rooted in reality. Gone are the tall, lean and perfectly toned Angels, replaced by a collective of models from various backgrounds. They will be starring in a fashion extravaganza broadcast live this fall, in an attempt to win over an audience that’s split between excitement a… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Elliot Page has celebrated his “transjoy” by sharing a topless snap showing his gender reassignment surgery scars. The Oscar-nominated actor and transgender campaigner, 36, posted the image on Instagram while posing shirtless on a rooftop and explained why warmer months used to be a challenge before his transition, after he came out as a trans man in 2020. He posted alongside the image: “Dysphoria used to be especially rife in the summer. No layers, just a T-shirt – or layers and oh so sweaty – constantly looking down, readjusting my oversized T. “It feels so f’ing good soaking in the sun now, I never thought I could experience this, the joy I feel in my body. “I am so grateful for what gender affirming care has allowed me and I look forward to sharing more of my journey soon. #transjoy” Elliot marked his coming out as trans three years ago with the social media announcement: “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life. “I feel overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey. I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.” The ‘Juno’ star captioned a photo of himself posting in a bathing suit in 2021: “Trans bb’s first swim trunks #transjoy “#transisbeautiful.” He said in an interview with Time magazine how he had undergone top surgery to remove breast tissue, saying it had “completely transformed” his life. Elliot added the procedure did not define being transgender, but provided him with freedom from the “total hell” that was puberty and allowed him to recognise himself when he looked in the mirror. The actor, who married dancer Emma Portner, 28, in 2018 before their divorce in 2021, is set to go on a book tour to promote his ‘Pageboy’ memoir. Its publisher has said the book “will delve into Page’s relationship with his body” as well as “his experiences as one of the most famous trans people in the world”. It added the memoir will “cover mental health, assault, love, relationships, sex” and ”the cesspool that Hollywood can be”. View the full article

Published by AlterNet In Republican Governor Ron DeSantis‘ “Free State of Florida,” as of July 1 it will be illegal for physicians and other medical professionals to refuse to treat unvaccinated patients. It will be illegal to mandate vaccines. It will be illegal to mandate the wearing of masks. It will be illegal to require a “vaccine passport.” But, also in Ron DeSantis’ “Free State of Florida,” it will be legal for a physician or other medical professional to refuse to treat a patient who is LGBTQ for a “specific health care service” if it violates their “conscience.” And legal for insurance companies to refuse … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP George Santos, shown here in New York in April, confessed to stealing the checkbook in Brazil Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Scandal-plagued US congressman George Santos, indicted this week on 13 charges, has agreed to a plea deal to settle a separate case over using a stolen checkbook in Brazil in 2008, officials said Friday. The first-term Republican from New York, who has admitted to lying about much of his biography, confessed to the crime and agreed to pay around $5,000 in fines and damages to avoid criminal prosecution, said the court hearing his case in Brazil. Santos, the son of Brazilian parents who immigrated to the United States, was charged with fraud in Brazil for stealing the checkbook of a deceased elderly man his mother had helped care for. He used it buy some $700 in merchandise as a 19-year-old in the city of Niteroi, near Rio de Janeiro. Under the plea deal he agreed to pay a fine of 10,000 reais (around $2,030), plus inflation-adjusted damages of 14,121 reais ($2,865) to the shopkeeper he purchased the merchandise from, a spokeswoman for the second-circuit state criminal court for Niteroi told AFP in an e-mail. Santos, who appeared via WhatsApp video call at the closed-door hearing Thursday, has one month to comply. It is the latest drama around the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress, whose fabrications have made him fodder for late-night comedy shows and landed him in big legal trouble in the US. Santos, 34, was arrested and charged Wednesday by US prosecutors with wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. The lawmaker, who pleaded not guilty, was released on bail of $500,000. Santos is accused of stealing money from donors who contributed to his campaign, lying on financial disclosure forms and collecting unemployment benefits while earning $120,000 a year at a Florida-based investment firm. The congressman has admitted to lying about much of his life story, including claims he graduated from university, worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and is Jewish. The case against him in Brazil had been shelved for years after investigators were unable to locate him. But prosecutors reinstated the charges after Santos was elected to Congress last year, saying that meant he now had a verified address. