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Kaunas local authority denies permit for LGBT Pride parade in city center – EN DELFI

“Pursuant to legislation, we cannot restrict the freedom of self-expression and prohibit such marches. The local authority is neither in favor nor against such an event. However, first and foremost, we have to ensure and take care of the safety of all Kaunas residents and guests,” Paulius Keras, deputy director of Kaunas Municipal Administration, said in comments sent on Thursday.

Potential routes of the march had been rejected either due to infrastructure renovation works in progress at certain sections along the proposed paths of the parade or due to “disproportionate inconvenience” the march would bring to local residents, he added.

Last week, the organizers of the parade asked for a permit to march via Laisves Aleja (Freedom Alley), the local authority said adding that safe and smooth passage of a large number of people along the alley could not be ensured due to its continuing reconstruction, among other things.

Organizers have said that the Kaunas Pride parade is planned to be held in Kaunas on September 4.

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‘Gutfeld!’: What if Twitter removed trending pages? – Fox News

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This is a rush transcript from “Gutfeld!” on June 8, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Do you have any plans to visit the border?

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At some point, you know, I — we are going to the border. We’ve been to the border. So this whole — this whole — this whole thing about the border, we’ve been to the border. We’ve been to the border.

HOLT: You haven’t been to the border.

HARRIS: And I haven’t been to Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS HOST: Maybe you should get out more princess laughing pants. It’s funny because she laughs and she’s wearing pants.

Well, that didn’t end well. I speak of Kat’s night out last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Oh, she leaves awake of damaged furniture in tears. But I also speak of actress Ellie Kemper folding to the woke. Here’s a recap from the most handsome man on television. Ellie Kemper star of the office at Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is under attack after online idiots declared she was a racist for crime. In 1999, a St. Louis business group named her their queen of love and beauty.

The group used to be a whites-only been integrated 20 years before she won her crown, 20 years. it’s hard to absorb the news when it’s coming from someone that gorgeous. Now we did a segment, we saluted Kemper for not responding to the Twitter mob calling for her scalp. No offense, Elizabeth Warren. But that’s how you beat cancer culture. You realize it’s just a dozen losers screaming for attention from a content start media.

Like newborn babies, you let them scream until they scream themselves out. 

That’s what my mom did to me in the woods. Without camphor would outlast the mob, kind of like Katie Pavlich powering through a hangover. But sadly just days later Kemper grovel to the woke police offering not just an apology, but a confession once so pathetic embarrass John Cena or Cena. 

TYRUS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONTRIBUTOR: I warned you.

GUTFELD: I know. Yes, I know. It had all the woke catchphrases and I “I unequivocally deplore, denounce and reject white supremacy. At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that dispense unequal justice and unequal rewards.” 

POW speak more off the cuff than that. But she follows the script. There is a very natural temptation when you become the subject of internet criticism to tell yourself that your detractors are getting it all wrong.

But I realized that a lot of the forces behind the criticism are forces that I spent my life supporting and agreeing with. Did Jane Fonda write this? She then said she was grateful for her humiliation and tells us that she will use her privilege and support for the better society. I think we’re capable of becoming. Well how nauseating of her. So what if we all followed her lead? Every single person playing pro baseball has to apologize for participating in a league that wants segregated blacks.

And that also includes baseball fans, baseball cap wares, and anyone who’s ever tried to get to second base on a date. Also, every Democrat must apologize and demand a name change for their political party. It was the party of slavery and Jim Crow after all. They fought a war to keep slaves. 

Joe Biden even gave a eulogy for a Democrat leader Robert Byrd who was a KKK, Kleagle or Grand Poobah, whatever those idiots call each other.

So think about this. Kemper was a debutante for an organization, one she didn’t know was racist even before she was born. But every single Democrat became a Democrat knowing they were once the party of slavery, as people often say to me in the SONA, wow, that can’t be right.

Now, I never know what gets a laugh these days. I understand Kemper. She’s terrified of being ostracized, like most actors, they desperately want to be liked and they can’t speak unless they have a script and a consultant.

Without that they’re vulnerable to the worst kind of groupthink. I wonder what the angry white male has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM SHILLUE, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONTRIBUTOR: I’m not worried. I can’t be canceled. My mainstream career was destroyed years ago when I met a man named Greg Gutfeld. Thanks, Greg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: You’re welcome, Tom. His career is over. How about the angry black male?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYRUS: So somebody’s got to apologize for something that happened long before they were born? And when they join, they’ll won’t do that anymore? 

Well, I guess that kind of thinking,

I guess Democrats are on the claim.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: So that was Kemper’s time in the barrel. It began with an old photo and it became a Twitter trend. In fact, if you look at any mob action, it always starts that way with something called Twitter trends.

They show you what people are clicking on at the site, which then becomes an attention self-generator much like Chris Cuomo.

Remember Uncle Tim that smear on Senator Tim Scott? Without Twitter trends, no one would have heard of it. The Covington kids smear was a Twitter trend manipulated by the legacy media promoted with a dishonestly edited clip. 

And then there’s Trump feeding the fish, Mike Pence loading empty boxes, Trump wearing his pants backwards. Twitter trends created these fake stories. It’s porn hub for leftists.

And like the Wuhan lab, all you need to do is create one source and unleash it. Twitter trends does the rest because that’s the media’s trough. Trends are the easiest stories to write and they play upon outrage addicts who have no lives. By theory, if Jack Dorsey eliminated Twitter trends today, cancel culture would starve to death and the world would instantly become a better place. So Jack, it’s not hours of fasting and meditation are that stupid Amish chin that’s going to make you a better person.

It’s removing the part of your sight that destroys lives. But until you do that, Jack, we shall sit by and watch the endless parade of cowardice dressed up as enlightenment while Twitter feeds on the cadavers of careers. 

And that contrition will all be an act. Sadly, it’s the best acting some of these celebrities do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Period.

GUTFELD: Let’s welcome tonight’s guests. He’s so sharp. Why worry about Lawrence Kudlow stings? Former director of the National Economic Council and host of “KUDLOW” on Fox Business, Larry Kudlow. When she left Arizona, the temperature dropped 20 degrees, townhall.com editor and Fox News contributor, Katie Pavlich. She’s like a praying mantis, skinny bright and may kill and eat her husband. Fox News Contributor Kat Timpf.

And finally, his watch band will make it excellent though. My massive sidekick and host of “NUFF SAID” on Fox Nation, Tyrus. 

GUTFELD: Lawrence, you have been a white guy for a while.

TYRUS: What?

LARRY KUDLOW, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK HOST: I don’t think so.

GUTFELD: What do you think of all this woke stuff? Do you think it was right for her to apologize?

KUDLOW: No, I don’t think she should have apologized. I don’t think she had any idea when she was 19 years old in St. Louis for some dead party.

GUTFELD: Yes.

KUDLOW: What, where, when, how.

GUTFELD: Yes.

KUDLOW: She had no idea.

GUTFELD: Exactly.

KUDLOW: She’s just being woked by the Twitter mob.

GUTFELD: Yes.

KUDLOW: Thankful she is.

