Friday, July 16, 2021

L’Autriche interdit les symboles des Frères musulmans

LE POINT : L’Autriche est le premier pays d’Europe à s’en prendre directement aux Frères musulmans. Depuis les années 1970, Vienne abrite l’argent de la confrérie.

Le 8 juillet 2021, le Parlement autrichien a interdit d’exposer, d’afficher, de porter ou de distribuer les symboles des Frères musulmans. Cette interdiction concernait déjà depuis 2020 Daech, Al-Qaïda, le Hamas, et la branche armée du Hezbollah. Elle touche également aujourd’hui le PKK kurde, les Loups gris turcs et un mouvement fasciste croate. Par ailleurs, la confrérie des Frères musulmans, créée en 1928 en Égypte par Hassan al-Banna, rejoint la liste noire des « groupes extrémistes liés à la criminalité à motivation religieuse ». L’Autriche devient ainsi le premier pays européen à prononcer une semi-interdiction des Frères musulmans. Même Donald Trump, durant sa présidence, n’avait pas franchi le pas. » | Par Ian Hamel | jeudi 15 juillet 2021

Une large majorité des Français soutiennent les mesures annoncées par Emmanuel Macron

LE FIGARO : SONDAGE EXCLUSIF - Selon un sondage Odoxa-Backbone Consulting pour Le Figaro, 62% des personnes interrogées pensent que ces mesures sont efficaces sans être si contraignantes que cela.

Les mesures sanitaires annoncées par Emmanuel Macron hier soir lors de son allocution télévisée ont convaincu les Français. Alors que certains élus de La France Insoumise ou du Rassemblement nationalont largement critiqué les décisions prises par le chef de l'État, celles-ci semblent plutôt bien acceptées par l'opinion publique. Selon un sondage Odoxa-Backbone Consulting pour Le Figaro, plus de deux tiers des Français (67%) soutiennent les quatre principales mesures contraignantes annoncées hier soir. » | Par Wally Bordas | Publié : mardi 13 juillet 2021 ; mis à jour : mercredi 14 juillet 2021

L’allocution d’Emmanuel Macron »

GB News Shows Attracted Zero Viewers after Boycott over Taking the Knee

GB News presenter Guto Harri taking the knee on air on Tuesday. Photograph: GB News

THE GUARDIAN: Channel label Guto Harri’s on-air gesture in solidarity against racist abuse suffered by the England team ‘unacceptable’

GB News attracted zero viewers during some of its broadcasts this week, according to official television audience figures produced by rating agency Barb, after a viewer boycott prompted by one of its presenters taking the knee in solidarity with the England football team.

The channel has now said the decision of Guto Harri to make the on-air gesture on Tuesday in solidarity against the racist abuse suffered by English players was “an unacceptable breach of our standards”.

A GB News spokesperson declined to say whether Harri, a former spokesperson for Boris Johnson, was still with the channel.

Business editor Liam Halligan and former Labour MP Gloria De Piero attracted no measurable audience to their show between 1pm and 1.30pm on Wednesday afternoon. During the same timeslot the BBC News channel attracted 62,000 viewers, while Sky News had 50,000 people watching. » | Jim Waterson | Thursday, July 15, 2021

This country needed this God-damn awful TV channel like a hole in the head! GB News, for those who aren’t aware of it, is the UK’s very own version of Fox News. You could say, ‘nuff said! This channel will be spewing out anti-European, pro-American, far-right garbage to manipulate the masses—the people that they perceive to be “The Little People” – normal people, in other words, the people whose daddies were not squillionaires so were not rich enough to send their little darlings to our most expensive élite schools for a super-privileged education.

I have more than a little experience of watching Fox News. My late American partner was ostensibly ‘addicted’ to it. He had it on a loop, much to my chagrin. I can assure you that YOU DO NOT WANT TO WATCH AND LISTEN to the likes of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and many more TV hosts like that for extended periods. Unless, that is, you want a nervous breakdown! They manipulate the unthinking. Now we have a cloned version our side of the Pond.

If you didn’t know it, GB News has surely been set up to indoctrinate the masses into being anti-Europe, especially anti-EU, be pro-America, and to bring its viewers to the point of learning how to enjoy being ‘raped’ by their masters! Wasn’t it Confucius who said, “If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it.” I can’t vouch for the veracity of that statement, but it sure is a good line!

For your information, and for what it is worth, I have never watched GB News and I have no intention of doing so anytime soon. – © Mark

Bank of England ‘Addicted’ to Creating Money, Say Peers

THE GUARDIAN: BoE must be more transparent and justify use of quantitative easing, says Lords report

The Bank of England risks becoming addicted to creating money and needs to come clean about how it plans to unwind its £895bn bond-buying programme, the House of Lords has warned.

A report from a Lords committee – the members of which include the former Threadneedle Street governor Mervyn King – said there was a threat of quantitative easing (QE) leading to higher inflation and causing damage to the government’s finances.

The Bank started using QE, a process whereby it creates money by buying government and corporate bonds, in 2009 during the global financial crisis, but has stepped up its use during the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Lords economic affairs committee said the Bank had become too dependent on the use of QE, which it said was widening Britain’s wealth gap by boosting asset prices.

Michael Forsyth, the committee’s chairman, said: “The Bank of England has become addicted to quantitative easing. It appears to be its answer to all the country’s economic problems and by the end of 2021, the Bank will own an eye-watering £875bn of government bonds and £20bn in corporate bonds.” » | Larry Elliot, Economics editor | Friday, July 16, 2021

The clowns of Threadneedle Street! The fools don’t understand the first principles of sound economics! It’s all to do with Economics 101! They must have missed those lectures at university! We are being led by fools! We really are! By creating a distortion in the market—in this case, the distortion of super cheap money, brought about by setting extremely low and unhealthy interest rates, and for such a protracted period of time (11+ years)—they have unwittingly enriched the already superrich, the squillionaires, and impoverished the rest. In fact, it has been made virtually impossible for the less-than-privileged young to gain a foothold in the housing market unless, of course, Daddy is able to help darling son or darling daughter along the way with a generous pecuniary gift! Alas, for many of our young people today, such a scenario is a pipe dream. There is one thing that our central bankers need to understand: The economy should be run for the benefit of the many, not the few! – © Mark

Thursday, July 15, 2021

EZB trifft Vorbereitungen für einen digitalen Euro | DW Nachrichten

Jul 14, 2021 • Im Jahr 2002 wurde der Euro eingeführt, knapp 20 Jahre danach soll ein E-Euro auf den Weg gebracht werden - eine digitale Währung also, die die Europäische Zentralbank ausgeben und kontrollieren will. Darüber hat die Notenbank heute in Frankfurt beraten: wobei noch viele Fragen offen sind, die Konkurrenz aber schon jetzt groß ist. Vom Münzgeld zum elektronischen Portemonnaie. Ein digitaler Euro soll künftig wie die Plattformen Paypal und Apple Wallet funktionieren, oder wie Cryptowährungen wie Bitcoin - allerdings kontrolliert durch die EZB. Die Pandemie und das vermehrte Online-Shopping haben Investitionen in digitale Währungen beschleunigt.