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Dannii Minogue doesn’t think of herself as a gay icon. The 51-year-old pop star has developed a big following among the gay community during her career, but Dannii doesn’t see herself as a gay icon. She told the BBC: “I’ve heard Cher say ‘you don’t wake up thinking you’re a gay icon.’ You don’t think about yourself like that.” Dannii launched her debut album in the early 1990s, and she admits that the social landscape was very different at the time. She explained: “It was drilled into [artists] by record companies and management that you can’t be gay, that will ruin your career.” Dannii has been amazed by the support she’s received from the gay community over the years. Asked when she first noticed that she had a lot of gay fans, Dannii replied: “It’s when people come up and start recounting stories. ‘I met my partner when your song was playing in the club’ or ‘this album was the soundtrack to me getting through difficult times.’ It’s also spending time over the years being involved with people in the community and charities and stuff. You start to feel accepted by the community, which feels amazing.” Dannii’s career reached a crossroads in the mid-1990s, and she admits that posing for Playboy magazine changed her life. The pop star stands by her decision to pose for the magazine, calling it a “complete feminist move”. Danni – who has Ethan, 12, with model Kris Smith – told the Guardian newspaper: “It was personally empowering to me. “I still stand by those photos. I still think it’s awesome. My son’s 12, he and his friends are all on their phones, they’ll be Googling, pictures will come up – but I still absolutely 100 percent stand by that as a complete feminist move. “Anyone can look at those pictures and you can say whatever you want about them. My body, my choice, my space. I controlled everything about the photos, the shoot, everything. And it just made me feel powerful.” View the full article

Published by AFP US Congressman George Santos speaks to reproters as he leaves Federal Court on May 10, 2023 in Central Islip, New York Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – A day after being arrested on 13 charges in the United States, Congressman George Santos faced more legal headaches in Brazil, where a court hearing was scheduled for Thursday in a fraud case against him. The first-term Republican from New York, who has been embroiled in scandal for lying about much of his biography, has been summoned for a hearing over accusations he used a stolen checkbook to buy some $700 in merchandise from a clothing store outside Rio de Janeiro in 2008. The closed-door hearing will be held by video conference, but it is not known whether Santos, 34, will participate, a court spokesman told AFP. The congressman, who has admitted to lying about his name, religion, education and work resume, was arrested and charged Wednesday by US federal prosecutors with wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. Santos, who pleaded not guilty, was released on bail of $500,000. He was ordered to appear in court again on June 30 to face accusations he stole money from donors who contributed to his campaign, lied on his financial disclosure and collected unemployment benefits while earning $120,000 a year at a Florida-based investment firm. In Brazil, Santos, the son of Brazilian parents who immigrated to the United States, is accused of stealing the checkbook of a deceased elderly man his mother had helped care for and using it to go on a spending spree when he was staying with her as a 19-year-old in the city of Niteroi. The case had been shelved when investigators were unable to locate Santos. But prosecutors reinstated the charges after Santos was elected to Congress last year, saying that meant he now had a verified address. They will offer him a plea bargain at Thursday’s hearing, enabling him to avoid criminal prosecution, given that his crime was non-violent and carries a minimum sentence of less than four years, according to court filings. Convicts are typically given alternative sentences such as community service in such cases. Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment. View the full article

