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Published by AlterNet United States House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) rewarded Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) by naming her as his understudy on Wednesday morning. “The Speaker’s Rooms, Washington, DC, March 8th, 2023. I hereby appoint the Honorable Marjorie Taylor Greene to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the House of Representatives,” House Reading Clerk Susan Cole recited from prepared remarks. Sitting in McCarthy’s chair, Greene proclaimed: “Pursuant to the order of the House of January 9th, 2023, the chair will now recogn… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Costume designer Shirley Kurata is nominated for an Oscar for the movie Los Angeles (AFP) – As a teenager, Shirley Kurata worked in the Aratani Theatre in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles. On Sunday, the venue will host an Oscars watch party for her film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — and she could be one of the winners. Kurata is up for her first Academy Award for best costume design for the mind-bending sci-fi fantasy, for which she dressed Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis. “It feels like coming full circle,” Kurata told AFP in an interview ahead of the Oscars gala. “I’m so honored. I’m in the company of just very, very amazing and talented costume designers.” Kurata is competing against three past winners — Catherine Martin (“Elvis”), Ruth Carter (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and Jenny Beavan (“Mrs Harris Goes to Paris”) — and four-time nominee Mary Zophres (“Babylon”). Dressed in a vintage floral jacket and skirt, a turtleneck (her wardrobe staple, she says) and neon green jelly shoes with purple soles, Kurata rocks a retro style, complemented by distinctive round glasses. On her pastel blue fingernails? The zany googly eyes seen throughout the film. “Everything Everywhere,” directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, goes into Sunday’s ceremony as a frontrunner with a leading 11 nominations including for best picture. The movie tells the story of a Chinese American couple that runs a laundromat, is in trouble with the tax authorities and struggles to relate to their depressed lesbian daughter. At the IRS office, Evelyn (Yeoh) and Waymond (Quan) are suddenly thrust into a battle spanning multiple universes — against a sassy all-powerful villain who happens to be one version of their child. Kurata, whose parents also owned a laundromat, felt her collaboration with the Daniels, as the directors are known, was a “match made in heaven.” “I think they encouraged me to sort of just show my creative muscles,” she recalled. Brainstorming with the Daniels Some of the costume ideas were set in the film’s storyboarding, like the bejeweled Elvis-style white pantsuit worn by the evil Jobu Tupaki (Hsu) when she turns policemen into confetti, Kurata explains. But the character’s myriad costume changes were not scripted. “We just sort of brainstormed like, okay, why don’t we have like a golf look for her or like a K-Pop look and we just sort of worked together,” she said. Kurata didn’t even sketch out the more than 100 looks she ultimately prepared for the film. There was no time. “I only had a month and a half to prep this movie, which is very short,” she said. “The entire budget of my movie’s wardrobe was probably the equivalent of one Marvel costume,” she joked about competing with a well-funded blockbuster like “Wakanda Forever.” But her looks, spiced up with dramatic hair and makeup, popped off the big screen — and cropped up all over social media. Especially popular were Jobu’s K-Pop look featuring a Jeremy Scott teddy bear sweater, goddess Jobu in an intricately beaded white dress with a Victorian collar, and Chaos Jobu — featuring a bit of each costume. “There were so many people dressing up” as the film’s characters for Halloween, she said. “I was like, okay, thank God, I succeeded.” ‘Unique, diverse story’ Kurata describes herself as part of Generation X, without offering a specific age. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she says she knew she wanted to be a designer from age 10 or 11, and learned to sew from her mother. After high school, Kurata moved to Paris and trained for three years at the elite Studio Bercot. When she returned to LA, she says there “wasn’t really much of a fashion scene” so she targeted Hollywood, building her resume on low-budget films and TV sets, as well as by working as a stylist on music videos and commercials. She ultimately headed back to the film scene because she enjoyed the “sense of family” that develops on set. Kurata, who will start work on her next project in May, says she prefers to work on films directed by women and people of color, as they offer a “unique, diverse story about the world.” She divides her time between Hollywood work and Virgil Normal, the store she co-founded in Los Angeles with her designer husband Charlie Staunton. ‘A great win’ Kurata — who has worked with music stars like Billie Eilish and Pharrell Williams, himself the new head of menswear for Louis Vuitton — is no stranger to showbiz glamour. But she says she is still a bit stunned by the huge box office and critical success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Kurata, who is of Japanese descent, called the film “a great win for the Asian community.” “It’s long overdue, but it’s so great,” she said. Kurata jokes that she’s “more prepared” for Sunday, after not writing a speech for the Costume Designers Guild awards, where she bested Carter for the prize for excellence in design for a sci-fi or fantasy film. “I’m so happy that I’m just getting nominated. I feel like I’ve already won.” View the full article