Analysten schätzen, dass sich Verbraucher daran gewöhnen, ihre Einkäufe online zu tätigen und per Smartphone zu bezahlen. Daher sei wichtig, eine sichere digitale Währung zu haben. Auch andere Zentralbanken sind daran interessiert. Großbritannien untersucht derzeit die Einführung einer eigenen Digitalwährung - "Brit-Coin" genannt - auch die USA und Japan erwägen diese Möglichkeit.

Die EZB verspricht, dass ein künftiger digitaler Euro "schnell, einfach und sicher" sein würde, die Dienstleistungen kostenlos, und dass Zahlungen per Karte oder Smartphone erfolgen könnten. Viele Fragen bleiben bislang unbeantwortet, aber es bleibt noch Zeit. Denn der digitale Euro kommt frühestens in fünf Jahren auf den Markt.


BBC World – Iran's "Sex-change" Solution ( Long Version)

Nov 13, 2014 • Ali Hamedani, BBC World service reporter, visits Turkey to meet LGBT exiles who have fled Iran in fear of being forced to change gender

Meet Iran's Gay Mullah Forced to Flee the Country - BBC News (2016)

Jun 8, 2016 • In Iran, homosexuality is banned and punishable by execution under its strict code of sharia, or Islamic law. In a country dominated by the religious class, being gay is taboo, and especially among the establishment. One Iranian gay cleric, who conducted gay weddings in secret, was forced to flee the country, and has been threatened with death. BBC Persian's Ali Hamedani reports. Video Journalist: Kelvin Brown

Francisco Franco - Spain's Nationalist Dictator Documentary

Who Sounds Gay? | Op-Docs | The New York Times

Jul 1, 2015 • This short documentary explores the reasons that some men sound stereotypically gay, whether they are or not. (YouTube views: 1,548,110 :


Dutch Crime Reporter Peter de Vries Dies after Shooting

Peter R de Vries had previously received threats from the criminal underworld. Photograph: Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP/Getty Images

THE GUARDIAN: Family announces death of 64-year-old just over a week after attack in Amsterdam, reports say

The Dutch crime reporter Peter R de Vries has died just over a week after he was shot in the head in central Amsterdam, local media have reported, citing a statement released by the veteran journalist’s family.

“Peter fought to the end but was unable to win the battle,” the statement said, according to RTL Nieuws. “He died surrounded by the people who love him. Peter lived by his conviction: ‘On bended knee is no way to be free.’.”

The statement continued: “We are proud of him beyond words, and at the same time inconsolable. His family, partner and loved ones want to process his death in peace and urge everyone to respect that.” » | Jon Henley, Europe correspondent | Thursday, July 15, 2021

Le journaliste néerlandais blessé par balles à Amsterdam est mort »

Journalist de Vries nach Anschlag in den Niederlanden gestorben »

More on this sad story here

Dutch Crime Reporter Dies After Being Shot Outside TV Studio »

Dutch Reporter Who Exposed Underworld Dead after Shooting - BBC News

Jul 15, 2021 • The Dutch crime reporter Peter R de Vries, who was shot and seriously wounded in central Amsterdam nine days ago, has died.

The 64-year-old was shot in the head minutes after leaving a TV studio.

Mr de Vries had won critical acclaim for his reporting on the Dutch underworld - including the 1983 kidnapping of the beer millionaire Freddy Heineken.

The statement released by his relatives on Thursday said he died "surrounded by the people who love him".



More on this tragic story here

Acts of Resistance: Love Stories of the Holocaust

Feb 12, 2021 • Sam and Regina Spiegel found love in the most unlikely of places—at a forced labor camp in German-occupied Poland. For Gad Beck and Manfred Lewin, their affection put the young Jewish men at a greater risk, so they kept their forbidden relationship a secret. Even in the darkest hours of the Holocaust, love gave many a reason to hope for a better future, the will to survive, and inspiration to rebuild after the war.

Join Museum historians on Facebook Live to learn how love became an act of resistance for people persecuted by the Nazi regime.

Speaker: Dr. Lindsay MacNeill, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Moderator: Dr. Edna Friedberg, Historian, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum


Angela Merkel's Last Trip to Washington after 16 Years in Office - BBC News

Jul 15, 2021 • German Chancellor Angela Merkel is making her farewell visit to Washington DC after nearly 16 years in office, during which time she has worked with four US presidents.

Her tenure ushered in a warm transatlantic friendship, marked by occasional spats over Germany's military spending, climate change and financial recovery policies.

Ms Merkel isn't running again in September's German parliamentary election, and this last White House bilateral could be a litmus test for both nations going forward.


Helikopter-Flug über das Hochwasser-Katastrophengebiet in Schuld (Rheinland-Pfalz)

Jul 15, 2021 • Die Hochwasser-Katastrophe weitet sich immer mehr aus, seit Donnerstagmorgen ist Rheinland-Pfalz schwer betroffen: überflutete Orte, weggerissene Straßen, sechs eingestürzte Häuser, Einsturzgefahr bei vielen weiteren Gebäuden. Dutzende Vermisste – und leider sogar Tote.

Etwa 70 Menschen waren in Schuld (Ahrweiler) in Rheinland-Pfalz am Morgen vermisst. Eine gute Nachricht kam gegen Mittag: Einige der Vermisstenfälle hatten sich laut Polizei zwischenzeitlich wohl aufgeklärt.

Der BILD-Live-Helikopter fliegt über das Katastrophengebiet und zeigt das volle Ausmaß der furchtbaren Zerstörung, die das Hochwasser angerichet hat.

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — July 15, 2021

At Least 21 Dead in ‘Catastrophic’ Flooding in Western Germany

THE GUARDIAN: Many more missing as buildings give way amid heavy rain and flooding

At least 21 people have died and dozens are missing or awaiting rescue from rooftops after heavy rain and floods caused buildings to collapse in the western German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North-Rhine Westphalia.

In the Rhineland-Palatinate district of Schuld, set in the Eifel mountain range, police said on Thursday morning they were searching for about 70 missing people following the collapse of six houses. At least eight people are confirmed to have died, officials said.

“There are dead people, there are missing people, and many who are still in danger”, said Rhineland-Palatinate’s state premier Malu Dreyer. “We have never seen a catastrophe like this,” the Social Democrat politician added. “It is truly devastating.”

A spokesperson for the Koblenz police told Reuters that an “unclear number” of people needed to be rescued from roofs. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin and agencies | Thursday, July 15, 2021

Interview: ‘Death in Venice Screwed Up My Life’ – the Tragic Story of Visconti’s ‘Beautiful Boy’

Angelic … Björn Andrésen with Dirk Bogarde in Death in Venice. Photograph: Allstar/Warner Bros

THE GUARDIAN: Björn Andrésen was the striking child star of the classic film, the perfect embodiment of youthful beauty. Fifty years on, he is still haunted by the exploitation that continued long after filming stopped

Björn Andrésen was just 15 when he walked straight into the lion’s den, being cast as Tadzio, the sailor-suited object of desire in Luchino Visconti’s film Death in Venice. Its release in 1971 made him not merely a star but an instant icon – the embodiment of pristine youthful beauty. Sitting alone in Stockholm today at the age of 66, he looks more like Gandalf with his white beard and his gaunt face framed by shoulder-length white locks. His eyes twinkle as alluringly as ever but he’s no pussycat. Asked what he would say to Visconti if he were here now, he doesn’t pause. “Fuck off,” he says.

