Home Blog Page 232

Finger: As Spurs face elimination, could more than a season end? – San Antonio Express-News

Kim Martel
-
0
Finger: As Spurs face elimination, could more than a season end? – San Antonio Express-News

If the end comes Wednesday night, there won’t be much time to ponder it.

Gregg Popovich will pull out his dry-erase board and draw up a play for Rudy Gay to trigger the inbound pass. Patty Mills will dart around a screen, his dreadlocks bouncing behind him, and then the ball will find its way into the hands of DeMar DeRozan.

From there it will go through the rim, or it won’t. And then, with little discussion and less fanfare, Popovich, Gay, Mills and DeRozan will move on to whatever’s next, whether it’s another game, another season, another team or a beachside villa.

The cliche regarding elimination games is “win or go home,” but that’s not quite right for everybody. In some cases, it might be “win or pick a new home.”

Have plans already been made? For at least a couple of the aforementioned men in various stages of advanced basketball age, probably so. For others a decision might not be final yet, even if they know full well how close they are to having to make one.

“Definitely I’ve thought about it once or twice,” Gay said Tuesday.

That’s only natural. As odd as the fit might have seemed when he signed four years ago, Gay has proved to be a consummate Spur, and the franchise has as many reasons to want him back as he has to want to stay here.

But like Mills and DeRozan, he will become a free agent when the season ends, and there’s a chance that end could come Wednesday in Memphis. Under the NBA’s new play-in tournament format, there will be no early-series feeling-out of the opponent, nor will there be any three-game deficits to brace everyone gradually for the conclusion of a playoff run, or of an era.

What challenges do the Spurs face in the play-in tournament?

Express-News sports writers discuss what the Spurs will need to do in order to make it past the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.


At around 8:50 p.m., the Spurs and Grizzlies both will be living entirely in the moment, immersed in trying to win a game and move on to face either the Warriors or the Lakers. And before the top of the hour, longtime teammates might be saying farewell for good.

Could Gay, Mills, DeRozan and Popovich all be back in San Antonio next season? Sure. But that’s not the likeliest outcome, especially for a franchise that figures to be focused on continued development in 2021-22. And at some point, whether it’s this weekend or six months from now, there’s a good chance we will look back and wish we could have spent a little more time in these final days appreciating somebody who was, in his own way, underrated.

That applies to Gay, who would have fit right in on any of the Spurs’ championship teams but had the bad luck of joining the most consistent winner of the 21st century just as it hit its downswing. The Spurs will be able to find a frontcourt piece with either more size or more quickness this offseason. But it’s unlikely they’ll find a guy equipped with a better attitude and skill set to be the first forward off the bench.

It applies to Mills, the last on-court link to those NBA titles, and maybe the next Spur to have his jersey retired. As Lonnie Walker noted Tuesday, for the post-“Big Three” San Antonio generation, Mills was the player who has “shown us the Spurs way,” not to mention being the team’s only real 3-point threat in an age when everybody else has a half-dozen of them.

He has endured his slumps, and his best days are behind him, just as Gay’s are. And if he never suits up for the Spurs after Wednesday night, there will be more than a few days when he’ll be missed.

The same goes for DeRozan, who in the three seasons since the Kawhi Leonard trade has been better in almost every sense than anyone in San Antonio could have expected him to be. Those who don’t realize that now will realize it later, I suspect.

And Popovich? As with Tim Duncan before him, do not expect any official goodbyes. (Unlike with Duncan before him, do not expect even a wave as he walks through a tunnel.)

It would not qualify as the most shocking development of our time to see Popovich return next season. But he is 72, and he will spend this July and August (possibly) coaching his country’s team in a competition that could lead to an Olympic gold medal. And for a guy who can spend his days anywhere, with anyone, it might be tough to go from that back to devising ways to clear the weak side for Jakob Poeltl.

He’ll do that Wednesday, though, and the rest of us would be wise to enjoy every bit of his sideline white-board scrawling, and Gay’s inbounds pass, and Mills’ dreadlocks fluttering around a screen, and DeRozan eyeing the rim.

Sure, all of it might happen again Friday.

Or never again.

mfinger@express-news.net

Twitter: @mikefinger

Why Sam Brownback worries about China as he takes on religious violence – Deseret News

News Editor
-
0
Why Sam Brownback worries about China as he takes on religious violence – Deseret News
This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.

Sam Brownback, who served as international religious freedom ambassador under President Donald Trump, left his post when President Joe Biden took office. But that doesn’t mean he’s done defending people of faith.

This spring, he’s been busy speaking and tweeting about religious violence and efforts to address it. In July, he’ll help host the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C.

I checked in with Brownback last week to discuss the State Department’s new report on religious persecution and what he feels are the best strategies to use to build a more peaceful world.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are the key threats facing international religious freedom right now?

There are a lot of threats and a lot of bad places in the world. But the one that makes my skin crawl is the use of technology to oppress religious minorities.

In China, there’s a virtual police state and the government is able to track if you go into a mosque or talk to a member of Falun Gong. With artificial intelligence, they can know where you are at any and all times. You become a suspect and the government can freeze you out of school or jobs.