GUTFELD: Yes. I mean, when I was a debutante, I had no idea. I didn’t like

— I didn’t look up the past, you know, racist abuses of the people that made me debutante. Granted it was all on Craigslist about three weeks ago.

KATIE PAVLICH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONTRIBUTOR: Greg, your biggest problem with debutante was the dress that you decided to wear.

GUTFELD: That is true.

PAVLICH: The fashion choices that you decided. Those pictures will hopefully never come out.

GUTFELD: Well. Oh, speaking of pictures that never come out, Katie. I mean, have you ever done anything on Instagram?

PAVLICH: On Instagram, that’s public, Greg.

GUTFELD: Really? 

PAVLICH: Yes.

GUTFELD: Do we have anything from her Instagram that we can show for public?

TYRUS: Apologies.

GUTFELD: What is that, Katie? This has got to be canceled. You’re letting a dog eat a baby. You are letting a dog eat —

PAVLICH: I’m filming it.

GUTFELD: And filming it. You’re filming it.

PAVLICH: Yes.

GUTFELD: What is this?

PAVLICH: This is fake news. He’s actually saving the baby.

GUTFELD: He’s doing — 

PAVLICH: This as a baby that is used to teach CPR and he was alerting us that the baby may need saving. That’s what he was doing.

GUTFELD: Oh boy. Do I have a —

(CROSSTALK)

PAVLICH: — go to jail but he’s too cute cancel that.

GUTFELD: Yes. So what do you make of this? Is she now safe from cancellation? 

PAVLICH: I think she’s safe because she’s a Democrat. And if you’re a Democrat, as you noted in your monologue, you can give eulogies at sorts of funerals for KKK members and fellow Democrats. You can basically do whatever you want, as long as you acknowledge it, and then say that you have white privilege and try to move on.

GUTFELD: Yes.

PAVLICH: So she’ll be fine.

GUTFELD: Yes. You know, Tyrus, when we did this original story, you were so proud of her. You said that because she wasn’t going to respond. And then what did she do, she betrayed you, Tyrus.

TYRUS: Well, she didn’t betray me. And before we go there, I’ve warned you about the scene of stuff. I’ve warned you. Because you’re just a big man, aren’t you, Gutfeld? You’re just a big man. Before the show’s over tonight, I’m going to show you all how big he really is. But I digress. I’m going to channel my inner white woman.

GUTFELD: OK.

TYRUS: And I’m going to give white America some advice.

GUTFELD: Yes.

KAT TIMPF, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONTRIBUTOR: The next time someone tells you, you have white privilege, or you should be ashamed, do what we do. I’m here because I worked my ass off. I became a comedian because I worked hard. I studied, I went to college, I auditioned. Kiss my ass. If you want my spot come get it. I’m not just going to come and give it to you. The color of my skin has nothing to do with here. 

GUTFELD: That’s true.

TYRUS: But every time they say you only got this job because you’re black, I’m like black isn’t crack near joke on this show. I did that.

GUTFELD: Yes.

TYRUS: So start fighting back with facts and not apologizing for something you have absolutely nothing to do with.

KUDLOW: You know, I really love that. 

GUTFELD: Yes.

KUDLOW: I just love that. But I’m sitting here, it’s the first time we’ve been on stage together, I’m basically scared to death.

GUTFELD: Don’t worry. He’s getting for me before he gets you.

TYRUS: I’m not quite there yet, America.

GUTFELD: But we’re close. We’re close.

TYRUS: Yes. When I’m in the alley you go. You got big heart on my chest. 

Now we’re — I promise.

GUTFELD: You have a big heart on your chest and you stop.

(CROSSTALK) 

TYRUS: No, no, no. I told you about the — I’m getting for the show

(INAUDIBLE) I warned you.

GUTFELD: What if I didn’t write that joke? What if I blame it on one of our writers?

TYRUS: No. I know Tom, I know Kat. You guys just (INAUDIBLE) play with crayons. I don’t know who did it. You did it.

GUTFELD: So Kat, I would — here’s an interesting fact I learned today. Do you know that Twitter trends are based on really small numbers? Anywhere from 1200 to 1900 tweets over a six-hour period can get Twitter trending. 

That’s nothing.

TIMPF: I can’t listen to stuff with numbers and it makes my brain scramble. 

That’s why I got married. We can do the taxes. I had a huge problem with her apology. I will say that. The thing about this all day. The part where she said she did not know that it was elitist, like bro, it was a ball.

(CROSSTALK)

TIMPF: You know, normal 19-year-olds, we didn’t go to — we went, you know, not to the ball, we went to like dollar pitcher night and hope they didn’t check I.D.s And like it’s not like she just realized, oh, I was rich. Like she was — grew up incredibly rich. Her great grandfather started, you know, what — what’s been called the dynasty of bankers.

GUTFELD: Really?

TIMPF: Yes. I — that’s what — this is what I was Googling. She wasn’t just rich, she’s super-rich. There was a museum named after grandma.

GUTFELD: Really?

TIMPF: Like — yes. Don’t — just don’t act like you had no idea. You —

GUTFELD: I never did.

TIMPF: You never got — you never (INAUDIBLE) you never got strep throat in the McDonald’s play place like the rest of us.

GUTFELD: That’s true.

TYRUS: How dare she be born into a rich family? What was she thinking?

TIMPF: She said she didn’t know the rich lady ball she went to was elitist. 

There I’m saying no —

(CROSSTALK)

PAVLICH: Thanks to you because you let them know. 

GUTFELD: What Larry?

KUDLOW: How can she possibly know as some 19-year-old kid going in his dead party? How could she know anything about this?

GUTFELD: Right.

KUDLOW: And why 30 years later I have —

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: It’s an ex-boyfriend. This is my theory ex-boyfriend is — was — has been holding on to this picture forever because that’s what I would do. 

KUDLOW: But his is the worst guilt trip I have ever seen.

GUTFELD: Yes, yes, yes,

KUDLOW: The absolute worst. And what — you’re so right about that. Why? Be proud of it.

(CROSSTALK)

KUDLOW: You know, I may just go out there and dance and go to balls and have debutante parties. We did the same thing here back days. Big deal.

PAVLICH: They’re making progress, Larry.

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

TYRUS: I didn’t know I was poor until I got to college. Like why don’t you have two T.V.s on top of each other? I didn’t know.

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: I didn’t know I was short until I got to high school.

TYRUS: I’ll remind you later tonight.

GUTFELD: Everybody’s mean tonight. All right. Still to Come. Host of Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer is going to join us. But first, Trump’s still causing stress in our nation’s pathetic press.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Does post-Trump trauma have the media crying for mama could? 

Rhyme. Yes, the American press is still an embarrassing mess. This week, President Biden, if that’s his real name, Katie, heads to Europe in his first overseas trip as commander-in-chief. I hope they brought plenty of ice cream. It’s what they pack his body into keep it fresh. So sorry, Larry. Sorry. So what’s the White House press corps want to know?