Published by AlterNet United States Congressman Tim Burchett (R-Tennessee) claimed to Newsmax on Tuesday that he has LGBTQ+ friends who support his state’s proposed ban on “cabaret” performances. Senate Bill 3, which was signed into law by Republican Governor Bill Lee this week, “forbids performances in those places by topless, go-go or exotic dancers, strippers, or male or female impersonators who, as the law defines it, provides entertainment that is ‘harmful to minors,'” The New York Times explained on Sunday. “The word ‘drag’ does not appear in the legislation,” the Times noted. “And to some legal experts, the … Read More View the full article

Published by IntelliNews By Albin Sybera Retired General Petr Pavel, who will be inaugurated as the fourth president of Czechia on March 9, will mark – and has already begun marking – a clear break with his outgoing predecessor, the pro-Russian political veteran Milos Zeman. Pavel, 61, is thefirst non-politician to become the country’s president and the first who was not involved in the 1989 Velvet Revolution against communism – as well as the first who was actually a Communist Party member in 1989. “Petr Pavel will be very disturbing in many ways,” Novinky.cz columnist Alexandr Mitrofanov told bne IntelliNews. “He wi… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, who has been supportive of his state’s new laws cracking down on drag shows, has made a habit of liking and sending compliments to what Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer describes as a “raunchy” gay Instagram account. The Instagram account in question belongs to 20-year-old Franklyn McClur, a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee who frequently posts suggestive photos of himself wearing nothing but underwear. In response to one photo that showed a closeup of McClur’s rear end, for example, McNally enthusiastically wrote, “You can turn a rainy day into rainbows and s… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dawn Chmielewski (Reuters) – A new board controlling Walt Disney World’s special taxing district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as Governor Ron DeSantis’ hand-picked group gets ready to end the entertainment giant’s “corporate kingdom.” What that entails is not clear. Nothing in the language of the legislation creating the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District gives the board of supervisors authority to direct Walt Disney Co’s content. Nevertheless, Republican DeSantis has spoken out against the media company’s “woke agenda.” “The District board members are now in place and will be examining all of the needed actions to get back on track,” Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, said on Tuesday. Legislators in Florida 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. State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis, who is widely considered a 2024 presidential candidate, over a law that restricts classroom instruction of gender and sexual orientation. Disney’s then-chief executive officer, Bob Chapek, publicly voiced disappointment with the measure, saying he called DeSantis to express concern about it becoming law. In a move political observers viewed as retaliation for Disney’s criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disney’s virtual autonomy in developing 25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located. The bill, which DeSantis signed into law in February, authorizes the governor to appoint five supervisors to operate the quasi-government entity, overseeing municipal services, such as fire protection, public utilities, waste collection and road maintenance. It also can raise revenue to pay outstanding debt and cover the cost of services. But DeSantis’ agenda reaches beyond operational minutiae. “Leaders must stand up and fight back when big corporations make the mistake, as Disney did, of using their economic might to advance a political agenda,” DeSantis wrote in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece. “We are making Florida the state where woke goes to die.” At the bill signing, DeSantis hinted at his cultural concerns, criticizing Disney for allegedly injecting “a lot of sexuality into the programming for young kids.” He did not offer specifics. One Florida resident who spoke at the signing ceremony echoed that sentiment, saying Disney had “crossed the line” when it opposed Florida’s education law, which critics refer to as the “Don’t Say Gay” measure. “Disney has stepped into a ring with mama bears, and that is not a fight they will win,” said Mandy Shafer. “My hope is that Walt Disney’s vision will be restored and the woke ideologies will be removed from Disney forever.” One of the five supervisors appointed to the oversight board, Bridget Ziegler, is a Sarasota School Board member and self-described parental rights advocate, who helped pave the way for the Parental Rights in Education Act. She also criticized Disney last fall when it asked a local high school to cover a logo of the school’s Native American mascot to march on Main Street. The band elected not to perform. “Shameful to see Disney continue to use children as pawns to advance their WOKE political agenda,” Ziegler tweeted. “Kudos to staff for not kowtowing to their demands.” Ziegler could not be reached for comment. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney parks, issued a statement on Tuesday expressing hope that “the new board will share our commitment to helping the local economy continue to flourish and support the ongoing growth of the resort and Florida’s tourism industry.” (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by AlterNet Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed into law a bill further destabilizing minors in what was once called the “Land of Opportunity.” Her signature comes on the same day lawmakers sent to her desk a sprawling bill revamping Arkansas’ education system to allow wealthy families to remove funds from public elementary and secondary schools and put them into private tuition. On Tuesday, Huckabee Sanders, barely months into her term, signed HB1410, the Youth Hiring Act, which guts child labor protections and removes what the new governor called “arbitrary” and “burdensome an… Read More View the full article

Published by PsyPost Men tend to die earlier in life in countries where the belief that manhood is “hard won and easily lost” is more widespread, according to new research published in Psychology of Men & Masculinity. The findings provide evidence that a basic belief about what it means to be a man could have significant consequences around the world. The new study examined precarious manhood beliefs, which refer to the idea that manhood is something that must be earned and maintained through demonstrations of toughness, control, and dominance. According to this belief, manhood is vulnerable to being lost and men … Read More View the full article

Published by OK Magazine mega;@zayaswade/instagra Dwyane Wade has supported his daughter Zaya through thick and thin. On Tuesday, March 7, the former NBA star couldn’t keep a smile off of his face as he sat front row beside his wife, Gabrielle Union, to cheer on the 15-year-old during her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week. @zayaswade/instagram Zaya strutted along the Miu Miu catwalk in an olive green blazer and matching dress ensemble just weeks after her name and gender was legally changed, despite her mother Siohvaughn Funches-Wade’s objections. “She’s arrived,” Dwyane captioned a n Instagram video of Zaya rocking the runway show. @zayaswade/instagram “Debut,” Zaya simply stated, as she also shared a clip of her fierce fashion week appearance to the social media app. Dwyane couldn’t help but gush over his beautiful daughter, commenting: “To witness your grace is something @zayawade I am Proud of you.” Court Battles, Name Changes & More! Inside Dwyane Wade’s Drama With His Ex-Wife ‘Nonsensical!’: Dwyane Wade Slams His Ex-Wife’s Attempt To Block Zaya’s Name Change, Tells Her To ‘Accept The Truth’ Dwyane Wade’s Ex-Wife Doubles Down On ‘Protecting’ Trans Daughter Zaya From ‘Public Pressure And Scrutiny’ 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 41-year-old’s ex-wife was not in attendance at her daughter’s catwalk debut, which comes as no surprise following her petition against Zaya officially changing her name and gender after the teenager came out as transgender in 2019. Siohvaughn argued there were “multiple factors” that were “pressuring” Zaya to legally make these changes, one of which she claimed was “in order to capitalize on financial opportunities.” @zayaswade/instagram “[Wade] told me that he intended to make our child very famous due to the name and gender issue and also informed me that there would be endorsements/contracts associated therewith,” Zaya’s mom continued to write in the court documents, as OK! previously reported. However, Dwyane had the higher up in the legal battle, as he was granted custody of Zaya and her brother Zaire, 21, in 2011 after their divorce was finalized. The supportive father shut down Siohvaughn’s claims, writing that it was of Zaya’s “best interest” for the judge to legally fulfill his daughter’s wishes. “From simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver’s license and filling out college applications,” officially changing Zaya’s name and gender would only make her life easier, the court filing noted. “While it certainly would have been preferable for Zaya’s mother to be supportive of this important part of Zaya’s journey, Zaya should not be forced to put her life on hold while she waits for Siohvaughn to acknowledge and accept her truth,” Dwyane concluded in the documents. View the full article

Published by Orlando Sentinel Members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which replaced Disney’s Reedy Creek, agreed Wednesday to work with the district’s firefighters to resolve their union contract impasse and help award death benefits to the widow of a firefighter who died in 2017. The board met for the first time since Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law wresting its control from Walt Disney Co. amid his feud with the company. Board chairman Martin Garcia said the group is committed to listening to constituents even though it has “a lot to learn.” “I see our constituency group as everybody who works and play… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Missouri Republican Rep. Phil Christofanelli confronted his fellow GOP Rep. Ann Kelley during a recent House floor convening about her proposed anti-LGBTQ school-related legislation. Newsweek