China is saying it has a legitimate system for the rest of the world to emulate. We’re seeing pieces of the technology pop up in different places.

How can America more effectively combat religious persecution?

I think your approach needs to involve two things.

Number one, you have to show the benefits of guaranteeing everybody’s religious freedom. Show that it’s good for the economy and for your security.

Countries like the UAE, Uzbekistan and Sudan are opening up because they’re realizing it’s unwise to force everybody to believe the same thing.

The second thing is to build alliances and be willing to stand with them against the oppressors of religious freedom. That’s why we formed the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance that includes about 40 nations now. Previously, we didn’t have these sort of alliances around a human right, just security or economic alliances.

How would you describe the goal of this summer’s International Religious Freedom Summit?

As groups that work in this space start to find each other, they become more effective. Around the world, you are starting to see international religious freedom advocacy take the form of a global grassroots movement.

My hope is that it becomes like the human trafficking movement, which has been very successful at the grassroots level. Everyone works together to advocate, push for change, show what’s happening and push back if needed. It’s really helped with human trafficking and we need that for religious freedom.

A movement is starting to take shape around religious freedom. I think with the help of summits like this summer’s, it’s going to grow rapidly.

Why does this work call to you?

As you just said, it’s a calling. It’s just really touched my heart.

There’s just so much of this persecution and I think we’re really on the cusp of starting to turn the tide. The issue needs continued U.S. leadership and support, and I’m in the position of helping to organize the effort and I’m so honored to be part of it.

You meet with people who have been persecuted for their faith and you realize they’re good people. They don’t want to hurt the government. They don’t want to kill anybody. They just want to follow their soul’s conviction and they sometimes get the death penalty for it.

That’s terrible. How is that right?

When I was in Taiwan a couple of years ago, the thought hit me that I’ve been given this chance to be God’s hands and feet on a cause that he’s got millions of people praying to him around the world about. I get to be part of the answer to their prayers.

Did you consider staying on in your ambassador role in the Biden administration?

I did consider staying on, but I think I’m too much of a conservative for them. On religious freedom it would have been a good fit, but, outside of that, in so many other areas, like abortion rights, I wouldn’t have been a good fit.

The summit does have a Democratic co-chairwoman, Katrina Lantos Swett. Her dad was a great human rights leader. She knows the topic well.

OK, we’ve made it to my favorite question: If you had to recommend a book, TV show, podcast or movie to someone who likes religion news, what would you recommend?

The most encouraging book I’ve read, outside the Bible, is “Imagine Heaven.” It talks about near-death experiences all over the world and in all different cultures. It’s eyewitness accounts of the other side, and it is a glorious book.

Fresh off the press

Six years ago, the state of Indiana passed new religious freedom protections and lots of people freaked out. Sports leagues threatened to stop holding tournaments in the state and leaders of other states announced they’d no longer pay for nonessential trips to Indiana. This year, both South Dakota and Montana passed similar laws and faced very little national backlash. In my latest article, I try to explain how that’s possible.

Terms of the week: Eid al-Fitr and Eid Mubarak

Eid al-Fitr, which is Arabic for the festival of breaking fast, is the holiday that comes at the end of Ramadan. Muslims celebrate by dressing up, exchanging gifts and spending time with loved ones. Eid Mubarak, on the other hand, is the greeting that Muslims typically exchange (and non-Muslims share with the Muslim community) during Eid al-Fitr. This year, Eid al-Fitr began the evening of May 12.

What I’m reading …

Something that often comes up in my coverage of religious freedom and gay rights is faith groups’ regret over how their leaders and members treated the LGBTQ community in the recent past. Prominent pastors attacked gay Americans, painting them as disordered and disgusting. In a piece for Christianity Today, scholar Matthew Lee Anderson argues that the Christian community’s failure to atone for this behavior helps explain why many liberals are uninterested in boosting religious freedom protections today. “We now find ourselves in a position where progressive LGBT activists must decide whether to treat (conservative evangelicals) better than we once treated them by extending recognition through protections that they were once denied,” he wrote.

On a related note, a new analysis from the Survey Center on American Life argues that public support for transgender rights is likely to surge over the next decade or so, just as support for gay rights rose dramatically in recent years. The key factor driving both the predicted shift and the shift that has already occurred is the share of Americans who personally know someone who is gay or transgender.

I keep stumbling on stories about death. More specifically, stories about why it’s good to think about your own mortality. Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, a Catholic nun who advocates for this practice, says thinking about your death helps you lead a more fulfilling and more joyful life. “We try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness,” she recently told The New York Times. “But it’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them.”

Odds and ends

In case you missed it, I recently recorded a video with attorney Lori Windham from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty on the most significant religion case in front of the Supreme Court this term.

I’m taking part in a religion and foreign policy conference this week, so follow me on Twitter to see highlights from the panel discussions. Speakers will cover topics like migration, COVID-19 and religious nationalism.

Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – Saanich News

News Editor
-
0
Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – Saanich News

A man who is challenging Canada’s policy that prohibits sexually active gay men from donating blood wants to know why the Trudeau government is trying to block his case, despite a 2015 Liberal pledge to end the ban.