If Joe will tell American allies to disregard Donald Trump’s time in office as just an evil anomaly. Here’s the delay PBS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAMICHE ALCINDOR, MSNBC POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Can you talk a bit about how President Biden plans to convince especially our European allies that President — former President Trump was an anomaly in some ways, all of the things that he did to in some ways traumatize those leaders calling into question the need for NATO? What’s the plan there, and is there a concern that those scars are going to be deeper than his ability to address them in this one trip?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Hmm. I haven’t heard something that loaded since Bret Baier butchered Unchained Melody at karaoke. That’s for making fun of my Brit Hume impersonation, Bret. So let’s call that what it is. A journalist trying to dictate policy. Heaven forbid we traumatize European leaders by suggesting they defend themselves. They had a great track record on that in the previous century. Later that sweaty leftover from playboy followed up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN KAREM, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: The biggest concern of some of our allies has been over the last four years and even before just the rapid swing back and forth of our foreign policy. Now, you can’t assure anyone what’s going to happen after you leave but what assurances and what will you tell our allies that, despite what we’ve seen in the past, that we have returned to normal?

JAKE SULLIVAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the best way to answer that question —

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Stop right there. I’ll answer it for them. The best way to answer that question is no, idiot. We won’t do that because that would be effing stupid. I censored that for the children. So they’re literally asking Biden, a man who copies the past to predict the future. The media has more drama queens than a high school production of rent. And speaking of things that make no since New York Times editorial board member of Mara Gay has huge news. Now, even the American flag is problematic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARA GAY, NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER: I was on Long Island this weekend, visiting a really dear friend. And I was really disturbed. I saw, you know, dozens and dozens of pickup trucks with, you know, explicative against Joe Biden, on the back of them. Trump flags and some cases, just dozens of American flags, which, you know, is also just disturbing, because essentially, the message was clear. It was, this is my country, this is not your country. I own this.

If we don’t take the threat seriously that I think we’re all in really bad shape.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Totally agree.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Totally agree, says the weirdo. Yes. The threat of the red, white and blue. Somebody better tell her about 4th of July. It’s coming up. I’m sure there won’t be any flags there, Mara. Find a bunker. All right. Oh, cheese. Katie. Vomitus. Katie, Katie. Oh.

PAVLICH: So, Mara, and her kind of editorial people are the same people have the hate has no home here sigh.

GUTFELD: Yes.

PAVLICH: And they’re fighting you all —

(CROSSTALK) 

GUTFELD: I love that sign.

PAVLICH: Which makes you want to get a sign that says actually comma, hate does live here. Also everybody is aware of who the neighborhood bigot is, right. But the European thing, like, are we supposed to coddle these European leaders? We’re supposed to be standing up to Russia? 

GUTFELD: Yes.

PAVLICH: I mean, this idea that we’re supposed to take care of them more than we already do. I mean, the reason why we don’t have a month-long vacation in Italy is because we’re paying for all of their defense. And so we’re working while the Europeans are vacationing. And yet we’re not supposed to be mean to the European —

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: And now, we have a treasury secretary named Yellen, who’s gone over there to negotiate higher taxes on America. Crazy.

(CROSSTALK)

KUDLOW: With the G7 and the G20, and the IMF, and the World Bank and the United Nations, everybody gets to vote on American taxes except American taxpayers and American businesses. And Donald Trump who is alive and well, is Europe’s worst nightmare.

GUTFELD: Yes. Exactly.

KUDLOW: Because Trump is the guy who brought American flags back to Europe. 

All right? And they’re going to stay there. And Joe Biden, you know, usually you say it’s good to go and talk to Putin or other leaders. The trouble is Biden can’t talk. The whole thing is a charade. 

GUTFELD: And they don’t have a backup. They don’t have a backup.

(CROSSTALK)

KUDLOW: The backup hasn’t got to Europe yet. So, fair enough.

GUTFELD: You know, she’s checking flights on Trivago. Remember Trivago? 

Remember that guy, Tyrus? 

TYRUS: No. No. I don’t.

GUTFELD: The Trivago guy?

TYRUS: It doesn’t — this doesn’t —

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: Never shaved.

TYRUS: No. Sorry.

GUTFELD: So, you know, think about this. They expect Biden to apologize for Trump’s foreign policy when some of his accomplishments include like ratcheting down North Korea, the Abraham Peace Accords and the new trade deals. What is it — he’s done so much.

TYRUS: I don’t know, Greg. You’re talking crazy right now. Listen. Oh gosh. 

You know, whenever I see overt racism —

GUTFELD: Yes.

TYRUS: It’s usually in the 1950s movie. But when I’m out, and there’s guys and pickup trucks with flags and expletives on their trucks, and sometimes they have things I don’t understand, and I can look at it and say, oh, I don’t like that. 

GUTFELD: Yes.

TYRUS: And the story stops there. Not — and then the trucks formed and rowing as they ran me down and through lynch mobs epitaphs at me. None of that happened. Some guys were out driving the truck with their flags on, you didn’t like it. Because guess what, it’s not about you. 

GUTFELD: Yes.

TYRUS: You didn’t buy a pickup truck with them. It’s bigger than you. What you do on the – – on your weekend like if I’m barbecuing, and I’m making beef ribs, and steaks and hot dogs and the vegetarian two blocks down, it’s like, I’m so upset. It’s not about you. My truck.

GUTFELD: It’s my truck.

TYRUS: If I want to F1 on my truck, I’m going to do it. Like, oh.

GUTFELD: Kat.

TYRUS: Oh.

GUTFELD: One more.

TYRUS: Oh.

KUDLOW: But I didn’t understand the Washington Post lady seriously.

PAVLICH: New York Times.

KUDLOW: Oh, it’s the New York Times lady.

(CROSSTALK)

PAVLICH: Interchangeable.

KUDLOW: They’re all interchangeable. Because the business about American flags and it’s your country, you know, let’s go back to the fabulous speech that Senator Tim Scott made a few weeks ago. That there is role model. And he said, basically, no to critical race theory, no to cancel culture, no to wokeism. He said yes to work in real hard to get where you are, no matter what the color of your skin is.

And if you ask me, everyone in the country, but certainly everybody on the right side serve as Republicans should stand up behind what Tim Scott said. 

Make him a standard-bearer because he has the right ideas and the right stuff. And all this constant racism meant nothing to him. He just stood up there and said no, this is not a racist country. No to that New York Times lady or Washington Post lady or whoever she is. Nor the E.U., nor the G7, nor to Davos, no to all that stuff.

PAVLICH: But Larry, I’ve noticed that you have a flag on. So —

KUDLOW: I do.

PAVLICH: So Tyrus should feel very weird.

GUTFELD: Kat?

TIMPF: Yes.

GUTFELD: No to the flag or yes to the flag. You have 10 seconds.

TIMPF: Yes to the flag. Like what would you think, I’m going to say no to the flag? I don’t — yes, I’ve never seen a truck that’s disturbed me at all. Although when I’m out I’m usually on my phone the entire time. 

GUTFELD: That’s good. You know, I’m trying to think of truck. Ice cream trucks disturb me. Yeah. 

TIMPF: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

TYRUS: Oh, if you can’t reach to get your Ice cream you’re like jumping up and the guy is like, I hear something. I don’t — oh, hey, what do you want?

