When Disney announced its new Cruella film, critics and fans recoiled as if they’d smelled the gross green smoke that drifted from the title character’s long cigarette holder in the classic 1961 cartoon One Hundred and One Dalmatians. It’s one thing to rehabilitate a wicked witch who curses an infant. But Cruella wanted to murder puppies in order to make them into a fur coat. As the John Wick films make clear, killing large numbers of people on film is good fun—people are vicious and nasty and annoying and generally (narratively at least) deserve to die. Puppies are innocent and wholesome, though. Coming for them is unforgivable.
Director Craig Gillespie and writers Dana Fox and Tony McNamara are canny enough to stay away from puppy killing; no Dalmatians die in Cruella. The creators also, though, understand that One Hundred and One Dalmations didn’t just hate Cruella for her fur coat fetish. The core of Cruella’s evil in that film isn’t what she does, but who she is: a single woman who plots to break up a happy family. She’s a bent bone in the throat of straight domesticity. And a villain who’s a villain because she is queer is a story that’s ripe for recuperation—even if Disney isn’t quite willing to fully commit to repudiating its own hetero default.
Cruella has no husband and no children. She’s a caricature of women who reject motherhood and childbirth as she plots to murder puppies for her own selfish luxury.
Cruella is probably the most memorable part of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, with her vividly divided black and white hair and Betty Lou Gerson’s vocals dripping with bile, greed and twisted sensuality. She’s so striking that you can forget that she isn’t onscreen that much. The bulk of the original film is devoted to the Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita, who serve as charismatic mascots for heterosexuality and fertility. Pongo maneuvers his human “pet”, Roger, into meeting and marrying Perdita’s pet Anita. Then the cohabiting Dalmatians have 15 puppies (joined by another 84 adoptees).
Cruella is the grotesque antagonist because she wants to kill the dogs. But more broadly she’s the villain because she is anti-family. Drawn in elaborate towering gowns which suggest the look of an opulent drag queen, Cruella has no husband and no children. She’s a caricature of women who reject motherhood and childbirth as she plots to murder puppies for her own selfish luxury.
The film Cruella, with Emma Stone in the title role, embraces the character’s anti-domestic queerness. Placed in a boarding school by her single mother, young Estella gets in unfeminine fights in part because of her ingrown, outré fashion sense: Her hair is half black and half a shocking white.
Set in the punk rock milieu of 1970s London, the movie is certainly aware of its LGBTQ+ not-very-subtext. One of Cruella’s allies is Artie, a cross-dressing fashion genius, played by gay actor Jon McCrea. Artie is the first openly gay character in a Disney film. Cruella’s belief that she disappointed her mom by being too weird and bad also nods to the queer experience. So does her creation of an intentional family; alone, orphaned, and on the streets of London, she forms a bond with two other homeless children, Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser). They become her lifelong collaborators in thievery and friendship.
The movie also plays with the idea of the closet, and of queer and trans rediscovery of the self. Emma Stone is obviously having a marvelous time as she switches between meek, hang-dog Clark Kent Estella with glasses and stoop, and the fabulous Cruella, all dramatic structured shoulders, immaculate tailoring, and stunning bon mots—“born brilliant, born bad, and a little bit mad.” Estella tries to be normal, wearing a red wig to hide the black-and-white provocation on her head. But eventually she has to let her freak flag fly.
Cruella as maligned queer icon, strutting down the runway in a (very) fake fur coat, is a lovely reversal. Unfortunately this is still Disney, and the filmmakers do not back up their queer signaling with queer content. The story would work better in any number of ways if they were willing to make the character actually trans, but of course they aren’t. Nor are they willing to pursue the hints in the original film of lesbian attraction between Cruella and Anita (here played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste). Instead, the film tosses in a half-hearted attraction between Estella and Jasper in order to establish her normality. And when Cruella is more interested in pursuing fashion than the man, both Jasper and the film treat it as a betrayal.
Perhaps the most disappointing part of the movie is that after rejecting the idea that single ambitious women are evil by recuperating Cruella, the creators choose to make the villain… another single ambitious woman.
Emma Thompson is marvelously malevolent as narcissistic fashion designer Baroness von Hellman. But the marvelousness is in the service of a caricature precisely in the mode of One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ Cruella. The Baroness is ruthless because women in business need to be absolutely unfeeling if they don’t want to be left with “a drawer full of unseen genius and a heart full of bitterness.” Her monstrosity is cemented when we learn that she’s a callous and even murderous mother.
Cruella’s queer chosen family should rebuke the stifling conformity of heterosexuality and patriarchy. But instead evil is embodied in another woman who is coded as a dangerous threat to natural maternal feeling. The movie, almost impossibly, redeems its title character. It does so by showing that she was condemned not for puppy-antipathy, but for being a queer woman with a dramatic fashion sense. And then it turns around and creates a villain who you’re supposed to loathe because she’s a queer woman with a dramatic fashion sense.
Disney can imagine that a (very sanitized) version of non-normative gender presentation might be liberating and positive. But it’s not quite willing to acknowledge the ways in which normative domesticity can be oppressive rather than adorable.
Even in a movie where she threatens no puppies, even in the movie that celebrates her, you can still hear Disney humming that song in the background about making family great again: “The world was such / A wholesome place until / Cruella, Cruella de Vil.”
Observation Points is a semi-regular discussion of key details in our culture.
Cruella hits theaters and Disney+ Premier Access May 28.
Last year, COVID-19 put a big damper on Pride Month festivities, but this season, there’s cause to celebrate in more ways than one and many major retailers are getting in on the action.
While it’s customary for Pride-themed merchandise to spike during the month of June—a practice known as rainbow capitalism, and that’s often criticized and compared to pinkwashing—there’s still tremendous value that can come from rocking rainbows during this time of year, as it helps increase visibility and may lend support and encouragement to others within the LGBTQ community who are still exploring their identities.
Popular brands like Apple, Fossil, Reebok and others often dedicate huge resources during Pride Month to LGBTQ nonprofit organizations (among them, The Trevor Project, GLSEN and additional groups), which means you could be helping others gain access to valuable resources, too.
Here are 55 places (including small and large businesses) to consider shopping for Pride 2021, and which may help you uncover new ways to celebrate love, diversity and inclusivity during this joyful season.
This QBIPOC shop is based out of Los Angeles and offers affordable apparel and accessories year-round that celebrate the LGBTQ community. Not only that, but it hosts a variety of classes, workshops, and events aimed at promoting inclusivity and celebrating the artistic projects of community members, and accepts direct donations, which go to benefit these works.
Adidas has a long history of celebrating Pride by dropping a new shoe collection, and this year is no exception. The retailer just released Love Unites, which features an assortment of Pride-themed footwear, plus apparel and accessories. Although not tied to purchase sales from the collection, Adidas is actively supporting Athlete Ally, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion in sports.
In support of the LGBTQ community, Apple has released two new Apple Watch Pride bands this year, as well as a new Pride watch face for users. The brand also supports a number of LGBTQ advocacy organizations, including Encircle (which offers safe spaces for LGBTQ youth, young adults and families), the National Center for Transgender Equality (which is committed to social justice advocacy for transgender humans) and others.