Christopher Karas brought a human-rights complaint against Health Canada in 2016 and three years later the Canadian Human Rights Commission decided to refer the matter to a tribunal for a more substantial probe.

But the federal government has since launched a judicial review to stop the complaint from going further, arguing that it is about a policy not set by Health Canada, but rather by the Canadian Blood Services — an arm’s-length agency.

Karas says he is confused and upset Ottawa is challenging his case, especially since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised repeatedly since 2015 his government would end the gay blood ban.

“I was caught off guard when I saw the application for judicial review because it was my impression that the federal government wanted this policy to be eliminated. But we’re seeing here the complete opposite,” Karas said in an interview.

“From the very beginning, I’ve felt of very little value, I’ve felt that I can’t contribute and this was just confirming that … I would have thought by now we would have made more progress.”

The policy of excluding men who have had recent sex with men (MSM) from donating blood or plasma — originally a lifetime ban — was implemented in 1992 after thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through tainted blood products.

Donor eligibility criteria has changed since then, including in 2019 when Health Canada approved requests from Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec to decrease the deferral period of the time men must abstain from sexual activity with other men before donating blood from one year to three months.

Trudeau has pledged multiple times since 2015 to eliminate the gay blood ban and to date his government has committed $3 million toward research on moving toward more behaviour-based donation policies.

But despite repeated calls from health and LGBTQ2S advocates and despite an explicit mention of Trudeau’s promise in Health Minister Patty Hajdu’s mandate letter, no further policy changes have materialized.

In its legal application to the Federal Court, the government argues it is “not a proper party to a complaint about the MSM policy.”

“Health Canada does not require, implement or administer the MSM policy or any other blood screening policy,” the federal government says in its judicial review application.

“CBS (Canada Blood Services) develops its policies and procedures independently, and at arm’s length, from Health Canada.”

It further argues the independence of the blood agency from the federal government from political interference is “a cornerstone of Canada’s blood system” and was one of the key recommendations of the Krever Commission, launched in response to Canada’s tainted blood scandal.

But Karas’s lawyer, Shakir Rahim, argues this argument doesn’t hold water because Health Canada is the regulator for the country’s blood system, and therefore has a role in the Canadian Blood Services’ policies, including the MSM ban.

“They’re trying to say that the actions of Health Canada as it relates to the blood ban should just not be examined at all, and that raises a lot of concerns, particularly because it is this government and its successive ministers of health, that have taken a position that they are going to end the blood ban,” Rahim said.

“(This) sets up a bit of a contradiction that we think is at the heart of the problems with the government’s case here.”

The issue has been raised multiple times over the years by opposition MPs in the House of Commons, including last week during question period.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel-Garner both pressed government ministers on the issue, calling it discriminatory and homophobic.

“This is harmful and upsetting to the gay community. That is clear and the Liberals know it,” Singh said.

“Why did the prime minister campaign on withdrawing this ban when he is now defending it in court?”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said she “agrees that this is a discriminatory practice that is hurting a lot of Canadians” and promised Ottawa is “working very hard right now to eliminate it.”

“At the same time, we respect the independence of Canadian institutions, especially when it comes to medical and scientific issues.”

The judicial review is scheduled to be heard in Federal Court on May 27.

—Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press

RELATED: Royal Bay pride crosswalk restored following graffiti attack

RELATED: Study looks at how HIV self-tests can help queer people overcome health-care hurdles

Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – Peace Arch News – Peace Arch News

News Editor
-
0
Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – Peace Arch News – Peace Arch News

A man who is challenging Canada’s policy that prohibits sexually active gay men from donating blood wants to know why the Trudeau government is trying to block his case, despite a 2015 Liberal pledge to end the ban.

Christopher Karas brought a human-rights complaint against Health Canada in 2016 and three years later the Canadian Human Rights Commission decided to refer the matter to a tribunal for a more substantial probe.

But the federal government has since launched a judicial review to stop the complaint from going further, arguing that it is about a policy not set by Health Canada, but rather by the Canadian Blood Services — an arm’s-length agency.

Karas says he is confused and upset Ottawa is challenging his case, especially since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised repeatedly since 2015 his government would end the gay blood ban.

“I was caught off guard when I saw the application for judicial review because it was my impression that the federal government wanted this policy to be eliminated. But we’re seeing here the complete opposite,” Karas said in an interview.

“From the very beginning, I’ve felt of very little value, I’ve felt that I can’t contribute and this was just confirming that … I would have thought by now we would have made more progress.”

The policy of excluding men who have had recent sex with men (MSM) from donating blood or plasma — originally a lifetime ban — was implemented in 1992 after thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through tainted blood products.

Donor eligibility criteria has changed since then, including in 2019 when Health Canada approved requests from Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec to decrease the deferral period of the time men must abstain from sexual activity with other men before donating blood from one year to three months.

Trudeau has pledged multiple times since 2015 to eliminate the gay blood ban and to date his government has committed $3 million toward research on moving toward more behaviour-based donation policies.

But despite repeated calls from health and LGBTQ2S advocates and despite an explicit mention of Trudeau’s promise in Health Minister Patty Hajdu’s mandate letter, no further policy changes have materialized.