PAVLICH: Is that a child? Is that a child on there?

GUTFELD: Unnecessary.

TIMPF: It’s — yes. It’s just people agree with that and garbage. That’s what — what’s what the press says (INAUDIBLE) really it’s supposed to be a check on the government, free speech in the press and they’re saying listen to Biden. You know, Biden is — he’s so — he’s so nice. He’s so much better than the other guy. Is he going to be up to the task of proving how much better he is? The other guys (INAUDIBLE) that’s not a question.

GUTFELD: Up next. A professor says her violent dreams are not as racist as they seem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Did they not expect her to give a racist lecture? Yes, she has a dream that would make Martin Luther King’s scream. A Yale guest speaker’s lecture featuring violent race-based fantasies is being restricted by the university after it was made public, providing a safe space on campus to promote racial violence. 

Dr. Aruna Khilanani, a psychiatrists based in New York City gave an online talk titled the psychopathy — The Psychopathic Problem of the white mind. 

In it, she spoke about wanting to kill other white people. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARUNA KHILANANI, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: I had fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got on my way, burying their body and wiping my bloody hands as I walked away relatively guiltless with a bounce in my step. Like, I did the world a (BLEEP) favor. 

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Khilanani, more like kill a whitey. Did you like it?

TYRUS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CONTRIBUTOR: I did. 

GUTFELD: If she’s your psychiatry, consider switching to someone more stable, like Hannibal Lecter. Yale had planned to release the lecture online but has no limited access to those with a school ID, again, providing a safe space on campus to promote racial violence. 

Now, Dr. Khilanani says her words were taken out of context and she was merely speaking metaphorically to encourage engagement. Speaking metaphorically, which is interesting. What is this fantasy of shooting someone in the head a metaphor for? It’s a metaphor, Tyrus, for shooting someone in the head. 

TYRUS: Shooting someone in the head. 

GUTFELD: So, Yale parents, as a bonus, you’re $55,000 a year tuition includes death threats from a psychiatrist. Now, imagine if you were her patient. 

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I’ve just been having problems with work lately. 

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God, I want to kill you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, nothing. So, what are these problems that you are having with your work? 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I just — I don’t know. I can’t find joy in it anymore. 

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I want to blow your stupid head off. 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, wait. Did you say something?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no, no, no. Let’s keep going with this. Lean into it. When did you notice you were losing joy in your work?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it just seems like I don’t have an effect on the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could affect the world by dumping your corpse off a bridge. 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, I definitely heard that. I said, have you considered asking yourself what it is you’d like to do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, OK. Well, I mean, I’d really want to help people. 

Maybe I can go back to school and get a degree in some sort of therapy work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I’d cut your head off with a dull butter knife. How’s that for therapy work. 

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Barbara, you know you’re not allowed in here. Now, come with me. It’s time to take your medicine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Nicely done. See, Tyrus, the doctor is actually the patient. What a turn of the plots.

TYRUS: I’m just a regular, regular guy. 

GUTFELD: By the way, can’t you just want to kill somebody and have nothing to do with race?

TYRUS: Yes. Literally, it’s called Forensic Files. I saw that 500 times. 

We’re all laughing about it, but this is some serious (BLEEP). You have a bunch of children or young teens and young, impressionable minds, and you have a name, a job title that long — 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

TYRUS: And you fantasize about not just killing them, but with a bounce in your step, like high five. Let’s just change her name to Kat Timpf. And Kat Timpf has come to — well, he does it all the time. 

TIMPF: (INAUDIBLE) 

TYRUS: Kat Timpf is a guest speaker at the Children’s Home for Orphans. 

GUTFELD: Children’s Home for Orphans. 

TYRUS: And she’s trying to teach them about life. And one of the greatest things that she dreams about every night is shooting big light-skinned black men, and they’re dancing on their dead body. 

GUTFELD: She would be disbarred. She’d be gone in a second.

TYRUS: Fired. 

GUTFELD: Yes.

TYRUS: Racist, over, she’d be on a watch list. She wouldn’t be able to buy a gun. 

GUTFELD: Yes.

TYRUS: She wouldn’t have a job. 

TIMPF: That’s why I never go to the orphanage. 

KUDLOW: By the way, by the way, that little girl that went to the dead party — 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

KUDLOW: She didn’t say she’s going to kill any white or black people. What did she have to apologize for?

TIMPF: That’s true. This woman still has an MD. Where’s the American Psychiatric Association? Like, shouldn’t they come — that’s — shouldn’t they be like investigating her?

KUDLOW: But we should thank the president of Yale who has cut this video off so people can see it in order to hold down the Yale murder rate. I think that’s the right thing.

TYRUS: Let’s be clear, he restricted it because he didn’t want to get shot. 

He restricted it. He gets shot, he cut it off.

KUDLOW: Tyrus, when you look at me, you know, I get scared. 

TYRUS: Sorry. Sorry. Big dog looking at a bone, sorry. 

GUTFELD: At least she’s honestly about her hate, right Kat?

TIMPF: Yes, she’s honest. But it was weird because she said it clearly thinking that it was something that was going to resonate with people. 

GUTFELD: Right.

TIMPF: That — and I’ve been that person where I’m like, am I right guys? 

And those people never talked to me again. 

PAVLICH: No, no, no. 

TIMPF: It’s never been a violent, violent, violent fantasy which this — it was very specific. She didn’t just stop at shooting people.

GUTFELD: It was her speech.

TIMPF: Shooting people, this is how I dispose of the bodies, and I’ll probably have one of my hands. She very specific that she thought about quite a lot, although interesting defense that whenever you say something horrible that you get in trouble for, it’s a metaphor and I plan to use that a lot in my marriage. 

GUTFELD: Yes, good point. Like, yes, she’s saying she’s going to do something, and then she goes, no, it’s a metaphor. But it’s a metaphor for doing something. 

PAVLICH: She gave lots of very specific examples. 

GUTFELD: And she still have a job. 

PAVLICH: That goes back to the standard, right? What is the standard for racism? I mean, does this not fit when you’re talking to Yale students who are getting credit for listening to this that you want to blow the heads off of people strictly because they are white? 

GUTFELD: Yes.

PAVLICH: I mean, come on. 

KUDLOW: That’s the thing. Why does she want to kill white people? She has a lot of options here. 

TYRUS: It’s obvious. 

PAVLICH: She’s a racist, obviously. 

TYRUS: It’s obvious because that’s the only group you can say that (BLEEP). 

I’m going to shoot some White and people are like, I’m really sorry you feel that way. We’re going to go get help. I saw routes.

PAVLICH: Here’s a phone number to go. Exactly.

GUTFELD: All right, we got to move on. What a great show. Don’t go anywhere. Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer is going to talk about the pandemic and restaurants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: He’s got a knack for bringing bars and restaurants back. But with COVID restrictions waived, can bars and restaurants be saved? Double rime. 

For the past year and a half, the U.S. bar and restaurant industry has been hit with one of the most challenging economies ever. The National Restaurant Association reports that 110,000 restaurants closed temporarily or forever in 2020. 