No one who sees The Most Beautiful Boy in the World, a new documentary about Andrésen’s turbulent and tragic past, will be surprised by that answer. Visconti, he tells me, “didn’t give a fuck” about his feelings. He wasn’t alone in that. “I’ve never seen so many fascists and assholes as there are in film and theatre,” says Andrésen. “Luchino was the sort of cultural predator who would sacrifice anything or anyone for the work.” He makes his feelings about Death in Venice itself equally plain: “It has screwed up my life quite decently.” Although he is an accomplished pianist, no one seems very interested in that side of him. “Everything I ever do will be associated with that film. I mean, we’re still sitting here talking about it 50 years later.” » | Ryan Gilbey | Thursday, July 15, 2021

House with No Toilet Sells for $2m as New Zealand Property Market Soars

A house in in Auckland, New Zealand, has sold for more than $2m despite needing more than $200,000 worth of improvements. Photograph: Barfoot & Thompson

THE GUARDIAN: The decaying, rundown property in the Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn was prized because of its renovation potential

A decaying three-bedroom house with no toilet or bathroom, missing walls and an overgrown garden has sold in New Zealand for more than $2m (£1m), in the latest example of runaway property markets around the world.

The 1920s-era bungalow on Ariki Street, in Auckland’s affluent suburb of Grey Lynn, sold at auction on Thursday for $2.075m (£1.05m), after the bidding opened at $1.75m, Stuff reported.

Auckland council’s property valuation page estimates its value at $1.65m and that the property requires $200,000 worth of improvements. » | Eva Corlett in Wellington | Thursday, July 15, 2021

Kremlin Papers Appear to Show Putin’s Plot to Put Trump in White House

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The documents appear to confirm the Kremlin possesses compromising material on Trump. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Documents suggest Russia launched secret multi-agency effort to interfere in US democracy

Vladimir Putin personally authorised a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election during a closed session of Russia’s national security council, according to what are assessed to be leaked Kremlin documents.

The key meeting took place on 22 January 2016, the papers suggest, with the Russian president, his spy chiefs and senior ministers all present.
They agreed a Trump White House would help secure Moscow’s strategic objectives, among them “social turmoil” in the US and a weakening of the American president’s negotiating position.

Russia’s three spy agencies were ordered to find practical ways to support Trump, in a decree appearing to bear Putin’s signature. » | Luke Harding, Julian Borger and Dan Sabbagh | Thursday, July 15, 2021

George W. Bush Reflects on Angela Merkel's Legacy | Exclusive Interview | DW Documentary

Jul 14, 2021 • Exclusive DW interview: Former President George W. Bush reflects on his relationship with Chancellor Angela Merkel and her legacy.

"Merkel brought class and dignity to a very important position and made very hard decisions. She did what's best for Germany, and did so based upon principle," former U.S. President George W. Bush said in an interview with DW Washington Bureau Chief Ines Pohl ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's farewell visit to the White House on Thursday, July 15.
The interview at the Bush family's summer home in Maine was conducted as part of the DW documentary "Angela Merkel – Navigating a World in Crisis," which will be published on our DW Documentary YouTube channel in September, shortly before the federal elections which will determine Merkel's succession.


A Conversation with H.E. Eduardo Leite*, Governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul

Apr 27, 2021 • Rio Grande do Sul has suffered, as all states have, during the COVID-19 pandemic. RS was in full fiscal adjustment and economic recovery after a debt restructuring agreement with the Federal Government going into the pandemic. Consequently, the Gross State Product (GSP) dropped 7% in 2020, despite a sharp rebound in the second half of the year. Amidst having to fight the virus by providing extra support to hospitals and to those most in need, the Leite administration pressed forward with reforms. Through extensive negotiations, the government was able to reform the state’s civil servant social security system, with immediate effects on the deficit. The government also returned to privatizing roads and other concessions.


* Eduardo Leite recently came out on TV. You can read about his coming out here [Multiple links.]

Gay in Europa – darum wird es immer schlimmer

Jun 21, 2020 • Wir leben in einer offenen und toleranten Gesellschaft. Für viele Bereiche unseres alltäglichen Lebens trifft das zu. Doch sowohl in Deutschland, als auch europaweit gibt es nach wie vor Länder, in welchen die Rechte von Schwulen, Lesben, Bi-, Trans- oder Intersexuellen mit Füßen getreten werden. Dabei sollte man zumindest meinen, dass es über die letzten Jahre hinweg grundsätzlich besser wurde und immer mehr Länder akzeptierender werden. Weit gefehlt. Wenn man sich die Entwicklungen innerhalb der EU und innerhalb von Europa mal genauer anschaut sieht man, dass sich die Lage für queere Menschen in den letzten Jahren verschlechtert hat.

Symptome dieser Entwicklungen sind dann "LGBT FREE ZONES" und ein polnischer Wahlkampf, der von der Regierungspartei PiS auch und vor allem genutzt wird um queere Menschen als ihr Feindbild zu deklarieren. Aber auch in Deutschland und anderen Staaten läuft nicht alles gut.

In diesem Video möchte ich aufzeigen, warum noch lange nicht alles nach Plan läuft und nach wie vor Menschen in EUROPA und der EU diskriminiert werden.


Sweet, Gay Moments : A Tender Kiss


Image courtesy of Pink News

5 Irresistible Reasons Why Malta Should Be Top of Your LGBT+ Travel List

Enjoying the sun in a Luzzu boat.

PINK NEWS: Malta is generally considered to be one of the most LGBT-progressive countries in the world.

It frequently scores high on the Rainbow Index and is one of five countries in the world to make queer rights equal at a constitutional level.

It’s no wonder, then, that it’s become a major travel destination for queer holidaymakers. It packs a lot into its small archipelago and its surrounding crystal waters, with plenty of culture, history and fun to soak up.

Malta has some of Europe’s lowest COVID numbers (since May 21 the number of total cases has remained under 100) and strongest vaccination rates (half of the population is fully vaccinated).

There’s no quarantine time for fully-vaccinated tourists, and there are financial incentives making hotel stays irresistible this summer.

Here are five incredible reasons to visit the queer jewel of the Meditteranean this summer: » | Sponsored article for Pink News | Monday, June 21, 2021

Bosnien: Schwule und Lesben in Angst | Fokus Europa [2019]

Sep 13, 2019 • Wegen des homophoben Klimas zeigen immer weniger Schwule und Lesben in Bosnien offen ihre sexuelle Orientierung. Denn viele bekennende Homosexuelle werden verfolgt oder angegriffen. Immer häufiger treffen sie sich deshalb nur noch privat.

Édith Piaf - Non, je ne regrette rien

Views on YouTube: 88,134,711

Top US General Warned of ‘Reichstag Moment’ in Trump’s Turbulent Last Days

Gen Mark Milley with Donald Trump at the White House. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

THE GUARDIAN: Gen Mark Milley drew comparison to Nazi Germany as Trump tried to overturn election defeat, new book I Alone Can Fix This says

Shortly before the deadly attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, told aides the US was facing a “Reichstag moment” because Donald Trump was preaching “the gospel of the Führer”, according to an eagerly awaited book about Trump’s last year in office.

The excerpts from I Alone Can Fix This, by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, were reported by New York magazine on Wednesday. The authors’ employer, the Washington Post, published the first extract from the book a day earlier. It will be published next week.