In its legal application to the Federal Court, the government argues it is “not a proper party to a complaint about the MSM policy.”

“Health Canada does not require, implement or administer the MSM policy or any other blood screening policy,” the federal government says in its judicial review application.

“CBS (Canada Blood Services) develops its policies and procedures independently, and at arm’s length, from Health Canada.”

It further argues the independence of the blood agency from the federal government from political interference is “a cornerstone of Canada’s blood system” and was one of the key recommendations of the Krever Commission, launched in response to Canada’s tainted blood scandal.

But Karas’s lawyer, Shakir Rahim, argues this argument doesn’t hold water because Health Canada is the regulator for the country’s blood system, and therefore has a role in the Canadian Blood Services’ policies, including the MSM ban.

“They’re trying to say that the actions of Health Canada as it relates to the blood ban should just not be examined at all, and that raises a lot of concerns, particularly because it is this government and its successive ministers of health, that have taken a position that they are going to end the blood ban,” Rahim said.

“(This) sets up a bit of a contradiction that we think is at the heart of the problems with the government’s case here.”

The issue has been raised multiple times over the years by opposition MPs in the House of Commons, including last week during question period.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel-Garner both pressed government ministers on the issue, calling it discriminatory and homophobic.

“This is harmful and upsetting to the gay community. That is clear and the Liberals know it,” Singh said.

“Why did the prime minister campaign on withdrawing this ban when he is now defending it in court?”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said she “agrees that this is a discriminatory practice that is hurting a lot of Canadians” and promised Ottawa is “working very hard right now to eliminate it.”

“At the same time, we respect the independence of Canadian institutions, especially when it comes to medical and scientific issues.”

The judicial review is scheduled to be heard in Federal Court on May 27.

—Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press

RELATED: Royal Bay pride crosswalk restored following graffiti attack

RELATED: Study looks at how HIV self-tests can help queer people overcome health-care hurdles

Southtowners: 9-1-1 workers honored in Will County, Marist students lauded for journalism, and more – Chicago Tribune

Kim Martel
-
0
Southtowners: 9-1-1 workers honored in Will County, Marist students lauded for journalism, and more – Chicago Tribune

Amber Johnson and Kim Kreml from WESCOM were honored with Life Saving Awards. Telecommunicators honored with Individual Merit Awards include Katrina Bobel, Breanna Brouillette, Meghan Callahan, Sabrina Justice, Randi McHugh, Jennifer Pinnick, John Trendl, Liz Valencia all from the LCC, and Elise Wilson from WESCOM. Several others received Meritorious Team Commendations for their exemplary performances.

Jerry Bruckheimer Weighs in on Tarantino’s ‘Top Gun’ Gay Film Monologue: ‘A Compliment’ – IndieWire

News Editor
-
0
Jerry Bruckheimer Weighs in on Tarantino’s ‘Top Gun’ Gay Film Monologue: ‘A Compliment’ – IndieWire

“Top Gun” producer Jerry Bruckheimer celebrated the film’s 35th anniversary this month by reflecting on the movie’s unexpected legacy as a gay film in an interview with Vulture. This reading of the film was immortalized by Quentin Tarantino, who has a single scene in the 1994 movie “Sleep with Me” in which he appears to give a monologue explaining why the Tom Cruise-starring “Top Gun” is really “a story about a man’s struggle with his own homosexuality.”

“You’ve got Maverick, all right?” Tarantino’s character says. “He’s on the edge, man. He’s right on the fucking line, all right? And you’ve got Iceman, and all his crew. They’re gay, they represent the gay man, all right? And they’re saying, go, go the gay way, go the gay way. He could go both ways…Kelly McGillis, she’s heterosexuality. She’s saying: no, no, no, no, no, no, go the normal way, play by the rules, go the normal way. They’re saying no, go the gay way, be the gay way, go for the gay way, all right? That is what’s going on throughout that whole movie.’

Related

Related

Tarantino’s monologue and the blatant homoerotic undertones of the film’s signature oiled-up beach volleyball game have long kept “Top Gun” at least tangentially related to gay cinema. Asked by Vulture what he makes of the homoerotic reading of “Top Gun,” Bruckheimer said he embraces it even if that was not the specific intention of the filmmaking team.

“When you make a movie, people can interpret it in any way they want and see something in it that the filmmakers had no idea they were tapping,” Bruckheimer said. “So we’re surprised every time we hear something talked about, or written about, the films that we make that have no real context for the filmmakers or what the filmmakers wanted to do. And yet there’s a relevance to them, because people believe it.”

And Bruckheimer only views the Tarantino monologue as a good thing, adding, “[Director] Tony [Scott] and Quentin were very good friends. In fact, Quentin came in and helped Tony and myself on ‘Crimson Tide.’ He came in and wrote a couple of scenes for us. So there was a great camaraderie and respect between Quentin and Tony. Coming from Quentin, it’s always a compliment.”

