Brazilian Presidential Hopeful Comes Out as Gay ahead of Jair Bolsonaro Challenge

PINK NEWS: A Brazilian governor and possible presidential candidate has come out as gay, making waves in a country governed by “proud homophobe” Jair Bolsonaro.

Eduardo Leite, the governor of the southern Rio Grande do Sul state, made the announcement in an interview with the country’s top broadcaster TV Globo on Thursday night (1 July).

“In this Brazil of little integrity, at this time, we have to debate who we are, so that everything is clear and there is nothing to hide,” the 36-year-old said.

“I’m gay – and I’m a governor who is gay rather than a gay governor,” he declared, according the The Guardian, adding: “And I am proud of it.”

Leite chose Pride Week in Brazil to come out, addressing the gossip that’s been swirling around him since he became a potential presidential candidate for the centre-right Brazilian Social Democratic party (PSDB). » | Emma Powys Maurice | Friday, July 2, 2021

Entrevista: Eduardo Leite assume homossexualidade e fala sobre queixa-crime por ataque homofóbico de Jair Bolsonaro »

World UFO Day: Do They or Don't They Exist? | DW News

Jul 2, 2021 • Pentagon officials in the US recently returned an open verdict on extraterrestrial visitors to Earth. They neither confirmed nor ruled out their existence following a military probe into UFOs. So, on World UFO Day, we're asking: do they or don't they exist? The truth is out there - so they say. DW's intrepid correspondent Stefan Simons went to find it.

Kenny Rogers & Bee Gees • You and I (Tradução)

Methodist Church Allows Same-sex Marriage in 'Momentous' Vote

BBC: The Methodist Church has become the largest religious denomination in Britain to permit same-sex marriages.

A vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist Conference on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed by 254 in favour with 46 against.

Freedom of conscience clauses mean ministers will not be forced to conduct such weddings if they oppose the move.

Same-sex marriage is not allowed in the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.

However it is welcomed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers in Britain.

The Methodist Church is Britain's fourth largest Christian denomination with about 164,000 members across more than 4,000 churches. » | Harry Farley, BBC News | Thursday, July 1, 2021

Ist Freundschaft der Schlüssel zum Glück? | Gespräch | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur

Jun 27, 2018 • Worin liegt der Wert der Freundschaft? Ist Freundschaft wichtiger als Liebe? Ist Freundschaft der Schlüssel zum Glück? Wer keine Freunde hat, der hat auch kein gutes Leben. Davon waren zumindest die antiken Philosophen überzeugt. Yves Bossart im Gespräch mit der Philosophin Ina Schmidt.

In der EU eskaliert der Streit mit Ungarn

ZEIT ONLINE: Welches Europa will Viktor Orbán?

Man kann Viktor Orbán nicht vorwerfen, dass er seine Ansichten verbergen würde. Drei Tage nachdem die 27 Staats- und Regierungschefs der Europäischen Union ungewöhnlich offen über die Situation von Homosexuellen diskutiert hatten, veröffentlichte der ungarische Ministerpräsident eine Erklärung. In Brüssel seien "die Ministerpräsidenten der Regenbogenfahne in Phalanx aufmarschiert", spottete Orbán und beantwortete die Frage, ob die Länder der EU noch dieselben Werte teilten, recht unsentimental: "Es gibt die Einheit der Werte nicht, und deshalb gibt es auch keine politische Einheit." » | Matthias Krupa | Mittwoch, 30. Juni 2021

American LGBTQ+ Museum Moves Towards Reality

ADVOCATE: The New-York Historical Society announced work would start on the museum, dedicated to the U.S. queer experience, next year.

The New-York Historical Society, a museum and library dedicated to telling the stories of America's largest city, announced a major expansion, which will include an entire floor dedicated to the forthcoming American LGBTQ+ Museum.

The addition to the Historical Society's building on Manhattan's Upper West Side will add 70,000 square feet of additional classrooms, galleries, collection study areas, and a “state-of-the-art compact storage facility.” Once complete, the Historical Society's fourth floor will become the American LGBTQ+ Museum, which has been in the works for at least four years. » | Neal Broverman | Thursday, July 1, 2021

What Changes in France from 30th June?

MONACO LIFE: Wednesday saw the official end of lockdown in France with the lifting of many restrictions including capacity limits in restaurants and a return to normal wedding celebrations.

Some of the last of the lockdown measures are being rescinded in France, just as summer hits its stride.