Milley’s invocation of Germany under the Third Reich follows a report in another book, Frankly, We Did Win This Election, by Michael C Bender, that Trump told his chief of staff, John Kelly, “Hitler did a lot of good things”.

Trump denies having made the remark. » | Martin Pengelly in Washington | Wednesday, July 14, 2021

New Doc Pieces of Us Honors Resilience of Those Who've Survived Hate

Filmmaker Cheryl Allison and Prince Manvendra

ADVOCATE: The film showcases the courage of those who've endured hate crimes and other horrific instances of bigotry, from New York to Denver to India.

Those who’ve endured anti-LGBTQ+ hate are more than victims, more even than survivors — they’re incredibly brave and resilient people, says filmmaker Cheryl Allison, who is honoring them in her latest documentary, Pieces of Us. “This is a story of hope, this is a story of courage ... no matter how you identify, you can see a piece of yourself in this story,” Allison says. Unlike some other films about hate crimes and other horrific instances of bigotry, Pieces of Us isn’t primarily about those incidents, she says. “This was about what happens afterwards and how you handle it,” she explains.

The film, which will make the festival rounds this fall, tells the stories of multiple subjects. Jipsta is a gay rapper and school psychologist in Brooklyn who was beaten on a New York City subway platform for holding hands with his partner. Leia Pierce is a single mother from Denver whose 9-year-old son, Jamel, took his own life after being bullied for being gay. Mykel Dicus is a gay New York performance artist who was physically attacked in his home by a man he met in a bar. Victoria Cruz is a transgender veteran of the Stonewall riots and longtime activist who was Dicus’s crisis counselor. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India, known as the world’s first out gay royal, received death threats after coming out and was initially disowned by his family. The movie shows how all have responded to traumatic events by becoming advocates for their community, and it spotlights other activists and allies as well. » | Trudy Ring | Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Kubas Regierung macht erste Zugeständnisse an Demonstranten

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach den Protesten auf Kuba kommt das Regime einigen Forderungen nach, hebt die vorübergehende Internetsperre auf und verspricht eine „kritische Analyse unserer Probleme“. Doch laut Berichten wurden mehr als 5000 Kubaner festgenommen.

Nach den Protesten in Kuba hat die Regierung erste Zugeständnisse an die Demonstranten gemacht. Reisende dürfen Lebensmittel, Medikamente und Hygieneartikel künftig zollfrei einführen, kündigte Ministerpräsident Manuel Marrero am Mittwoch in einer TV-Ansprache an. Auch bisher geltende Mengenbegrenzungen fallen demnach weg. Die neuen Regeln treten kommenden Montag in Kraft und gelten zunächst bis Jahresende. Präsident Miguel Díaz-Canel kündigte eine „kritische Analyse“ der Probleme in dem Karibikstaat an.

Die erleichterte Einfuhr von Dingen des täglichen Bedarfs ist eine der Forderungen der Protestbewegung. In einem offenen Brief hatte eine Gruppe von Künstlern und Intellektuellen die Regierung dazu aufgerufen, die Maßnahme umzusetzen. Bislang durften Reisende bis zu zehn Kilogramm Medizin zollfrei nach Kuba einführen. Auch eine begrenzte Menge an Lebensmitteln und Hygieneprodukten durften sie mitführen, hierfür wurden aber Zollabgaben fällig.

Marrero kündigte in der Fernsehansprache an der Seite von Präsident Miguel Díaz-Canel auch an, dass die Stromerzeugung verbessert und die Produktion von Medikamenten ausgebaut werden solle. » | Quelle: AFP/dpa | Donnerstag, 15. Juli 2021

Merkel und die vier Präsidenten von Amerika

Jul 14, 2021 • Angela Merkel (CDU) besucht am Donnerstag die USA - wohl zum letzten Mal als Bundeskanzlerin. In fast 16 Jahren Amtszeit hat sie mit vier sehr unterschiedlichen US-Präsidenten zusammengearbeitet. Ein Rückblick über Höhen und Tiefen. © AFP, DPA

A Cuba, le gouvernement fait un premier geste face aux pénuries

LE MONDE : Le gouvernement va autoriser temporairement les habitants à rapporter de voyage des aliments, médicaments et produits d’hygiène sans payer de taxes.

Une première mesure pour apaiser la population, à Cuba, trois jours après des manifestations historiques. Le gouvernement a annoncé, mercredi 14 juillet, autoriser temporairement les habitants à rapporter de voyage des aliments, médicaments et produits d’hygiène sans payer de taxes et sans limite de valeur. » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 15 juillet 2021

Erdogan marque les cinq ans d'un putsch manqué qui a transformé la Turquie

Pour nombre d'analystes, le coup d'État manqué a surtout hâté la dérive autoritaire d'Erdogan, qui a considérablement renforcé ses pouvoirs en 2017 en remplaçant le système parlementaire par un régime présidentiel fort. YVES HERMAN / REUTERS

LE FIGARO : Le président turc doit prononcer jeudi un discours devant des milliers de partisans à Ankara et inaugurer un «musée de la démocratie».

Le président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan célèbre jeudi 15 juillet le cinquième anniversaire d'une sanglante tentative de coup d'État qui lui a permis d'asseoir son pouvoir au prix d'une interminable répression et de tensions avec les pays occidentaux.

Dans la nuit du 15 au 16 juillet 2016, des éléments factieux de l'armée déployaient des chars dans les rues pendant que des avions survolaient Istanbul et Ankara, bombardant plusieurs sites importants comme le Parlement. L'intervention d'éléments loyalistes et de dizaines de milliers de partisans d'Erdogan descendus dans la rue à l'appel du président avait permis de mettre en échec le soulèvement. Bilan: 251 personnes tuées, hors putschistes. Signe de l'importance historique qu'accorde Recep Tayyip Erdogan à la mise en échec du putsch, il doit prononcer jeudi un discours devant des milliers de partisans à Ankara et inaugurer un «musée de la démocratie» retraçant les principaux événements de cette nuit qui a, selon lui, «changé le destin» de la Turquie. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 15 juillet 2021

Pope Francis Returns to the Vatican After Surgery

Pope Francis greeted security guards and well-wishers on his way back to the Vatican after a 10-day hospital stay in Gemelli hospital in Rome for colon surgery.

Six arrestations après le meurtre de Samuel, nouvelle manif contre l'homophobie à Barcelone

Jul 10, 2021 • Les responsables de l’enquête ne privilégient pas la piste d’un crime homophobe et gardent “toutes les hypothèses” ouvertes.


Nouvelles connexes sur le meurtre horrible de Samuel Luiz ici

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

European Antisemitism from Its Origins to the Holocaust

Mar 29, 2021 • This 13-minute film introduces the history of antisemitism. The term was coined in the 19th century and refers to prejudice against or hatred of Jews. But as this film shows, anti-Jewish hostility goes back many centuries—to the era of early Christianity and the Middle Ages. As a religious minority, Jews in Christian-dominant Europe were consistently persecuted as “outsiders.” They became scapegoats and victims of targeted violence in times of severe hardship and economic and political change.