Tarantino loves “Top Gun” so much, he questioned Tom Cruise’s decision to return for a sequel, the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick.” While appearing on the ReelBlend podcast, the “Pulp Fiction” director said he picked Cruise’s brain about why the actor would make another “Top Gun” without Tony Scott, who passed away in 2012. Cruise told Tarantino that the script pushed his character into a new direction that was too appealing to pass up. The film will open in theaters November 19 via Paramount Pictures.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

Polsinelli, Gay Bankruptcy Atty To Arbitrate Bias Claims – Law360

News Editor
-
0
Polsinelli, Gay Bankruptcy Atty To Arbitrate Bias Claims – Law360
Law360 (May 18, 2021, 4:49 PM EDT) — Polsinelli PC and a prominent bankruptcy attorney who claimed the firm denied him resources and boxed him of meetings because he is gay have agreed to arbitrate their dispute, both sides told a Texas federal court Tuesday.

Former Polsinelli partner Trey A. Monsour — who is now a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP — and his former firm said in a stipulation that they had decided to end his pending lawsuit and hash out their differences in arbitration.

Last month, the firm argued in its motion to dismiss that Monsour’s employment agreement contained a binding arbitration provision that he “ignored” by…

Napa Valley LGBTQ Pride Scheduled for the Month of June – wineindustryadvisor.com

Kim Martel
-
0
Napa Valley LGBTQ Pride Scheduled for the Month of June – wineindustryadvisor.com
Advertisement

Several events planned to celebrate Napa County’s LGBTQ community members and families

May 18, 2021, Napa, CA – Napa Pride Month returns in June 2021, featuring a variety of events scheduled with proceeds to benefit local LGBTQ organizations. Napa Valley LGBTQ Pride offers events all month long including the Second Annual Pride Cruise Night on Saturday, June 5, an LGBT q+a Panel for parents and teens on Friday, June 11, the Annual Rainbow Play Date for families with littles on Saturday, June 12, the annual Dining Out at the Q on Thursday, June 17 and the American Canyon Pride Pop Up on Sunday, June 27, with more events being added soon.

After being limited to the inaugural Pride Cruise Night and Pride is a Protest March in June 2020, event organizers are thrilled to be able to gather – safely – together again in 2021.

Ian Stanley Posadas, of partner organization LGBTQ Connection, explained, “This diverse lineup of events wouldn’t have happened without the collaboration of Rainbow Action Network, DJ Rotten Robbie, and LGBTQ Connection. There really is something for everyone, and even bonus events in development thanks to the group’s creativity and community connections! After the hard year that so many of our communities have been through, we can’t wait to celebrate togetherness, resiliency, and keeping up the fight for an inclusive and equitable community.”

The line-up of events, to date:

Pride Cruise Night 

Saturday, June 5, 2021
Jefferson Street, Napa
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Come out and celebrate Pride Month while remaining socially distant. Decorate your cars to show your Pride! Drive up and down Jefferson from Trancas St. to Downtown Napa. We’ll have prizes for best decorated cars and ways to make donations to LGBTQ Connection Napa. KVYN 99.3 FM The Vine will broadcast Pride music by DJ Rotten Robbie for you to blast in your car. Please drive safely & observe socially distant rules. More info to come! Follow the event on Facebook to stay in the loop. An LGBTQ+ friendly event, welcoming all friends, family & allies. You only have to drive straight.

Pride Cruise Night Afterparty at The Hollywood Room

Saturday, June 5, 2021
2485 Stockton St, Napa
9:00 PM to Close

The official Pride Cruise after party, beginning at 9:00pm, will again be at the The Hollywood Room at Napa Valley Distillery, located at 2485 Stockton Street off California Blvd. in Napa. Celebrate the best decorated cars and enjoy craft cocktails at Napa’s grooviest bar! Appropriate masks and social distancing will be in effect.

LGBT Q&A Panel

Friday, June 11, 2021
Via Zoom
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

This panel is led by the 2021 youth leadership team at LGBTQ Connection and will feature both queer teen panelists and parents who identify as queer. This will be a safe space to ask any and all questions about queer identity, experiences and more. If parents and children are connecting in the same household, we recommend using separate devices to help with privacy and safety. Register at napavalleypride.org.

Rainbow Play Date

Saturday, June 12, 2021
Fuller Park, Napa
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Join LGBTQ and Ally families for our annual Pride Month Rainbow Play Date on Saturday, June 12th at 10am! All Families, Kids, Genders, Identities, and Races are welcomed and celebrated at Rainbow Play Dates! Enjoy rainbow crafts, diverse books, snacks, connection and more. We will have a short children’s Pride Parade at 11am. This event is hosted by Rainbow Action Network. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, we must limit this Play Date to 15 families. Families that register after the event is full will still receive a rainbow activity pack (up to 35 families). Register at napavalleypride.org.