Bars, cafés and restaurants will now be able to welcome customers at 100% capacity, weddings will no longer need to restrict the number of guests they allow, and concert goers both indoors and out can stand, dance and singalong to their favourite bands so long as the total number of people remains under 1,000. » | Stephanie Horsman | Wedmesday, June 30, 2021

Annie Lennox: A Whiter Shade of Pale (Tradução)

Les démocraties occidentales face au défi chinois

LE MONDE : Le succès du Parti communiste chinois, aujourd’hui centenaire, est indéniable, bien qu’incomplet. Il oblige les pays démocratiques à mieux prouver l’exemplarité de leur modèle, si ils veulent retrouver leur aura auprès de la jeunesse chinoise.

Editorial du « Monde ». Pékin célèbre en grande pompe le centième anniversaire de la création du Parti communiste chinois (PCC), fondé en juillet 1921 à Shanghaï par une poignée d’intellectuels, sous l’étroite surveillance de Moscou. Depuis, l’élève a dépassé le maître. Le Parti communiste de l’Union soviétique n’a jamais pu commémorer le soixante-quinzième anniversaire de la révolution de 1917. Le PCC, lui, au pouvoir depuis soixante et onze ans, n’a jamais paru aussi fort. » | Éditorial | mardi 29 juin 2021

Queen Victoria Statue Toppled in Canada amid Anger at Deaths of Indigenous Children

THE GUARDIAN: Smaller statue of Queen Elizabeth also removed in Winnipeg during protest at treatment of Indigenous children in notorious residential schools

A statue of Queen Victoria has been toppled in Canada amid growing outrage over the discovery of unmarked graves belonging to Indigenous children.

A group gathered at the Manitoba legislature pulled down the statue on Canada Day – an annual celebration on 1 July that marks the country’s confederation.

Members of the group, wearing orange shirts to honour Indigenous children sent to the country’s notorious residential schools, covered the statue and its plinth in red handprints and left a sign that read “We were children once. Bring them home.”

A smaller statue of Queen Elizabeth II was also toppled on the east side of the grounds. Both royals are seen as representative of the country’s colonial history. » | Leyland Cecco in Toronto | Friday, July 2, 2021

The Guardian view on Canada’s residential schools: an atrocity still felt today »

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

Caught Inside - Gay Surfers - Gay Short Documentary

Oct 5, 2018 • “Caught Inside” is a short documentary I produced exploring the taboo of homosexuality in surfing culture. I spoke to three vastly different Australian surfers to discuss their perspectives on why being gay in the lineup is still taboo and the experiences they’ve had growing up in a country full of surf, sand and waves. Producer, Motion Design: Gabriel Virata Cinematographer, Editor: Miles Bence

The Truth about Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (aka BoJo)

Populist Prime Minister Boris Johnson is more celebrity than politician. In this brief rundown of the Prime Minister's history, Byline Writer Otto English delves into what made the man born Alexander into Boris Johnson and calls into question whether the man the country affectionately calls 'Boris' is really quite such a loveable buffoon after all.

The education of Boris Johnson, the UK’s new Prime Minister »

Trump Organization Executive Surrenders to Face Charges in Tax Investigation

THE GUARDIAN: Trump Organization’s CFO, Allen Weisselberg, is preparing to face charges in tax-related investigation that marks a turning point for former president

The Trump Organization’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, surrendered to the Manhattan district attorney’s office early on Thursday as he and the Trump family business prepare to face criminal charges in a tax-related investigation.

Weisselberg, who has worked for the Trump family for nearly 50 years, entered a building housing Manhattan’s criminal court, where he and a Trump Organization representative are expected to appear later in the day.

These are the first criminal charges against the former president’s company since prosecutors began investigating it three years ago, and represent the latest stage of an escalating battle between New York prosecutors and the former president. » | Dominic Rushe in New York and agency | Thursday, July 1, 2021

Top Trump Executive Allen Weisselberg Surrenders to Face Charges »

China Uses Communist Party's Centenary for a Show of Strength and Defiance | DW News

Jul 1, 2021 • The Chinese Communist Party celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding with a ceremony in Tiananmen Square. President Xi said the "great rejuvenation" of China is "irreversible."