So, what’s it all going to look like post-pandemic? Joining me to discuss, hosts of the great show Bar Rescue which airs its 200th episode this Sunday. I’ve seen all of them on the Paramount Network, the legendary Jon Taffer. 

Jon, I’m not lying. I was — Tyrus and I were both talking about like, we binge-watch your show, usually on Sundays with a hangover. He’ll be cradling me in his arms and I’ll be eating — anyway, but I have a question for you. Between those moments when you’re yelling at someone, do you ever feel compelled to like wink at them so they don’t break down in tears?

JON TAFFER, HOST, BAR RESCUE: You know, I probably have done that once or twice, Greg, I must say, a little pat in the back as I walked by or something. That wink can sort of bring them back from the cliff if you know what I mean.

GUTFELD: Yes, yes, yes. You know who I really hated? And I still remember the guy. He’s the dude that wanted to open a comedy club in Arizona. Do you remember him?

TAFFER: Yes. And he was the one who said that comedy doesn’t need to be funny. 

GUTFELD: Yes. And I proved him right. No, but — yes, he was — 

TAFFER: The name of that episode, by the way, was the Meat Sauna. 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

TAFFER: Because when you walked into his comedy club, it smelled like charred meat. 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

TAFFER: Yes, that was — that was a challenging episode to say the least.

GUTFELD: Yes. He took his parents money because he couldn’t — he couldn’t do stand up and he bought a comedy club so he could own the club and hang out there and pretend he was a comedian. It’s one of my favorite episodes, but I digress. How do you see the coming year for bars and restaurants? Are you positive, upbeat?

TAFFER: Boomtown. You know, we take a look, even New York, Greg, L.A., I’m hearing Vegas. I mean, Vegas was sold out last weekend. 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

TAFFER: So, we’re really coming back. When you speak to every restaurant owner, the people are coming back. But we have two problems. Both government clause, you know, the enhanced unemployment benefits, think about this. 

GUTFELD: Right.

TAFFER: If it’s a two — and Larry knows this well. If it’s a two household, a two-person household and you’re making $800 each in unemployment benefits, that’s about $83,000 a year. Median household income is only 67,000 a year. So, you can stay home and exceed median income. 

KUDLOW: Good numbers. 

TAFFER: Right now, the government is sending us from getting our boys back, Greg. Restaurants are open two days rather than seven days. It’s killing us. The other thing that’s killing us, and this goes back to government too, I’ll tell you how in a minute. You know, those little ketchup packets that we have? 

GUTFELD: Yes.

TAFFER: Those used to cost $0.07. They went up to $0.11 cents, then $0.17, then $0.30 cents. Now, it’s $0.40 for ketchup packet. Now, I blame that on the government too. You know why? 

GUTFELD: Why? 

TAFFER: Ketchup, John Kerry, he’s got to have something to do with it.

GUTFELD: Yes. Yes. He’s dumping all of it off his yacht to keep the prices up. By the way, a fun little trick. If you don’t like somebody, you put the ketchup packets in there — under their windshield wiper. Anyway — 

TAFFER: Just put it under the toilet paper — the toilet bowl seat. It worked out pretty well too. You sit down and it spills all over your leg. 

GUTFELD: What do you — so, I — one of my favorite bars in San Francisco –

– I’m a Tiki bar freak. My favorite bar is the Tonga Room. It’s out in San Francisco. It’s still not open. How many places just aren’t going to open?

TAFFER: Yes, there’s a whole bunch, Greg. And the fact is, you know, I was making fun with the ketchup packet. But you know, meat is twice the price. 

GUTFELD: Right.

TAFFER: You know, seafood is three times the price. Restaurants can’t raise their prices to adjust to that. So, they’re losing money on every item that they’re selling us now. We’re going to lose about 25 percent of the restaurants and bars by the time we’re done, Greg, permanently. 

GUTFELD: How can the public help in this situation? Obviously, my solution is always to drink their heavily and over tip and then be thrown out. 

Should everybody be — 

TAFFER: You’re the perfect customer.

GUTFELD: Pardon me?

TAFFER: You’re the perfect customer.

GUTFELD: Yes. 

TAFFER: So, you know, Greg, we have to now be conscious of our communities. 

And it isn’t just bars and restaurants, it’s salons and other businesses as well. We have to keep our money local. If we don’t keep our money local, these local businesses are going to disappear. And they’re the flavor, the character of our communities. 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

TAFFER: So, you know, my advice is keep it local and be prepared prices are going to increase. And it isn’t the restaurants choice for doing it, but they’re going to go up big time. And I blame it on John Kerry.

GUTFELD: I do too. Jon, congratulations on your show. Everybody, watch. 

It’s on Paramount. He’s got his 200th episode. It’s a fantastic show. Once you start watching, it’s like potato chips. Thanks, Jon. 

Up next, Anthony Weiner is using his crotch to bump up his wallet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Could the photo of him pitching a tent help him pay the rent. This isn’t a camping story, Katie. It’s about Anthony Weiner. He’s back in the news and this time involves profiting off his sex, proving if you have no shame, you could do anything. 

The disgraced ex-congressman is considering turning his famous crotch shot, which we don’t have to show you because we didn’t want it on our search history, is going to turn it into a non-fungible token. An NFT is basically a digital asset of original media that you can invest in if you think that’s less of a scam than the U.S. dollar. At least it’s not hard currency. 

Weiner is considering this ploy because it’s hard for him to find work. 

“It’s very narrow. The places that I can work without having the New York Post just make everyone’s life miserable.” Maybe potential employees are worried what he’ll do with the company’s WiFi, or that they’ll have to stand outside the building on bring your daughters to work day. 

Fox does that for me, but we won’t get into that here. All right, let’s go around the horn here. Kat — 

TIMPF: Yes. 

GUTFELD: I’m trying to — I’m going to try to reach out to get him on the show. Good move?

TIMPF: Yes. I have — I have — well, OK, I think that everyone — 

PAVLICH: She’s very uncomfortable. 

GUTFELD: She’s very uncomfortable. 

TIMPF: Yes, I’m uncomfortable. OK, let’s just put it this way. Everyone out there who has not seen the picture should go look at it and memorize it, because it might be possible someday that a guy will send it to you and you will think it’s — you will not know what it is and think he’s sending that picture from himself. And then you might respond in a way that you still lay awake thinking about how stupid you are even after you get married and five years has passed.

GUTFELD: Wow. 

TIMPF: It could potentially happen to someone. 

KUDLOW: Do we have time for a rerun on that?

GUTFELD: That’s pretty funny. I’ve never believe that story.

(CROSSTALK)

TIMPF: It could potentially happen to someone.

GUTFELD: That’s really amazing. 

TYRUS: Not in this building.

TIMPF: Not in this building, definitely not named Katherine Timpf. 

GUTFELD: Boy, that guy must have been — anyway — 

TYRUS: You know what, Greg, speaking of little guy, I warned you earlier in the show. And just so you guys know what the type of big guy this guy is. 

My kids are with me this week, and he referred to him, oh, your relatives are here, OK. He took a picture with my 9-year-old son and he’s taller than Greg. 

GUTFELD: That’s my — that’s my NFT. You sell it as an NFT and we split it. 