Dining Out at the Q

Thursday, June 17, 2021
3900 Bel Aire Plaza D, Napa
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Join us on Thursday June 17th for the annual patio party at The Q! This is always such a fun event and Gene, Kelly & crew always make this a great party. Come out and celebrate Pride with great drink and food specials. A portion of the proceeds goes to LGBTQ Connection Napa and the Rainbow Action Network. The event start sat 4 for folks with kids who want to come early. Reservations will be available for the 5:00 to closing seatings. Call the restaurant to make reservations. 707-224-6600. https://theqrandb.com/

Taste The Rainbow at Cadet Wine Bar

Saturday June 19
930 Franklin St, Napa, CA 94559
6:00 pm to close

The staff at Cadet Wine Bar will be pouring a “Taste The Rainbow” flight of wines at what has become a yearly event for Pride. A portion of the proceeds of each flight will benefit LGBTQ Connection Napa and the Rainbow Action Network. Also raffles, rainbow tchotchkes and Pride cookies by Annie The Baker will help raise more much needed funds. DJ Rotten Robbie will be spinning the tunes. Dancing in the alley anyone? 21 and over only.

Wine and Pride: An Evening with Grammy® Award Winning Jody Watley

Saturday, June 26, 2021
Charles Krug Estate, St. Helena
Performances at 5:30 PM & 8:30 PM

Blue Note Napa presents Grammy® winning Artist Jody Watley outside at Napa Valley’s Oldest Wine Estate, the Charles Krug Winery located in St. Helena. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold will benefit LGBTQ Connection Napa and the Rainbow Action Network. Jody Watley is one of the architects of 21st century pop. From her groundbreaking marriage of rap & R&B, to her vision-forward marriage of personal branding and mix of high fashion fused with street style and music in the ‘80s (long before it became the norm), Watley creates a space where B-boys, drag queens and trans people are all in harmony to her fusion of jazz with keen pop instincts, and the ease with which she crossed and still crosses genre into the new millennium. Tickets at napavalleypride.org.

American Canyon Pride Pop Up 

Sunday, June 27, 2021
Community Park 1, American Canyon
11:00 AM  – 3:00 PM

Come out, celebrate, and get connected with your local LGBTQ community, friends & family for some fun in the sun. We’ll have park games, food vendors, and a free raffle for everyone who shows up!

In addition to the events, Rainbow Action Network will be installing Rainbow Little Libraries throughout Napa County by the first weekend in June. They will be distributing 500 diverse and bilingual children’s books (with bookmarks to guide family discussions) out into the community and installing 10 new Rainbow Little Libraries in areas that don’t have current Little Free Libraries. Anne Sutkowi-Hemstreet – of partner organization Rainbow Action Network – highlights that “this project provides children in our community with books that reflect diverse races, cultures, genders, and family structures and aims to help families have conversations about race, gender, LGBTQ inclusion, and standing up against unfairness.”

For more information, to register for events, and to keep up an all the Napa Pride happenings, please visit www.napavalleypride.org.

For more information on LGBTQ Connection Napa, please visit lgbtqconnection.org

Advertisement

Ben Platt breaks hearts in first trailer for iconic gay musical Dear Evan Hansen – PinkNews

News Editor
-
0
Ben Platt breaks hearts in first trailer for iconic gay musical Dear Evan Hansen – PinkNews

The first trailer for the star-studded film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen has just dropped.

The Tony-award winning musical debuted on Broadway in 2016, soon becoming hugely popular and especially beloved by queer audiences.

The film version of the musical, from Universal, is set for release in September, 2021, with Ben Platt reprising his award-winning turn as Evan Hansen.

Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a teenager with a social anxiety disorder who yearns for connection with his peers, so much so that he pretends to have been the best friend of a student who died by suicide in an effort to become closer to his family.

The heart-wrenching trailer, dropped by Universal on Tuesday (18 May), moved fans to tears, with one writing on Twitter: “Dear Evan Hansen is one of my favorite Broadway musicals of all time! This is gonna emotionally destroy me, the trailer had me explode into tears! They got the perfect cast for this movie.”

“Made a mistake and watched the Dear Evan Hansen trailer,” tweeted another.

“Now I have to stop crying before giving a big presentation in a few minutes. Wish me luck.”

A YouTube commenter added: “Dear Evan Hansen has the potential to save a lot of lives and comes at a time when a lot of people need to hear that they are not alone.

“You are not alone. Please never feel like you are. Please never feel like you can’t reach out. Thank you for this.

“If I’m already crying watching the trailer then I’m gonna be a puddle of a mess during the actual full movie.”

The musical film is directed by Stephen Chbosky, writer and director of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and also stars Julianne Moore as Evan’s mother Heidi Hansen, Colton Ryan as Connor Murphy, the teen who Evan pretends to have been friends with, and Amy Adams as Cynthia Murphy, his mother.

Ben Platt breaks hearts in first trailer for iconic gay musical Dear Evan Hansen – Yahoo Eurosport UK

Kim Martel
-
0
Ben Platt breaks hearts in first trailer for iconic gay musical Dear Evan Hansen – Yahoo Eurosport UK

The first trailer for the star-studded film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen has just dropped.

The Tony-award winning musical debuted on Broadway in 2016, soon becoming hugely popular and especially beloved by queer audiences.

The film version of the musical, from Universal, is set for release in September, 2021, with Ben Platt reprising his award-winning turn as Evan Hansen.

Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a teenager with a social anxiety disorder who yearns for connection with his peers, so much so that he pretends to have been the best friend of a student who died by suicide in an effort to become closer to his family.