Banana Republic’s Pride 2021 features 17 limited-edition pieces, including sweatshirts, shorts, socks and more. The brand has an ongoing partnership with The United Nations Foundation in support of the UN Free and Equal Campaign (UNFE) for LGBTQ equality, and has made a $60,000 donation for 2021. Over the past four years, Banana Republic has donated $240,000 to UNFE.
This year, Bath & Body Works is donating $1 million to support the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which is doing work to help the LGBTQ community through a variety of initiatives, aimed at improve transgender rights, promoting workplace equality, and helping children and families. You can shop the brand’s Love Always Wins collection for an assortment of rainbow-centric candles, soaps, mists, and more.
In 2020, makeup and skincare brand Bliss began a partnership with The Trevor Project, the world’s largest LGBTQ suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for at-risk youth. In addition to pledging $150,000, the brand is donating 100% of net proceeds (up to $40,000) from the limited-edition Pride Makeup Melt wipes (as well as the classic version) in support of The Trevor Project’s work.
Bombas socks are great if you’re searching for soft, slightly compressive options. Right now, you can shop an assortment of Pride flag-inspired socks, underwear and more at this retailer. Additionally, for every pair you purchase, Bombas will donate a pair to those in need through Casa Ruby, a Washington DC-based multicultural and bilingual organization offering social services and LGBTQ safe spaces, as well as the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico and Mozaic, which offers community health resources to transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary BIPOC humans between the ages of 13 to 29.
This Colorado-based snack brand is offering a special Pride-themed bar this year, and using it as an opportunity to showcase work from LGBTQ artists Ludi Leiva, Shanee Benjamin and Cheyne Gallarde. All proceeds from the bar go to benefit Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), an organization dedicated to LGBTQ people, allies, and families alike, and The Center on Colfax, which supports the LGBTQ community within Colorado.
This year for Pride Month 2021, The Body Shop is urging shoppers to show support for The Equality Act, which advocates for the protection, well-being and safety of the transgender community. For every signature given to the Equality Federation, a social-justice advocacy organization serving and supporting state-based LGBTQ advocacy organizations, the retailer will donate $1 to the organization.
Matthew Herman and his partner David Kien co-founded Boy Smells in 2016, with an emphasis on creating candles and intimate apparel across the gender spectrum. The company has a history of celebrating Pride with a fragrant collection, and this year is no exception. For the second year in a row, Boy Smells is supporting The Trevor Project and donating 10% of all sales from the website through the month of July to the organization, with a minimum donation of $100,000.
Interested in supporting the LGBTQ community around the world? Choose Love is an international store and nonprofit that offers apparel, emergency-preparedness gear and more, and proceeds from their LGBTQ gift go to benefit shelters, legal support and community aid groups for community members in need.
This year’s Pride collection at Converse draws inspiration from five LGBTQ members of the brand’s All-Stars global community, who worked with artists to create the colorful footwear on display from it. Since 2015, the brand has donated more than $1.3 million in support of local and international LGBTQ organizations, and this year, is giving a portion of the proceeds from the Pride collection to the It Gets Better Project, which creates programs to help empower LGBTQ youth.
Love Disney and showing your support for the LGBTQ community? The Rainbow Disney collection offers an assortment of vibrant face masks, T-shirts, stuffed animals, and more that could be great for the whole family. The brand has also pledged to support a variety of domestic and international LGBTQ organizations, including ARELAS, a Spanish association offering resources to trans youth, as well as Nijiiro Diversity, a nonprofit organization in Japan focused on reducing LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace, and others.
Dr. Martens’ 1461 boots are embroidered this year with a rainbow flag on the heel, rainbow laces, and heel loops, all of which can help you rock out this year for Pride in style. You can also shop rainbow socks and laces from the brand. As in previous years, Dr. Martens is working with The Trevor Project, and is donating $100,000 to the organization. Additionally, the brand will carry on a year-round partnership, to help provide resources to the community.
As one of the best places to buy eyewear online. EyeBuyDirect offers a range of options. For Pride 2021, the brand has partnered with singer and LGBTQ ally Lele Pons to create new rainbow-colored frames and is donating all proceeds (up to $50,000) to The Trevor Project. The collection is also part of the brand’s Buy 1, Give 1 program, which allows shoppers to donate a pair of glasses with every purchase to someone in need around the world.
This famous watch brand has just launched a limited-edition Pride collection, featuring the popular Minimalist 40mm watch and an assortment of limited-edition indexes inspired by the rainbow flag, as well as 10 strap options, so folks can rock their pride their own way. Additionally, 100% of the proceeds go to benefit the Trevor Fund.
Featuring designs from artists Star Casimir, Rachel Lindset, and Abayomi “AC” Carey (all members of Gap Inc.’s LGBTQ employee resource group), the Gap Collective Pride collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, socks and more for all ages. The brand is also donating $50,000 this season to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an LGBTQ media advocacy organization.
This shop is also committed to positive change through community-centered initiatives, and has sponsored more than 100 LGBTQ organizations and raised more than $115,000 for artists and partner organizations over the past three years. Additionally, gc2b has donated more than 6,000 binders to those in need through its donation program, so this could be a great place to shop for Pride 2021, especially if you grab one of the brand’s special Pride-themed binders.
With 100% of the proceeds set to benefit The Trevor Project, Good Dye Young (GDY) is helping to celebrate this year with a special candle. Formulated to mimic the scent of the brand’s popular haircare, the candle will launch on June 1 and offers top notes of bergamot, meaning it could be a great option for candle lovers.
Established in 2018 by Xander Shephard, GenderBender Apparel is a trans-owned business that celebrates transgender and gender nonconforming identities, and specializes in binders and gender-inclusive shapewear, swimwear, and more. For Pride Month 2021, the shop—which operates out of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California—is offering a special collection, which features Pride-inspired shorts, hats, dresses, and more.
Based out of Spokane, Washington, The Glow Co. is a queer-owned shop that makes soy wax candles and ships all packages in containers that are biodegradable or reusable. Featuring a variety of spring scents, such as lilac, kitchen garden and blood orange sangria, this shop’s offerings could be a great investment if you’re looking for new candles to try out.
Help your feet find their happy place during Pride Month 2021 with the rainbow-colored styles available now at Happy Socks. The brand has paired up with InterPride for this year-round collection, and the organization will receive 10% of the profits from every Pride pair sold throughout the entire year.
Right now at Harry’s, you can grab a limited-edition razor, shaving kit and more, with art from Zipeng Zhu. As in previous years, 100% of the profits from this set will go to benefit The Trevor Project.
JOANN is partnering with GLSEN, a national education program dedicated to ensuring safe schools for queer youth, for Pride 2021. As part of the celebration, the store is offering custom fabrics, accessories and more that can be great for everything from festivals to private, socially distanced gatherings. The retailer is also donating $25,000 to GLSEN and an assortment of items (plus $5,000) to the LGBTQ Center of Greater Cleveland, which helps community members in the Ohio area.
It’s rainbows as far as the eye can see with this limited edition Pride-inspired collection at Kate Spade. The brand is donating 20% of the profits from this assortment of bags, face masks, ready-to-wear jewelry, and more to The Trevor Project, a long-time partner.
Available June 1, the “Everyone is Awesome” LEGO set celebrates diversity and features 11 mini-figures, all rocking their own unique looks. This 346-piece model will be available online and in stores and could be a fun option for kids and LEGO lovers of all ages. The brand also has partnerships with organizations like Stonewall, which helps fund other LGBTQ organizations and offers grants and scholarships, as well as Workplace Pride and Open for Business, which strive toward LGBTQ inclusivity in the workplace and in society.