reports: The House bill, sponsored by Republican Ann Kelley, was introduced on February 23 and read a second time on February 27. The proposed Parental Rights in Education law states that “no nurse, counselor, teacher, principal, contracted personnel, or other administrative official at a public or charter school shall discuss gender identity or sexual orientation with a minor student” unless they’re a li… Read More View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Proud parents Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union supported their daughter Zaya Wade, 15, at her catwalk debut for Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The former NBA celebrated his daughter just weeks after he won a legal victory in court against his ex-wife, who opposed Zaya transitioning before turning 18, RadarOnline.com has learned. As this outlet exclusively reported, the former Miami Heat player filed a declaration in his petition — which was filed on behalf of his teenage daughter — to address a recent accusation from Siohvaughn Funches, who claimed he was pressuring their daughter to transition for financial gain. Wade, 41, denied his ex’s allegation and insisted he was supporting his daughter’s “truth.” mega When Zaya walked in the Miu Miu couture show, she wasn’t short of fans in the audience. Her father and stepmother beamed with pride and shared their happiness for the up-and-coming model on Instagram. The parents posted a clip of Zaya on the runway with the simple caption: “she’s arrived.” The occasion represented more than just the start of her modeling career — it also represented her hard-fought journey from being known as Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade. mega Dwyane Wade Fires Back At Ex-Wife’s Attempt To Block Their 15-Year-Old Trans Daughter’s Gender Change, Says He Was Granted Sole Custody After Her ‘Years-Long Campaign’ Against Him Dwyane Wade Denies Ex-Wife’s Claim He’s Pressuring Trans Daughter Zaya To Legally Change Gender For Financial Gain Read The 2011 Divorce Agreement Dwyane Wade’s Ex-Wife Is Using In Court To Stop Their 15-Year-Old Trans Daughter Zaya From Legally Changing Name On February 25, a Los Angeles county judge signed off on paperwork that granted Zaya’s wishes, finally ending her parents’ back-and-forth court battle. The teen moved forward with her legal transition and officially changed her name and gender. Zaya had gone by her chosen name since 2020 after she came out as transgender at age 12 in 2019. While Wade and Gabby supported her, the ex-Baskeball star and Zaya’s biological mother did not see eye to eye — and became enthralled in a fierce legal war. Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free. mega Zaya’s mother requested that her daughter wait until she was legally an adult to change her name, but Wade argued that he had “full authority” to “make decisions on behalf of” Zaya per the couple’s 2011 divorce agreement. Funches’ attorney recently hit back at Wade in court — and filed a petition that begged the court to deny the legal transition. Wade’s ex-wife used the couple’s divorce agreement as an attempt to contradict his authority. mega Funches claimed that while Wade was granted custody of their two children, he failed to adequately communicate with her about their health. Per the couple’s divorce agreement, Wade was required to discuss and obtain input for “the major decisions affecting the care, welfare, activities, health, education, and religious upbringing of their two children.” After heated public back and forth, as well as an additional filing from Wade, the judge ruled in favor of Zaya’s wishes. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Queer Eye’s Tan France and Jonathan Van Ness are mourning the loss of Tom Jackson, who has died aged 63. The ‘Queer Eye’ family member, who appeared on the Netflix reboot’s first episode in 2018, lost his battle with gland cancer metastatic adenocarcinoma on March 3rd. A post on the show’s official Instagram account read: “it’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a member of our Queer Eye family. Rest in peace, Tom Jackson (sic)” Tan commented: “Such incredibly sad news.” Jonathan Van Ness posted: “RIP Tom” TV presenter Bobby Berk commented: “RIP Tom. Having a Redneck Margarita in your honor (sic)” On 2018 episode ‘You Can’t Fix Ugly’, Tom spoke out about his battle with lupus, and he went on to rekindle his romance with ex-wife Abby Parr after his makeover on the show. However, they later went their separate ways again in 2019. Last year, Tan admitted he is “much more emotional” since becoming a father. The star – who has 18-month-old son Ismail, with his husband Rob France – said at the time: “I have only cried a couple of times on [‘Queer Eye’]. But ever since I had my baby, it’s made me much more emotional. Much more emotional. “I’m working a lot of hours. And so sometimes I only get to just see him as we’re putting him to bed. “And that makes me really emotional because I really hate not having a lot of time with him. I just really miss him all the time.” View the full article