The heart-wrenching trailer, dropped by Universal on Tuesday (18 May), moved fans to tears, with one writing on Twitter: “Dear Evan Hansen is one of my favorite Broadway musicals of all time! This is gonna emotionally destroy me, the trailer had me explode into tears! They got the perfect cast for this movie.”

“Made a mistake and watched the Dear Evan Hansen trailer,” tweeted another.

“Now I have to stop crying before giving a big presentation in a few minutes. Wish me luck.”

A YouTube commenter added: “Dear Evan Hansen has the potential to save a lot of lives and comes at a time when a lot of people need to hear that they are not alone.

“You are not alone. Please never feel like you are. Please never feel like you can’t reach out. Thank you for this.

“If I’m already crying watching the trailer then I’m gonna be a puddle of a mess during the actual full movie.”

The musical film is directed by Stephen Chbosky, writer and director of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and also stars Julianne Moore as Evan’s mother Heidi Hansen, Colton Ryan as Connor Murphy, the teen who Evan pretends to have been friends with, and Amy Adams as Cynthia Murphy, his mother.

Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – CP24 Toronto’s Breaking News

News Editor
-
0
Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – CP24 Toronto’s Breaking News

OTTAWA – A man who is challenging Canada’s policy that prohibits sexually active gay men from donating blood wants to know why the Trudeau government is trying to block his case, despite a 2015 Liberal pledge to end the ban.

Christopher Karas brought a human-rights complaint against Health Canada in 2016 and three years later the Canadian Human Rights Commission decided to refer the matter to a tribunal for a more substantial probe.

But the federal government has launched a judicial review to stop the complaint from going further, arguing that it is about a policy not set by Health Canada, but rather by the Canadian Blood Services – an arm’s-length agency.

Karas says he is confused and upset Ottawa is challenging his case, especially since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised repeatedly since 2015 his government would end the gay blood ban.

The policy of excluding men who have had recent sex with men from donating blood or plasma – originally a lifetime ban – was implemented in 1992 after thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through tainted blood products.

Karas’ lawyer, Shakir Rahim, argues Health Canada is the regulator for the country’s blood system, and therefore has a role in the Canadian Blood Services’ policies, including the ban.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

Photos: Remembering actor Charles Grodin, 1935-2021 | Movies | azdailysun.com – Arizona Daily Sun

Kim Martel
-
0
Photos: Remembering actor Charles Grodin, 1935-2021 | Movies | azdailysun.com – Arizona Daily Sun

Actors Charles Grodin, left, and Paul Newman, right, sit before the state legislature’s Judiciary Committee to urge Connecticut lawmakers to help protect their image in Hartford, Conn., Friday, March 24, 2006. Grodin and Newman, along with actor Christopher Plummer, supported a bill to forbid someone from using another person’s so-called “right of publicity,” such as their name, voice, signature, photograph, image, likeness, distinctive appearance, gestures or mannerisms for commercial purposes without proper consent. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Tenn. Gov. Lee: Bridge fix will require ‘patience’ – The Daily Memphian

News Editor
-
0
Tenn. Gov. Lee: Bridge fix will require ‘patience’ – The Daily Memphian

Blake Fontenay

Blake Fontenay’s 27-year journalism career has taken him to many newspapers in four states. However, he had never returned to work in any of the other cities where he had been before until the opportunity to report for the Daily Memphian presented itself. He covers business for the Daily Memphian.

ProcureAM Launches LGBT ETF in Partnership with LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings – StreetInsider.com

Kim Martel
-
0
ProcureAM Launches LGBT ETF in Partnership with LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings – StreetInsider.com


ProcureAM Launches LGBT ETF in Partnership with LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings















Get it on Google Play

FREE Breaking News Alerts from StreetInsider.com!


StreetInsider.com Top Tickers, 5/20/2021


May 18, 2021 3:15 PM EDT

Get inside Wall Street with StreetInsider Premium. Claim your 1-week free trial here.

First-ever diversity- and inclusion-driven fund to incorporate LGBTQ community survey data

LEVITTOWN, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 18, 2021 / ProcureAM, a wholly owned subsidiary of Procure Holdings, LLC, launched the LGBTQ + ESG100 ETF (NASDAQ: LGBT) on May 18, 2021, in partnership with LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc. (LGBTQ Loyalty) and its wholly owned subsidiary Advancing Equality Preference, Inc.

LGBT trades on the Nasdaq and tracks the LGBTQ100 ESG Index (Index Ticker: LGBTQ100), which identifies the top 100 corporations that most align with the LGBTQ community across America. It is the first-ever index to incorporate LGBTQ community survey data into the methodology, generating a benchmark of the nation’s highest-performing companies that are most committed to advancing equality.

“Pressing corporations to implement diversity and ensure that their practices represent a commitment to LGBTQ equality is important,” said Barney Frank, former U.S. Congressman and LGBTQ Loyalty board member. “So is providing a positive incentive. Giving the LGBTQ community, and our friends and allies, a way to do this through their investments is the best example of this approach. I am proud to be a part of this effort, which brings together two of the major themes of my work in Congress: a financial system that serves both private and public needs, and human rights,” added Frank.