Published by AFP Animal rights activists protesting outside the US Supreme Court Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a California animal cruelty law that bans the sale in America’s most-populous state of pork from pigs raised in confined conditions. Justice Neil Gorsuch, in the 5-4 majority opinion, said “companies that choose to sell products in various states must normally comply with the laws of those various states.” Pork producers who brought the legal challenge against the California law were asking the nation’s highest court to impose “constitutional restrictions on the ability of states to regulate goods sold within their borders,” Gorsuch said. “We decline that invitation,” he said. “While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list.” Californians passed an animal welfare measure, Proposition 12, in a referendum in 2018 that bans the sale of pork from pigs raised in overly confined pens. The pork industry went to court accusing California — which produces little of the pork it consumes — of restricting interstate commerce and claiming that the state’s animal welfare standards would raise ham and bacon prices for consumers. After being rejected by state courts, the pork producers turned to the Supreme Court, which heard arguments in the case in October. View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Donald Trump has found himself tangled in a complicated web of legal drama over the years — and it only appears to be growing. In March, a grand jury voted to indict the former POTUS on 34 felony charges of falsifying business filings in connection with an alleged hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels to cover up their 2006 affair. stormy danielsmega On Tuesday, May 8, Trump was also found liable for sexual abuse against 79-year-old journalist E. Jean Carroll, who sued the controversial politician for allegedly raping her in Manhattan in the 1990s and later defaming her when he denied the allegations. But Daniels and Carroll are far from the only women who have accused the embattled ex-prez of sexual improprieties and subsequent cover-up attempts. 26 women in total have come forward to slam the 76-year-old for many types of harassing behaviors, from leering at teen girls to forcefully kissing reporters. E.Jean Carrollmega One of the earliest accusations came from Jessica Leeds, who claimed that Trump assaulted her while they were on the same flight to New York in the late 1970s. Leeds served as a witness for Carroll, and in her deposition she stated she had been bumped to first class and seated beside the business mogul when Trump suddenly lifted his arm rest so he could touch her breasts and further attempted to move his hand up her skirt. “I managed to wheel my way out of the chair and grabbed my purse, and I went back to my seat in the back,” she told the court. mega Actress Amy Dorris alleged the father-of-five grabbed her and kissed her while watching tennis in his private box at the 1997 U.S. Open, reportedly going on to fondle her backside and chest. Ex yoga instructor Karena Virginia accused Trump of groping her breast the following year at the 1998 U.S. Open. “He walked up to me and reached out his right arm and grabbed my right arm. Then his hand touched the right side of my breast. I was in shock. I flinched,” she recalled at a later press event. “‘Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know who I am?’ – that’s what he said to me. I felt intimidated and I felt powerless.” That same year, makeup artist Jill Harth filed a suit against The Apprentice host for allegedly groping and sexually harassing her back in the early ’90s, and author Cathy Heller also claimed Trump kissed her without her consent during a Mother’s Day luncheon at his Mar-a-Lago resort in 1997. Melinda McGillivray spilled to The Palm Beach Post that Trump grabbed her backside at another event at Mar-a-Lago that took place in 2003. Health food entrepreneurLisa Boyne alleged Trump once “paraded” a group of women in front of their table at a restaurant and proceeded to look under their skirts and make sexual comments about them during a disturbing incident that allegedly occurred in the mid-90s. An ex Trump campaign staffer by the name of Alva Johnson and former Fox News anchor Juliet Huddy both alleged Trump had kissed them both without their consent in separate situations. karen macdougalmega In 1997, Temple Taggart, a beauty queen from Utah, stated that Trump once “directly” kissed her on the lips twice without permission while he was still married to Marla Maples. Six women — Victoria Hughes, Tasha Dixon, Mariah Billado, Cassandra Searles, Samantha Holvey and Bridget Sullivan — also accused Trump, who owned the Miss USA beauty pageant at the time, of walking in to their dressing room unannounced while they didn’t have any clothes on. They were all aged 15-years-old to 19-years-old at the time of the alleged event. ‘You’re a Nasty Person!’: Donald Trump Lashes Out at Kaitlan Collins After She Asks About His Handling of Classified Documents President Joe Biden Takes Aim at Donald Trump With Snarky One-Liner After Town Hall Joe Scarborough Rips Apart Donald Trump’s ‘Disgraceful’ Town Hall, Compares It to January 6 Riot Trump later appeared to verify that this was a habit of his in a 2005 interview with Howard Stern. “I’ll go backstage and everyone’s getting dressed,” he told him. “You know, no men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant and therefore I’m inspecting it.” Former Miss Finland Ninni Laaksonen also claimed the disgraced businessman once grabbed