27. Levi’s
Levi’s is kicking off Pride Month 2021 with the All Pronouns All Love collection, which aims to bring awareness to the importance of respecting pronouns and inspiring inclusivity for all. The Liberation trucker jacket, which features rainbow paneling on the back with the words “they/them, she/her, he/him, we,” is a highlight of it, but you can also shop T-shirts, shorts and more. All of the proceeds from this collection go to benefit OutRight Action International, a global organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of LGBTQ humans around the world.
MAC Cosmetics has a long history of supporting the LGBTQ community, even beyond Pride month. All proceeds from the brand’s iconic Viva Glam line—which launched in 1994 and all proceeds of which were initially donated to help fight HIV/AIDS—go to benefit the Mac Viva Glam Fund and has helped raise more than $500 million worldwide.
Set to launch June 1 (although some pieces are already available), Madewell’s collection with artist Lisa Congdon features a variety of colorful T-shirts, jeans, and posters, so shoppers who love this fashion-forward retailer to show off their Pride as well. Half of the proceeds from the collection will go to benefit the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which helps to advocate for LGBTQ equal rights and fight against discrimination.
MeUndies makes undergarments for all bodies, and for Pride Month 2021, the brand is offering a limited-edition collection that includes everything from underwear to apparel, face masks, and more. Additionally, MeUndies is partnering with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which offers programs, services, and advocacy for LGBTQ in need.
To support the organization’s work, MeUndies has made a financial commitment of $75,000, which will help provide educational support for 150 LGBTQ youth, as well as 22,500 hot meals, 1,500 full days of services (including employment training), and 600 bed nights in the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Transitional Living Program, and more.
Native makes all-natural deodorant, and this year for Pride, the brand is partnering with The LGBT Asylum Project, a nonprofit organization which aims to help 500 LGBTQ asylum seekers gain accessible legal representation. The brand is donating $10,000 to help the cause and is also offering customers the chance to save 20% off their next order by emailing a copy of a donation receipt to any nonprofit that supports the LGBTQ community to pride@nativecos.com.
This small, female-founded company offers candles inspired by literary figures. For Pride Month 2021, Noble Objects has released candles inspired by celebrated LGBTQ authors, including James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf. Additionally, 10% of proceeds from these candles go to benefit the Audre Lorde Project, a community organizing center in New York City for lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans and gender nonconforming (LGBTSTGNC) People of Color.
33. Olay
Olay is celebrating Pride 2021 with a limited-edition jar of the popular Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, along with two gift sets. The brand is also donating $75,000 to The Trevor Project and lending support to the Can’t Cancel Pride, a virtual streaming event.
For gender-affirming swimwear, Outplay is a great place to shop, offering binders with a range of compression fits, board shorts, and more to suit those in the LGBTQ community. You can shop the brand’s Pride collection right now and explore new ways to show your support, or consider its sportswear collection, which boasts a mix of T-shirts, sports bras, pants, and other apparel.
Color Outside the Lines is a new underwear collection from Parade, which features more than 130 mix-and-match options for undergarments. In addition, the brand is donating 2,000 pairs of underwear to five LGBTQ centers, including the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit offering shelter and healthcare services to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness.
Even pets can get in on the action this Pride Month 2021 at Petsmart. The brand’s “You Are Loved Collection” features fashion, accessories, and toys for cats and dogs, which are emblazoned with distinctive rainbows. Petsmart is also a proud supporter of GLSEN and will donate $100,000 in 2021 to benefit the organization.
PopSockets are a cute but useful accessory that can help you grip your phone with greater ease. For Pride 2021, the brand is offering multiple rainbow-themed options to choose from. Plus, 50% of every sale from June 1 to June 30 will go to benefit the It Gets Better Project.
Right now at both QVC and HSN, when you purchase the Beekman 1802 Assorted Goat Milk Pride Collection (6 Piece), all proceeds go to benefit the Ali Forney Center. You can also shop assorted other Pride-inspired merchandise at the home-shopping retailer, but only the Beekman Pride Collection goes to benefit an LGBTQ organization.
Love the classic look of Ralph Lauren? The brand is celebrating Pride Month 2021 with an exclusive collection of Polo shirts, hats, water bottles, and other items. All proceeds from the sale of each Polo shirt and 25% of the purchase price from the sale of each graphic T-shirt, water bottles, and more go to benefit the Stonewall Community Foundation.
Just in time for Pride 2021, Reebok’s latest collection celebrating the LGBTQ community features a vibrant assortment of Pride-inspired footwear and apparel. The items were designed by Colorful Soles, the brand’s LGBTQ employee community, which also partnered with the legendary House of Ninja (spotlighted in the iconic documentary, Paris is Burning. In addition, Reebok is donating $75,000 to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which advocates for affirming access to social, health and legal services for those of all gender identity and expression.
This year, Skagen—maker of classic watches—is partnering with InterPride and donating $25,000 to support its mission of helping the LGBTQ community on an international level. Inspired by the Pride and transgender flags, the Aaren Pride collection by Skagen features two limited edition styles.
There’s only one rainbow that matters during Pride, according to Skittles. For the second year in a row, the brand is giving up its signature rainbow during the month of June and offering a new limited-edition bag, which features gray packaging on the outside and all gray candies within. Skittles is also partnering with GLAAD, and $1 per pack purchased will be donated to GLAAD (up to $100,000). You can snag it at Walmart both online and in stores in select sizes until the end of the month.
Specializing in home and apparel, SUAY Sew Shop is a queer-owned and operated brand that creates products from a combination of post-consumer waste and deadstock fabric. For Pride 2021, it’s donating 10% of all pillow sales to support the Seeding Sovereignty Ancestral Acres Farm and Garden, which helps to address food scarcity issues and boost community farm and garden initiatives for Black and Indigenous LGBTQ community members.
For Pride Month 2021, Tangle Teezer is joining with the Stonewall Community Foundation to deliver a limited-edition version of the Compact Styler, which is available at Ulta stores nationwide. All proceeds from the brush will go to benefit Stonewall.
For the last 10 years, Target has collaborated and lent support to GLSEN. From now through June, the retailer is offering the #takepride collection, which includes apparel, swimwear, pool floats and more designed to bring a little rainbow-tinted joy into the lives of LGBTQ folks and their allies.
This popular shoe brand—most widely known for its instantly recognizable sandals—is offering a collection of gender-inclusive footwear and accessories in honor of Pride month. In addition, Teva is making a $35,000 donation to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational branch of the largest civil rights organization in the U.S., and which is dedicated to achieving equality for the LGBTQ community.
TomboyX is a queer-owned shop that offers form-flattering bras, underwear, and apparel for all bodies. Specialty collections like Gender Euphoria and the Rainbow Collection can be great options to consider for Pride 2021.
Not only that, but this retailer also delivers quarterly support to select nonprofits, including the LGBTQ Freedom Fund, which advocates against mass detention of LGBTQ individuals and helps provide bail for those in jail and/or at risk for immigration detention.