Anti-Jewish prejudices endured and took on new forms as western societies became more secular in the 19th century, and Jews gained more rights and opportunities. Some politicians used “the Jews” as scapegoats in their attempts to gain support from people left behind by economic change. Ultra-nationalists, seeking ethnically homogeneous nations, saw Jews as biologically “foreign”—a different “race.” Antisemites also hatched conspiracy theories about “Jewish power” and that, after World War I and the Russian Revolution, linked Jews to Communism.

These radical strands of racial antisemitism, tied to ethnic nationalism and conspiracy myths, became core elements of Nazi ideology as the party was forming in the aftermath of World War I. After the Nazis took power in 1933, these ideas became state policy and underpinned anti-Jewish laws and decrees. Nazi propaganda portrayed Germany’s Jews as an “alien,” biological threat to the survival of the German people. During World War II, this racial antisemitism motivated Nazi policy that evolved into mass murder and genocide. Nazi officials also exploited longstanding traditional prejudices towards Jews in the countries they conquered to gain help from non-Germans to locate, round up, deport, and kill Jews.


This video is age-restricted; so, it cannot be embedded. It is available on YouTube only. Please click here for viewing.

Édith Piaf : La vie en rose

Sep 9, 2010 • Edith Piaf … La vie en rose (EDITH PIAF-Immortal "Little Sparrow" of France). [Views on YouTube: 50,978,161]

Democracy Now! “We Just Want the Basics”: Rare Protests in Cuba amid Deep Economic Crisis, Ongoing US Blockade

Jul 14, 2021 • We go to Havana, Cuba, to look at what is behind protests that brought thousands of people into the streets of Havana and other cities in rare anti-government protests denouncing the island’s economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuba is facing its harshest phase of the pandemic with skyrocketing infections, and people are scrambling to cope amid shortages of medicine, food and other resources due to catastrophic U.S. sanctions. Thousands of others in Cuba led counterprotests in support of the Cuban Revolution and President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Cuban journalist Daniel Montero, a journalist with the independent news organization Belly of the Beast, says many people were demanding an end to communism on the island, but the protests were not entirely driven by ideology. “We just want more food. We just want medicine. We just want the basics,” he says many protesters told him in interviews.

Afghanistan : la promesse de Londres si les talibans arrivent au pouvoir

LE POINT : Le Royaume-Uni a fait savoir, mercredi 14 juillet, que son gouvernement collaborera avec le groupe si celui-ci respecte les droits de l’homme, une fois au pouvoir.

Les talibans à la tête de l’Afghanistan ? La possibilité semble être sérieusement envisagée par Londres. Tant et si bien que le Royaume-Uni a déjà pris sa décision quant à l’avenir de ses relations diplomatiques avec le pays dans l’éventualité où le groupe entrerait au gouvernement afghan. Ainsi, le ministre britannique de la Défense, Ben Wallace, a fait savoir, mercredi 14 juillet, que son pays collaborera avec les talibans si ceux-ci entrent au sein de l’exécutif et respectent les droits de l’homme.

« Quel que soit le gouvernement en place, le gouvernement britannique coopérera avec lui, à condition qu’il adhère à certaines normes internationales », a déclaré le ministre dans une interview publiée mercredi par le journal The Telegraph. Mais, « comme pour les autres gouvernements dans le monde, s’ils se comportent d’une manière qui va gravement à l’encontre des droits de l’homme, nous réexaminerons notre relation », a-t-il ajouté. » | Source AFP | mercredi 14 juillet 2021

Dean Martin - Everybody Loves Somebody (Official Audio)

Grausamer Taliban-Richter schildert seine Arbeit | Afghanistan

Jul 12, 2021 • Ohne ein Anzeichen von Reue, ohne die Miene zu verziehen, berichtet er uns von seiner Arbeit: Gul Rahim, Richter bei den Taliban. Im Interview schildert er BILD-Vize Paul Ronzheimer, wie er Frauen und Homosexuelle bestrafen will.

Die Lage in Afghanistan eskaliert von Tag zu Tag mehr. Der internationalen Truppen haben sich fast komplett zurückgezogen, die vom Westen ausgebildeten Soldaten verlassen das Land in Scharen – und die Taliban sind weiter auf dem Vormarsch.


LGBT Film History: The Early Years (1910s – 1920s)

Jun 1, 2019 • In this video essay, I take a look at early cinematic depictions of homosexuality, especially during the Weimar era (1919 – 1933) in Germany. 28 May 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the release of "Anders als die Andern" (1919) which was the first LGBT-themed film in history.

Films that I talk about include "A Florida Enchantment" (1914), "Salomé" (1923), "Michael" (1924), "Die Büchse der Pandora" (1929), "Mädchen in Uniform" (1931) and "The Sign of the Cross" (1932).


GOP Candidate Slams LGBTQ+ and ‘Sodomy’ Education In Schools

ADVOCATE: Jack Ciattarelli, a candidate in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, delivered an anti-LGBTQ+ speech to a crowd at a gun range.

Republican candidate for New Jersey Governor, Jack Ciattarelli, promised constituents that if elected he would put an end to the LGBTQ curriculum currently being taught in schools.

The comments were made while Ciattarelli was visiting a gun range on June 26, but the video was only made public on July 13, after being released by The Gothamist.

“I feel lucky [our kids] are in their 20s and I don’t have to be dealing with what you’re dealing with right now,” Ciatterelli says in the video. “You won’t have to deal with it when I’m governor, but we’re not teaching gender ID and sexual orientation to kindergarteners. We’re not teaching sodomy in sixth grade. And we’re going to roll back the LGBTQ curriculum. It goes too far.” » | Rachel Shatto | Wednesday, July 14, 2021


Being benighted is not a pre-requisite of membership of the GOP, but it sure does help! © Mark

Jung, schwul, gläubig - Geht das für Christen, Juden und Muslime? | SWR Doku

May 3, 2020 • Unsere Reportage begleitet drei junge Menschen, die sich entschlossen haben, sich nicht mehr zu verstecken, sondern offen schwul und gläubig zu sein.

Vorbehalte, Ressentiments oder Ausschluss aus der Religionsgemeinschaft – diesen Problemen müssen sich gläubige Schwule stellen, wenn sie sich outen. Wie vereinbaren homosexuelle Christen, Juden und Muslime in Deutschland ihren Glauben und ihre sexuelle Ausrichtung in oft repressiven und konservativen Religionsgemeinschaften? Wie kämpfen sie für Anerkennung und Gleichberechtigung?

Die Reportage, gedreht 2019, erzählt die Geschichte dreier junger Menschen, die sich entschieden haben, Glauben und Homosexualität nicht mehr als Widerspruch und unvereinbar hinzunehmen. Alle drei sind Mitbegründer von Selbsthilfegruppen, die Betroffenen ein Sicherheitsnetz geben. Sie zelebrieren gemeinsam ihre Feiertage, leisten Aufklärungsarbeit, scheuen keine Konflikte und suchen selbst den Dialog zu konservativen Gläubigen.

Leo ist Mitbegründer von ‚Keshet‘, dem ersten queeren jüdischen Verein in Deutschland. Auf einer Tagung der jüdischen Gemeinden in Deutschland vertritt er als Pionier zum ersten Mal die jüdische LGBTQ-Gemeinde.

Tugay kämpft für die Rechte queerer Muslime – und wird deshalb bedroht. In der liberalen Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Moschee in Berlin betet er nicht nur, sondern verfechtet sogar in einer Predigt das Recht, als Muslim lieben zu können, wen er will.