Published by Reuters UK BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s Justice Minister said late on Wednesday that Budapest would fight in the Court of Justice of the EU to defend an education law that Brussels says discriminates against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Justice Minister Judit Varga said in a Facebook post she had submitted a counter claim to the court because the government would stick to its stance that education was a matter for national governments to decide. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s anti-LGBT campaign escalated in June 2021 when the parliament, dominated by his Fidesz party, p… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Cyndi Lauper has compared the Republican party’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to the rise of Adolf Hitler. The ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ hitmaker has addressed a wave of bills and proposals in the US, including the fact 18 states have banned transgender athletes from competing in sports teams for the gender they identify with, and legislation that would restrict transgender people’s access to gender-affirming healthcare, and warned the policy is similar to the persecution by Nazis in 1930s Germany, where gay people were regarded as enemies of the state. Asked about the political moves, she told ITK Entertainment: ” I believe you don’t stop the fight. Equality for everybody – or nobody’s really equal. This is how Hitler started, you know, just weeding everybody out and then finally he, you know.” The 69-year-old singer urged people to keep “fighting for civil rights”. She said: “I don’t think it’s a good idea what they’re doing, but, you know. You just have to keep fighting for civil rights, I guess. That’s the way it is in this country. Started out like that, didn’t it?” Last October, Cyndi set up the Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights Fund to support organisations fighting for abortion and reproductive healthcare in the wake of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, which previously protected women’s rights to an abortion. She said at the time: “If you don’t have control over your own body, how can you be anything but a second-class citizen? “Now, the government has control over your body – not you. “What should be a private medical decision between you and your doctor is now a government decision. So, this is a big issue for me.” Cyndi’s mother Catrine – who appeared in a number of her music videos – died aged 91 earlier in the year following a battle with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia and the ‘True Colors’ hitmaker admitted she had inspired her to set up the fun. The singer said: “She was in hospice, and we were together. We tried to make it as comfortable as I could for her. We made it like a spa. “She was incredible, and I’m just lucky that I got to have her as my mom because it inspired me to do so many things, including this Girls Just Wanna Have Fundamental Rights Fund.” View the full article

Published by Raw Story Former President Donald Trump has come up with yet another way to make money from his fans. Axios reports that the former president will soon sell a book consisting of letters he’s received from a wide array of celebrities and politicians, including Oprah Winfrey, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Princess Diana, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, Mario Cuomo, Arnold Palmer, Jay Leno, Liza Minnelli, and Regis Philbin. Axios writes that the Winfrey letter is particularly interesting, as it was written shortly after Trump starting toying with the idea of running f… Read More View the full article

Published by AFP Rebekah Bruesehoff, a transgender student athlete, speaks during a press conference by the Congressional Equality Caucus to discuss the Washington (AFP) – US lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday aimed at banning transgender women and girls from sports teams that match their gender identity, as Congress turned its focus on one of the most polarizing issues in American culture. The “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act” seeks to narrow 50-year-old civil rights protections against sex-based discrimination to recognize sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” The bill — which conservatives say aims to promote fairness while safeguarding women — was passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives education committee, teeing off what is set to be an acrimonious debate in the full House. “As a mother and past educator, I abhor the increasing prevalence of biological men competing in women’s sports,” said Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx. Allowing trans competitors to line up against female athletes “denies equal opportunity for women,” Foxx told the committee. Democrats hit back at Foxx, arguing that that it is discriminatory and hurtful to deprive trans athletes of competition. “I should be in chemistry class right now, but I’m here to tell you that kids like me should get to play sports with their friends,” Rebekah Bruesehoff, a 16-year-old transgender hockey player, told a news conference outside the US Capitol. The issue has divided classrooms, education authorities, women’s groups and sports associations nationwide, with some districts barring transgender women and girls from competitive sport. Opponents of inclusivity argue that trans women and girls enjoy an unfair advantage against their non-trans competitors due to generally greater muscle mass and bone density, and other physical factors that boost speed and explosive strength. But several feminist associations and sports personalities, such as US soccer star Megan Rapinoe, are on the opposite side of the debate, and support including trans women in women’s competitions. “There are real pressing problems impacting women’s and girls’ sports, including sexual harassment and assault, lack of equal resources and pay inequality,” said Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan. The bill has little chance of becoming law, as it would have to be green-lit by senators in the upper chamber of Congress, which is controlled by Democrats who oppose the effort. But it is part of a broader push by conservatives to provide a check on the promotion of transgender identity, which liberals say marginalizes and discriminates against the community. Several Republican-led states have recently passed laws banning gender-affirming health care and treatment for teenagers. President Joe Biden issued an executive order on his first day in office to combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. View the full article