The Toms Unity Collection features a variety of colorful footwear, sunglasses and more, and is available to shop right now at the site. Not only that, but the company—which recently announced it’s giving ⅓ of net profits to grassroots organizations—is supporting the LGBTQ community all year round by giving to various groups, including Brave Trails, a summer camp specifically dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth.
We’re obsessed with Ugg Fluff Yeah slides, and for Pride 2021, you can snag a new pair of cozy, rainbow-hued slides for your collection. The Disco Stripes slides are new this year, and the brand will donate $25 per pair for those purchased directly on the site to GLAAD, up to $125,000.
From classic slip-ons to T-shirts and more, the Pride collection at Vans this year runs the gamut and may help those who love the sporty look that this brand is known for feel more comfortable. Vans is also donating $200,000 to LGBTQ organizations, including GLSEN, Casa 1, Where Love is Illegal, and Tokyo Rainbow Pride.
From banners to bumper stickers and much more, Vistaprint is offering an assortment of Pride-themed merchandise in honor of Pride Month 2021. Not only that, but the brand has a year-round partnership with StartOut, the largest non-profit organization for LGBTQ entrepreneurs. In addition to making a $100,000 donation to the organization, Vistaprint is also offering 20% of all Pride merchandise proceeds to benefit StartOut projects.
Starting June 1, Welly—maker of first aid supplies—will be offering a special Pride-themed bundle, with up to $10,000 of the proceeds going to benefit PFLAG, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ people, allies, and families alike.
Established in 2013, Wildfang is a a queer-owned business that offers a mix of clothing and accessories. With an emphasis on inclusion for all bodies and sustainability, the company has donated more than $500,000 to charitable groups, including Planned Parenthood, the Tegan and Sara Foundation (which is dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ women and girls), and others.
In 2021, Wildfang has a goal of donating more than $150,000 from online, store, and partnership sales, and while it doesn’t have an overt Pride collection like other brands, shopping this store can be a great way to support the LGBTQ community.
Zenni, one of the most popular online eyewear retailers, is celebrating Pride 2021 with its 2021 Pride collection, which features frames starting from $12.95 and eight options to choose from (including a pair for kids). Proceeds from the sale go to benefit the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower LGBTQ youth around the world, and which Zenni has a year-round partnership with. If you follow #SeeMoreLove account on Instagram, you can take a glimpse at how other people are wearing these glasses, too.
As one of the best places to shop for flowers online, 1-800-Flowers offers a variety of options. This year, the brand has joined forces with GLAAD and through June 30, is donating 20% of net proceeds from a special Pride bouquet to support the LGBTQ community. Additionally, 1-800-Flowers Inc. (the parent company of 1-800-Flowers) has donated $25,000 to GLAAD, and since 2014, has donated nearly $200,000 to the nonprofit.
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Kellogg’s hasn’t been sugar-coating its agenda for years. But its latest venture—a “create your own pronoun” cereal for kids—is bowling over parents.
“Boxes are for cereal, not people,” the company insists about its new Together With Pride rainbow edition that donates $3 from every box to an extreme LGBT group, GLAAD, which is out to recruit and confuse your children.
Of course, anyone who’s been online or walked the aisles of a grocery store knows that some companies will do anything to pander to the radical left. But this June, these brands are on a collision course with a group of fired-up American shoppers who might just eat them for breakfast.
Everyone from Coca-Cola to Major League Baseball could have told Kellogg’s it was a bad idea. After speaking out against Georgia’s election reforms, the fixture in American soda has taken a major hit—not just in profits, but in PR.
Thirty-seven percent of Americans (myself included) say they’re less likely to buy Coke products now, leading several CEOs to wonder: Go woke, go broke? And yet, misguided businesses from Lego to Disney and Mars and Nestle continue to poke the bear with in-your-face campaigns that target kids with their radical brands of extremism.
There are rainbow Skittles, gay Mickey Mouses, custom Converse, even Love Is Love Le Creuset, but they’re coming on the market at a time when most Americans are saying: “Enough!”
They don’t want their cereal preaching transgenderism or their drinks fighting voter ID. By a 3-to-1 margin, they don’t want corporations openly involved in political activism at all. So when Fruit Loops tries to serve up new genders, don’t be surprised if he, she, they, or them don’t buy it.
According to Gallup, the fatigue over LGBT extremism is finally starting to register on a national scale, too. In the last year, the enthusiasm for things like boys in girls sports and transgender-identifying people in the military is bottoming out.
In bad news for these brands and everyone else on the left’s bandwagon, a solid majority of Americans—62%—don’t want our daughters competing against biological boys in athletics. And there’s also been a 5-point dip in the number of people who think the military should encourage this sort of gender-confusion. Political independents, especially, saw pronounced drops in support for transgenderism in the ranks—down 11 points since just 2019.
And yet, when the media does acknowledge people’s reservations and tries (however nominally) to present both sides of the transgender issue, they’re torn to pieces for it.
Just this past Sunday, when “60 Minutes” aired a segment on the Arkansas law that protects minors from transgender treatments, Lesley Stahl dared to also talk to people who had transitioned—and regretted it. It was barely five minutes of content, but the network was hammered for it by leftist and LGBT extremists for even including it.
The young woman Stahl interviewed, Grace Lidinsky-Smith, explained how she’d started cross-sex hormones and later a double mastectomy.
When Stahl asked about the process, Lidinsky-Smith replied, “They asked, ‘So, why do you wanna go on testosterone?” And I said, “Well, being a woman just isn’t working for me anymore.” And they said, “OK.” That was it? Stahl asked. “Yup,” Lidinsky-Smith said, highlighting one of the strongest arguments against the trend, which is that there are almost no barriers to any patient—child or not—making decisions that could mutilate them for life.
“I can’t believe I transitioned then detransitioned, including hormones and surgery, in the course of, like, less than one year,” Lidinsky-Smith shook her head.
Garrett, a young man from Louisiana, was castrated just three months after starting female hormones.
“I didn’t get enough pushback on transitioning. I went for two appointments and after the second one, I had my letter to go get on cross-sex hormones,” he explained. “I had never really been suicidal before until I had my breast augmentation. And about a week afterward, I wanted to actually kill myself. I had a plan, and I was gonna do it—but I just kept thinking about my family to stop myself.”
Another part of the segment that created hysterics on the left was the admission by a youth gender psychologist that there’s a culture of intimidation around transgenderism in the medical field.
“Everyone is very scared to speak up because we’re afraid of not being seen as being affirming or being supportive of these young people,” Dr. Laura Edwards-Leeper conceded. “But even some of the providers are trans themselves and share these concerns.”
Almost immediately, CBS was bombarded with social media attacks from groups like GLAAD (Kellogg’s partner in crime), who said that even after months of meeting with “trans leaders” on the segment, “They delivered a piece which still promulgates the same anti-trans dog whistles that we hear from anti-LGBTQ activists and in state legislatures like Arkansas.”
Other so-called equality groups railed the show for “dehumanizing” trans-identifying children. “Where’s the love for trans people?” Laverne Cox tweeted.
The love, as it turns out, is in telling both sides of the story. That may be fatal to the left’s agenda, but it’s the only chance this generation has to know the truth. What psychology and medicine are doing by ignoring the risks and regrets is only leading more children down an irreversible and painful path.
“We already have girls, physically health girls, who are being referred for double mastectomies at age 13,” Dr. Michelle Cretella, president of the American College of Pediatricians, warns. “This is institutionalized child abuse.”
