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Published by Reuters By Byron Kaye (Reuters) -Barry Humphries, the comedian best known for his character Dame Edna Everage who blossomed from an Australian suburban housewife into a self-described gigastar, died on Saturday. He was 89. The Sydney Morning Herald said Humphries died at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, where he had been treated for various health issues. “He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,” his family said in a statement quoted by Australian media. “His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted. Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was a painter, author, poet, and a collector and lover of art in all its forms.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Humphries in a tweet, calling him a “great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind”. It was the character of Dame Edna who made Humphries famous. With coiffed lilac hair, oversized diamante glasses and an outlandish wardrobe, the instantly recognisable Edna would joyfully greet audiences with her trademark “Hello Possums!”. Describing her shows as a “monologue interrupted by strangers” and herself as blessed with “the ability to laugh at the misfortune of others”, Edna would warmly skewer celebrities and audience members alike. “Tim, I could talk to you and about you and behind your back for ages,” the character once said in typical fashion as she was wrapping up a conversation with actor and comedian Tim Allen on one of her talkshows. Edna’s life as she told it would often leave stars in hysterics. She taught Mel Gibson drama, Julio Iglesias’ father was her travelling gynaecologist and she spent the coronavirus pandemic hiding out with her new lover, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in Texas. Born and raised in Melbourne, John Barry Humphries was the son of a well-to-do builder who persuaded his parents to buy him an assortment of theatrical costumes to play dress up in. Sent to a conservative high school, he was described by a friend as a “spectacular misfit” who would turn his back on school football matches to knit. The creation that would define his career came early: at 21, he was part of a travelling repertory company when he came up with a character of a snobbish, inadvertently offensive housewife. In 1955, he stepped onstage for the first time as “Mrs Norm Everage” from Moonee Ponds, admitting only decades later that she was based on his mother. He developed a host of other Australian caricatures including the repulsive drunk diplomat Les Patterson and the more subtle Sandy Stone, a decrepit rambling senior. PRANKS Humphries was also an actor, painter, author and Dadaist performer of pranks. In one such prank, he would sneak a can of Heinz Russian Salad on a plane, empty it into a passenger sick bag and pretend to vomit into the bag mid-flight before proceeding to eat the contents in front of bewildered passengers and crew. Bored with his home city, Humphries moved to Britain in 1959, part of a wave of creative expatriates including humorist Clive James and artist Brett Whiteley, showcasing the Australian voice: earthy and irreverent but superficially polite. “Edna has this way of doing things, it seems to take the curse off it,” Humphries told Reuters in 1998. “I get no complaints.” Although a household name in Britain and Australia, the U.S. market proved hard to crack despite several attempts. That changed in 2000, when he was 66, and his “Dame Edna: The Royal Tour” on Broadway earned him a Tony award and role in the sitcom “Ally McBeal”. He also voiced the character of Bruce the Shark in “Finding Nemo”, wrote a satirical advice column, as Edna, for Vanity Fair, and curated a cabaret festival where he rejected acts that involved swearing – a decision he said would encourage creativity. For years Humphries struggled with alcoholism that destroyed his first marriage and nearly his life, but he gave up drinking in the early 70s. His numerous honours included being awarded an Order of Australia in 1982, made a Commander of the British Empire in 2007 and featuring on Australian postage stamps. But an outcry over a series of remarks that were widely seen as transphobic helped prompt the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to drop his name from its top award in 2019. Humphries lived what he called a “chequered, dramatic” personal life, marrying four times. He is survived by his wife, the actress Lizzie Spender, and his four children. (Reporting by Byron KayeAdditional reporting by Akriti Sharma in BengaluruEditing by Edwina Gibbs and Frances Kerry) View the full article

Published by Reuters KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Noor Jehan, an elephant in Pakistan’s Karachi Zoo whose illness revived criticisms of the nation’s zoos, died on Saturday despite frantic efforts to treat her, officials said. The critically ill 17-year-old elephant had fallen into a pond this month and been unable to get up without help. “After fighting for 9 days, she succumbed to her critical condition. She spent too long lying on the ground – a life-threatening situation for elephants,” Four Paws, an international animal welfare organisation that had been advising local and international veterinarians on her treatment, said in a statement. Four Paws veterinarian Amir Khalil said it was “heartbreaking that she had to die at only 17 years old, when she could have had many more years”. Noor Jehan was an African elephant, whose average