her backside before an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Then-aspiring model Kristen Anderson alleged a strange man that she believed to be Trump put his hand up her skirt and touched her privately through her underwear. She later told the Washington Post that she recognized him by a very specific facial feature. “He was so distinctive looking — with the hair and the eyebrows,” she said at the time. “I mean, nobody else has those eyebrows.” mega It hasn’t only been various models, actresses, staff members and journalists who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. The former president’s first wife, Ivana Trump, stated in her 1990 divorce deposition that he had raped her. Trump harshly denied the claim, calling it “obviously false.” She later appeared to backtrack her charge in a released statement that said: “I referred to this as a ‘rape,’ but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.” jessica drakemega Similarly to Daniels, adult film star Jessica Drake alleged the now ex-president pressured her to have sex with him in 2006, further stating he supposedly non-consensually kissed herself and two of her friends on the mouth. Ex Playboy model Karen McDougal also claimed she had a 10-month affair with Trump in 2006. 10 years later, American Media Inc. reportedly purchased McDougal’s story detailing their fling for $150,000 with the alleged intention of never running it as a favor to Trump. McDougal’s name was mentioned in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s years-long investigation that lead to Trump’s recent indictment. summer zervosmega Two women who previously appeared on The Apprentice, Jennifer Murphy and Summer Zervos, also accused Trump of misconduct. Murphy claimed he tried to kiss her and Zervos said he once tried to get her to lay down on a bed with him and then sexually assaulted her. Zervos sued Trump in 2017, but dropped the case in 2021. Rachel Crooks, who once worked at a real estate firm in Trump Tower, said the entrepreneur kissed her on the lips without permission when she was 22-years-old, later telling her story because she believed “people should know” that this kind of behavior from him was “pervasive” and “real.” As OK! previously reported, journalist Natasha Stoynoff, who also testified to the court in Carroll’s sexual abuse case, told the jury that Trump pinned her against a wall and forcefully kissed her at Mar-a-Lago in 2005 while she was there to cover a story on his and wife Melania‘s anniversary. 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! View the full article

Published by New York Daily News The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is changing its blood donation policy and easing restrictions for gay and bisexual men who want to donate blood, health officials said Thursday. The updated policy — which was initially proposed in January and is based on scientific evidence and policies already in place in countries including the United Kingdom and Canada — changes the screening process for blood donation to include the same set of questions for all potential donors, independent of their sexual orientation, sex or gender. The announcement follows years of campaigning by LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Nell Mackenzie and Sinead Cruise LONDON (Reuters) – There are few jobs Robyn Grew has not mastered at the $145 billion hedge fund Man Group, where money keeps rolling in to a fast-growing business she helped to transform. Grew, named incoming CEO on Thursday, has held executive positions in compliance, trading, legal and operations over 14 years, as Man has evolved from a disparate group of siloed businesses to a big, technology-driven investment manager. As she becomes one of the most powerful women in fund management, Grew must apply her insights to a host of challenges from mounting comp… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Mpox causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions Geneva (AFP) – The World Health Organization declared that mpox no longer constitutes a global health emergency on Thursday, almost exactly a year after the disease formerly known as monkeypox started spreading globally. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision was prompted by sharply falling case numbers worldwide, but emphasised that the disease remains a threat, particularly in areas of Africa where it has long been endemic. The announcement comes a week after the UN agency also declared that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alarm. “However, as with Covid-19, that does not mean that the work is over,” Tedros told an online press conference. “While the emergencies of mpox and Covid-19 are both over, the threat of resurgent waves remains for both. Both viruses continue to circulate and both continue to kill,” he added. Though some countries in Central and West Africa have suffered local outbreaks for decades, in May last year mpox cases started emerging in Europe, North America then elsewhere, mostly among men who