And companies like Lego, Levi, Kellogg’s, Disney, Mars, Target, and others are celebrating it with their specialized toys and fun rainbow colors. At the end of the day, those are all just a distraction from the real heartbreak: that changing genders won’t fix anyone’s problems. Only a changed heart, turned toward God, can.
To contact Kellogg’s and complain, email it here or Tweet it at @KelloggsUS. For a list of its family of brands, click over to its website, so that you aren’t unknowingly contributing to its mass deception of our young people.
Originally published in Tony Perkins’ “Washington Update,” which is written with the aid of Family Research Council senior writers.
The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email [email protected] and we’ll consider publishing your remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.
Just a thought: can Megan Fox give us a second to catch our breath? Less than a week ago, the actress attended the Billboard Music Awards wearing a sheer Mugler dress with very strategically placed cutouts, and on Thursday she stopped by the iHeartRadio Music Awards in another super-striking look. (Her PDA with boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly also might have had an influence.)
Whereas her Mugler moment spoke to her famously edgy sense of style, Megan’s latest red carpet outfit was pretty much the polar opposite, consisting of a pink Mach & Mach jumpsuit with silver straps and matching pointed-toe pumps also by the brand. Styled by Maeve Reilly, a chain-mail purse completed the Barbie-style look. Machine Gun Kelly looked in sync, per usual, wearing a distressed metallic short suit with a few pink details. Enjoy the red carpet photos ahead.
So-called conversion therapy which supposedly turns gay people straight should be outlawed across the world , Ministers have been told.
The Government was urged to press ahead with long-awaited plans to ban the practice, by Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davis.
Conservatives promised in 2018 to end conversion therapy, when Theresa May was Prime Minister. Last summer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said plans for a ban would be brought forward.
In the Queen’s Speech earlier this month, the government announced a consultation will be held in England and Wales before the law changes.
It will explore how to ensure the ban does not have “unintended consequences”, and that medical professionals, religious leaders, teachers and parents can keep having “open and honest conversations”.
The government also said it will provide additional financial support to ensure victims of conversion therapy get the help they need.
But critics have accused the Government of moving slowly.
Three members of the Government’s LGBT advisory panel quit in March, complaining of a lack of progress.
Speaking in the Commons, Ms Davison said: “I was really delighted to see the ban on conversion therapy appear in the Queen’s Speech, but, as we know, conversion therapy is an issue not just in the UK, but right around the globe.”
She asked equalities minister Liz Truss if she agreed “that these practices should not just be outlawed in the UK, but that we should work with our global partners to support LGBT safety worldwide.”
Ms Truss said: “We are proud that we are instituting the UK’s first ever international LGBT conference under the theme of “Safe To Be Me”, which is about protecting people from persecution worldwide.”
She said the Government’s consultation “will address the issues of gender identity and sexual orientation.”
The NHS does not endorse conversion therapy, sometimes called “reparative therapy” or “gay cure therapy. It has warned all forms of conversion therapy are “unethical and potentially harmful”.
It means trying to stop or suppress someone from being gay, or from living as a different gender to their sex recorded at birth.
Supporters and advocates unveiled a giant Trans Pride flag outside the Texas State Capitol on Thursday, May 20, in opposition to anti-trans bills. Check out the full gallery here. (Photo by Jana Birchum)
Senate Bill 29 is on its deathbed. The anti-trans student-athlete bill missed a major deadline on Tuesday night (May 25) for the Texas House of Representatives to vote on any bills from the upper chamber. In the final hours before the midnight deadline, pro-LGBTQIA lawmakers strategically ran down the clock before SB 29 could even receive a vote. Just last week, the Trevor Project‘s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found (yet again) that affirming gender identity among trans and nonbinary youth – 52% of which surveyed seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year – is consistently associated with lower rates of suicide attempts. It underscores how critical – and potentially life-saving – this week’s win is for our trans and nonbinary Texan family. Many, many thanks are in order for all the folks who monitored, testified, wrote letters, and called their reps. There’s a chance the bill could come up again. Reliably anti-LGBTQIA Lt. Gov. Dan Patrickurged Gov. Greg Abbott to call a June special session to revive SB 29, among other GOP bills that faltered Tuesday night (read more). For now, though, we celebrate.
2 to Do
Neon Rainbows Dust off them boots and saddle down to Red River for DJ Boi Orbison’s (aka DJ BoyFriend) “Best of Austin” award-winning queer country hoedown. Fri., May 28, 9pm. Cheer Up Charlies, 900 Red River. No cover. cheerupcharlies.com.
Proud Voices Thee Gay Agenda and Embrace Austin host this one-of-a-kind interactive queer audio fest in celebration of Pride. Leave a rainbow trail at eight queer-owned and/or queer-friendly small businesses where you’ll discover a QR code to stream a song, poem, or auditory piece from a local queer artist. June 1-30. Multiple locations. $5. proudvoices.gay.
Q’d Up
Unofficial Splash Iron Bear The bears promise to keep you partying all weekend long with three nights of DJs, drink specials, and drag. Fri.-Sun., May 28-30. The Iron Bear, 301 W. Sixth. No cover.
April Showers Bring May Flowers Lip sync battle royale, live auction, and a raffle benefiting Project Transitions. Fri., May 28, 6-9pm. Rain on 4th, 217 W. Fourth. No cover.
Paws on 4th Pup Night Bark up the kink tree. Fri., May 28, 9:30pm. Oilcan’s, 211 W. Fourth. No cover.
The Little Mermaid Tucked takes you under the sea. Sat., May 29, 10:30pm. Highland, 404 Colorado. $5-10.
Splash Round Trip Need a ride to Hippie Hollow for Splash? Highland’s got you covered. Departure: Sun., May 30, 10am. Highland, 404 Colorado. $30.
Plant Gay Pop-Up The Austin-based plant shop is having its very first in-person pop-up. Rescheduled: Sun., May 30, 10am-2pm. Buda. plantgay.com.
Austin LGBT(QIA) Chamber First in-person luncheon in more than a year. Tue., June 1, 12pm. The County Line on the Lake, 5204 FM 2222. $50. austinlgbtchamber.com.
UnBEARable Chique and Mascara get down and dirty for Pride Month, with special guests Kara Foxx and Champagne Killer. Also streaming on Twitch! Thu., June 3, 10pm. The Iron Bear, 301 W. Sixth. No cover. twitch.tv/eatmorechique.
When rising senior Noah Offenbacher first came to the University of Maryland, he wasn’t sure how he would find his place at such a large institution.
Striving for somewhere to belong, he followed a friend to this university’s LGBT Equity Center — and soon after, Offenbacher met Luke Jensen, the founding director of the center.
The two began chatting from time to time. Sometimes, they talked about Jensen’s life experiences, sometimes LGBTQ+ programming at the university, and sometimes, Offenbacher would just pose a question, and they would go deep into discussion.
“He was a big part of … welcoming me to campus,” said the English and psychology major. “His wisdom that he shares has been super valuable.”
More than 60 past and present staff and students gathered on a Zoom call Wednesday, expressing similar sentiments to celebrate Jensen’s retirement after more than 30 years at the university. Attendees took turns sharing how Jensen touched their lives during his time at this university.