TYRUS: You know what? I will wear your spinal cord as a chain. Mark my words. The best part about that picture, he stepped forward to try to look taller. He tried — he tried to cheat a 9-year-old. Big man, ladies and gentlemen. 

GUTFELD: That’s our NFT. I’m telling you, Tyrus. All right, Larry, is this a good economical game this NFT business?

KUDLOW: It could be, but not anything to do with Anthony Weiner, that’s for sure. And I just say, in some ways I thank him for blowing up his career several times, so maybe we can get a decent mayor in New York who agrees with 70 percent of the voters that we should have more cops on the street in New York City.

GUTFELD: Amen. Amen. 

PAVLICH: Good news for that. 

GUTFELD: The guy needs to make a living, Katie. 

PAVLICH: Yes, look, remember, 10 years ago when Andrew Breitbart is the one who published this photo and he claimed that he was hacked and lied about everybody. And then, he had to admit that it was him. Well, now he’s making money off of it. So, thank you, Andrew Breitbart for that. 

GUTFELD: Yes. 

PAVLICH: The other thing is, remember — I thought that after Anthony Weiner blew up Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign with the laptop that had her e-mails on it and the FBI took it, and Comey was like, oh, we have a new laptop. And that basically blew up the rest of our campaign, whatever was left of it. I thought he want to stay in prison.

GUTFELD: Right.

PAVLICH: But then, I remembered that Jeffrey Epstein was in prison. And so, maybe he reconsidered, so he’s glad he’s out of prison now.

GUTFELD: That’s true. You know, Weiner’s two favorite words right now, Hunter Biden. All right, be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: We are out of time. Set your DVRs every night so you never miss an episode. Thanks to the great Larry Kudlow, the great Katie Pavlich, Kat Timpf, Tyrus, Jon Taffer, our studio audience. “FOX NEWS @ NIGHT” with Shannon Bream Evil is next. I’m Greg Gutfeld. I love you, America.

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Celebrating Pride beyond the month of June | Business | mainstreet-nashville.com – Main Street Nashville

Happy Pride!

June is here and with it, that greeting and statement. With the world awash in rainbows this month, I think we should ask and ponder, what does Pride really mean?

This month is about teaching acceptance, educating pride history, and above all, love. Pride is about community and events that showcase inclusive places and partners. It’s about the rainbow and Pride flag. It’s about coming together and being kind to one another, something the LGBTQ+ community should work harder on, as we are stronger together than we are divided. But Pride is about something more and it should be celebrated all year long, not just in June.

I keep thinking back to last year’s Pride in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. With the nation focused on systemic racism and social injustice, we paused to focus on how to celebrate Pride at that moment, what Pride started as, and is all about. I am still so proud of the statement we made in regards to Standing Against Racism and then offering guidance on the conversation we were and needed to be having and on how to be a good ally. That work of representing the LGBTQ+ community in those larger conversations has been central to our work over the last year and will remain so. We represent and advocate for the marginalized of the marginalized, and BIPOC LGBTQ+ should know we are still committed to this work and stand together with them.

It was made very clear this year by the Tennessee legislature and governor, that LGBTQ+ people are still under attack. A record number of discriminatory anti-LGBT laws were passed, and more will be coming next year. The Nashville LGBT Chamber worked tirelessly during session to stop this discrimination, and while it is not the outcome we hoped for we should be proud of our work. Our trans siblings are the ones being targeted the most by this hatred and we must stand united against this discrimination. It’s not OK to target one part of the LGBT community and expect the rest to remain silent. It’s not OK to be for gay and lesbian rights but not trans rights. It’s only a matter of time before they come for the others. Pride is about standing united and educating our own community and the ally community on trans issues and working together to stop all forms of discrimination, and saying “Trans Lives Matter.”

Pride is also about support. We work with the business community in regards to LGBT support, but real support should be recognized and appreciated. Now I am going to get really real, and what I am saying is said with love and to make you think. With Pride month you will see brands flipping their logos to rainbow and marketing everything they have to you, the LGBT+ consumer. Ask yourself and those brands, “What do they do the rest of the year for the LGBT community?” “Are they being genuine and intentional or just pandering?”

More from this section

Here are some great things to look for:

What are they doing around advocacy? Are they on the front lines or just signing letters, putting out statements or staying silent?

  • Do they say one thing in public and then support the opposition?
  • Do they source LGBT-certified small businesses for their procurement?
  • Do they have an active Employee Resource Group (ERG) program for their employees that allows them to bring their whole authentic self to work?
  • Do they actively seek out diverse applicants?
  • Do they realize that inclusion fosters diversity and if you don’t get inclusion right then you will never grow diversity?
  • What do they financially support, both for LGBT issues and against?
  • When they sell you the rainbow version of their product, do any of the proceeds go to support the LGBT community?
  • Are they concerned about LGBT issues all year long or just during Pride Month?

To all our members, Happy Pride and we thank you for your work and your membership. If you’re not a member, please join us and work on and show your Pride all year long.

Finally, please join us for all of our events this month and celebrate Pride and the Chamber.

Joe Woolley is CEO of the Nashville LGBT Chamber. He serves on the Nashville Area Chamber Partnership 2030 advisory committee, the Mayor’s Small Business Advisory Council and is a mayor-appointed board member for Nashville Education Community and Arts Television. In 2006, Wooley was the first graduate of Belmont University’s New Century Journalism Program. He worked at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and as a CBS News producer covering the war in Iraq, working with then CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric. Woolley lives in Nashville with his husband, Jim Schmidt.

Best Bets: Things to do in the Columbus area this weekend – The Columbus Dispatch

Anthony Ramos in a scene from "In the Heights."

Summer hasn’t even gotten underway yet but, with the recent lifting of health orders by Gov. Mike DeWine, events are starting to heat up.

Entertainment:It’s time to have some fun! Here are things to do in Ohio this summer

From concerts — Big Gigantic, Skillet — to movies, including “In the Heights” and theater events, such as “Last Gas,” there are many things to do this weekend.

‘In the Heights’ in theaters 

Starting Thursday, the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical “In the Heights” — the “Hamilton” creator’s contemporary drama that unfolds in the New York neighborhood of Washington Heights — will be released after a year-long delay because of the pandemic. The Warner Bros. Pictures release, starring Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins and Leslie Grace, will play at the Gateway Film Center, Drexel Theatre and other area theaters as well as on HBO Max. For showtimes, tickets and safety protocols, visit theater websites. 

‘Last Gas’ by Curtain Players

Curtain Players will present “Last Gas,” John Cariani’s comic drama about a Northern Maine dad who gets a chance to rekindle a romance but must choose between old and new, at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and June 18-19 and 25-26, and 2 p.m. June 20 and  27 at 5691 Harlem Road, Galena. Tickets cost $17, or $15 for students and senior citizens. Call 614-360-1000 or visit curtainplayers.org.