Timo brach aus der Enge seiner Wuppertaler Freikirche aus, in der er aufwuchs. Er veröffentlichte das Buch „Nicht mehr Schweigen“, in dem er queere Christen und Christinnen jeder Glaubensrichtung zu Wort kommen lässt. In seinen Lesungen trifft er auf Empathie, aber auch auf Skepsis und Kritik. Diese Doku von Uri Schneider aus der DAS ERSTE-Reihe "Echtes Leben" trägt den Originaltitel: Jung, schwul, gläubig - Geht das für Christen, Juden und Muslime?, Ausstrahlungsdatum: 26. April 2020. #swrdoku Alle Aussagen und Fakten entsprechen dem damaligen Stand und wurden seitdem nicht aktualisiert.


Coming Out in Germany vs the UK

Aug 1, 2014 • Daniel Sprich came out at work after moving from Germany to the UK—and life got much easier.

André : Mein Coming Out

Aug 27, 2016 • Hey Leute, mein Name ist André und in diesem Video möchte ich mit euch über mein Outing reden. Viel Spaß!

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — July 14, 2021

8 footballeurs qui ont osé faire leur coming out | Oh My Goal

Feb 11, 2020 • Seulement 8 joueurs ont révélé leur homosexualité au grand jour. Les conséquences peuvent être dramatiques pour les joueurs masculins qui font leur "coming out". Moqueries, insultes : l'homophobie est très répandue dans le football masculin et cela explique en très grande partie pourquoi seulement 8 joueurs ont rendu leur homosexualité publique.

Il giocatore Carl Nassib annuncia di essere gay: è il primo nella storia del football americano a fare coming out

LA STAMPA: Il giocatore dei Las Vegas Raiders ha pubblicato un video sui social: «Mi auguro che un giorno gesti come questo non siano più necessari. Fino ad allora farò la mia parte»

Carl Nassib, dei Las Vegas Raiders, è il primo giocatore attivo della National Football Association a fare coming out. Nassib ha annunciato di essere gay e di «averlo voluto dichiarare già da tempo. Ora mi sento a mio agio a farlo». Il 28enne è alla sua sesta stagione nella Nfl e alla seconda nei Raiders. «Mi auguro che un un giorno video come questi e tutto il processo del coming out non siano più necessari», ha aggiunto in un post su Instagram. » | © La Stampa | Martedi 22 Giugno 2021


The Trevor Project »

A Tender Kiss in the Desert

قبلة رقيقة في الصحراء

Image courtesy of Google Images

Commentary: The Powerful 'Pansies' of the U.S. Military

Major General Randy Taylor

ADVOCATE: Former Army Secretary Eric Fanning has a few thoughts on Republicans smearing the armed forces.

This week, under questioning from Matt Gaetz, perhaps the least ethical member of Congress right now (and wow, that is a hard title to get!), the Joint Chiefs Chairman, Army General Mark Milley, fought back at the pervy congressman’s whine about the military being woke.

"And I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned, noncommissioned officers of being, quote, 'woke' or something else, because we're studying some theories that are out there."

Later, Gaetz had the gall to tweet about Milley: "With Generals like this it’s no wonder we’ve fought considerably more wars than we’ve won." Gaetz wouldn't last 10 minutes at West Point.

Never in American history has a political party gone after the U.S. military. The military is sacrosanct. It is revered. It protects our freedom, our democracy. It is the envy of the world.

Gaetz and his bigoted lot are trying to ignite shitstorms over being "woke" and the teaching of critical race theory. These are attempts to score political points with the racist Trump base, and they are using the venerable U.S. military as the whipping post for their lies and slander.

This is the same Republican party that wrapped itself in knots for years over trying to label itself as vanguards of the armed forces. But now the party follows someone like Gaetz's lead on how to untie itself from the military. The old Grand Old Party, now renamed as the Grotesquely Obnoxious Perjurers, are falsely accusing the military of being weak and disgustingly lambasting it for supporting equality. » | John Casey | Friday, June 25, 2021

Chaotische Szenen in Georgiens Parlament nach Tod von Kameramann

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITING: Georgiens Opposition fordert nach Ausschreitungen bei einer schwulenfeindlichen Demonstration den Rücktritt der Regierung. Regierungschef Garibaschwili trage die Mitverantwortung für Gewalt gegen Medienschaffende.

Nach dem Tod eines Kameramannes, der bei Protesten schwulenfeindlicher Demonstranten schwer verletzt worden war, haben oppositionelle Abgeordnete in Georgien den Rücktritt von Ministerpräsident Irakli Garibaschwili gefordert. Am Montag kam es im Parlament in Tiflis zu Tumulten, als mehrere Abgeordnete den Stuhl des Parlamentspräsidenten besetzten. Kritiker werfen Garibaschwili und seiner Regierung eine Mitverantwortung für die Gewalt gegen Medienschaffende bei den jüngsten Anti-LGTBQ-Protesten in der georgischen Hauptstadt vor.

Die Parlamentssitzung am Montag konnte erst fortgesetzt werden, nachdem die vier weiblichen Abgeordneten, die den Stuhl des Parlamentspräsidenten besetzten, gewaltsam aus dem Saal gebracht worden waren. Am Abend kam es dann abermals zum Protest gegen Garibaschwili: Vor dem Parlamentsgebäude versammelten sich etwa 2000 Menschen, unter ihnen hunderte Journalisten und Menschenrechtsaktivisten. Sie kündigten an, die Demonstrationen solange fortzusetzen, bis Garibaschwili abtritt. » | Quelle: AFP | Dienstag, 13. Juli 2021

Verwandt / Related: hier/here und/and hier/here

Jordanie : un procès en trahison épargne le demi-frère du roi

Le prince Hamza Ben Hussein de Jordanie lors des célébrations du 10e anniversaire de l'accession au trône du roi Abdallah, à Amman le 9 juin 2009. Majed Jaber / REUTERS

LE FIGARO: Un tribunal d'Amman a condamné, lundi 12 juillet, deux anciens proches de la famille royale à 15 ans de prison. En l'absence du principal suspect, le prince Hamza.

L'affaire avait secoué le royaume de Jordanie en avril dernier. Un complot visant à renverser l'actuel détenteur du trône, Abdallah II, était mis à jour, et le propre demi-frère du souverain, le prince Hamza, était accusé d'avoir pris part à ce coup d'État. Plusieurs dizaines de personnes ont été arrêtées : des chefs de tribus, des militaires et des proches de la famille royale. Le prince «félon» était, quant à lui, placé en résidence surveillée.

Le procès de Bassem Awadallah et Cherif Hassan ben Zaid, les deux hommes accusés d'être au cœur des machinations, s'est tenu lundi 12 juillet 2021 à Amman. Bien qu'ils aient clamé leur innocence, ils ont été tous deux reconnus coupables d'«incitation à agir contre le régime politique du royaume», et d'«actes susceptibles de mettre en danger la sûreté et la sécurité de la société et de sédition.» L'un et l'autre ont été condamnés à 15 ans de prison et à des peines de travaux forcés. » | Par Emilien Hertement | lundi 12 juillet 2021

Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Report Bumper Second-quarter Profits

THE GUARDIAN: Investment banking arms of two Wall Street firms benefit from global glut of mergers and acquisitions

Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan have reported bumper profits for the second quarter as their investment banking divisions continued to ride the global boom in mergers and takeover deals.