“Just to warn you all, there may be tears shed,” Georgina Dodge, the university’s diversity and inclusion vice president, said at the beginning of the event, pausing to deeply sigh. “And I know there will be a lot of laughter.”
Many of those present thanked Jensen for persevering despite hardships. Shortly after Jensen arrived at the university to work as the associate director in the Center for Studies in 19th Century Music, his first partner became ill and died of HIV/AIDS in January 1990.
After struggling for years with that loss, Jensen realized what he needed to do to get back on his feet: Accept where he was and make this university a more supportive place for LGBTQ+ community members.
“What was needed was visibility, so that people would know that they aren’t alone, and that they can live their true and authentic lives,” he said.
Springing into action, Jensen became the co-chair of what is now known as the LGBT Staff and Faculty Association around 1994, where he helped push the university for domestic partner benefits.
A few years later, he worked alongside LGBTQ+ staff and students to craft a report that laid out a vision for the future of LGBTQ+ programming at the university, highlighting the need for resources such as a president’s commission focused on LGBTQ+ issues and a LGBTQ+ studies program.
Quickly, changes began to occur. Jensen was named the inaugural chair of the commission and later became the leader of the equity center, which is the primary position he held until his retirement. The studies program was made official in 2002.
“Luke is a force,” said Shige Sakurai, director of leadership initiatives and associate director of the equity center. “I feel that I stayed at UMD for 11 years because of getting to work with you … you’ve always fought for me, you’ve always fought for our communities.”
Shiva Subbaraman, who worked with Jensen at the university from 2006 to 2008, echoed Sakurai’s sentiments.
“Your courage, your willingness to still get up every morning no matter what the world has thrown at you, and to advocate for all of us has been just a miracle,” Subbaraman said. “And as a woman of color who struggled a great deal to be out in this world, I will forever be thankful and grateful to you.”
Former student Joseph DeSanto Jones, who graduated in 2002, also shared his gratitude for Jensen’s work during his time at this university.
“Folks like me were able to benefit … at the university as students, as alums, as community members because of your tireless advocacy, because of your preparedness, because of the voice that you gave us — that you continue to give us,” he said.
Offenbacher agreed.
“Nothing LGBT-wise on this campus would exist without them … everything that students do in relation to making campus better for LGBT students ultimately goes back to stuff that they’ve started,” he said. “I’m just really grateful to have known Luke.”
During the celebration, Jensen shared a video of him playing the piano. He said it was the same song playing in the hospital when his husband was being treated first for throat cancer, and then lung cancer. He died of lung cancer last summer.
In his retirement, Jensen hopes he can focus more on cultivating his love for music, specifically piano. In his absence, Jensen said he hopes both staff and students at the center can help advocate for causes such as documentation of LGBTQ+ student data through the university’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment and installing all-gender bathrooms.
He emphasized students should focus on doing what he did when he came to this university: improving it as best as they can.
“Find your place on campus, and have great expectations, both of yourself and the institution,” Jensen said. “And you should voice those expectations … students can also leave the University of Maryland better than what they find it.”
ARCHBOLD – NAMI Four County’s meeting on Tuesday will focus on mental health issues and the LGBT population with Stacy Flannery, founder of a local organization called Anchored LGBT+Youth, and Joshua Honaker as presenters.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), both adults and youth who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual are more than twice as likely to experience mental health issues as their heterosexual counterparts.
The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held as both an in-person and virtual meeting starting at 7 p.m. at the Four County ADAMhs Board office, T-761 State Route 66, south of Archbold.
During the pandemic, the in-person meeting will be limited to about 10 persons to allow for social distancing and wearing a face covering is required. To register for the in-person meeting, contact Wendy Jennings, NAMI executive director, at wendy@namifourcounty.org or by calling 419-405-3651. Only persons who have pre-registered can attend the in-person meeting.
Persons who would rather participate virtually must also call or email Wendy Jennings to get the meeting link to NAMI’s Zoom account.
NAMI Four County is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In addition to meetings held the first Tuesday every month, it provides free community education programs and offers free peer-led support groups for family and friends of loved ones who have a mental illness as well as support groups for persons with a mental illness. All programming is open to the public.
The second, completely default version of Gay Pride Parade+ From Sao Paulo on June 6, starting at 2 PM, with 8 hours of live broadcast. There is a promises from the channel Diva DepressionIn, you will receive musical attractions for exclusive in-house audience interviews and performances. The script will allude to the classic phase of a physical event.
The duo will also rely on a team of 11 other creators to host the event. They are: Alberto Pereira Jr., Bello, Jean Luca, Lynne Da Quebrada, Lorelai Fox, Louis Punto, Lucas Raniel, Mandy Candy, Natalie Neri, Spartacus and Xhaka.
It continues after the announcement
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The broadcast will last for eight hours and will be shown simultaneously on YouTube users’ channels. Today’s StudioGive Sao Paulo Gay Pride Parade (APOLGBT / SP) Its doing YouTube Brazil. Fans will also be able to directly participate in the event, and submit photos and reports using the hashtag #ParadaSPaoVivo.
“In 2020, we held our first virtual 100% LGBT Parade in São Paulo, reaching more than 10 million views. In 2021, we want to allow people once again to safely celebrate life and diversity in their homes and connect with the LGBT + social movement, ” Says Patricia Muratori, YouTube Manager for Brazil.
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What or what: Sao Paulo 2021 LGBT Pride Virtual Parade
The Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, says it adopted a policy in 2018 to ban uniformed D.C. police officers from marching in the Capital Pride Parade.
Some LGBTQ community members contacted by the Washington Blade, including D.C. Black Pride organizer Earl Fowlkes, have said they were unaware of the Capital Pride policy of not allowing police participation in the parade and other Capital Pride sponsored events.
Fowlkes, who serves as executive director of the D.C.-based Center for Black Equity, which supports Black Pride events throughout the country, said D.C. Black Pride has had police presence at some of its events over the past 30 years and has no plans to ban police from its activities.
Ryan Bos, the Capital Pride Alliance executive director, sent the Blade a statement he said Capital Pride posted on its website in June of 2020 formally announcing the police policy. The statement came five days after an earlier statement posted on the group’s website expressing strong solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
“In 2018 the decision was made that MPD [D.C. Metropolitan Police Department] would not participate as a contingent in the Pride Parade, and has not since,” says the statement, which was posted on June 8, 2020. “Going forward, CPA will not permit any uniformed and armed police officers to march in the Pride Parade or participate in CPA-sanctioned events,” the statement continues.
“As required by the city government, MPD has jurisdiction to close and clear the streets,” the statement says. “The MPD will continue to manage street closures as outlined in permit requirements. When needed, CPA will hire private security as has been done previously.”
The statement concludes by saying Capital Pride Alliance was committed to having “further talks with its LGBTQ+ partners and other organizations and the city to address the on-going concerns that have been raised by the community.” It adds that Capital Pride Alliance “will take additional actions in the coming days and weeks.”
Although the statement did not say so directly, it was referring to the earlier statement discussing Capital Pride’s support for the nationwide protests in June 2020 over the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd at the hands of a police officer who was later convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter for Floyd’s death.
“Pride this year comes on the heels of a global pandemic and a nation confronting the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers,” the earlier statement posted on June 3, 2020, says.