lifespan is 60 to 70 years. In recent years two lions died of asphyxiation in Pakistan after handlers tried to get them out of their den using smoke, and a number of white tiger cubs have died. The director of the Karachi Zoo was removed this month over complaints of negligence. A court in 2020 ordered the closure of the Islamabad Zoo, where the elephant Kaavan was kept. The American celebrity Cher, after years of seeking to free Kaavan, came to Pakistan to see him off on his move to a Cambodian sanctuary. Khalil said Karachi Zoo did not meet international standards and urged that Madhubala, the healthy elephant remaining at the zoo, be relocated to a more species-appropriate place to give her a chance at a better life. Four Paws said Madhubala was mourning the loss of her longtime companion. The widespread criticism faced by authorities in the wake of Noor Jehan’s condition – with images of her helplessly lying on her side – has led to reports in the local media that Karachi Zoo may be shut down permanently. Four Paws said it welcomed this proposal, adding that it could be a turning point for the welfare of wild animals in captivity in Pakistan. (Reporting by Islamabad bureau; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Willaim Mallard) View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) Barry Humphries, best known for his comic creation Dame Edna Everage, has died at the age of 89. The Australian entertainer, who was particularly popular in the UK, passed away at a hospital in Sydney following complications after hip surgery in March. Humphries moved to London in 1959, appearing in West End shows including Maggie May and Oliver! His star rose further when the character of Dame Edna became a hit in the 1970s, even landing her own TV chat show, the Dame Edna Everage Experience, in the late 1980s. Humphries first debuted Dame Edna in the 1950s while he was living in Australia; s… Read More View the full article

Published by uInterview.com Tommy Lee issued a non-apology after reposting a homophobic clip from the far right-wing OAN news network. In the clip, the OAN host Liz Wheeler railed against transgender people who identify as “transracial and “transabled.” 50 BEST CELEBRITY BIKINIS SLIDESHOW! After deleting the clip from his Instagram, the rocker shared a post that read, “I deleted my ‘controversial post because I am in no way transphobic or against the LGBTQ+ community or any f—ing community.” He then added, “I’m the gayest motherf—er around!” The rocker continued, “I just don’t agree with how far some things have been tak… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Nathan Layne CLIVE, Iowa (Reuters) -Donald Trump and other Republican presidential hopefuls called for restricting abortion at an event for evangelicals in Iowa on Saturday, courting the key conservative voting bloc in the state set to hold the party’s first nominating contest in early 2024. At the first major campaign event for the evangelical community, speakers also talked up their opposition to transgender rights and their plans to promote Christian values and school choice. “Every child born and unborn is a sacred gift from God,” said Trump, promising to fight against late-term abortions, although he did not touch on whether he would pursue federal restrictions on the procedure, a step some conservatives want. Also addressing the event were former Vice President Mike Pence, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy, and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson. All have said they intend to seek the presidency or are considering a run. Roughly 1,000 people attended the annual presidential forum organized by the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, a conservative nonprofit. Trump was the only speaker who did not attend in person, delivering remarks via a video link. Trump appears to be consolidating his grip on the Republican Party, with national polls showing him expanding his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential primary rival who did not attend Saturday’s event but will visit the state next month. Iowa is slated to hold the first-in-the-nation Republican caucus in early 2024. Strong evangelical support early on in the nominating process could help give a challenger a chance to strike a blow against Trump. Trump won 76% of the white evangelical vote in 2020, down from 80% in 2016, according to Edison Research exit polls. About one-third of U.S. adults identify as born-again or evangelical Christians, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in November 2020. Pence, a devout evangelical who may soon launch a presidential bid, was one of several speakers who vowed to curb the availability of transition surgeries and other gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Trump said he would issue an executive order “instructing every federal agency to cease the promotion of sex and gender transition at any age.” Pence and other speakers described the promotion of such procedures as part of a radical leftist agenda that went against Christian values, offering a preview of the culture-war themes that are likely to dominate the Republican primary battle. “The battle against radical gender ideology is a battle for religious freedom,” Pence said. (Reporting by Nathan Layne; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Alistair Bell and Edwina Gibbs) View the full article