Published by Raw Story Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Tuesday unleashed an angry tirade against transgender Americans on the floor of the House of Representatives. While proposing a new nationwide ban on gender-affirming care for minors, the conspiracy theory-promoting Georgia congresswoman accused transgender Americans of being part of a sinister plot to sexualize American children. “We have had enough with drag queen shows in elementary schools and middle schools and high schools!” she raged. “We have had enough of drag queens gyrating in front of children and the public square! These groomers and child pre… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Taylor Swift is set to fill another blank space on her resume with a career-celebrating honor at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Swift will receive the Innovator Award at the March 27 ceremony to recognize her global impact on pop culture, organizers said Tuesday. “Along with her artistic success, Taylor’s generosity and philanthropy have inspired millions,” iHeartRadio said in its announcement. “She’s an advocate for women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community, using her music and platform to inspire young people to use their voting power.” The 33-year-old Swift — who released her tenth album, “Mid… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is tracking 385 anti-LGBTQ bills filed by lawmakers across 38 states targeting the vulnerable community on at least seven broad issues including schools and education, healthcare, free speech, access to accurate IDs, public accommodations, weakening of civil rights laws, marriage, and more. The number of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced has more than tripled since mid-January, and far exceeded the total number of bills introduced in all of 2022, which was 278. Oklahoma has the most anti-LGBTQ bills so far at 35, followed by Missouri (34), Texas (29 bills), … Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story Kansas GOP Rep. Pat Proctor has a fourth grader’s mother upset after he used the elementary school student’s drawing of a rainbow to accuse a school of promoting LGBTQ content, the Kansas Reflector reported. Proctor published the drawing in his February newsletter, which was one of several drawings done by third and fourth graders at David Brewer Elementary School that were displayed in the school’s library. The drawings had the words “My school library is for every student!” printed on top. “I found it and was irate, because he didn’t ask for permission,” parent Courtney Ricard said. “He blee… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story A Missouri lawmaker unloaded on a fellow GOP colleague behind a bill modeled after Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. State Rep. Ann Kelley sponsored House Bill 634, which would ban sexual “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties relating to sexual orientation or gender identity shall occur.” But under questioning from GOP colleague Phil Christofanelli, Kelley didn’t appear to understand the implications of her own bill. Christofanelli, a conservative Republican who is openly gay, asked if under the law, Martha Washington could be identified as the nation’s first president’s wif… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News A full-page ad with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee dressed in drag ran in one of the state’s largest newspapers Tuesday, just days after the Republican politician signed into law a bill targeting drag performances — the first of its kind in the nation. The ad, which appeared in The Tennessean, was paid for by the Human Rights Campaign. It shows a recently unearthed photo of the self-described “conservative outsider” wearing women’s clothes while posing for his high school yearbook in 1977. “This kid enjoyed drag,” the ad reads in part, with an arrow pointing at Lee. “Guess what happened to him? He’s … Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet Lawyers for Mike Pence formally filed a motion Monday asking a federal judge to block a lawful Dept. of Justice subpoena ordering the former Vice President to give sworn testimony in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Donald Trump. Just days earlier Pence declared on Twitter: “Speak boldly and truthfully and have faith that the American people will respond to leadership. Be men and women of courage. If you hold the banner of freedom, limited government, and traditional values high, the American people will rally to your side!” As Indiana Governor, Mike Pence was largely seen as “u… Read More View the full article