“This horrific tragedy, and the murders of Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Abrery by police and white vigilantes, have created a nationwide uprising crying out for racial justice and the protection of Black life,” the statement says.
“As members of the Black and Brown communities have stood with the LGBTQ+ community, the Capital Pride Alliance stands in complete solidarity to unite against those disparities that impact communities of color,” says the statement. “We pledge that we will work together to find solutions and make the positive changes that are so desperately needed to end inequity, injustice, and violence against people of color.”
In prior years, uniformed members of the D.C. police LGBT Liaison Unit have marched as a contingent in the Capital Pride Parade. During some prior years going back to the 1990s, D.C. police chiefs have joined the parade in police vehicles or watched the parade while standing along the parade route.
D.C. police spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck did not respond to a request by the Blade for comment on the Capital Pride policy of banning uniformed police participation in Pride events.
Gay retired D.C. Police Lt. Brett Parson, who served as director of the department’s Special Liaison Branch, which oversees the LGBT Liaison Unit, declined to comment on the Capital Pride ban on D.C. police participation.
Some LGBTQ activists have expressed the view that D.C. police participation in Pride events, especially participation by high-level police officials, was a sign of the D.C. police department’s strong support for the LGBTQ community.
But other activists, including members of the local transgender community, have said police crackdowns on sex workers, including transgender female sex workers of color, have involved what they believe to be a misplacement of police priorities. The local transgender and sex worker advocacy group No Justice No Pride has long called on Capital Pride to ban police from participation in all Pride-related events.
In the years since Capital Pride adopted its police policy, other cities, including Seattle, Denver, and just last week New York City’s Pride organization adopted policies banning police participation in their Pride parades and other Pride events.
Bos of Capital Pride said that similar to last year, due to COVID restrictions in place earlier this year, the traditional D.C. Pride Parade and festival will not be held in June this year. Although D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser earlier this month removed all restrictions on large outdoor events beginning June 11, Bos said Capital Pride did not have time to organize a parade and festival for June. He said a Capital Pride Parade and festival are under consideration for October of this year.
The Capital Pride website includes information about a number of smaller Pride events for June, both in-person and virtual events. Among them will be a caravan of cars and vehicles decorated with Pride displays scheduled to travel across the city on June 12 to view houses and businesses that will display Pride decorations on their buildings or in their front yards.
Fowlkes said D.C. Black Pride organizers also fully support the Black Lives Matter movement and have condemned the incidents of police abuse, including the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis. But he said Black Pride organizers see no reason for banning police participation, especially the LGBT police officers who regularly attend Black Pride events.
“We’ve never had a problem,” he said. “Our members have never voiced a problem in dealing with the police,” according to Fowlkes.
“We know a lot of queer police officers and I welcome their presence,” Fowlkes said. “As long as they behave, I welcome everyone’s presence. It’s open to everybody. I can’t see eliminating the police any more than if people come in an Army uniform.”
David Johns, executive director of the D.C.-based LGBTQ group National Black Justice Coalition, has taken a different position than that of Black Pride.
“The D.C. Capital Pride Alliance was right to ban uniformed police from participating in the Pride Parade when it made its decision back in 2018,” Johns told the Blade in a statement. “For too many members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially Black LGBTQ+ and same-gender loving people, the presences of armed, uniform police make us feel less safe,” he said.
“It is important that the D.C. Capital Pride Alliance recognized that the struggle for civil rights for all must uplift all parts of us all of the time – including Black LGBTQ+ people who have too often been sidelined or excluded from the important discussions facing our community,” Johns said.
In yet another indication that the LGBTQ community is divided on the police issue, Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart, who’s gay and African American, wrote a column published in the Post on Monday expressing strong disagreement with the New York City Pride organization’s decision last week to ban LGBTQ police officers from marching in the New York Pride parade next month.
Capehart wrote that he fully understands the concerns over police abuse in New York and other cities in the past and in recent times. But he said he believes the New York Pride organizers made a “really bad call” in banning the NYPD Gay Officers Action League or GOAL from marching in this year’s parade.
“If you’ve been to a pride parade, you know it’s a celebration of acceptance and inclusion,” said Capehart in his column. “That’s why it’s beyond troubling that a community made up of so many who’ve been rejected by their families because of who they are is now turning on its own members because of what they do for a living,” he states. “This is wrong. This is shortsighted. This is a mistake.”
Jacqui Lambie has been banned from flying Qantas after referring to CEO Alan Joyce with a homophobic slur during an explosive argument with airline staff.
While previous reports suggested the fiery Tasmanian senator had been banned from accessing their invitation-only airport lounges, the full extent of her fall out with Australia’s marquee airline has now been revealed.
Lambie was at the service desk of Qantas’ exclusive Chairman’s Lounge in Melbourne Airport on March 25 when staff refused her entry.
While arguing to be let into the area popular with travelling politicians and top business people, she launched into an expletive-filled rant that descended into homophobic slurs against the airline’s openly-gay CEO.
Jacqui Lambie apologised for her behaviour in an interview on the Today show on Thursday morning
CCVTV captioned her mentioning ‘pussy power’ and telling employees ‘your CEO is a p##f,’ – a reference to Joyce.
The senator and Qantas bosses discussed the outburst, which resulted in a six-month ban from flying with the airline, which began in April.
Ms Lambie apologised for the incident when she appeared on the Today show on Thursday and said it was triggered by workplace stress.
‘It had been a long few weeks up in Parliament. It’s just been a really, really long year. Basically I just blew my stack and unfortunately there was a couple of Qantas staff members that wore that,’ Ms Lambie said.
‘They should never have wore that and it was really unfair of me to do that to them. So once again, I’m extremely apologetic for my behaviour for that few minutes.’
The exclusive Chairman’s Lounge in Melbourne Airport where Ms Lambie was refused entry on March 25 sparking a fiery outburst
Ms Lambie has been banned from all Qantas flights and services for six months after calling CEO Alan Joyce a ‘poof’
The senator said she ‘deserved every bit of the ban’ and had written the airline staff a letter apologising for her behaviour.
Mr Joyce married his long-time partner Shayne Lloyd in a ritzy ceremony in Sydney’s Circular Quay in November 2019.
Ms Lambie, a former army corporal, was first elected as a senator from 2014 to 2017, before being re-elected in 2019, championing issues such as veteran and foreign affairs, youth unemployment, and the criticism of Islam.
It is not the first time the outspoken politician’s tongue has landed her in trouble.
In 2014, she apologised after describing her ideal man in a radio interview as ‘well off’ and ‘well hung’.
Ms Lambie was first elected as a senator from 2014 to 2017, before being re-elected in 2019
Philly AIDS Thrift will host a gay pride drive-in movie night at the Navy Yard to raise funding for a major building expansion at its facility on 5th Street.
The nonprofit thrift store is partnering with Philadelphia Film Society to present a showing of the 1974 cult classic movie Female Trouble on June 2. The drive-in movie will take place at the Navy Yard on Admiral Peary Way and League Island Boulevard at 9 p.m. The lot opens at 8.
Tickets are $35 per vehicle and can be purchased at www.phillyaidsthrift.com. In the fall, Philly AIDS Thrift held a similar event by showing the Tim Burton classic Beetlejuice.