Xi Jinping struck a defiant tone during a major address celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing on Thursday. Xi told a massive audience gathered at Tiananmen Square that "the era of China being slaughtered and bullied is gone forever. Anyone who dares try to do that will have their heads bashed bloody against the Great Wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people," the Chinese leader added to roaring applause. He credited the CCP with lifting millions of Chinese out of poverty and said it has built a "moderately prosperous society" during its 100-year reign.

In regard to China's security, Xi said during his speech that the China "must accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces." Under Xi, China has increased the size of its military, and has built outposts on islands in the South China Sea, while claiming most of the waters as Chinese territory. On Taiwan, Xi said he wants to achieve "complete reunification" of the country and "smash" any efforts to grant the island independence from the mainland. Taiwan responded shortly after Xi's speech, saying that its determination to defend its sovereignty and democracy remained unchanged.

CCP Chairman Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China in 1949 amid a civil war. Xi has become the country's most powerful leader since Mao and has added his name to the country's constitution. Since his 8 years in power, Xi has marshaled major domestic and foreign policy reforms by launching an anti-corruption campaign, silencing dissent domestically, and boosting China's global influence through the Belt and Road Initiative development strategy. He has also been criticized by Western countries for putting members of the Muslim Uyghur minority into what are called "reeducation camps," but are considered by human rights groups to be internment camps where grave abuses are taking place. In 2022, the current Politburo Standing Committee is expected to step down and announce new leaders. The question looming over next year's party congress is whether Xi will revive Mao's title of party chair, potentially allowing him to remain in power longer.

Donald Rumsfeld, Architect of Iraq War, Has Died

Jul 1, 2021 • Donald Rumsfeld, the former U.S. defense secretary who was the main architect of the 2003 Iraq war, died at age 88.

Pandemic Surges Again in Many Parts of the World, Fueled by Variants

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The highly contagious Delta variant is on the rise, and countries that hoped they had seen the worst of Covid-19 are being battered again.

The nightmare is returning.

In Indonesia, grave diggers are working into the night, as oxygen and vaccines are in short supply. In Europe, countries are slamming their doors shut once again, with quarantines and travel bans. In Bangladesh, urban garment workers fleeing an impending lockdown are almost assuredly seeding another coronavirus surge in their impoverished home villages.

And in countries like South Korea and Israel that seemed to have largely vanquished the virus, new clusters of disease have proliferated. Chinese health officials announced on Monday that they would build a giant quarantine center with up to 5,000 rooms to hold international travelers. Australia has ordered millions to stay at home.

A year and a half since it began racing across the globe with exponential efficiency, the pandemic is on the rise again in vast stretches of the world, driven largely by the new variants, particularly the highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India. From Africa to Asia, countries are suffering from record Covid-19 caseloads and deaths, even as wealthier nations with high vaccination rates have let their guard down, dispensing with mask mandates and reveling in life edging back toward normalcy. » | Hannah Beech and Livia Albeck-Ripka | Wednesday, June 20, 2021

Gay Farmers Call for Help

Oct 22, 2019 • In the UK, many LGBTQ farmers feel isolated and live a life plagued by secrecy and guilt. Their only solace is a phone number. This short documentary illuminates their experiences through reconstructive visuals over recorded telephone conversations that are both shocking and candid.

Read more HERE »

The Right-wing Extremists Plot to Overthrow the German Government | DW Documentary

Jul 7, 2020 • Amid reports of right-wing extremist activity in the German police and armed forces, radical groups are said to be preparing a coup against the government. The federal Interior Ministry has promised to crack down on right-wing groups.

Concerns are growing about reports of right-wing extremist activity in the German police and armed forces -- but senior officers and politicians seem reluctant to deal with the situation.

Journalist Dirk Laabs has found evidence that far-right conspirators illegally received ammunition from government warehouses, stockpiled weapons, and made concrete plans for a coup attempt -- to be known as "Day X."

The attempt was supposedly to be carried out during a time of national emergency -- like the current coronavirus crisis. Some domestic security experts, including the Left Party’s Martina Renner, are worried about these developments. Renner says this may be the moment that the alleged plotters were waiting for.

In June 2019, several current and former officers of an elite police unit in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern were arrested, suspected of supplying one of these far-right conspirators with large quantities of ammunition. Investigators say that the ammo came from military and police units from all over Germany, including the states of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. Authorities in those two states have not yet been able to explain how the ammunition ended up in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Fears about right-wing activity among the German police and military have been growing for years. In December 2019, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced plans to expand and strengthen federal police agencies that are involved in the effort to combat right-wing extremism and terrorism.