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Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ramped up his fight against Walt Disney Co, seeking to void an agreement that Disney passed to limit the power of a board appointed by DeSantis to oversee its Florida theme park property. On Thursday in remarks made at Hillsdale College in Michigan, DeSantis said the legislature would void changes Disney made shortly before it lost control of the board. “They are not superior to the people of Florida. And so come hell or high water, we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day,” the Florida governor said. “We’re going to look at things like taxes on hotels, we’re going to look at things like tolls on the roads, we’re going to look at things like developing some of the property that the district owns,” added DeSantis, widely considered a 2024 presidential candidate. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on DeSantis’ remarks. However, earlier in the week, Chief Executive Bob Iger fired back at DeSantis, saying his apparent retaliation against Disney for taking a position on legislation was “anti-business.” Disney opposed Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act – referred to by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – that restricts classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity. Florida lawmakers passed a bill in February giving DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. However, before the takeover by DeSantis’s appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the board’s action for decades. “What Disney has tried to do is they have tried to say that they should be able to operate outside the context of our constitutional system in Florida,” DeSantis said on Thursday. (Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) View the full article

Published by AlterNet The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) gained a historic win at the Kenyan Supreme Court on February 24, 2023. It was finally able to register as an official nongovernmental organization (NGO), after a 10-year legal battle in a country where homosexuality is outlawed. However, the LGBTQ+ community’s celebrations were cut short by a wave of backlash. A day later, local organizations reported an immediate increase in “verbal and physical attacks,” and in coastal cities, large anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations were held. This article was produced by Globetrotter. Similar battles a… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lea DeLaria has secretly married her girlfriend Dalia Gladstone. The ‘Orange Is the New Black’ star – who is best known for portraying inmate Carrie ‘Big Boo’ Black in the Netflix prison drama – confirmed the news this week when she described her significant other as her “wife”. Lea was speaking to the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column at the Miscast23 gala on Monday night (03.04.23) when she called Dalia her “wife”, and when quizzed about the couple’s wedding, she replied: “Aaaaaah … no comment.” After it was jokingly suggested she couldn’t just say “no comment” about such big news, she playfully replied: “Yeah, we can if we want to. “You’ll get over it. It’s not a big deal. Do not make this interview about this! “I’m just an old-school queer. I don’t think everyone has to know my business.” Lea was previously engaged to Chelsea Fairless in 2017, but they split up just days before their wedding. They wrote on Instagram at the time: “Please exclude us from the tragic and basic celebrity breakup narrative. “We were happy together for four years and will remain in each other’s lives. In fact, we look forward to finding new ways to torture each other. We would like to thank our incredible friends and families for their love and support.” The pair announced they had split by photoshopping themselves onto a wedding picture of the late David Gest and Liza Minnelli beside Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor, accompanied by Roxette’s 1987 hit song ‘It Must Have Been Love’. Lea announced their engagement in February 2015, saying at the time: “It’s going to be in New York, but we’re still trying to find the spot! We’re going to do a night wedding and we’re going to go right to the dancing. It’s safe to say that is will be the event of the season, or a total s*** show.” View the full article

Published by Miami Herald MIAMI — Before there was “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and drag brunch in Wynwood, there was Shakespeare. Women were not allowed to perform on stage in England until 1660, which meant that men in wigs and dresses would depict female characters in Shakespeare’s most iconic plays. In modern theater, a strong tradition of drag on stage remains, from Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray” to Mrs. Trunchbull in “Matilda” to Angel in “Rent.” Drag, particularly in the presence of children, is the latest target in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ onslaught against what he calls “woke ideology.” As the state government reprimands busi… Read More View the full article