Old-radio-style comedy finale

It’s All Been Done Presents, producer of a monthly 80-minute geeky comedy program in the style of old-time radio serials, will stream the “It’s All Been Done Radio Hour” at 5 p.m. Saturday in its final streaming show before returning to live theater. Among other episodes, this edition includes a new adventure of “The Topnotch Tangler” and the season finale of the sci-fi romp “Universe Journey.” Tickets cost $7, or become a donor at Patreon.com/IABD. Call 614-916-6043 or visit www.iabdpresents.com.

Still standing and dancing

Twenty-eight dancers from the New Vision Dance Company will strut their stuff in outdoor performances at 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Scioto Park Amphitheater, 7377 Riverside Drive, Dublin. The program “I’m Still Standing” aims to demonstrate the pandemic-era resiliency of the dance company founded by Artistic Director Melissa Gould. Guest artists will include dancers from Movement Afoot, a tap-dancing troupe. Admission is free, but attendees are required to make reservations by visiting newvisiondanceco.org.  

Outdoor chamber music concerts

The New Albany Symphony Orchestra will kick off a summer-long series of outdoor chamber-music concerts at 8 p.m. Sunday in the Marx Library Garden behind the New Albany branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, 200 Market St., New Albany. Organizers suggest taking lawn chairs or blankets for the hourlong performance, featuring music by J.S. Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Scott Joplin. An ice-cream social will take place an hour before showtime, and wine will be for sale by the glass. Tickets, $15, can be purchased by visiting newalbanysymphony.com

Big Gigantic to perform

Jazz electronica duo Big Gigantic will perform Friday at the only show scheduled so far this year at the Westland Drive-In, 4411 W. Broad St. Saxophonist Dominic Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken will showcase their seventh album, “Free Your Mind,” which was originally intended to be the basis of a huge concert tour last year. Gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $99 for a car with up to four people. For more information, visit westlanddrivein.com or biggigantic.net.

Gay Men’s Chorus to perform ABBA tunes

Join the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus to sing along to “Take a Chance on Me,” “Super Trouper,” “Dancing Queen,” and the many, many other hits of ABBA at the Big Gay Sing: ABBA Sing Along at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Huntington Park in the Arena District. Tickets cost $20 to $30. For more information, call 614-228-2462 or visit www.columbusgaymenschorus.com.

Skillet cooking up some music

Christian rock band Skillet, based in Memphis, is hitting the drive-in concert circuit in a big way this year. The band will appear at the South Drive-In, 3050 S. High St., on June 16, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and music starting at dusk. Skillet will be joined by Christian folk-rocker Jordan Feliz and American Idol veteran Colton Dixon. Tickets start at $88 a car, for up to six people. For more information, visit driveintheatertour.com.

Looking for fun events? Top 5 things to do this weekend in Sarasota-Manatee: June 11-13 – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The fourth annual "Big Gay Beach Party" is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on North Lido Beach in Sarasota.

1. Pride events in Sarasota and Bradenton

There are a bunch of great Pride events this weekend beginning Friday with Pride Night for the Bradenton Marauders’ 5 p.m. baseball game at LECOM Park, featuring the national anthem performed by Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota (milb.com/bradenton). Then starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, it’s a special edition of the Sarasota Famers’ Market with Pride-themed products from market vendors and special performances curated by Harvey Milk Festival, including music by LGBTQ+ artists, a dance performance piece by Jess Pope, and spoken word artists (sarasotafarmersmarket.org). Also taking place on Saturday is the fourth annual “Big Gay Beach Party,” from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on North Lido Beach (sarasotaout.com/beach.html). On Sunday, don’t miss the Pride Pet Parade from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Bayfront Park (projectpridesrq.org/pet-parade-june-13). Also, keep in mind that Taste of Pride, with dining discounts and rainbow items, continues through June 19 (projectpridesrq.org/tastepride).

Pride month:Project Pride to celebrate Pride Month in Sarasota with numerous events

What are the best things to do in Sarasota-Manatee? Here are lists of our favorites

What are the best restaurants in Sarasota-Manatee? Here are lists of our favorites

The Fire Charity Fishing Festival, part of the 14th Annual Fire Charity Tournament, is this weekend at Riverside Park in Palmetto.

2. Fire Charity Fishing Festival

The 14th Annual Fire Charity Tournament has now expanded to include a two-day festival, which will be held at Riverside Park along the Manatee River in Palmetto. Following the captains meeting Friday night, the festival opens to the public Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be various vendors and food trucks including beer and hard seltzers for sale.  Live music starts at noon Saturday with 301 Travelers, followed by Luv 2 Shine (2-3:30 p.m.), Rye Road (4-6 p.m.) and South Trail Band (6:30-8 p.m.). Sunday’s music roster was not confirmed ahead of deadline, with the big fish weigh-in starting at 2 p.m. Sunday and awards around 4:30 p.m. Info: firecharityfishing.com

Restaurants on the Manatee River:10 best waterfront restaurants for outdoor dining in Bradenton area

10 best places to visit in Manatee Count:And what to do when you get there!

One of Les McCurdy’s concerns as he reopens McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre this week is staffing. Many businesses in the service sector have been struggling to find employees.

3. McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre reopens

McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, a Sarasota fixture dating back to 1988, was hit hard by the pandemic with a failed reopening last June as well as another short-lived reopening in November. On Friday, it will reopen again, hopefully permanently. The headliner is Flip Schultz, a veteran comedian who has also made numerous film and television appearances, including reaching the semi-finals on the hit NBC show “Last Comic Standing.”  6:30 and 8:50 p.m. Friday and Saturday, McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota; $25; 941-925-3869; mccurdyscomedy.com

McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre in downtown Sarasota to reset after pandemic losses

10 best places to visit in Sarasota and what to do when you get there!

Jah Movement returns to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Saturday for the venue's Bay Music Live! series.

4. Van Wezel concerts

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will feature two concerts Saturday on its lawn overlooking Sarasota Bay. The first will be a free community show at 11 a.m. by bilingual hip-hop musician Olmeca backed by a live band. The second is part of the Bay Music Live! series with locally based reggae standouts Jah Movement performing at 7 p.m. (event starts at 6:30 p.m.).  Lawn spaces on the grass accommodating up to four guests are $70 while table seating for up to four guests is $100 per table. “Burgers on the Bay” crafted by Mattison’s (hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken-burgers and veggie-burgers) as well as pizza options will be available for purchase. Info: 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

7 best downtown Sarasota restaurants, bars and hotels near Van Wezel

Locals only:Things every Sarasotan should eat, drink, read, watch and listen

Fishermen's Village on Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda is hosting a bluegrass music festival on Saturday.

5. Bluegrass Music Fest at Fishermen’s Village

Fishermen’s Village, the jewel of Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda, will host the fourth annual Bluegrass Music Fest with Harvest Moon (featuring Rick Saint Germain performing guitar and mandolin along with vocals and guitar by Rita Beach), the Southwind Bluegrass Band, and Kindred Spirit. Performances will take place in the center court and on the promenade. Not familiar with Fishermen’s Village? Built in 1980 on the site of a pier that held fish houses, the Village offers a vibrant lineup of waterfront dining, shopping, live entertainment, a resort and a marina. 12-4 p.m. Saturday; Fishermen’s Village, 1200 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda; fishville.com

Looking for outdoor dining near the beach? 7 best restaurants in Englewood

Wade Tatangelo, the Herald-Tribune’s entertainment editor, may be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.​​​​​​

Thursday’s letters: Politics vs. public health, GOP’s future, cause of migration, more – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Gov. Ron DeSantis boasts that his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic has helped Florida businesses survive by keeping them open.