have sex with men. The WHO declared mpox was a PHEIC in July. The number of people infected with the disease — which causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like skin lesions — has consistently fallen since. More than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths have been reported from 111 countries during the global outbreak, according to a WHO count. The countries with the most cases during the global outbreak have been the United States, Brazil, Spain, France, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and the UK, according to the count. ‘Steady progress’ Almost 90 percent fewer cases were recorded over the last three months compared to the previous three-month period, Tedros said. “We now see steady progress in controlling the outbreak based on the lessons of HIV and working closely with the most affected communities,” Tedros said. Because the global cases were overwhelmingly among men who have sex with men, there were fears that discrimination would mar the response to the outbreak. “While stigma has been a driving concern in managing this epidemic and continues to hamper access to care for mpox, the feared backlash against the most affected communities has largely not materialised,” Tedros said. “For that, we are thankful.” For non-endemic countries, infections spread by travellers represent an ongoing threat, Tedros said, calling on countries to maintain surveillance of the disease and access to tests and vaccines. People who have untreated HIV are at particular risk of severe forms of mpox, he added. “While we welcome the downward trend of mpox cases globally, the virus continues to affect communities in all regions, including in Africa, where transmission is still not well understood,” Tedros said. Mpox continues in Africa The monkeypox virus — which causes mpox disease — was first discovered in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. Until a year ago, its spread among humans had been mainly limited to certain West and Central African nations, where local outbreaks are thought to be caused by the virus jumping over to humans from small animals. Rosamund Lewis, the WHO’s technical lead on monkeypox, said these countries “were dealing with mpox long before this outbreak began and will continue dealing with it for some time to come”. WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan said he was “shocked” that little international funding had been donated for the fight against mpox in the African countries where it is endemic. “Maybe it’s an issue of the continued prejudices that exist in this world,” he said. The virus is transmitted through close contact with infected humans or animals, as well as via materials such as contaminated sheets. After the emergency status was lifted for Covid and mpox, there is now just one WHO-declared PHEIC — for poliovirus, which was declared in May 2014. View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Council is aiming to make the city a “safe haven” for those seeking gender-affirming health care. A new resolution passed out of committee unanimously to cheers from dozens of supporters gathered in council chambers Wednesday morning. It will go to the full council next. The resolution, sponsored by Mayor Quinton Lucas and council members Andrea Bough and Eric Bunch, would instruct city personnel not to participate in the enforcement of several laws and an emergency order targeting transgender people in Missouri. Kansas City has become a battleground of sorts for… Read More View the full article

Published by Hong Kong Free Press Sign-ups for the upcoming Gay Games in Hong Kong are currently more than 90 per cent below target, organisers have said, adding that the city’s Covid-19 rules had previously hampered publicity efforts. However, a source familiar with the matter told HKFP that they believed leadership changes may also be impacting organisation efforts. “The pandemic related travel restrictions for Hong Kong made it very difficult for us to plan our promotional activities, so we lost valuable time last year where we could not promote aggressively,” the organisers told HKFP. They said they had achieved “close to … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Charlize Theron has threatened to “f*** up” anyone who criticises drag queens. The 47-year-old actress, whose adopted child Jackson, 11, was born male but identifies as female, issued the warning while appearing at the ‘Drag isn’t Dangerous’ telethon, designed to oppose laws attempting to block children from viewing cross-dressing performances. She said: “We love you queens! We’re in your corner, and we’ve got you, and I will f*** anybody up who is, like, trying to f*** with anything with you guys. “In all seriousness, there are so many things that are hurting and really, killing our kids right, and we all know what I’m talking about right now… if you’ve ever seen a drag queen lip sync for her life, it only makes you happier, it only makes you love more. It makes you a better person.” Referencing a popular drag