Published by AlterNet Less than a month after the office of Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Baily launched a website for citizens to report suspected instances of transgender residents engaging in “troubling practices,” the controversial portal has been shut down due to an inundation of “spam, fake complaints, and other ephemera,” Tech Crunch reported on Friday. Bailey’s Press Secretary Madeline Sieren accused “left-wing activists” of sabotaging the online form – which was officially designated as a “tip line” – and kvetched to Tech Crunch that “rather than standing on their supposed science to back u… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Sunday the House would vote on his spending and debt bill this week, and invited President Joe Biden to discuss the debt ceiling with him. McCarthy floated a plan last week that would pair $4.5 trillion in spending cuts with a $1.5 trillion increase in the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt limit. Biden and the Democratic-controlled Senate are likely to reject the proposal, but McCarthy has called it a basis for negotiations between the two parties in the coming weeks. Failure to raise the debt ceiling would lead to a U.S. default on its financial obligations, shaking the global economy. Financial markets have already shown signs of worry about the standoff, with the cost of insuring exposure to U.S. debt at its highest in a decade and financial analysts raising concerns about the rising risk of default. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House but McCarthy said he was confident of securing enough votes to pass his bill in the chamber. “I cannot imagine someone in our conference that would want to go along with Biden’s reckless spending,” McCarthy told Fox News in an interview on Sunday. “Like every other household in America – if Washington wants to spend more, it needs to save more somewhere else,” McCarthy added in a tweet on Sunday. “This isn’t controversial – it’s common sense. I invite the President to get serious and join Republicans at the table.” Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar and Dick Durbin on Sunday also urged negotiations between Biden and McCarthy but said McCarthy’s proposal was more appropriate for budget debates than for the debt ceiling. “The conversation should be underway, but it should be on the budget resolution, and on the appropriations process and entitlement reform, if that’s part of the agenda. That should all be separate from the question of the debt ceiling. Don’t default, avoid default,” Durbin told NBC News. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson and David Lawder; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Richard Chang) View the full article

Published by Raw Story During an appearance on MSNBC early Sunday morning, the former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics trashed Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts for saying nothing and doing nothing about the cloud of scandals hovering over Justice Clarence Thomas. Speaking with host Katie Phang, attorney Walter Schaub expressed dismay with the chief justice, repeatedly saying, “Shame on him.” With CNN reporting that Roberts is “punting” on testifying before the Senate about Thomas and his relationship with a conservative billionaire who has been financing the lavish lifestyle the just… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Florida Republican House members passed three pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation Wednesday, The Advocate reports. Per The Advocate, the legislation “passed the same day that the state’s board of education approved a measure expanding the state’s ‘don’t say gay’ law up until high school graduation.” Time Magazine reports experts shared last month why they oppose the passing of the bills, which according to The Advocate, “could prohibit gender-affirming care for children, punish businesses letting minors watch drag shows, and treat transgender people peeing in the wrong bathroom as criminals.” RE… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s Christian LGBT community hopes a visit by Pope Francis to Budapest next week can help heal wounds in a deeply divided society amid an intensifying anti-LGBT campaign by the country’s deeply conservative government. Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a right-wing nationalist in power since 2010, has sought to promote social policies he says safeguard Christian values against Western liberalism. He has targeted gender issues and what he calls LGBT propaganda in his campaign over the past few years, along with migrants. The pope will make an official vis… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) has sent Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts a strongly-worded invitation to testify over his “decade-long failure” to fix the ethics problems he and his justices have created which have created a “crisis of public confidence,” but several Republican Senators are warning against him appearing. Declaring that the “status quo is no longer tenable,” Chairman Durbin says in his invitation (copy below) that “there has been a steady stream of revelations regarding Justices falling short of the ethical standards expected of other federal judges and, i… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Katharine Jackson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a Republican bill intended to ban transgender women and girls from competing in women’s and girls’ school sports, delivering at least a short-term victory to social conservatives. The House passed the measure by 219-203 but it