Published by Euronews (English) A new national law for “real and effective equality for trans people” came into force in Spain on 2 March 2023, allowing a person to change their gender identity in the civil register without undergoing a two-year hormonal treatment or obtaining a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, as required by previous legislation. Euronews reporters Valerie Gauriat and Davide Rafaelle Lobina travelled to Madrid to hear the testimonies of those who are affected by the law. Ezekiel: Gender transition ‘not a decision you take lightly’Ezekiel is a 23-year-old sports coach whose dream is to become a firefig… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Christina Aguilera says she was “probably the last person” she knew to lose her virginity. The ‘Dirrty’ singer, 42, who has son Max, 15, with her actor ex-husband Jordan Bratman, 45, and daughter Summer, eight, with her long-term fiancé Matthew Rutler, 37, added being surrounded by backing dancers didn’t help her have sex earlier. She said on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast: “It was later than you would think, given the girl that was doing ‘Dirrty’ and all this stuff. “It’s more of a funny thing looking back… it doesn’t matter how it goes down, as long as you find your way and your path with being comfortable with yourself.” Christina added she never managed to seduce any of her backing dancers on the road as most of them were gay. She said: “I had certain dancers that were close. You’re traveling a lot and you have accessibility to only so many things. It is what it is… . “Maybe I should have realised he wasn’t looking at me, he wasn’t interested in me… he’s looking at him!’ “A lot of things where I’m like, ‘Oh, sad!’ I feel bad for my younger self.” Christina, who has just launched a sexual wellness brand called Playground, also admitted about why she has steered away from dating fellow celebrities: “I’ve had my experiences… but my life is hectic enough, and this is a very narcissistic industry. “My anxieties couldn’t take somebody that did the exact same thing I did. “I know how this goes. I’m too vulnerable for this. I’m too sensitive to be so paranoid… I didn’t really have time for that. I always went for things that I would feel safe about.” Christina admitted on the same podcast to regularly joining the mile high club with partner Matthew – but only while other passengers are sleeping. She said: “A plane can be fun. We’ve definitely hidden some things under the blankets when the seats are big enough. “I can’t believe we didn’t get caught so many times in so many situations. Thank the Lord. “On international flights, I turn the light off. There’s always room to get creative. I use blankets. “It’s like, ‘Oh, I feel safe with my partner here, like we’re just sleeping together’. “You’ve got to wait ’til everyone’s like gone to sleep. It’s setting the mood.” Christina who has been engaged to Matthew since 2014, added she finds using sex toys on planes a handy stress and anxiety-relieving device. She said: “I’m not sure I’ll be recommending that to any nervous fliers, though. “I literally remember even having this little pocket-sized one I could pack in my bag on an aeroplane. I was horny. “Sometimes it’s an anxiety thing, too.” The ‘Genie in a Bottle’ singer also admitted to having sex over a mixing desk, adding: “There’s been some good times, there’s like, the studio sound board. “I’ve been bent over there a couple of times. It’s fun.” View the full article

Published by The Street By Danni Button Yes, sex workers need their taxes done, too. Lindsay Swanson isn’t your typical “let’s get rich” financial planner. The clientele she serves are laborers that aren’t often acknowledged — sex workers and adult performers. When she sat down with TheStreet to talk about her firm Stripper Financial Planning, she wanted to clarify one thing first. “I [don’t] hold myself out as an authority on sex work,” she says. Swanson didn’t start out serving such a niche market, either. Her journey to become a certified financial planner (CFP) started when she took a front desk job at a finance… Read More View the full article

Published by The Detroit News MIDLAND, Mich. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis touted recent GOP victories in the sunshine state as a roadmap for national Republican wins as he spoke Thursday to a packed crowd of Michigan Republicans. In his nearly hour-long address, the potential presidential candidate pointed to Florida’s pandemic policies, recent controversial changes to the state’s education laws and state election wins as a remedy for Republicans who have “developed a culture of losing.” “The stakes are high,” DeSantis said at the Midland County Republican Party Dave Camp Spring Breakfast. “I think what we showed in Florida… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who was nominated in 1991, is the longest-serving member of the court Washington (AFP) – US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted years of luxury travel trips from a billionaire Republican, according to a report Thursday, including a yacht adventure in New Zealand and a private jet flight to Indonesia. Staunch conservative Thomas, the longest-serving justice on the court, may have received more than half a million dollars’ worth of travel and other gifts from real estate tycoon Harlan Crow, according to the non-profit ProPublica news outlet. The investigation, based on interviews and reviews of photographs and other documents, showed “the Supreme Court is the least accountable part of our government,” legal reform action group Fix the Court said in a statement. “Nothing is going to change without a wholesale, lawmaker-led reimagining of its responsibilities when it comes to basic measures of oversight,” the group’s director Gabe Roth said. The 74-year-old Thomas also joined Crow — whose friendship with the justice the New York Times in 2011 called “unusual and ethically sensitive” — for trips to an exclusive all-male wilderness resort in California and to properties in Texas and New York state over the past two decades. Crow told ProPublica that his gifts to Thomas were “no different from the hospitality we have extended to our many other dear friends,” and that the two had never discussed pending cases. Crow has made more than $10 million in donations to Republican political groups, ProPublica said, including half a million dollars to a conservative lobbying group founded by Thomas’ wife Ginni Thomas. Ginni Thomas’ involvement in politics has drawn its own scrutiny for reports she took part in Donald Trump-led efforts to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Justice Thomas, who was nominated for the court in 1991 after a confirmation process in which he was accused of sexual harassment by a former aide, joined the majority of judges who ruled to overturn the national right to abortion last year. He also went further than his colleagues, saying the court should also examine its rulings on contraception and same-sex marriage. View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to let West Virginia enforce a state law banning transgender athletes from female sports teams at public schools, one of many Republican-backed measures across the country targeting LGBTQ rights. The justices denied West Virginia’s request to lift an injunction against the law that a lower court had imposed while litigation continues over its legality in a challenge brought by a 12-year-old transgender girl, Becky Pepper-Jackson. Two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented from the decision. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Global Voices Screenshot from Gay Games Hong Kong 2023promotion video. The Gay Games, an annual global sport and cultural event that promotes gender and sexual diversity, will begin in Hong Kong in November this year. After postponing it for one year thanks to pandemic-related restrictions, the local organizers wanted the international event to “bring out Hong Kong” as they expected it to attract 30,000 participants and tourists to the city. However, the local host, Gay Games 11 Hong Kong, is facing a dilemma. The majority of pro-establishment politicians in Hong Kong arefar from friendly to the LGBTQ+ comm… Read More View the full article

Published by The Moscow Times A pair of popular Russia-based LGBT bloggers have been arrested in Russia on charges of violating the country’s law outlawing gay “propaganda,” their lawyer said Wednesday. Khaoyan Suy, a Chinese citizen, and Gela Gogishvili, an ethnically Georgian citizen of Russia, document their life as an openly gay, interracial, non-Slavic couple living in Russia on their popular social media channels, including on TikTok, YouTube and Telegram. The two men are accused of violating Russia’s law that prohibits “propaganda” of LGBT relationships with a video on their YouTube channel. They now face a fine of … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Tom Daley has become a father for the second time. The 28-year-old diver and his husband Dustin Lance Black posted a birth announcement in The Times newspaper, revealing they welcomed Phoenix Rose into the world last week, a brother for five-year-old Robbie. The announcement read: “Black-Daley on 28th March to Thomas Robert Daley and Dustin Lance Black, a son, Phoenix Rose.” The couple hadn’t announced they were having another child but Tom previously admitted he’d like siblings for his son, though he acknowledged it wasn’t an easy process for same-sex couples. He told The Guardian newspaper: “It’s not quite as easy as a bottle of wine and a good time. A lot of thought has to go into it. “But absolutely, I’d love more kids.” The ‘Splash’ star has also explained why he and Lance – who married in 2017 – opted to use a surrogate in the US. He said: “We looked into it in the UK and in the US. In the UK it’s a lot more complicated because surrogates aren’t as well protected legally, intended parents aren’t protected legally, it’s just not safe, there’s a lot of hurdles to have to jump over. “In the US, everything is regulated in a way that keeps everyone safe and in the US the surrogacy process is a lot more streamlined.” Tom and Lance both provided sperm to fertilise their surrogates eggs, but didn’t want to know which of them was Robbie’s biological father. Tom told The Times in 2020: “We found an egg donor and we are the sperm donors, we have fertilised half the eggs each. “We put in a boy embryo and a girl embryo and we don’t know whose is whose. The next time we will do it the other way around.” View the full article

Published by AlterNet Supporters of reproductive rights enjoyed a major victory in Wisconsin when, on Tuesday, April 4, liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz was elected to the state’s supreme court and defeated far-right MAGA Republican Dan Kelly by double digits. Protasiewicz campaigned aggressively on the abortion issue, stressing that Kelly was vehemently anti-abortion and would, if elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, help enforce a pre-Civil War abortion ban that goes back to 1849. Slamming Kelly as an “extremist,” Protasiewicz also attacked him as a supporter of MAGA efforts to o… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters UK VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis has praised the virtues of sex in a documentary released on Wednesday, describing it as “one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human person.” The 86-year-old pontiff made the comment in the Disney+ production “The Pope Answers”, which captures a meeting he had last year in Rome with 10 people in their early 20s. Francis was quizzed by them on a variety of topics, including LGBT rights, abortion, the porn industry, sex, and faith and sex abuse within the Catholic Church. “Sex is one of the beautiful things that God has given to the human per… Read More View the full article

Published by The Kansas City Star TOPEKA, Kan. — Transgender Kansas students will likely no longer permitted to compete in girls and women’s sports after the state House voted Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s third veto of the policy. The House voted 84 to 40 Wednesday to override Kelly’s veto. The Senate is expected to vote later in the day or Thursday and has on several occasions passed the policy with a veto-proof majority. One Democrat, Rep. Marvin Robinson from Kansas City, voted yes with Republicans while two Republicans, Rep. Mark Schrieber of Emporia and Rep. David Younger of Ulysses voted no. LGBTQ … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Blockbuster ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and hit TV shows ‘Stranger Things’ ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘Wednesday’ have gained most nominations among the scripted content in this year’s MTV Movie and TV Awards. The list of contenders in 19 categories, released on Wednesday (05.04.23) ahead of the Sunday, 7 May ceremony also include ‘Jersey Shore Family Vacation’, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’, ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ and ‘Vanderpump Rules’ in the unscripted categories. A press release for the event said: “The biggest and best in both movies and television, across scripted and unscripted, for one supersized, can’t-miss event.” Hosted by Drew Barrymore, the awards show will air live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, from 8pm ET/PT. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ was top of the pile with six nominations, while ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘The Last of Us’ got six nods, with ‘The White Lotus’ and ‘Wednesday’ on four. The Best Movie nominations went to ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, ‘Elvis’, ‘Nope’, ‘Scream VI’, ‘Smile’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. Nominees for Best Show are ‘Stranger Things’, ‘The Last of Us’, ‘The White Lotus’, ‘Wednesday’, ‘Wolf Pack’, ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Yellowjackets’. The Best Performance in a Movie category is gender neutral – with three men but only two women nominated this year. They are Austin Butler for ‘Elvis’, Florence Pugh for ‘Don’t Worry Darling’, KeKe Palmer for ‘Nope’, Michael B Jordan for ‘Creed III’ and Tom Cruise for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. In contrast, Best Performance in a Show is female dominated with nods to Aubrey Plaza for ‘The White Lotus’, Christina Ricci for ‘Yellowjackets’, Jenna Ortega for ‘Wednesday’, Riley Keough for ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’, Sadie Sink for ‘Stranger Things’ and Selena Gomez for ‘Only Murders in the Building’ – while the Best Villain nods include the AI doll in ‘M3GAN’ and the drug-crazed beast in the late Ray Liotta’s final film, ‘Cocaine Bear’. There are two same sex smooches in the Best Kiss category – Harry Styles and David Dawson in ‘My Policeman’ and Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne – ‘Only Murders in the Building’. And Keanu Reeves’ assassin is listed in the Best Fight category for his battles against ‘Everybody’. MTV Movie and TV Awards 2023 – Full List of Nominations Best Movie ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ ‘Elvis’ ‘Nope’ ‘Scream VI’ ‘Smile’ ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Best Show ‘Stranger Things’ ‘The Last of Us’ ‘The White Lotus’ ‘Wednesday’ ‘Wolf Pack’ ‘Yellowstone’ ‘Yellowjackets’ Best Performance In A Movie Austin Butler – ‘Elvis’ Florence Pugh – ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ KeKe Palmer – ‘Nope’ Michael B Jordan – ‘Creed III’ Tom Cruise – ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Best Performance In A Show Aubrey Plaza – ‘The White Lotus’ Christina Ricci – ‘Yellowjackets’ Jenna Ortega – ‘Wednesday’ Riley Keough – ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ Sadie Sink – ‘Stranger Things’ Selena Gomez – ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Best Hero Diego Luna – ‘Andor’ Jenna Ortega – ‘Wednesday’ Paul Rudd – ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ Pedro Pascal – ‘The Last Of Us’ Tom Cruise – ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Best Villain Elizabeth Olsen – ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Harry Styles – ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Jamie Campbell Bower – ‘Stranger Things’ M3GAN – ‘M3GAN’ The Bear – ‘Cocaine Bear’ Best Kiss (Presented by Cheetos) Anna Torv and Philip Prajoux – ‘The Last of Us’ Harry Styles and David Dawson – ‘My Policeman’ Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow – ‘Outer Banks’ Riley Keough and Sam Claflin – ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne – ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Best Comedic Performance Adam Sandler – ‘Murder Mystery 2’ Dylan O’Brien – ‘Not Okay’ Jennifer Coolidge – ‘Shotgun Wedding’ KeKe Palmer – ‘Nope’ Quinta Brunson – ‘Abbott Elementary’ Breakthrough Performance Bad Bunny – ‘Bullet Train’ Bella Ramsey – ‘The Last of Us’ Emma D’Arcy – ‘House of the Dragon’ Joseph Quinn – ‘Stranger Things’ Rachel Sennott – ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Best Fight Brad Pitt (Ladybug) V Bad Bunny (The Wolf) – ‘Bullet Train’ Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) V Ghostface – ‘Scream VI’ Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna) V Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) – ‘Stranger Things’ Keanu Reeves (John Wick) V Everyone – ‘John Wick 4’ Escape from Narkina 5 – ‘Andor’ Most Frightened Performance Jennifer Coolidge – ‘The White Lotus’ Jesse Tyler Ferguson – ‘Cocaine Bear’ Justin Long – ‘Barbarian’ Rachel Sennott – ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Sosie Bacon – ‘Smile’ Best Duo Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke – ‘Do Revenge’ Jenna Ortega and Thing – ‘Wednesday’ Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey – ‘The Last of Us’ Simona Tabasco and Beatrice Grannò – ‘The White Lotus’ Tom Cruise and Miles Teller – ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Best Kick-A** Cast ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ ‘Outer Banks’ ‘Stranger Things’ ‘Teen Wolf: The Movie’ Best Song Demi Lovato – ‘Still Alive’ (‘Scream VI’) Doja Cat – ‘Vegas’ (‘Elvis’) Lady Gaga – ‘Hold my Hand’ (‘Top Gun: Maverick’) OneRepublic – ‘I Ain’t Worried (‘Top Gun: Maverick’) Rihanna – ‘Lift Me Up’ (‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’) Taylor Swift – Carolina (‘Where the Crawdads Sing’) Best Docu-Reality Series ‘Jersey Shore Family Vacation’ ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ ‘Family Reunion: Love Hip Hop Edition’ ‘The Kardashians’ ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Best Competition Series ‘All-Star Shore’ ‘Big Brother’ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars’ ‘The Challenge: USA’ ‘The Traitors’ Best Host Drew Barrymore – ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ Joel Madden – ‘Ink Master’ Nick Cannon – ‘The Masked Singer’ RuPaul – ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Kelly Clarkson – ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Best Reality On-Screen Team (Presented by SONIC) Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, Vinny Guadagnino, Pauly D (MVP) – ‘Jersey Shore Family Vacation’ Tori Deal and Devin Walker – ‘The Challenge: Ride or Dies’ RuPaul Charles and Michelle Visage – ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney, Scheana Shay, LaLa Kent – ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Garcelle Beauvais and Sutton Stracke – ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Best Music Documentary ‘Halftime’ ‘Love, Lizzo’ ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me’ ‘Sheryl’ ‘The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie’ View the full article

Published by AlterNet The founder of a popular progressive news site that recently broke the story of his state’s Lt. Governor’s interactions with a young gay man who posts “racy” images on Instagram says someone shot up his home Saturday night while he and his family were asleep. “On Saturday night, someone targeted our home by shooting several bullets into our house while my family was sleeping. This violence has no place in a civilized society and we are thankful no one was physically hurt,” says Justin Kanew, the founder of The Tennessee Holler, a former 2018 Democratic congressional nominee, and a former conte… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet A redacted report released Wednesday by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown alleges 156 Catholic “clergy members, seminarians, deacons, teachers and other employees of the Archdiocese of Baltimore,” have abused nearly 600 children since the 1940s, CNN reports. The report comes after a four-year-long investigation into the Archdiocese of Baltimore. NPR reports: Former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh launched the probe in 2019 and announced its completion in November, saying investigators had reviewed over 100,000 pages of documents dating back to the 1940s and interviewed hundreds of … Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega Vladimir Putin is well known for being a brutal and war-forward political leader who has introduced harsh anti-homosexuality laws throughout Russia, but according to British journalist Andrew Marr, the controversial Russian president is a “huge fan” of gay music icon Elton John. The 63-year-old former BBC editor claimed Putin admitted to his love for the “Your Song” singer’s work prior to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. mega “I asked him if he had gay friends, which he does, and whether he was homophobic,” Marr spilled in his political column. “He said he wasn’t, but that he enjoyed Elton’s music very much.” Marr also noted that prior to his interview with the Russian leader, the Grammy Award winner himself requested the journalist give Putin a copy of a Donna Summer album, as well as a kiss on his cheek. While Marr admitted he ultimately decided that he “couldn’t do that,” he did note he was thinking of John’s request throughout their entire chat. mega J.K. Rowling Claps Back After Vladimir Putin Compares Her To Russia Amid Invasion Of Ukraine New Trump Criminal Investigation Probes Money Laundering With Ties To Russia At Truth Social Donald Trump Brags About His ‘Good Relationship’ With Vladimir Putin As Russia & Ukraine War Rages On This comes months after Putin signed an anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law, expanding on previous laws condemning support for certain expressions of gender and sexuality. The update made it illegal to promote or praise same-sex relationships in any way. The law also specifically made it illegal to imply that homosexual relationships were “normal.” The legal document states those who break the new law can be fined up to around $6,300 USD for sharing any “LGBT propaganda” and around half that for any “demonstrations of LGBT and information that encourages a change of gender among teenagers.” The law was approved late last year. mega Although homosexuality is not technically illegal in Russia, as it was decriminalized in 1993, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community — socially, as well as politically — is still a major concern throughout the country. It is currently ranked as one of the worst countries for LGBTQ+ inclusion and support. 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! Daily Star reported Marr’s comments on Putin being a fan of John. View the full article