move, Charlize – who also has seven-year-old daughter August– went on: “F***, if I could do a death drop right now I would, but I would probably like, break my hip.” The ‘Prometheus’ star also appealed for viewers to back “all the great organisations that are out there” helping “all of this nonsense” go away “like it should” and branded attempts to stop children watching drag acts part of a set of “incredibly stupid policies”. Charlize was joined at the ‘Drag isn’t Dangerous’ event by drag acts including Bob the Drag Queen, Divina De Campo and Jinkx Monsoon, as well as a raft of celebrities such as Elizabeth Banks, Margaret Cho, Whitney Cummings, Marcia Gay Harden, Melissa McCarthy, Kelly Osbourne, Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman and Ali Wong. Anti-drag bills have been introduced in at least 15 US states, from Tennessee to Kentucky, Texas and Missouri, with Tennessee defining “adult cabaret” as “adult-oriented” performances”. Charlize previously revealed Jackson first declared she was “not a boy” when she was just three years old. She told DailyMail.com about Jackson identifying as female: “Yes, I thought she was a boy, too. “Until she looked at me when she was three years old and said, ‘I am not a boy!’ “So there you go! I have two beautiful daughters who, just like any parent, I want to protect and I want to see thrive.” View the full article

Published by OK Magazine Big yikes! JoJo Siwa revealed she unfortunately called her dad while getting down in dirty in the sheets! “It’s my third night with this partner. Things are escalating, it’s really fun, I’m happy, I’m having the time of my life,” the 19-year-old said in a new podcast interview. “Cut to the next day, my dad comes up to me and he’s like, ‘You guys had fun last night.’ My parents are very supportive. And I have a lot of my dad in me, I’m very comfortable with my parents – but not that comfortable,” she continued. “He goes, ‘Oh, I heard.’ But we were not loud. Our rooms are far apart. I can scream and you wouldn’t hear me. So I’m like, ‘What?’ and he was like, ‘Last night you called me!’” mega 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! Candace Cameron Bure’s Biggest Controversies: Bigotry Accusations, Snubs & More John Stamos ‘Devastated’ By Broken ‘Full House’ Family After Cast Has Been Plagued By Scandal & Tragedy JoJo Siwa Under Fire For Making Fans Believe She Was Pregnant: ‘So Disgusting & Disrespectful’ The blonde beauty’s dad picked up the phone, but after five seconds, “I realized that you were having s** and I hung up the phone so fast,” he recalled. Co-host Maddie Wiener couldn’t help but giggle at the interesting scenario. “He thinks you’re in trouble, he picks up the call and he’s like, ‘She’s drowning!’ Oh my god!” she said as Siwa interjected, exclaiming: “Well, she kinda is!” “So now I have a rule that no matter what, phones are put to the side because I butt dialed my dad,” she quipped. “Before anything happens, where’s your phone? ‘Cause if things start heating up, we put them to the side.” In January 2021, the TV personality, who recently teased she’s seeing someone new after her split from Avery Cyrus, came out as gay, and she couldn’t be happier. mega “I still don’t know what I am. It’s like, I want to figure it out. And I have this joke. Her name is Kylie. And so I say that I’m Ky-sexual,” she said of not labeling her sexuality. “But like, I don’t know, bisexual, pansexual, queer, lesbian, gay, straight. I always just say gay because it just kind of covers it or queer because I think the keyword is cool.” “I like queer,” she added. “Technically I would say that I am pansexual because that’s how I have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human.” View the full article

Published by The Sacramento Bee California may be a Democratic stronghold, but it has also become a hotbed of right-wing, white supremacist and antisemitic activity, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL report, which looks at incidents in 2021 and 2022, found significant increases in white supremacist and antisemitic incidents, including collaboration between the two groups. Among the extremist organizations continuing to operate openly in the Golden State are the Proud Boys and the Rise Above Movement, a white supremacist group based in Southern California. “The state is home to the country’s h… Read More View the full article

Published by Grazia USA Just as she sings in the song “ALIEN SUPERSTAR,” Queen Bey is a “mastermind in haute couture.” Beyoncé kicked off her highly anticipated Renaissance World Tour in Stockholm, Sweden on Wednesday. She belted out favorite hit tracks and was decked out in the most surrealist and club-ready fashions from the industry’s top designers, courtesy of stylist Shiona Turini. The record-breaking Grammy winner began the night wearing a custom Alexander McQueen gunmetal bodysuit with silver bugle beads and “crystal anatomical embroidery,” according to the brand. The silhouette featured strong shoulders and s… Read More View the full article