“We are excited to celebrate June as Philly Gay Pride Month with another great drive-in movie with Philadelphia Film Society,” said Philly AIDS Thrift co-founder Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou. “While we were bummed in the fall to have to miss our annual fundraising block party, the drive-in with Beetlejuice was a great pivot. It was so much fun that our supporters have been asking for a return visit to the Navy Yard. We hope to sell out and use the money to pay for our expansion that is underway for a mid- to late-summer opening. Stay tuned for more details, big things are happening at Philly AIDS Thrift.”
Philly Aids Thrift, located at 710 S. 5th St. in the South Street Headhouse District, is expanding its facility for the first time in more than 10 years. It will add nearly 4,000 square feet to its existing 19,000-square-foot facility and will allow for an entirely new donation center that is expected to help bring in more donations to the store. Fundraising for the expansion will continue through June and renovations are expected to wrap up this summer.
“Philly AIDS Thrift is expanding at our main location,” said Philly AIDS Thrift board president Michael Byrne. “We are so excited about the new opportunities that the additional space will offer us in terms of increasing the processing of donations as well as additional sales space. This will allow us to better fulfill our mission of funding life-altering services for individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS across the Delaware Valley.”
According to the City of Philadelphia AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, Philadelphia has more than 30,000 Philadelphia residents living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Many people do not know their status and have never been tested.
Philly AIDS Thrift receives publicly donated clothes and objects that are resold and turned into donations. The nonprofit then distributes those funds to over 20 different HIV/AIDS service organizations through their annual grant-giving program. Last year, it awarded 24 organizations more than $200,000. In addition to cash contributions, Philly AIDS Thrift provides free store vouchers to Philly-area HIV/AIDS service providers for distribution to clients in need of clothing assistance and household necessities.
The drive-in movie is expected to provide a major chunk of the fundraising effort. The drive-in event will feature Divine-esque drag queens greeting and thanking all the movie-goers. Tickets include access to the movie, food trucks and a chance to win fun door prizes. The movie is rated NC-17 and is not intended for minors. Attendees can bring their own dinner or enjoy food from a selection of local food trucks on site. A food trucks list will be released prior to the event.
“Raising money for the new space and expansion, while watching a camp cult classic, is right up our alley and the perfect way to celebrate Philly Gay Pride Month with our community,” Byrne said. “We hope to see you at the Navy Yard on June 2. Get your tickets before they sell out.”
All tickets for this event must be purchased in advance through the Philadelphia Film Society. No box office sales will be conducted on the site at the event. All local and state guidelines will be followed. More information and guidelines can be found at www.phillyaidsthrift or follow PhillyAIDSThrift on Instagram. For more about Philadelphia Film Society, visit www.filmadelphia.org.
Gay partners Evan and Kane have spent the last two years in Yaoundé Central Prison after being convicted on May 17, 2019, of violating Cameroon’s law against homosexual activity.
They could go free right now — if they had money to pay the fines that the judge imposed on them along with the prison sentence. You can donate to help them.
As it is, they remain in their cells, disowned them by their families and suffering from malaria and chronic diarrhea. For their safety, they are identified in this article by pseudonyms rather than their real names.
Evan — tall, with dark skin, 29 years old — has lost weight during his two years eating nothing but meager prison food. Still, he has a calm temperament, so he often sits quietly, just thinking.
Kane — slight, light-skinned, 26 years old — is reserved, with a slightly feminine manner. He is so loyal to Evan that he was willing to go to prison to avoid being separated from him.
Until early 2019, the two men lived together peacefully and happily in a remote section of Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital city. Then Kane’s father got involved.
Disapproving of his son’s relationship with Evan, the father betrayed the couple to police. He asked Kane for a meeting to settle their disagreements. Kane accepted the invitation, not knowing that it was a trap.
When Kane and Evan arrived to meet Kane’s father, police confronted them. Arrest that man, the father said, pointing at Evan. But Kane objected.
“If you arrest him, I will go to prison too,” Kane said.
Police took him at his word and arrested both men on charges of homosexuality. They then referred the case to the public prosecutor.
While they awaited trial, Kane and Evan were jailed with no access to a lawyer. On May 17, 2019, they were sentenced to two years in prison plus fines and court costs totaling 390,850 CFA francs (about US $717). If they do not pay the money, they will have to spend an additional four months in prison.
During their time behind bars, Kane and Evan have kept their relationship secret in order to avoid exposing themselves to homophobic violence from guards and other prisoners.
But that has not spared them from misery. Because the prison is unsanitary and provides only one meal per day, each man has malaria and chronic diarrhea caused by poor nutrition, such as poorly cooked beans and corn.
Project Not Alone 2021, organized by the Erasing 76 Crimes news site, is raising money to pay the fines of Evan, Kane and six other LGBT prisoners so they can leave prison early.
The total needed is $7,226. Of that amount, $3,014 is to pay the fines for the eight LGBT men; $2,230 is for the expenses of pro-bono legal representation for three LGBT men who have been at the prison awaiting trial for more than a year; and $1,982 is for a series of four bimonthly deliveries of food and hygiene items to all 11 LGBT prisoners. None of the 11 prisoners has been charged with any criminal offenses other than homosexuality.
U.S. tax-deductible donations to Project Not Alone 2021 may be made via:
Alex Galchenyuk had plenty of memorable nights inside the Bell Centre. Galchenyuk set up two goals and scored into the empty net against his former team, Jack Campbell made 32 saves in his first playoff shutout, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in their first-round series. “It’s the playoffs, man,” Galchenyuk said when asked if he still speaks with anyone on the other team.
Twitch said the transgender, bisexual, Black and disabled tags – labels which gamers can add to their videos – will give a more inclusive experience to its 30 million daily users.
The world’s largest game streaming service Twitch has said that players will be able to add a transgender label to their videos – a move the company said would aid inclusion among its 30 million daily gamers.
Twitch, which lets users broadcast themselves playing video games, introduced “transgender”, “bisexual”, “Black” and “disabled” among more than 350 new tags – labels that users can add to their videos., it said.
“This has been one of the most popular requests we’ve heard, and the simple truth is that we should have done this sooner,” Amazon-owned Twitch said in a blog last week.
It then broadcast the news to users on Wednesday.
Tech firms have come under pressure to make their products more inclusive of transgender people, with Instagram and LinkedIn allowing users to add their pronouns to profiles, amid a fierce debate over what it means to be male or female.
A raft of United States states want to bar young, trans Americans from playing school sports or getting medical help, with a record 18 “anti-LGBTQ” state bills signed into law this year, according to advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
“Adding that trans tag it makes it very, very easy for us to find each other and to connect with each other,” Casey, who streams under the username CaseyExplosion and did not want to give her full name, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“That’s something that is vital because for a lot of gaming spaces, if you’re LGBT, there’s a sort of unspoken, ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’.”
The existing “LGBTQIA” tag was not specific enough to help trans people easily connect, particularly as the “A” meant “allies” of the community were included, said Laura Dale, who streams herself playing Pokemon and Zelda games as LauraKBuzz.
“LGBT is a pretty broad range of identities,” she said.
Twitch says about 70 percent of its users are aged 13 to 34. They collectively watch 68 million to 73 million hours of game play each day, according to unofficial data site Twitch Tracker.
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CLICK IMAGE TO DONATE TO FREE EVAN AND KANE. Illustration by Vincent Kyabayinze, East Africa Visual Artists (EAVA Artists)