The two US banks have been capitalising on the surge in merger and acquisitions activity, which broke records for the second straight quarter in the three months to June, according to Refinitiv data, and helped make up for a slowdown in trading since the start of the year.

Goldman Sachs, which continues to generate the highest investment banking fees among its peers, reported profits of $5.5bn (£4bn) in the second quarter. That was the second highest profit on record for the bank, only surpassed by its first quarter of 2021, and compared with just $373m in profits a year earlier when the group had to draw down provisions to cover a $2.9bn settlement over the 1MDB corruption scandal with global regulators. » | Kalyeena Makortoff, Banking correspondent |Tuesday, July 13, 2021

More Than 1m Children from Key Worker Families Living in Poverty, Says TUC

THE GUARDIAN: Study finds more than one in five children of workers employed in the frontline of the pandemic live below breadline

More than a million children from households in the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic are living in poverty, according to new research published by the TUC.

The study found that one in five children of key workers in England, Scotland and Wales were living below the official breadline – rising to almost one in three in the worst-affected region, the north-east.

The TUC said low pay and insecure hours – widespread in occupations such as social care, supermarkets and delivery drivers – were the main reasons for in-work poverty among key workers. » | Larry Elliott | Wednesday, July 14, 2021

UK Inflation Jumps to 2.5% as Secondhand Car and Food Prices Rise

THE GUARDIAN: June figure is highest level since August 2018 and above analysts’ forecasts

Britain’s inflation rate has risen to 2.5% – its highest level in almost three years – after the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions prompted rising demand.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said dearer food, secondhand cars, clothing and footwear and fuel prices were the main factors behind a jump in the annual inflation rate from 2.1% to 2.5% in June.

The figure was the highest since the 2.7% recorded in August 2018, higher than the 2.2% expected by analysts and above the Bank of England’s 2% target.

Core inflation, which strips out food, energy, alcohol and tobacco, rose from 2% to 2.3%. » | Larry Elliott, Economics editor | Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Foreigner - I Don't Want to Live Without You (Official Music Video)

Jan 26, 2020 • You're watching the official music video for Foreigner - "I Don't Want to Live Without You" from the album 'Inside Information' (1987) [Views on YouTube: 2,846,636]

Pray Away | Official Trailer | Netflix

Jul 12, 2021 • In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a Bible study to help each other leave the “homosexual lifestyle.” They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world. But leaders struggled with a secret: their own “same-sex attractions” never went away. After years as superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, PRAY AWAY chronicles the “ex gay” movement’s rise to power, its unscientific influence, and its legacy of profound harm.

From executive producers Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum, and director Kristine Stolakis, watch Pray Away on August 3, only on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/PrayAway



Pray Away Goes Deep Into the 'Ex-Gay' Movement That Began in the '70s »

Netflix: Pray Away: Ex-leaders and a survivor of the so-called "conversion therapy" movement speak out about its harm to the LGBTQ+ community and its devastating persistence.

United We Stand Centers Queer Stories From Least LGBTQ-Friendly Places

ADVOCATE: The videos from Tourmaline and creative agency RanaVerse give voice to LGBTQ+ narratives in five of the least queer-friendly locales in the country.

The “United We Stand” campaign has partnered with local groups in five of the least LGBTQ+ friendly locales in the country to document the diversity of narratives within those communities. To tell those stories, Unilever engaged prominent filmmaker and artist Tourmaline along with the creative agency RanaVerse to develop the series in time for Pride. The five videos just dropped Wednesday.

With the help of LGBTQ+ community strategist Sean Coleman, Unilever and RanaVerse targeted five cities that ranked at the bottom with a zero score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index: Monroe, La Moore, Okla.; Clemson, S.C.; Florence, Ala.; and towns and cities in need of support in southwest Missouri. Then they partnered with a local LGBTQ+ organization in that area to help bring awareness to the community and their plight through film: Forum for Equality, Freedom Oklahoma, South Carolina Black Pride, the Knights and Orchids Society, and PFLAG Springfield, respectively. » | Donald Padgett | Wednesday, June 16, 2021

The Emmy Nominations Are Out, and They Are Super Gay and Trans

From left: Emmy nominees Jonathan Groff, Mj Rodriguez, and Bowen Yang

ADVOCATE: The 73rd Emmy Nominations are here and they're queer. Get into it.

All year, TV lovers look forward to seeing their favorite series and celebs get the recognition they deserve at the Emmys, and in 2021 it’s queer excellence as far as the eye can see.

This year’s nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Tuesday during a live event streamed on the Television Academy’s website, and as the names rolled out, queer history was in the making.

Both Mj Rodriguez, who made history as the first transgender lead ever nominated, and Billy Porter scored nods for their roles in Pose. The series itself also made the list for Outstanding Drama Series. » | Rachel Shatto | Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Andrew Cuomo's Daughter Michaela Comes Out as Demisexual

OUT: During a recent IG Live, Michaela Kennedy Cuomo opened up about which label she identifies with the most!

Michaela Kennedy Cuomo, the youngest daughter of New York governor Andrew Cuomo and his former wife Kerry Kennedy, and the granddaughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, is opening up about her sexuality.

During a recent conversation with author, activist, and former Tivity Health CEO Donato Tramuto on Instagram Live last week, the 23-year-old talked at length about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and how, over the years, she's had a unique journey when it comes to realizing which label she most closely identifies with.

"When I was in elementary school, I feared that I was lesbian," she said. "When I was in middle school, I came out to my family and close friends as bisexual. When I was in high school, I discovered pansexuality and thought, 'That's the flag for me.'" » | Raffy Ermac | Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Gay Man Attacked by Group in Liverpool

ADVOCATE: The young man thought he might die during the assault, he told local media.

A gay man feared for his life while he was attacked in Liverpool, England, over the weekend.

Right after midnight on Saturday, a group of men attacked Aodhán Benson, a 24-year-old from Belfast, while hurling homophobic slurs.

… “This was an appalling incident which left a young man shaken and injured,” Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Col Rooney said, according to the outlet. “Although we have made arrests, our investigations into the attack will continue.”

He added that authorities believed the homophobic slurs were directed at the victim, so they are treating the case as a hate crime.

“After a number of worrying incidents over the last month, we want our LGBT+ community to be reassured that we stand with them: we are committed to protecting them, and we will do whatever we can to bring offenders to justice,” said Rooney. » |Alex Cooper | Tuesday, July 13, 2021

LGBT group condemns homophobic Liverpool assault on Belfast man Aodhan Benson »

Gay man feared he would die during violent homophobic attack in Liverpool City Centre »

«Von Toleranz keine Spur» | Generation Gap – LGBTQIA / Schwul sein

May 4, 2018 • Wie war es als Schwuler in den Schweizer Siebzigern und Achtzigern zu leben? Wieso konnte Franz nicht zum Schwulsein stehen? Was hat sich seither punkto Toleranz für die LGBTQIA-Szene getan? Muss man als Homosexueller oder Homosexuelle überhaupt noch demonstrieren? Senior Franz (73) und Schüler Gino (21) tauschen ihre Erfahrungen aus.