LGBT is the inaugural ETF launched via the Procure Asset Launchpad (PAL), ProcureAM’s partnered platform.

“With a combined two decades of experience working with third-party ETF platforms, we have developed a unique partnership model to improve upon the options currently available in the marketplace,” said Andrew Chanin, CEO of ProcureAM. “We couldn’t think of a better partner than LGBTQ Loyalty and its prestigious board of directors to launch this arm of our business with, and we look forward to continuing to expand our platform to help reshape the exchange-traded product landscape.”

Other distinguished members of the LGBTQ Loyalty Board of Directors include Major League Baseball Vice President and Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Billy Bean; International Tennis Hall of Famer, Martina Navratilova; LGBTQ media entrepreneur and former world-ranked tennis professional, Bobby Blair; and former CEO of Pride Media, Orlando Reece.

For additional information on PAL ETFs, please visit www.PALETFs.com.

About ProcureAM
Procure Asset Launchpad (PAL) ETFs is the collaboration arm of ProcureAM, which helps third parties bring their exchange-traded fund (ETF) ideas to market. ProcureAM, LLC (ProcureAM) is an innovative exchange-traded product (ETP) issuer based in Levittown, Pennsylvania. Established by renowned industry veterans Robert Tull and Andrew Chanin, ProcureAM offers a unique platform for the creation of both proprietary and partnered ETPs. ProcureAM listens to clients and endeavors to provide investors with access to distinct investment opportunities. Whether you are looking to invest in ETPs or create one, contact ProcureAM to explore your performance potential: www.ProcureETFs.com.

About LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc.
LGBTQ Loyalty is a diversity- and inclusion-driven financial methodology and data company that quantifies corporate equality alignment with the LGBTQ community and minority interest groups. The Company has benchmarked the first-ever U.S. Loyalty Preference Index, which the Company believes empowers the LGBTQ community to express their preferences for the nation’s high-performing corporations most dedicated to advancing equality. The Loyalty Preference Index, branded as the LGBTQ100 ESG Index, is an environmental, social and governance (ESG) Index, offering an added perspective for those seeking to align with equality-driven, ESG-responsible corporations. LGBTQ Loyalty’s leadership includes seasoned authorities in the financial industry and the LGBTQ community. For more information, please visit www.lgbtqloyalty.com

Media Contacts:
Gregory FCA for ProcureAM
Sam Marinelli, 610-246-9928
LGBTQL@gregoryfca.com

LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc.
press@lgbtql.com, 1-310-870-9661

The LGBTQ100 ESG index tracks equality-driven U.S. companies from a universe of 500 publicly traded large-cap corporations. The companies are also screened to insure they meet the index provider’s methodology ESG compliance, by a world leading provider of corporate governance and responsible investment. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Please consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before you invest. This and other important information is contained in the Fund’s summary prospectus and prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting www.PALETFs.com or call 1-866-690-3837. Read carefully before you invest.

Investing involves Risk. Principal loss is possible. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), may trade at a discount or premium to NAV and are not individually redeemed from the funds. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Additional Fund risks include: Technology Sector Risk, Healthcare Sector Risk, Finance Sector Risk, Concentration Risk, Cyber Security Risk, and Liquidity Risk. For additional information, please see the prospectus.

A strategy or emphasis on environmental, social and governance factors (“ESG”) may limit the investment opportunities available to a portfolio. Therefore, the portfolio may underperform or perform differently than other portfolios that do not have an ESG investment focus. A portfolio’s ESG investment focus may also result in the portfolio investing in securities or industry sectors that perform differently or maintain a different risk profile than the market generally or compared to underlying holdings that are not screened for ESG standards.

Distributed by Quasar Distributors LLC

SOURCE: ProcureAM

View source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/648037/ProcureAM-Launches-LGBT-ETF-in-Partnership-with-LGBTQ-Loyalty-Holdings

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

You May Also Be Interested In



Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – CTV News

News Editor
-
0
Gay activist upset at Ottawa’s attempt to block challenge of blood-donation ban – CTV News

OTTAWA — A man who is challenging Canada’s policy that prohibits sexually active gay men from donating blood wants to know why the Trudeau government is trying to block his case, despite a 2015 Liberal pledge to end the ban.

Christopher Karas brought a human-rights complaint against Health Canada in 2016 and three years later the Canadian Human Rights Commission decided to refer the matter to a tribunal for a more substantial probe.

But the federal government has launched a judicial review to stop the complaint from going further, arguing that it is about a policy not set by Health Canada, but rather by the Canadian Blood Services — an arm’s-length agency.

Karas says he is confused and upset Ottawa is challenging his case, especially since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised repeatedly since 2015 his government would end the gay blood ban.

The policy of excluding men who have had recent sex with men from donating blood or plasma — originally a lifetime ban — was implemented in 1992 after thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through tainted blood products.

Karas’ lawyer, Shakir Rahim, argues Health Canada is the regulator for the country’s blood system, and therefore has a role in the Canadian Blood Services’ policies, including the ban.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2021.

1...231232233...466Page 232 of 466
© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv