Monday, July 19, 2021
Madonna - Don't Cry for Me Argentina [Official Music Video]
Ball Gowns Galore! And Other Cannes Film Festival Fashion Statements
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Forget comfort clothing. Seriously, forget it. The year of the nontraveling sweatpants has come to an end.
The Cannes Film Festival that just ended was notable for a number of things (besides simply being the first Cannes Film Festival since 2019): That a female director won the Palme d’Or for the first time since 1993; Jodie Foster’s special award; Adam Driver’s singing in “Annette.” And the fact that it was proof positive, if anyone was in doubt, that the year of the nontraveling sweatpants has well and truly come to a close.
Like, put a stiletto in that one and stick it to the wall-of-history close.
If the Oscars kicked off the Return of the Red Carpet, Cannes took it to a whole other level. For 10 days the plumage was out: tulle and tuxedos, glitter and glamour, as if to make up for dressing down of the last, lost year. This film festival, of all film festivals, has become the greatest real life — or real life-ish — runway of the year, other than the Met Gala. Perhaps even more than the Met Gala, which can be handicapped by sometimes silly theme. » | Vanessa Friedman | Monday, July 19, 2021
Johnsons Wette
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: In Großbritannien schießen die Infektionszahlen wieder in die Höhe – und trotzdem sind fast alle Corona-Maßnahmen gefallen. Das Risiko, das Boris Johnson damit eingeht, ist hoch.
Es klingt paradox: In Großbritannien schießen die Infektionszahlen wegen Delta wieder in die Höhe, und der geimpfte Gesundheitsminister Sajid Javid ist an Covid erkrankt, weshalb sich jetzt auch Premierminister Boris Johnson in die Selbstisolation begeben hat. Trotzdem sollen von diesem Montag an fast alle Corona-Maßnahmen aufgehoben werden. Das Argument lautet: Die Impfquote ist hoch, die Hospitalisierungsrate niedrig, es wird also schon gehen. » | Ein Kommentar von Oliver Georgi | Montag, 19. Juli 2021
« Nous sommes entrés dans une quatrième vague », affirme Gabriel Attal
L’OBS : Le porte-parole du gouvernement a mis en garde ce lundi contre la dynamique « extrêmement forte » de l’épidémie. Dans des dizaines de départements, la hausse des contaminations est extrêmement rapide.
« Nous sommes entrés dans une quatrième vague du virus », a prévenu le porte-parole du gouvernement Gabriel Attal à la sortie du conseil des ministres ce lundi 19 juillet.
« La dynamique de l’épidémie est extrêmement forte, nous constatons une vague plus rapide, une pente plus raide que toutes les précédentes », a-t-il mis en garde, notant le nombre de nouveaux cas détectés avait doublé en une semaine. « Nous avons franchi le seuil des 10 000 cas positifs chaque jour », a-t-il précisé, tandis que le taux d’incidence a augmenté de près de 125 % en une semaine. » | Par L’Obs | lundi 19 juillet 2021
Un abonnement à L'Obs est disponible pour 3 mois pour 1€ , sans engagement, ici
« Nous sommes entrés dans une quatrième vague du virus », a prévenu le porte-parole du gouvernement Gabriel Attal à la sortie du conseil des ministres ce lundi 19 juillet.
« La dynamique de l’épidémie est extrêmement forte, nous constatons une vague plus rapide, une pente plus raide que toutes les précédentes », a-t-il mis en garde, notant le nombre de nouveaux cas détectés avait doublé en une semaine. « Nous avons franchi le seuil des 10 000 cas positifs chaque jour », a-t-il précisé, tandis que le taux d’incidence a augmenté de près de 125 % en une semaine. » | Par L’Obs | lundi 19 juillet 2021
Un abonnement à L'Obs est disponible pour 3 mois pour 1€ , sans engagement, ici
Alone Out Here: A Gay Farmer on Love, Isolation, and Disrupting the Meat Industry in Australia | The New Yorker
Friendships That Saved Lives during the Holocaust
Not A Still Life | Gay Jewish Documentary Portrait
Aug 13, 2018 • In this documentary portrait, a charismatic older, gay, Jewish man undergoes an evolution of awareness amid the joys and sorrows of his wild and fully lived life. In revealing his “naked truth,” he offers viewers an opportunity for reflection about the complexity of human identity.
In the words of the film’s spirited subject, “This is the story of a gay, Jewish, animal rights, vegetarian, recovering alcoholic ... individual.” Steve Stone is an ebullient, extroverted character and an engaging storyteller with a life full of captivating tales. He is also not unlike many gay men of a certain age who were almost brought to extinction with the AIDS epidemic of the 80’s. In that sense, this film, a portrait of a man, is also a chronicle of a time that was.
This one man’s story, his struggles with sexual orientation and various addictions, love and loss, taps into themes that encompass all our lives. His quirky and entertaining reflections come from a unique perspective. We cannot help but see ourselves in, and be inspired by, his distinctive outlook because for all the ways that we may not share his “outside the box” personality, his evolution, his journey through life and his deep desires are ours. They exemplify the conflicts and complexities in every human heart.
Not a Still Life punctuates the stories of Steve’s personal journey through the decades with a judicious use of title graphics to reflect key aspects of gay social history in America. His is the tale of a man who, in the homophobic period of the 50s, was ridiculed and dismissed as a child which led his irreverence, hyperactivity and rebelliousness. Determined to be himself rather than conform to social mores that made him uncomfortable, he came out to everyone in the early 60’s at the age of 17. Eight years before the Stonewall Rebellion, this was a brave move. Steve Stone has been openly gay for fifty years!
Viewer discretion is advised. Warning: Not suitable for children! – Mark
In the words of the film’s spirited subject, “This is the story of a gay, Jewish, animal rights, vegetarian, recovering alcoholic ... individual.” Steve Stone is an ebullient, extroverted character and an engaging storyteller with a life full of captivating tales. He is also not unlike many gay men of a certain age who were almost brought to extinction with the AIDS epidemic of the 80’s. In that sense, this film, a portrait of a man, is also a chronicle of a time that was.
This one man’s story, his struggles with sexual orientation and various addictions, love and loss, taps into themes that encompass all our lives. His quirky and entertaining reflections come from a unique perspective. We cannot help but see ourselves in, and be inspired by, his distinctive outlook because for all the ways that we may not share his “outside the box” personality, his evolution, his journey through life and his deep desires are ours. They exemplify the conflicts and complexities in every human heart.
Not a Still Life punctuates the stories of Steve’s personal journey through the decades with a judicious use of title graphics to reflect key aspects of gay social history in America. His is the tale of a man who, in the homophobic period of the 50s, was ridiculed and dismissed as a child which led his irreverence, hyperactivity and rebelliousness. Determined to be himself rather than conform to social mores that made him uncomfortable, he came out to everyone in the early 60’s at the age of 17. Eight years before the Stonewall Rebellion, this was a brave move. Steve Stone has been openly gay for fifty years!
Viewer discretion is advised. Warning: Not suitable for children! – Mark
Brazil’s Homosexual Couples May Be Prioritized in Housing Program
THE RIO TIMES: Bill 1947/21 includes homosexual couples with their union recognized by the State among the groups to be prioritized in the selection and ranking of beneficiaries for the 'Casa Verde e Amarela' housing program.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Under analysis by the Chamber of Deputies, the draft amends Law 14.118/21 which deals with the program and currently provides that priority is granted to families in a risk or vulnerable situation, where a woman is the head of the household or that include disabled or elderly people.
"In practice there is pure veiled discrimination, whereby LGBT families have tremendous difficulties in being selected," says the bill's author deputy Rafafá (PSDB-PB).
"The delays in getting answers expose the subtle and perverse discrimination to which these citizens have been submitted," he points out . . . » | The Rio Times | Monday, July 19, 2021
Subscriptions to ‘The Rio Times’ are available here
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Under analysis by the Chamber of Deputies, the draft amends Law 14.118/21 which deals with the program and currently provides that priority is granted to families in a risk or vulnerable situation, where a woman is the head of the household or that include disabled or elderly people.
"In practice there is pure veiled discrimination, whereby LGBT families have tremendous difficulties in being selected," says the bill's author deputy Rafafá (PSDB-PB).
"The delays in getting answers expose the subtle and perverse discrimination to which these citizens have been submitted," he points out . . . » | The Rio Times | Monday, July 19, 2021
Subscriptions to ‘The Rio Times’ are available here
P&O Australia to Launch First Ever LGBT+ Pride Cruise, And It Sounds Fabulous
PINK NEWS: P&O Australia has announced that its first ever LGBT+ Pride cruise will set sail next year, including lectures, educational and spiritual events, same-sex weddings and… sequins.
The three-night cruise, which will depart from Sydney on 4 November, 2022, will be a “celebratory weekend” for the LGBT+ community and their friends, families and allies, and will “honour pride in self, the diversity of the community and the endless variety of talented artists, entertainers and educators in it”.
Australian LGBT+ organisations will be onboard, including the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Australia’s longest-running HIV charity, and Queer Screen, which will be putting on its first Queer Screen @ Sea Film Festival.
The cruise will also feature a queer entertainment line-up “with plenty of feathers, sequins and flamboyance”, featuring America’s Got Talent star and self-described “international superstar, sex symbol, accordionist and Berlin boy-wonder” Hans the German. » | Lily Wakefield | Saturday, April 24, 2021
Mini-Serie über lesbische Liebe: «Ich wäre so gern verliebt geblieben»
TAGES ANZEIGER: Die ZDFneo-Serie «Loving her» erzählt leicht und gefühlvoll aus der Perspektive einer jungen lesbischen Frau. Das ist selten im Fernsehen.
Hanna fühlt sich ausgebremst. Sie hat das Literaturstudium abgeschlossen, aber keinen Job in Aussicht. Der Pandemie-Alltag nervt, Liebeskummer auch und dann wirft der Vermieter ihre WG aus der schönen Berliner Altbauwohnung.
Jetzt kehrt sie zurück nach Bielefeld zu ihren Eltern, bis sich etwas Neues ergibt. Als sie mitten im Umzug Pizza holt, trifft sie ihre Schulliebe Franzi. Die Begegnung wirft die 25-Jährige in der Zeit zurück. » | Lena Reuters | Dienstag, 6. Juli 2021
Homosexuels et lesbiennes dans l’Europe nazie : les déportés oubliés
L’OBS : Le Mémorial de la Shoah, à Paris, éclaire le sort des gays et lesbiennes, victimes de la répression nazie. Le musée retrace les multiples aspects de la persécution, en s’appuyant sur des parcours de vie saisissants, des documents et des témoignages inédits. Retour sur une page d’Histoire méconnue.
C’est une première en France. Après plusieurs mois de minutieuse récolte de documents et de témoignages inédits, le Mémorial de la Shoah, revient sur la persécution des populations homosexuelles sous le Troisième Reich.
L’exposition s’inscrit dans le temps long. « Il faut comprendre que la période nazie n’est pas une parenthèse incompréhensible mais qu’elle s’inscrit dans une longue histoire de répression de l’homosexualité en Europe » explique Florence Tamagne, commissaire de l’exposition. Le parcours débute à l’aube des premières revendications politiques des homosexuels, incarnées par le militant Magnus Hirschfeld, qui meurt en exil à Nice, en 1935. Leur bête noire : le paragraphe 175 du Code pénal allemand, introduit en 1871 et qui condamnera les homosexuels jusqu’en 1994. » | Par Paul Lonceint | dimanche 27 juin 2021
Mitch Lowe, Co-founder of Netflix: “American Series Are So Predictable”
MONACO TRIBUNE: We talked to the co-founder of Netflix about European cinema, the future of the industry, and why he thinks the Monaco Streaming Festival is a sign of the times.
The industry had come a long way since Netflix was mailing DVDs to its clients. Yet, twenty years later, Mitch Lowe is still at the forefront of innovation. “I think this is a period of Renaissance for the arts,” he says when we meet before the start of the Monaco Streaming Film Festival, of which he is the co-director. The festival is dedicated entirely to streamed content – a first for the industry. “Because the tools to create art, media, literature are all so easily accessible.”
A high-school dropout, after leaving Netflix Mitch Lowe continued his run as a film start-up founder, developing the likes of Redbox and MoviePass, a movie theatre subscription service. » | Francesca German | Sunday, July 11, 2021
Kurt Westergaard, Danish Cartoonist behind Muhammad Cartoon, Dies Aged 86
THE GUARDIAN: Westergaard was known for drawing a caricature of the prophet Muhammad which sparked outrage around the Muslim world
Danish artist Kurt Westergaard, known for drawing a caricature of the prophet Muhammad that sparked outrage around the Muslim world, has died at the age 86, his family told Danish media on Sunday.
Westergaard died in his sleep after a long period of ill health, his family told newspaper Berlingske.
The illustrator was behind 12 drawings published by conservative daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005 under the headline The Face of Mohammed, one of which sparked particular anger. Islamic tradition says no image of the prophet should be produced or shown.
The anger escalated into anti-Danish violence across the Muslim world in 2006 in which dozens died, with Danish embassies attacked, including the one in Damascus which was burned down. » | Staff and agencies | Monday, July 19, 2021
The Danish cartoonist who survived an axe attack »
Guto Harri Quits GB News as Nigel Farage Is Given Prime-Time Show
THE GUARDIAN: Former BBC journalist vents anger at rightwing channel for suspending him after taking a knee on air
Guto Harri has quit GB News after he was suspended for taking the knee during a discussion about racism towards black footballers.
The former BBC news journalist had been taken off air by the rightwing news channel, but there was talk of him returning at some point.
On Sunday he vented his anger at the channel, describing it as “rapidly becoming an absurd parody of what it proclaimed to be”. At the same time it emerged that the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage was being hired by GB News to host a nightly prime-time show.
By Sunday afternoon it became clear that Harri had formally quit the channel. In his resignation letter, seen by the Guardian, he writes that he signed up “in good faith and with genuine enthusiasm”. » | Mark Brown | Sunday, July 18, 2021
Katie Hopkins to Be Deported from Australia ‘Imminently’ after Visa Cancelled
THE GUARDIAN: Minister Karen Andrews says British far-right commentator entered country with support of NSW government to appear on Seven Network’s Big Brother VIP
The Australian government has cancelled Katie Hopkins’ visa after the far-right commentator boasted about breaching hotel quarantine conditions.
The cancellation was announced by the home affairs minister, Karen Andrews, on Monday – and follows a decision by Endemol Shine Australia to cancel her contract to appear on Seven Network’s Big Brother VIP. Hopkins will now be required to leave the country.
Hopkins, 46, broadcast a live video from what she claimed was a Sydney hotel room on Saturday morning, describing Covid-19 lockdowns as “the greatest hoax in human history” while joking about elaborate plans to breach quarantine rules. In the Instagram video, which is no longer available to view, she said she was trying to “frighten” security guards by answering her hotel door naked and maskless.
Guardian Australia understands Hopkins is likely to leave the country on a flight departing Sydney mid-afternoon on Monday. » | Paul Karp | Monday, July 19, 2021
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Léonard de Vinci : la manière moderne | ARTE
Nov 3, 2019 • Les dernières recherches établissent que Léonard de Vinci retravaillait inlassablement ses toiles, parfois pendant des années. Ce documentaire explore le processus créatif du maître de la Renaissance. Une plongée inédite dans une oeuvre fascinante de modernité.
Fils illégitime d'un notaire et d'une paysanne, Léonard est né le 14 avril 1452 à Vinci, un village de Toscane. Il a 12 ans lorsque ses dons pour le dessin lui valent d'être placé par son père dans l'atelier de Verrocchio, à Florence. Dès lors, le jeune artiste n'aura de cesse de combler ses lacunes académiques par l'observation méticuleuse de la nature et du vivant. Ce sont ensuite l'étude de la lumière puis celle du mouvement qui aiguisent son insatiable curiosité, lumière et mouvement qu'il n'arrêtera pas de chercher à capter dans son travail de peintre. Pourtant, lorsque l'on se penche sur les tableaux laissés par l'artiste, leur petit nombre – moins d'une vingtaine selon les experts – est frappant en comparaison des quelque 6 000 pages de notes et croquis de ses carnets parvenus jusqu'à nous. Processus créatif Ses activités d'ingénieur, d'inventeur de machines, d'anatomiste, de poète, de botaniste ou de concepteur de fêtes, à Milan ou à la cour de François Ier, où il a vécu ses trois dernières années jusqu'à sa mort, en 1519, ont longtemps laissé penser que la peinture fut pour Léonard de Vinci une activité de second plan, et que plusieurs de ses tableaux sont restés inachevés a alimenté cette thèse. Mais les dernières recherches historiographiques et scientifiques démentent cette croyance, établissant au contraire que l'artiste retravaillait inlassablement ses toiles, parfois pendant des années comme ce fut le cas pour La Joconde, dont il ne s'est jamais séparé. Déroulant le fil de sa vie et décryptant de manière pédagogique le processus créatif du peintre, Sandra Paugam et Flore Kosinetz nous convient à une plongée inédite dans une œuvre unique, dont la modernité ne cesse de fasciner. L'exposition que le musée du Louvre consacre à Léonard de Vinci se tient du 24 octobre 2019 au 24 février 2020.
Léonard de Vinci : la manière moderne – Documentaire de Sandra Paugam (France, 2018, 52mn)
Le code d'intégration n'est pas disponible pour les blogueurs. Pour cette raison, le documentaire doit être visionné sur YouTube lui-même. S'il vous plaît, cliquez ici pour visionner cet excellent documentaire. – Mark
The Pandemic Has a New Epicenter: Indonesia
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The suffering that ravaged places like India and Brazil — with deaths soaring, hospitals overwhelmed and oxygen running out — has reached Southeast Asia.
BEKASI, Indonesia — By the thousands, they sleep in hallways, tents and cars, gasping for air as they wait for beds in overcrowded hospitals that may not have oxygen to give them. Others see hospitals as hopeless, even dangerous, and take their chances at home.
Wherever they lie, as Covid-19 steals their breath away, their families engage in a frantic, daily hunt for scarce supplies of life-giving oxygen.
Indonesia has become the new epicenter of the pandemic, surpassing India and Brazil to become the country with the world’s highest count of new infections. The surge is part of a wave across Southeast Asia, where vaccination rates are low but countries had until recently contained the virus relatively well. Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand are also facing their largest outbreaks yet and have imposed new restrictions, including lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. » | By Fira Abdurachman, Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono | Saturday, July 17, 2021
BEKASI, Indonesia — By the thousands, they sleep in hallways, tents and cars, gasping for air as they wait for beds in overcrowded hospitals that may not have oxygen to give them. Others see hospitals as hopeless, even dangerous, and take their chances at home.
Wherever they lie, as Covid-19 steals their breath away, their families engage in a frantic, daily hunt for scarce supplies of life-giving oxygen.
Indonesia has become the new epicenter of the pandemic, surpassing India and Brazil to become the country with the world’s highest count of new infections. The surge is part of a wave across Southeast Asia, where vaccination rates are low but countries had until recently contained the virus relatively well. Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand are also facing their largest outbreaks yet and have imposed new restrictions, including lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. » | By Fira Abdurachman, Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono | Saturday, July 17, 2021
Far Right Online: The Rise of "Extreme" Gamers | The Economist
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi: Celibacy Does Not Mean Living without Affection
Kann man Gott beweisen? | Philosophie | Bleisch & Bossart | Spezial | SRF Kultur
Jul 18, 2021 • Was ist Gott? Wenn gläubige Menschen von Gotteserfahrungen berichten, dann sind das individuelle Glaubenszeugnisse. Die können mitunter sehr beeindruckend wirken. Solche Gotteserfahrungen überzeugen aber keinen Atheisten. Denn eine subjektive Gotteserfahrung ist noch lange kein Beweis.
Yves Bossart greift das «Theodizee-Problem» auf und geht der grossen Frage nach: «Was ist Gott?». Dabei liefert euch unser Sternstunden-Moderator eine Zusammenfassung der drei wichtigen Gottesbeweise: des «kosmologischen Gottesbeweises», des «ontologischen Gottesbeweises» und des «teleologischen Gottesbeweises».
Diese Sendung ist eine große Freude für mich und wird sicherlich eine große Freude sein für die, die Schweizerdeutsch (Schwyzertüütsch) verstehen. Viel Vergnügen beim Zuhören und Zuschauen! Übrigens kann ich Schweizerdeutsch verstehen, weil ich vor etlichen Jahren mein Hochdeutsch in der Schweiz gelernt habe. Ja, stellen Sie sich das einmal vor! Hochdeutsch in der Schweiz zu lernen! Ich glaube, daß ich es mit Zuversicht sagen kann, daß es mir gelungen ist. Oder wie Frau Merkel es wahrscheinlich ausdrücken würde, „ich habe es geschafft“!
Ich muß mich wirklich bei etlichen sehr netten und hilfsbereiten Schweizern bedanken und einen speziellen Dank gebe ich der wunderbaren Zeitung, der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung, meiner damals abonnierten Zeitung, und wovon ich so viel gelernt habe. Das waren schöne Zeiten! – © Mark
Yves Bossart greift das «Theodizee-Problem» auf und geht der grossen Frage nach: «Was ist Gott?». Dabei liefert euch unser Sternstunden-Moderator eine Zusammenfassung der drei wichtigen Gottesbeweise: des «kosmologischen Gottesbeweises», des «ontologischen Gottesbeweises» und des «teleologischen Gottesbeweises».
Diese Sendung ist eine große Freude für mich und wird sicherlich eine große Freude sein für die, die Schweizerdeutsch (Schwyzertüütsch) verstehen. Viel Vergnügen beim Zuhören und Zuschauen! Übrigens kann ich Schweizerdeutsch verstehen, weil ich vor etlichen Jahren mein Hochdeutsch in der Schweiz gelernt habe. Ja, stellen Sie sich das einmal vor! Hochdeutsch in der Schweiz zu lernen! Ich glaube, daß ich es mit Zuversicht sagen kann, daß es mir gelungen ist. Oder wie Frau Merkel es wahrscheinlich ausdrücken würde, „ich habe es geschafft“!
Ich muß mich wirklich bei etlichen sehr netten und hilfsbereiten Schweizern bedanken und einen speziellen Dank gebe ich der wunderbaren Zeitung, der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung, meiner damals abonnierten Zeitung, und wovon ich so viel gelernt habe. Das waren schöne Zeiten! – © Mark
L'actrice espagnole Pilar Bardem, mère de Javier Bardem, est décédée à 82 ans
LE FIGARO : DISPARITION - Fille d'acteurs et sœur du cinéaste Juan Antonio Bardem, la comédienne avait reçu un Goya pour son rôle dans Personne ne parlera de nous quand nous serons mortes.
L'actrice espagnole Pilar Bardem, mère de Javier Bardem, est décédée samedi à l'âge de 82 ans, ont annoncé ses enfants dans un communiqué publié sur les réseaux sociaux.«Nous voulons partager la nouvelle que Pilar Bardem, notre mère, notre exemple, est décédée. Elle est partie en paix, sans souffrance et entourée de l'amour de sa famille», ont écrit ses enfants Carlos, Monica et Javier dans un message publié samedi soir sur le compte Twitter de Carlos.
Née à Séville en 1939, Pilar Bardem était la fille d'un couple d'acteurs et la sœur du célèbre cinéaste Juan Antonio Bardem. Ses trois enfants se sont également consacrés à la profession d'acteur, atteignant, dans le cas de Javier, une renommée internationale avec l'Oscar pour son rôle dans No Country for Old Man [sic] des frères Coen. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 18 juillet 2021
About Pilar Bardem in English fromm Wikipedia: Pilar Bardem »
Theme from Love Story (Soundtrack Version)
The Guardian View on Boris Johnson’s Covid Experts: Sadly On Tap, Not On Top
THE GUARDIAN: Scientists cannot shield the prime minister from the fallout of an unethical policy that will see rising deaths
This week Boris Johnson presented the UK with his plan to lift all of England’s Covid restrictions on Monday. He was flanked by Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser. Both men were there to show that Mr Johnson is following the science. To many experts, it seemed that the scientists were following the prime minister. Many suspect that their presence was political insurance rather than real reassurance.
Such doubts are not unreasonable. England will be the first country in the world to end all constraints in the face of exponentially rising Covid-19 cases. Some experts say this is an unethical strategy of “herd immunity by mass infection”. It is hard to disagree. Other nations in the UK face pressure to follow suit. This policy will lead to more Covid cases, more hospitalisations and more deaths. The NHS risks being overwhelmed. Prof Whitty says the move is demanded by the roadmap out of lockdown. This has been defunct since vaccination rates began freefalling. Doubts persist over a shortage of vaccine stocks, which may explain a reluctance to jab the over-12s. The plan presumed no variants of concern, yet by May we had the highly transmissible Delta variant. Its designation ought to have caused more than just a month’s pause for thought. » | Editorial | Friday, July 16, 2021
This week Boris Johnson presented the UK with his plan to lift all of England’s Covid restrictions on Monday. He was flanked by Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser. Both men were there to show that Mr Johnson is following the science. To many experts, it seemed that the scientists were following the prime minister. Many suspect that their presence was political insurance rather than real reassurance.
Such doubts are not unreasonable. England will be the first country in the world to end all constraints in the face of exponentially rising Covid-19 cases. Some experts say this is an unethical strategy of “herd immunity by mass infection”. It is hard to disagree. Other nations in the UK face pressure to follow suit. This policy will lead to more Covid cases, more hospitalisations and more deaths. The NHS risks being overwhelmed. Prof Whitty says the move is demanded by the roadmap out of lockdown. This has been defunct since vaccination rates began freefalling. Doubts persist over a shortage of vaccine stocks, which may explain a reluctance to jab the over-12s. The plan presumed no variants of concern, yet by May we had the highly transmissible Delta variant. Its designation ought to have caused more than just a month’s pause for thought. » | Editorial | Friday, July 16, 2021
Dozens Arrested in Los Angeles as Anti-trans Protest Outside Spa Turns Violent
THE GUARDIAN: Wi Spa, a Koreatown business with a trans-inclusive policy, has become the target of a rightwing media storm
Dozens of people have been arrested in Los Angeles following a chaotic and at times violent demonstration by anti-transgender protesters who targeted a Koreatown spa that has a trans-inclusive policy allowing trans women to use women’s facilities.
Saturday marked the second weekend of violent protests this month in the streets around Wi Spa, a neighborhood business that has found itself at the heart of a right-wing media storm over an alleged incident in which a customer filmed herself complaining about a trans woman in the women’s area of the spa.
The far-right protesters called for a boycott of Wi Spa and chanted baseless claims about paedophilia, as women carrying signs reading “protect female spaces” and “It’s worse in women’s shelters” marched alongside men wearing helmets and masks that covered their faces. » | Lois Beckett and Sam Levin in Los Angeles | Sunday, July 18, 2021
Dozens of people have been arrested in Los Angeles following a chaotic and at times violent demonstration by anti-transgender protesters who targeted a Koreatown spa that has a trans-inclusive policy allowing trans women to use women’s facilities.
Saturday marked the second weekend of violent protests this month in the streets around Wi Spa, a neighborhood business that has found itself at the heart of a right-wing media storm over an alleged incident in which a customer filmed herself complaining about a trans woman in the women’s area of the spa.
The far-right protesters called for a boycott of Wi Spa and chanted baseless claims about paedophilia, as women carrying signs reading “protect female spaces” and “It’s worse in women’s shelters” marched alongside men wearing helmets and masks that covered their faces. » | Lois Beckett and Sam Levin in Los Angeles | Sunday, July 18, 2021
GB News Turns to Nigel Farage as Its Saviour after Ratings Freefall
THE OBSERVER: TV station also hit by internal dispute over its direction after Guto Harri dropped for ‘taking the knee’
Nigel Farage is to take centre stage at GB News in a victory for the rightwing faction at the beleaguered television channel. The former leader of Ukip is to host a nightly primetime show from Monday as part of a reboot of programming designed to attract more viewers.
The new channel is facing plummeting viewing figures and a split in management between those angling to keep broader-based regional news coverage and those planning to boost coverage of the “culture wars”.
And, if a bigger helping of Farage is not enough to entice audiences, another famous potential saviour could be on hand soon. Piers Morgan, who left Good Morning Britain in March, may step into a high-profile role on the new TV channel. Morgan, 56, is in protracted negotiations with management but must first deal with his contractual ties to ITV.
Farage made his announcement on Twitter on Saturday, urging his followers to “be there or be square”. Farage said he would not be taking the knee “for anyone”, a reference to the controversy that sparked last week’s viewer boycott. » | Vanessa Thorpe | Saturday, July 17, 2021
Jews & Arabs Kiss
Jan 6, 2016 • The Israeli Ministry of Education decided to ban from the school program a book describing an affair between a Jewish woman and an Arab man. So TimeOut Tel Aviv decided to ask Jews and Arabs to meet and to kiss.
Six couples of Jews and Arabs - male and female, gay and straight - decided to do the "forbidden deed" and express love in front of our camera.
Some of them were couples, some just friends, some had never met prior to the shoot. Jews and Arabs refused to be enemies.
The accompanying article in Hebrew here »
Six couples of Jews and Arabs - male and female, gay and straight - decided to do the "forbidden deed" and express love in front of our camera.
Some of them were couples, some just friends, some had never met prior to the shoot. Jews and Arabs refused to be enemies.
The accompanying article in Hebrew here »
Queere Personen haben häufiger mit psychischen Erkrankungen zu kämpfen
DER TAGESSPIEGEL: Wer diskriminiert wird, hat ein deutlich höheres Risiko psychischer Krankheiten. Ansprechstellen wie die Schwulenberatung sind für viele wichtige Schutzräume.
Als die Bars, Szenetreffs und Sportvereine zu Beginn der Pandemie schließen mussten, hatte das gravierende Auswirkungen auf die Community. Denn gerade queere Menschen sind auf Safe Spaces fernab von gesellschaftlichem oder familiärem Druck angewiesen.
Das beobachtete auch Conor Toomey, Leiter des Bereichs psychologische Beratung bei der Schwulenberatung Berlin. „Während der Pandemie sind die Orte, an denen sich LSBTI treffen, fast komplett weggefallen.“ Typischerweise würden sich queere Personen nämlich nicht am Arbeitsplatz, sondern innerhalb der Community kennenlernen. „Dass solche Orte weggefallen sind, hat auf jeden Fall zu einer verstärkten Isolation geführt“, berichtet Toomey. » | Von Inga Hofmann | Montag, 28. Juni 2021
Als die Bars, Szenetreffs und Sportvereine zu Beginn der Pandemie schließen mussten, hatte das gravierende Auswirkungen auf die Community. Denn gerade queere Menschen sind auf Safe Spaces fernab von gesellschaftlichem oder familiärem Druck angewiesen.
Das beobachtete auch Conor Toomey, Leiter des Bereichs psychologische Beratung bei der Schwulenberatung Berlin. „Während der Pandemie sind die Orte, an denen sich LSBTI treffen, fast komplett weggefallen.“ Typischerweise würden sich queere Personen nämlich nicht am Arbeitsplatz, sondern innerhalb der Community kennenlernen. „Dass solche Orte weggefallen sind, hat auf jeden Fall zu einer verstärkten Isolation geführt“, berichtet Toomey. » | Von Inga Hofmann | Montag, 28. Juni 2021
Report: Men in Same-Sex Marriages Make More Than Opposite-Sex Unions
ADVOCATE: But men in opposite-sex marriages have higher rates of employment.
A new analysis from the Pew Research Center has found that that people in same-sex marriages have a different demographic profile than those in opposite-sex marriages — especially men in same-sex marriages.
Pew’s analysis explored adults 18 years or older who had been married in the last decade. It’s based on data released this year by the U.S. Census Bureau, which found there almost 570,000 same-sex married couples in 2019.
Researchers found that men in same-sex marriages had higher levels of education and higher annual incomes than men in opposite-sex marriages. In same-sex marriages, 50 percent of men were found to have a bachelor’s degree, while 38 percent of men in opposite-sex marriages had one.
Women in same-sex marriages faired about the same, with 47 percent of women in same-sex marriages having a degree, while 45 percent of women in opposite-sex marriages had one.
Household incomes for women in same-sex marriages were higher by $10,800 on average than women in opposite-sex marriages, according to Pew.
For men, the difference was $41,600. » | Alex Cooper | Thursday, July 8, 2021
Conférence "De l’interdiction de l’homosexualité dans la Rome Antique" par David Fürdös
Nov 24, 2016 • Cycle de conférences REGARDS CROISÉS SUR L’HOMOSEXUALITÉ
L’homosexualité, dit-on, est entrée dans les mœurs, du moins chez nous. Mais est-ce vraiment le cas ? Et si oui, qu’est-ce qui a permis cette acceptation ? Qu’est-ce qui a fait évoluer les moeurs ?
Les oppositions en France à la loi permettant le mariage entre personnes du même sexe montrent en tout cas que la question continue de diviser le monde occidental. Que sait-on réellement de ces luttes ? Quels sont les arguments des opposants ? Comment les religions se positionnent-elles par rapport à l’homosexualité ? Ont-elles un discours commun ou leurs positions varient-elles en fonction des différentes religions ? Comment l’image des homosexuels a-t-elle évolué dans notre société ? Les points de vue diffèrent-ils quand il s'agit de l'homosexualité féminine ou masculine ?
Ce sont ces questions, et bien d'autres, qui seront abordées dans ce cycle de conférences. Elles viseront autant à nous apprendre à poser un regard neuf sur l'homosexualité qu'à nous permettre de mieux comprendre notre société à travers ce prisme.
Les experts invités partageront avec le grand public leurs travaux et recherches à travers des disciplines aussi variées que la politique, sociologie, l’anthropologie, ou l’histoire des religions.
Related: Williams, Craig A. “Greek Love at Rome.” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 2, 1995, pp. 517–539. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/639540. Accessed 18 July 2021.
Link: JSTOR: Journal Article: Greek Love at Rome by Craig A. Williams
L’homosexualité, dit-on, est entrée dans les mœurs, du moins chez nous. Mais est-ce vraiment le cas ? Et si oui, qu’est-ce qui a permis cette acceptation ? Qu’est-ce qui a fait évoluer les moeurs ?
Les oppositions en France à la loi permettant le mariage entre personnes du même sexe montrent en tout cas que la question continue de diviser le monde occidental. Que sait-on réellement de ces luttes ? Quels sont les arguments des opposants ? Comment les religions se positionnent-elles par rapport à l’homosexualité ? Ont-elles un discours commun ou leurs positions varient-elles en fonction des différentes religions ? Comment l’image des homosexuels a-t-elle évolué dans notre société ? Les points de vue diffèrent-ils quand il s'agit de l'homosexualité féminine ou masculine ?
Ce sont ces questions, et bien d'autres, qui seront abordées dans ce cycle de conférences. Elles viseront autant à nous apprendre à poser un regard neuf sur l'homosexualité qu'à nous permettre de mieux comprendre notre société à travers ce prisme.
Les experts invités partageront avec le grand public leurs travaux et recherches à travers des disciplines aussi variées que la politique, sociologie, l’anthropologie, ou l’histoire des religions.
Related: Williams, Craig A. “Greek Love at Rome.” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 2, 1995, pp. 517–539. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/639540. Accessed 18 July 2021.
Link: JSTOR: Journal Article: Greek Love at Rome by Craig A. Williams
‘No One Is Safe’: Extreme Weather Batters the Wealthy World
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Floods swept Germany, fires ravaged the American West and another heat wave loomed, driving home the reality that the world’s richest nations remain unprepared for the intensifying consequences of climate change.
Some of Europe’s richest countries lay in disarray this weekend, as raging rivers burst through their banks in Germany and Belgium, submerging towns, slamming parked cars against trees and leaving Europeans shellshocked at the intensity of the destruction.
Only days before in the Northwestern United States, a region famed for its cool, foggy weather, hundreds had died of heat. In Canada, wildfire had burned a village off the map. Moscow reeled from record temperatures. And this weekend the northern Rocky Mountains were bracing for ye/>t another heat wave, as wildfires spread across 12 states in the American West.
The extreme weather disasters across Europe and North America have driven home two essential facts of science and history: The world as a whole is neither prepared to slow down climate change, nor live with it. The week’s events have now ravaged some of the world’s wealthiest nations, whose affluence has been enabled by more than a century of burning coal, oil and gas — activities that pumped the greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that are warming the world. » | Somini Sengupta | Saturday, July 17, 2021
L'Homosexualité dans l'Antiquité
Saturday, July 17, 2021
On That Sublime Gay Kissathon in Tel Aviv
I’ve now had some more time to watch this ‘gay kissathon.’ Oh my God! Such a delightful display of love and affection! Can kissing be more beautiful than this? Is it possible? Is it really possible? Little wonder Tel Aviv was set alight by this display of sublime gay affection! Two drop-dead gorgeous men displaying love and affection for each other like no-one has ever seen before. What could be more beautiful, more noble than that? Just what this world needs: more love in all its forms, less conflict. Make love, not war! – © Mark
Permakiss electrifies Tel Aviv »
Harry Nilsson : Without You (1972 HD)
Isn’t it delightful to see an image of a ‘real man’ who has a cigarette in his mouth? Smoking: a habit that was very naughty, but very, very nice and pleasurable! That was, before the politically-correct, do-gooder snowflakes took over and “de-normalized” the pleasurable habit. For “de-normalized,” read stigmatized.
I used to be a smoker. I was a really “happy camper” as a smoker, in those more tolerant days. These days, people have forgotten all about tolerance and they have also forgotten about the concept of ‘joie de vivre’, if they ever learnt it in the first place. These days, you have to jog, go to the gym, drink oat or almond milk, eschew meat-eating, take copious quantities of statins, and forget all about any of life's pleasures, derived from such good, old-fashioned substances as tobacco. But beware! Now, it's tobacco; soon, it will be alcohol. They've already stigmatized smoking and made people paranoid about the habit. They have also stigmatized smokers. Soon, they'll concentrate their efforts on alcohol and people who enjoy a drink. Addendum and warning: You might not live any longer following all their dubious advice – you probably won't; but it will surely feel like you have!
By the way, if you are a smoker, you are very welcome here. This is a safe space for you. Even though I no longer smoke, I'm still on your side. – © Mark
The Johnson Government – Yet Another Fiasco
Lionel Richie : Dancing on the Ceiling
Lionel Richie : Ballerina Girl
Pope Francis Restricts Use of Old Latin Mass, in a Blow to Conservatives
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The pope placed new restrictions on where the old Latin Mass can be celebrated and who can celebrate it, and will require new permissions from local bishops.
Pope Francis took a significant step toward putting the Roman Catholic Church’s liturgy solidly on the side of modernization on Friday by cracking down on the use of the old Latin Mass, essentially reversing a decision by his conservative predecessor.
The move to restrict the use of an old Latin rite in celebrating Mass dealt a blow to conservatives, who have long complained that the pope is diluting the traditions of the church.
Francis placed new restrictions on where and by whom the traditional Latin Mass can be celebrated and required new permissions from local bishops for its use. » | Jason Horowitz | Friday, July 16, 2021
‘It’s All Wrecked’: German Town Stunned by Flood Damage
Anatoli Neugebauer is standing just a hundred metres from his family home, at the edge of the Blessem district of Erftstadt, a commuter-belt town 12 miles (20km) south of Cologne. Even though flood waters from the Erft River had begun to recede by midday on Friday, he still had to wade through waist-high brown water just to get inside the stuccoed terrace house.
“It’s completely indescribable,” says Neugebauer, 40. “A catastrophe.”
“I was there twice yesterday trying to save what I could. But you open the door and the water’s to your chest and you just wonder, why am I even doing this? It’s all wrecked.”
Neugebauer was one of the 1,905 residents of the village evacuated on Thursday as the river began to overflow after record rainfall.
Familiar landscape turned into treacherous terrain: a gravel quarry south of Blessem, 40 hectares (99 acres) wide and 60 metres deep, rapidly filled with water, its edge expanding towards the town through headward erosion, swallowing up several cars, three half-timbered buildings and parts of a castle. » | Courtney Tenz in Erftstadt and Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Friday, July 16, 2021
Polémique en Haute-Savoie : la famille royale d'Abu Dhabi privatise deux hôtels pour l'été
MIDI LIBRE : Le prince d'Abu Dhabi et sa famille ont privatisé deux hôtels en Haute-Savoie pour tout l'été, privant ainsi les touristes de plusieurs centaines de chambres. Une initiative qui a notamment provoqué la colère du maire d'Annemasse.
Cet été, les vacanciers qui ont prévu de se rendre en Haute-Savoie ne pourront loger ni au Novotel d'Annemasse ni à l'hôtel Mercure de Gaillard, aux portes de la Suisse. Comme le rapporte LCI jeudi 15 juillet, le prince d'Abu Dhabi a tout simplement privatisé les deux établissements jusqu'à la rentrée. Il compte ainsi y loger son personnel, tandis que sa famille et ses proches pourront profiter de ses propriétés situées à Vétraz-Monthoux. Une initiative qui est loin de faire l'unanimité dans la région. » | Midi Libre avec Newsgene | vendredi 16 juillet 2021
Violente agression homophobe en Corse le soir du 14 juillet : "J'ai pris cinq patates" raconte une victime
MIDI LIBRE : Un couple a été victime d'une agression homophobe, "par 20 personnes", le soir de la fête nationale à Macinaggio dans le Cap Corse. Le procureur de la République de Bastia a ouvert une enquête ce jeudi 15 juillet.
Un couple gay a été victime d'une violente agression homophobe le soir du 14 juillet en Haute-Corse. C'est dans le village de Macinaggio au nord de Bastia, que les deux hommes ont subi un déferlement de haine "par 20 personnes".
Ce jeudi 15 juillet, le procureur de la République de Bastia a ouvert une enquête pour "violences en réunion avec ITT inférieure ou égale à huit jours" et "en raison de l'orientation sexuelle de la victime" indique FranceInfo.
"Après avoir assisté au feu d’artifice de la commune, un groupe de cinq personnes, en vacances en Corse, se rendait dans un bar du port de Macinaggio pour y passer la soirée, relate le parquet dans un communiqué. Vers minuit trentedeux des membres de ce groupe, en couple, subissaient des insultes homophobes puis des violences à coups de pied et poings de la part de plusieurs individus, leur occasionnant des interruptions totales de travail de six et huit jours. Une troisième personne était blessée." » | Par Théo Ruiz | jeudi 15 juillet 2021
Kommentar: Was in Ungarn passiert, kann in Deutschland genauso passieren
QUEER.DE: An einem Abend die Regenbogenfahne zu schwenken, das Logo einzufärben und bei Twitter aufmunternde Noten der Solidarität zu posten, ist das eine. Doch nun müssen Taten folgen!
Verbote gibt es oft aus gutem Grund. Sie schützen Menschenleben, regeln das Zusammenleben und sorgen sinnvoll eingesetzt für ein gutes Miteinander. Doch also die UEFA diese Woche entschied, dass die Allianz-Arena nicht als Regenbogen erstrahlen darf, da sorgte dieses Verbot für etwas ganz anderes: Überall im Land und in Europa mobilisierte es Widerstand, Engagement und brachte dem dahinter liegenden Thema unfassbare Aufmerksamkeit.
Denn der Regenbogen sollte als Symbol für absolute Normalität erstrahlen. Als Symbol dafür, dass alle Menschen die gleichen Menschenrechte genießen müssen. Dass alle Menschen gleich sind. Unabhängig von ihrer Hautfarbe, ihres Geschlechts oder eben ihrer sexuellen und geschlechtlichen Identität.
Dass die Regierung von Viktor Orbán dies in Ungarn bestreitet und zensiert, war und ist bis jetzt der Stein des Anstoßes. Mit dem Argument, Kinder schützen zu wollen, wird eine perfide Argumentation bedient. Homo- und Transsexualität würde Kinder bedrohen. Sie seien also etwas Gefährliches, wovor man Kinder schützen müsse. Damit werden LGBTIQ* kriminalisiert, in unglaublicher Weise diffamiert und in die Unsichtbarkeit und ins Verstecken gedrängt. » | Von CSD Deutschland e.V. | Montag, 28. Juni 2021
The ‘Permakiss’ That Set Tel Aviv Alight!
The following video cannot be embedded, because it is age-restricted by YouTube; however, if you have an appetite for the REAL DEAL, click on FIRST KISS It’s a veritable KISSATHON! You will not be disappointed! Apparently, this is the kiss that excited—dare I say electrified?—Tel Aviv! Little wonder! Wonderful! Enjoy! – Mark
Schwuler Dauerkuss erregt Tel Aviv »
Schwuler Kuß des Tages
European Floods Are Latest Sign of a Global Warming Crisis
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Floods like these, which have left more than 100 dead, had not been seen in perhaps 1,000 years. For many, the warnings came too late, raising questions about lapses in Germany’s flood alert system.
BERLIN — Days before roiling waters tore through western Germany, a European weather agency issued an “extreme” flood warning after detailed models showed storms that threatened to send rivers surging to levels that a German meteorologist said on Friday had not been seen in 500 or even 1,000 years.
By Friday those predictions proved devastatingly accurate, with more than 100 people dead and 1,300 unaccounted for, as helicopter rescue crews plucked marooned residents from villages inundated sometimes within minutes, raising questions about lapses in Germany’s elaborate flood warning system.
Numerous areas, victims and officials said, were caught unprepared when normally placid brooks and streams turned into torrents that swept away cars, houses and bridges and everything else in their paths.
“It went so fast. You tried to do something, and it was already too late,” a resident of Schuld told Germany’s ARD public television, after the Ahr River swelled its banks, ripping apart tidy wood-framed houses and sending vehicles bobbing like bath toys. Extreme downpours like the ones that occurred in Germany are one of the most visible signs that the climate is changing as a result of warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Studies have found that they are now happening more frequently for a simple reason: A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, generating more, and more powerful, rainfall. » | Melissa Eddy, Jack Ewing, Megan Specia and Steven Erlanger | Published: Friday, July 16, 2021; Updated: Saturday, July 17, 2021
Gay Pride 1979 – Inside Story
This is a very interesting look back to the early years of Gay Pride in the UK. It is well worth watching. How times have changed! – Mark
Friday, July 16, 2021
Indonesia: Diversity Under Threat | DW Documentary
May 27, 2020 • Indonesia is considered a model state for diversity and tolerance, but there are increasing indications that Islamists are gaining more influence in the most populous Muslim country in the world.
Far more Muslims live in Indonesia than in the Middle East. The archipelago is made up of more than 17,000 islands and home to 270 million people.
Following the end of the brutal Suharto dictatorship in 1998, Indonesia became a model for a democratic Muslim majority state. But in recent years, Islamist groups have gained influence.
The report begins in Aceh. It is only here, in the northernmost province of the island of Sumatra, that a rigid interpretation of Islamic Sharia law applies - including public floggings. The reasons for the humiliating punishments are manifold: sex before or outside marriage, alcohol consumption or homosexuality.
A growing tendency towards a more conservative interpretation of Islam is also noticeable in other parts of secular Indonesia. More women are wearing headscarves in public places. The niqab, the face veil, is becoming increasingly popular. Members of minority groups feel marginalized.
"Unfortunately, Indonesia is not immune to the worldwide increase in intolerance”, says politician Yenny Wahid.
The daughter of the first elected president after the Suharto dictatorship stands for cosmopolitanism and represents a liberal view of Islam. She, too, has observed a slow Islamization of her homeland and the tendency of politicians to make concessions to radical and populist groups.
Student activists blame the corruption of the ruling class for growing radicalism and undermining diversity.
The documentary "Indonesia - Diversity Under Threat" asks whether the country can preserve its religious tolerance.
Early in this excellent documentary, the narrator stated that Islam is compatible with democracy. It is not! If you hear anyone making such a statement, especially a politician, call him/her out! They are displaying their ignorance of both democracy and Islam! For a democracy to exist, it is absolutely essential that there be separation of Church and State. The temporal must be separated from the spiritual. Without this separation, democracy cannot exist, still less thrive.
The politically-correct try and hide the fact that there are many fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity. But there are many great differences! In Islam, the temporal and the spiritual are one organic whole – they are intertwined. There is no separation at all. You might think that this is a moot point; it is not! That there be a separation of Church or religious affairs and State or secular affairs is the sine qua non of democracy. Without that separation, democracy cannot survive.
I wrote the following essay on this subject many years ago. In 2007, to be precise. When I posted it, it went all around the world. What I wrote then applies both to democracy and to Islam today, as well, of course. The nature of Islam has not changed, nor has the nature of a true democracy.
By the way, that doesn’t make Islam bad and democracy good. It just makes the two systems different.
I hope you enjoy the read. – © Mark
Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom »
Far more Muslims live in Indonesia than in the Middle East. The archipelago is made up of more than 17,000 islands and home to 270 million people.
Following the end of the brutal Suharto dictatorship in 1998, Indonesia became a model for a democratic Muslim majority state. But in recent years, Islamist groups have gained influence.
The report begins in Aceh. It is only here, in the northernmost province of the island of Sumatra, that a rigid interpretation of Islamic Sharia law applies - including public floggings. The reasons for the humiliating punishments are manifold: sex before or outside marriage, alcohol consumption or homosexuality.
A growing tendency towards a more conservative interpretation of Islam is also noticeable in other parts of secular Indonesia. More women are wearing headscarves in public places. The niqab, the face veil, is becoming increasingly popular. Members of minority groups feel marginalized.
"Unfortunately, Indonesia is not immune to the worldwide increase in intolerance”, says politician Yenny Wahid.
The daughter of the first elected president after the Suharto dictatorship stands for cosmopolitanism and represents a liberal view of Islam. She, too, has observed a slow Islamization of her homeland and the tendency of politicians to make concessions to radical and populist groups.
Student activists blame the corruption of the ruling class for growing radicalism and undermining diversity.
The documentary "Indonesia - Diversity Under Threat" asks whether the country can preserve its religious tolerance.
Early in this excellent documentary, the narrator stated that Islam is compatible with democracy. It is not! If you hear anyone making such a statement, especially a politician, call him/her out! They are displaying their ignorance of both democracy and Islam! For a democracy to exist, it is absolutely essential that there be separation of Church and State. The temporal must be separated from the spiritual. Without this separation, democracy cannot exist, still less thrive.
The politically-correct try and hide the fact that there are many fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity. But there are many great differences! In Islam, the temporal and the spiritual are one organic whole – they are intertwined. There is no separation at all. You might think that this is a moot point; it is not! That there be a separation of Church or religious affairs and State or secular affairs is the sine qua non of democracy. Without that separation, democracy cannot survive.
I wrote the following essay on this subject many years ago. In 2007, to be precise. When I posted it, it went all around the world. What I wrote then applies both to democracy and to Islam today, as well, of course. The nature of Islam has not changed, nor has the nature of a true democracy.
By the way, that doesn’t make Islam bad and democracy good. It just makes the two systems different.
I hope you enjoy the read. – © Mark
Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom »
«Die Mehrheit der Priester im Vatikan ist schwul» | Sternstunde Religion | SRF Kultur
Mar 31, 2020 • Mit seiner These, wonach die Mehrheit der Prälaten, Bischöfe und Kardinäle des Vatikans schwul seien, generierte der französische Soziologe und Journalist Frédéric Martel im Frühling 2019 viel Aufmerksamkeit, aber auch Unverständnis.
Sein Buch «Sodom» erschien zeitgleich in acht Sprachen und Martel wurde in unzählige Talkshows eingeladen, doch der Vatikan hüllte sich in Schweigen. Wer sich in den 30er-, 40er- und 50er-Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts als junger Mann irgendwie anders – eben homosexuell – fühlte, fand in der römisch-katholischen Kirche eine Oase, so Martel in seinem Buch «Sodom»: Männer, die unter Männern leben, andere Kleidung tragen und singen, das wäre für viele die Rettung gewesen, die zudem noch von der Gesellschaft akzeptiert war.
Gegen aussen seien diese in der Regel sehr alten Männer nun homophob, gegen innen aber homophil. Dies führe zu einer gefährlichen Doppelmoral, einer Kultur des Schweigens, die die Skandale rund um die katholische Kirche sehr unglücklich begünstigt hätten.
Sein Buch «Sodom» erschien zeitgleich in acht Sprachen und Martel wurde in unzählige Talkshows eingeladen, doch der Vatikan hüllte sich in Schweigen. Wer sich in den 30er-, 40er- und 50er-Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts als junger Mann irgendwie anders – eben homosexuell – fühlte, fand in der römisch-katholischen Kirche eine Oase, so Martel in seinem Buch «Sodom»: Männer, die unter Männern leben, andere Kleidung tragen und singen, das wäre für viele die Rettung gewesen, die zudem noch von der Gesellschaft akzeptiert war.
Gegen aussen seien diese in der Regel sehr alten Männer nun homophob, gegen innen aber homophil. Dies führe zu einer gefährlichen Doppelmoral, einer Kultur des Schweigens, die die Skandale rund um die katholische Kirche sehr unglücklich begünstigt hätten.
Homophobie im Islam | Kann man Moslem und schwul sein?
Lebanon Crisis Escalates as Designated Prime Minister Hariri Resigns | DW News
Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey - When You Believe (Official HD Video)
Homosexualité masculine au Moyen Âge | L'Histoire nous le dira
Catherine Kickuchi : Sodomie médiévale : l’amour entre hommes, envers et contre tous »
Justizreform europarechtswidrig: EuGH sieht Unabhängigkeit von Polens Richtern gefährdet
Jul 16, 2021 • Wie unabhängig die Polens Gerichte von der Regierung des Landes? Seit Jahren streitet die EU mit ihrem Mitgliedsstaat über diese Frage. Nun ist erneut ein Urteil zur umstrittenen Justizreform Polens am Europäischen Gerichtshof in Luxemburg gefallen.
Das in Polen eingeführte neue Disziplinarrecht für Richter verstößt nach einer Entscheidung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs (EuGH) gegen EU-Recht. Die beim polnischen Obersten Gericht angesiedelte Disziplinarkammer erfülle nicht alle Ansprüche an die Unparteilichkeit und Unabhängigkeit von Richtern, erklärte der EuGH in Luxemburg.
Die Disziplinarkammer ist das Herzstück der umstrittenen Reformen des polnischen Justizsystems der nationalkonservativen PiS-Regierung. Die Disziplinarkammer kann jeden Richter oder Staatsanwalt entlassen.
Das in Polen eingeführte neue Disziplinarrecht für Richter verstößt nach einer Entscheidung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs (EuGH) gegen EU-Recht. Die beim polnischen Obersten Gericht angesiedelte Disziplinarkammer erfülle nicht alle Ansprüche an die Unparteilichkeit und Unabhängigkeit von Richtern, erklärte der EuGH in Luxemburg.
Die Disziplinarkammer ist das Herzstück der umstrittenen Reformen des polnischen Justizsystems der nationalkonservativen PiS-Regierung. Die Disziplinarkammer kann jeden Richter oder Staatsanwalt entlassen.
EU Launches Legal Action against Hungary, Poland over LGBTQ Rights • FRANCE 24 English
Zuerst, in den schrecklichen dreißiger Jahren, hörten die Leute in Deutschland das Wort „judenrein“; jetzt kommen Ungarn und Polen auf die Idee, Nachbarschaften „schwulenrein“ zu machen! Hoffentlich käme dieser reaktionäre Viktor Orbán nicht auf die Idee, Konzentrationslager zu bauen! Der Mann ist einfach verrückt! Schrecklich! Schockierend! Geführt von Leuten wie Orbán, gehört Ungarn wirklich zur EU? Die gleiche Frage gilt für Polen! Um Gottes willen, hören Sie endlich auf mit diesem Wahnsinn! Die Leute sollten in Frieden leben können, egal ob sie heterosexuell oder homosexuell sind! Alle Leute sollten integriert und gleichberechtigt sein! - © Mark
Intempéries en France : dix départements toujours en vigilance orange
LE MONDE : Des pluies abondantes se sont abattues sur l’est de la France jeudi, entraînant des perturbations dans les transports ferroviaires et fluviaux.
Les pluies abondantes sur l’est de la France ont entraîné jeudi 15 juillet des inondations dans plusieurs départements placés en vigilance orange et des perturbations dans les transports ferroviaires et fluviaux. Dans la région Grand Est, sept départements sur dix étaient toujours en vigilance orange vendredi matin pour « crues », de même que le Nord et l’Aisne dans les Hauts-de-France, et le département de l’Ain, selon Météo-France. » | Le Monde avec AFP | Publié : jeudi 15 juillet 2021 ; mis à jour : vendredi 16 juillet 2021
Les pluies abondantes sur l’est de la France ont entraîné jeudi 15 juillet des inondations dans plusieurs départements placés en vigilance orange et des perturbations dans les transports ferroviaires et fluviaux. Dans la région Grand Est, sept départements sur dix étaient toujours en vigilance orange vendredi matin pour « crues », de même que le Nord et l’Aisne dans les Hauts-de-France, et le département de l’Ain, selon Météo-France. » | Le Monde avec AFP | Publié : jeudi 15 juillet 2021 ; mis à jour : vendredi 16 juillet 2021
Le Conseil scientifique approuve la validation du passe sanitaire sept jours après la seconde injection
LE FIGARO : Le ministre de la Santé avait annoncé cette mesure mardi dans la foulée de la prise de parole d'Emmanuel Macron.
Jusqu'ici, il fallait attendre 14 jours après l'injection de la dernière dose de vaccin à ARN messager (Pfizer et Moderna) ou AstraZeneca pour disposer d'un passe sanitaire valide attestant d'une vaccination complète, synonyme d'efficacité maximum dans la protection contre la Covid. » | Par Le Figaro | vendredi 16 juillet 2021
Jusqu'ici, il fallait attendre 14 jours après l'injection de la dernière dose de vaccin à ARN messager (Pfizer et Moderna) ou AstraZeneca pour disposer d'un passe sanitaire valide attestant d'une vaccination complète, synonyme d'efficacité maximum dans la protection contre la Covid. » | Par Le Figaro | vendredi 16 juillet 2021
Hundreds Missing and Scores Dead as Raging Floods Strike Western Europe
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Strong rains caused rivers to burst their banks and wash away buildings in Belgium and Germany, where at least 1,300 remained missing. Homes and streets in the Netherlands and Switzerland also flooded.
BERLIN — Following a day of frantic rescue efforts and orders to evacuate towns rapidly filling with water unloosed by violent storms, the German authorities said late Thursday that after confirming scores of deaths, they were unable to account for at least 1,300 people.
That staggering figure was announced after swift-moving water from swollen rivers surged through cities and villages in two western German states, where news outlets said more than 80 people were known to have died in the hardest-hit regions and other fatalities were expected.
With communication badly hampered, the authorities were hoping that the missing people were safe, if unreachable. But the storms and the floods have already proved deadly
. At least 11 more people were reported to have died in Belgium, according to authorities who also ordered inhabitants of downtown Liège to evacuate as the Meuse River, which flows through its center, overflowed its banks. » | Melissa Eddy | Published: Thursday, July 15, 2021; Updated: Friday, July 16, 2021
BERLIN — Following a day of frantic rescue efforts and orders to evacuate towns rapidly filling with water unloosed by violent storms, the German authorities said late Thursday that after confirming scores of deaths, they were unable to account for at least 1,300 people.
That staggering figure was announced after swift-moving water from swollen rivers surged through cities and villages in two western German states, where news outlets said more than 80 people were known to have died in the hardest-hit regions and other fatalities were expected.
With communication badly hampered, the authorities were hoping that the missing people were safe, if unreachable. But the storms and the floods have already proved deadly
. At least 11 more people were reported to have died in Belgium, according to authorities who also ordered inhabitants of downtown Liège to evacuate as the Meuse River, which flows through its center, overflowed its banks. » | Melissa Eddy | Published: Thursday, July 15, 2021; Updated: Friday, July 16, 2021
La Hongrie d’Orban attaquée.
Youpi !
Calmos
a Tutti… Cette action peut mener à une saisine de la Cour Européenne pour une procédure entraînant des sanctions à l’encontre de ce pays. Car la loi anti LGBTIQ+ ou pour le moins discriminatrice contrevient aux règles de l’UE. » | lemarquis | samedi 10 juilet 2021
EU leitet Verfahren wegen Vertragsverletzung gegen Ungarn und Polen ein
Die EU-Kommission hat am Donnerstag drei Vertragsverletzungsverfahren eingeleitet, weil sie eine Diskriminierung von Menschen befürchtet, die nicht heterosexuell sind. Dafür hat sich die Abkürzung LGBTQI eingebürgert. Zwei Verfahren betreffen Ungarn, eines Polen. In einer Mitteilung verwies die Kommission auf die in Artikel 2 des EU-Vertrags garantierte Achtung der Menschenwürde, die Wahrung der Menschenrechte und den Gleichheitsgrundsatz: „Die Kommission wird alle Instrumente nutzen, die ihr zur Verfügung stehen, um diese Werte zu verteidigen.“ » | Von Thomas Gutschker, Amsterdam | Donnerstag, 15. Juli 2021
Related article here
EU Launches Legal Action against Hungary and Poland over ‘Fundamental Violations’ of LGBT+ Rights
Hungary has faced widespread condemnation from the European Union (EU) since it passed a law that bans the “promotion” of LGBT+ lives to minors in schools, advertising and in the media. In Poland, more than 100 regions have declared themselves “LGBT-free zones”, inviting harsh criticism from the bloc.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, announced Thursday (15 July) it would be taking action against both nations for “violations of fundamental rights of LGBTIQ people”.
In a statement, the commission said that Hungary’s anti-LGBT+ legislation runs counter to several EU laws and principles. It added that the law “violates human dignity, freedom of expression and information, the right to respect of private life” and the “right to non-discrimination”.
The EU is also targeting Hungary over its demand that the publisher of a children’s book with LGBT+ content include a disclaimer warning of “behaviour deviating from traditional gender roles”. » | Maggie Baska | Thursday, July 15, 2021
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