Ein kurzes Gespräch in Schwyzertüütsch über Homosexualität in der Schweiz, früher und jetzt. – Mark

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Guédelon II, une aventure médiévale | ARTE

Jun 18, 2021 • En Bourgogne, depuis plus de vingt ans, des archéologues et des artisans bâtissent le château fort de Guédelon selon les techniques et les matériaux du Moyen Âge. Ce documentaire propose une nouvelle exploration de cet incroyable chantier et en dévoile des phases inédites...

Plus grand site d’archéologie expérimentale au monde, le chantier du château médiéval de Guédelon, en Bourgogne, qui s’effectue avec des outils, des matériaux et des techniques du XIIIe siècle, porsuit une expérience unique entreprise il y a plus de deux décennies. Au fil des saisons, il aura offert aux "œuvriers", comme se nomment eux-mêmes les artisans qui y officient avec l'aide des archéologues, de s’approprier les savoir-faire des bâtisseurs du Moyen Âge. Un public nombreux – 300 000 visiteurs en 2017 – vient admirer sur le chantier la virtuosité de ces tailleurs de pierre, charpentiers ou forgerons capables de transformer le grès de cette ancienne carrière et le bois de chênes d’une forêt voisine pour élever un imposant ouvrage fortifié. Aventure humaine grandeur nature, la construction rassemble une quarantaine d’artisans, épaulés par des centaines de bénévoles, et par un comité scientifique constitué d’archéologues et d’historiens.

Grands défis

En 2015, Guédelon : renaissance d’un château médiéval, déjà coproduit par ARTE et l’Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives), offrait une première immersion au cœur du site. Le temps d’une saison, cette nouvelle exploration dévoile des phases inédites du chantier et présente une vue d’ensemble du bâti sorti de terre grâce à de spectaculaires images aériennes. En partenariat avec le site expérimental allemand de Campus Galli dans le Bade-Wurtemberg, où se construit un monastère carolingien, les bâtisseurs de Guédelon percent les secrets de fabrication des panneaux en parchemin qui obtureront les fenêtres de la chambre seigneuriale. En s’appuyant notamment sur une visite du château de Laval, les charpentiers et les scientifiques réfléchissent également à la meilleure technique pour concevoir la toiture de la tour de la chapelle. L’érection de la porte principale du château, entre deux tours, constitue quant à elle le dernier grand défi à relever avant la pose de la dernière pierre, prévue en 2023. Alors que le chantier de Notre-Dame de Paris porte à la connaissance du grand public des problématiques de conservation du patrimoine, l'archéologie expérimentale de Guédelon se révèle d'autant plus précieuse.

Documentaire de Bianca Zamfira (Royaume-Uni, 2019, 1h31mn)


Julio Iglesias – To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before – Feat. Willie Nelson

Chris de Burgh - The Lady in Red

Being Gay in the Thirties | Gay Life

In this outstanding episode of pioneering 1980s TV series Gay Life, Gifford Skinner describes what it was like to be a gay man in the 1930s. Illuminating and nostalgic, Gifford recalls picking up guardsmen in Hyde Park as well as some of the homosexual ‘characters’ he encountered in London’s West End. The gay activist, historian and sociologist Jeffrey Weeks is interviewed about gay law reform.

Democracy Now ! Top US & World Headlines — July 13, 2021

Prices Jumped 5.4 Percent in June, the Biggest Rise since 2008

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A key measure of inflation jumped sharply in June, a gain that is sure to keep concerns over rising prices front and center at the White House and Federal Reserve.

The Consumer Price Index climbed by 5.4 percent in the year through June, the Labor Department said, as prices for used cars and trucks accelerated rapidly and accounted for more than a third of the surge. The overall inflation change was more than the 5 percent increase reported in May and was the largest year-over-year gain since 2008.

Investors, lawmakers and central bank officials are closely watching inflation, which has been elevated in recent months by both a quirk in the data and by mismatches between demand and supply as the economy rebounds. Quick price gains can squeeze consumers if wages do not keep up, and the pickup could prod the central bank to pull back on support for the economy if it looks as if the inflation is going to prove sustained. The Fed’s cheap-money policies are generally good for markets, so a rapid withdrawal would be bad news for investors in stocks and other asset classes. » | Jeanna Smialek | Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Russie : terre d'Islam ? | ARTE Reportage

Apr 20, 2021 • Le 16 octobre 2020, Samuel Paty, professeur d’histoire au collège de Conflans Sainte-Honorine, était décapité pour avoir défendu la liberté de caricaturer. Son meurtrier, un jeune Tchétchène né en Russie, bénéficiait d’un statut de réfugié en France par ses parents.

Ce reportage ne peut pas être intégré. Il faut le regarder sur YouTube. Vous pouvez le regarderICI

LGBTQI+ Germany: Pride and Being Queer in Germany | Meet the Germans

Jul 7, 2021 • What's it like to be gay, transgender or non-binary in Germany? For this week's Meet the Germans, Rachel flies the rainbow flag and looks at queer history, LGBTQI+ rights and "Christopher Street Day" (aka Pride) in Germany.

Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic – from unusual bans to meaty cuisine or haunted castles. This week: LGBTQI+ life and Pride in Germany.


Harry Nilsson - Without You

Official Audio for "Without You" by Harry Nilsson. To date, this wonderful audio has received more than 4.7m views on YouTube.

Südafrika eskaliert: Heftige Ausschreitungen nach Inhaftierung von Ex-Präsident

Jul 13, 2021 • Brennende Autos und Plünderungen: In Südafrika halten die Proteste nach der Inhaftierung von Ex-Präsident Zuma an.

In Südafrika hat die Regierung nach tagelangen Ausschreitungen infolge der Inhaftierung von Ex-Präsident Jacob Zuma Soldatinnen und Soldaten in zwei Provinzen entsandt.


Cuba Blames US as the Country Sees Biggest Protests in Decades | DW News

Jul 13, 2021 • Cuba saw its largest anti-government protests in decades this weekend, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel cracking down on the demonstrators. Cuban police were deployed to major cities such as Havana on Monday following the protests a day earlier. Streets in Havana were quiet due to the ramped up police presence. Authorities have blocked social media sites in an attempt to censor information about the demonstrations. Mobile internet outages — the only way Cubans can go online — are also common. At least 100 demonstrators, journalists and activists have been arrested since Sunday's protests, according to the exiled Cubalex human rights group.

Thousands of Cubans poured into the streets of Havana and other cities on Sunday in the largest demonstrations against the government in nearly 30 years. The protesters chanted slogans such as "Down with the dictatorship" and "We want liberty." Others shouted "No tenemos miedo" or "We are not afraid."

Diaz-Canel and other top Cuban officials have accused the US of orchestrating the unrest. The Cuban president said Monday that the US is pursuing a "policy of economic suffocation to provoke social unrest in the country." He tweeted that "the counterrevolution dreams of war between Cubans" and emphasized national unity. The US has put Cuba under a comprehensive embargo since 1962, limiting economic trade. Diaz-Canel had previously called on communist supporters to confront "provocations" by the protesters. Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, a top official in the Communist Party of Cuba, said the demonstrations were funded by the US government to foment "instability and chaos" in the country. He compared the protests to the US-backed demonstrations in 2019 against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a Cuban ally.



More on this story here, here and here