has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate. President Joe Biden has also voiced his opposition to the bill, calling it discriminatory, and has vowed to veto it if needed. Still, the vote was a win for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who hopes to keep his narrow Republican majority unified, as a fight over raising the nation’s debt ceiling looms. “There’s a reason why there’s men and women’s sports,” McCarthy told reporters on the grounds of the Capitol, where he held a news conference with three female athletes who had competed with transgender athletes and lost. “It’s about fairness. And if there’s one final fiber of America, it’s about giving people an opportunity.” If passed, the bill would change the civil rights law known as Title IX to require that a student’s sex be “based on an individual’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” Enacted in 1972, Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. It was created to ensure equal opportunity for participation and opened the door for more women in sports. Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal, who said during Wednesday’s debate that she is raising a transgender daughter, said, “This bill fuels a virulent hate campaign against kids who just want to play with their friends.” The White House on Monday said the bill would effectively deny access to sports for transgender students, even at the elementary school level. Republicans have stepped up their focus on transgender youth. On Wednesday, Florida education officials voted to ban classroom instruction on gender identity and social orientation in public schools through high school. That expanded on a law signed by likely Republican presidential candidate Governor Ron DeSantis, which had banned such lessons for younger students and was derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Twenty-one U.S. states already have transgender school sports bans in place, according to the Human Rights Campaign LGBTQ advocacy group. The Biden administration has proposed prohibiting schools from banning transgender athletes from playing on teams consistent with their gender identities, with exceptions possible for the highest levels of competition. (Reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) – Advocacy groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday seeking to strike down a new Tennessee law that bans doctors from providing gender-affirming medical treatment such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery to transgender minors. The American Civil Liberties Union and LGBTQ group Lambda Legal in a lawsuit filed in Nashville, Tennessee federal court say the law, which takes effect July 1, unlawfully discriminates against transgender people based on their sex. The law would ban any medical procedure performed for the purpose of enabling a minor to identify with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. Republican state lawmakers who passed the bill in February said it was necessary to protect young people from being permanently harmed. But many medical associations have said the law is transphobic and that gender-affirming care can be life-saving. The new lawsuit says depriving transgender youth of medically necessary care will have devastating consequences for them and their families. Untreated gender dysphoria can trigger anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, the groups said. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three families with transgender children and a Memphis-based doctor who performs gender-affirming procedures. The office of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, a Republican, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ban into law last month along with a separate measure restricting drag performances in public. A federal judge blocked the drag law earlier this month pending the outcome of a lawsuit by an LGBTQ theater group. The laws are part of escalating efforts by Republican lawmakers to regulate the conduct of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill intended to ban transgender women and girls from competing in women’s and girls’ school sports. The proposal is seen as having little chance of passing the Democrat-led Senate. The ACLU and Lambda Legal claim in Thursday’s lawsuit that Tennessee’s law violates the Equal Protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by singling out transgender people. They also say the law violates the federal Affordable Care Act, which prohibits sex discrimination in the provision of healthcare. Several other U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and over the last several weeks groups have sued over laws adopted in Utah, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Richard Chang) View the full article

Published by Raw Story Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken his war against Disney way too far, wrote columnist Eugene Robinson for The Washington Post on Thursday — to the point where even former President Donald Trump is looking like the adult in the room. “Is there something wrong with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis? What kind of politician declares war against Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell? Does he have some sort of problem with impulse control?” wrote Robinson. “I mean, seriously, what kind of governor threatens the revenue of a company that is his state’s biggest private employer, No. 1 corporate taxpayer and most po… Read More View the full article