DeSantis about politics, not public health

I moved to Florida in spite of the fact that Gov. Ron DeSantis was elected. 

DeSantis is preventing businesses from developing protocols to protect public safety. It is not a violation of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) for cruise industries to require proof of vaccination in order to ensure the safety of passengers. 

DeSantis is pandering to his political base and disregarding public health common sense while spending taxpayer money unnecessarily; there will be credible lawsuits. 

Speaking of taxpayer money, it is worth reminding your readership that President Joe Biden’s proposed tax increase will affect only those making $400,000 or more and the money will go toward needed infrastructure improvements.

I am appalled by the inability of most GOP leaders to condemn the Jan. 6 insurrection and hold people accountable. Moreover, the GOP continues to undermine our hard-earned democracy by promulgating false claims of election fraud and attempting to restrict voting. 

I hope that more Floridians will come to their senses and consume credible news rather than conspiracy theories spread by social media and news outlets that promote falsehoods. I also hope that the GOP will regain respectability. 

Thank you for your responsible journalism.

Barbara Thompson, Venice

GOP: What does the future hold?

There is only one issue that matters today: whether our country can survive when the once great Republican Party has devolved into an authoritarian cult, a party that stands for nothing (just read their 2020 platform – oh, right, there wasn’t one), but lives only for hate.

Hatred of Black people, hatred of women, hatred of gay and trans people, hatred of science and intellect, even hatred of democracy and reality – the reality that Republicans are a rapidly shrinking minority, the reality that Donald Trump is a lifelong liar and serial failure who lost the popular vote twice, never reached a 50 percent approval rating, motivated the largest turnout in history in the middle of a pandemic to vote against him and cost his party the House, Senate and White House.

The stated goal of today’s GOP is not to compete for voters and win elections. It is to suppress the vote and overturn elections that it loses.

Either it will be defeated and reborn as a sane conservative force, or it will seize power by cheating or violence and the American experiment that started in 1776 will end in tragedy.

Eric Grevstad, Bradenton

Big Lie could bring on malaise, doom

No government can permanently survive the distrust of its population. For example, the Soviet Union collapsed not by losing a war but because its citizens distrusted the government, workers expended minimal effort, the economy slowly declined and an internal malaise eventually undermined the government.  

Donald Trump’s attacks on the last election risk creating a similar malaise in America.  He invented the “Big Lie” that the election was stolen without providing a shred of evidence because he was threatened by defeat. 

Loyalists accept the lie, as shown by the grotesque current recount of votes in Arizona.  

Republican senators defeated a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on Congress that intended to block Joe Biden’s election because they were afraid it would reveal that Trump stimulated that attack.  

If the Big Lie gains traction, a malaise similar to the one that doomed the Soviet Union may spread, imperiling this country.   

The Big Lie strikes at the foundation of democratic government. The peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another is the bedrock of a democracy. Challenging that transfer stimulates insurrections, like the one Jan 6.   

Therefore, a repudiation of Trump’s fraudulent claims is vital for the survival of freedom in this great country.  

Sigmund Tobias, Sarasota

Questions for judge who overturned gun ban

Some questions for the federal judge in California who recently equated AR-15 assault rifles with Swiss Army knives, in overturning a ban on assault weapons:

• How many combat soldiers have attacked an enemy position with a Swiss Army knife?

• How many homeowners have repelled dangerous intruders with a Swiss Army knife? With an AR-15?

When, and if, you have the totals you will have a number equivalent to your IQ.

Charles H. Dudley, Sarasota

Addressing the root cause of migration

If you have read “American Dirt” or “The Four Winds” you can understand why desperate people leave the home they love.

Visiting Guatemala and tacMexico, Vice President Kamala Harris was where she needed to be to address the root cause of migration: fear of violence and lacking the resources to provide for the family.

Irene Ward, Lakewood Ranch

William Gay’s Fugitives of the Heart Is an Homage to Twain – Nashville Scene

William GayPhoto: Chapter16.org

Times are hard for the characters who populate William Gay’s Fugitives of the Heart, the last in a string of posthumous novels pieced together by his friends from an attic full of scenes Gay left behind. The writing in these fragments, as always with Gay’s work, was exquisite. For J.M. White, Sonny Brewer and the other writers who figured out how the scenes fit together, the effort was worth it, a forensic labor of love they feel even now for a writer who died in 2012. William Gay, they will tell you, was one of a kind; more precisely, he was a once-in-a-generation talent who could read the works of Mark Twain, William Faulkner or Cormac McCarthy, absorb what they were trying to do, then do it himself and make it his own. 

Fugitives of the HeartFugitives of the Heart is Gay’s homage to Twain. Yates, the protagonist, is just a boy when his daddy is killed, shot for stealing a side of meat from a neighbor in the hills of Tennessee. He’s Huck Finn in a different century, a boy of battered nobility and heart, rough around the edges and living off the land, whose only real friend is a Black man getting by on the margins of the segregated South. This is the rough South, the hills and hollows of Appalachia, where the Depression came early and never went away and people just do the best they can. Some of them, anyway. But maybe not Yates’ daddy, whose body is dumped from the back of a wagon by the man who caught him stealing from the smokehouse. The killer also leaves the side of meat: “If he wanted it bad enough to trade his life for it then it’s hisn.”  

This is where the story begins, with a moment so cruel and unexpected that it is almost more than a boy can bear. But the mountains turn pretty in the spring — “a warm wind looping up from the south” — and Yates takes heart:  

He saw this early spring as a gift from the fates. A balancing of some cosmic scale. The scent of wildflower rode the winds and he moved through this Edenic world with a newfound confidence. He began to think he might make it after all. 

In a postscript to Fugitives of the Heart, White writes about the first time he visited Gay and they talked about Cormac McCarthy. Gay urged White to read McCarthy’s Suttree, and White reported that he was “blown away” — not only by McCarthy’s exquisite language, but by his ability, as White put it, “to make readers aware of events without ever describing them in the text.” It was an artful literary device that White could see in Gay’s own writing. When they talked about it, Gay smiled. The prototype, he told White, could be found in Faulkner’s The Hamlet — such had been Gay’s study of the craft, the literary art, that he detected in other writers and incorporated into his work. 

He loved to talk about his favorites, almost to revel in his own admiration. His publisher, Joe Taylor of Livingston Press, recalls him as “one of the most humble writers I’d ever met,” and in Fugitives of the Heart, Gay lets his central character find words for his respect. Late in the novel, Yates, the boy, reflects on life with the Widow Paiton, an attractive neighbor who has taken him in, offering, in this cold and forbidding land, a warm place to stay:  

Nights by the fire she’d read to him Biblical tales. The stories of stern old prophets, their mad ravings. … She’d temper this with Twain, a chapter a night of Huckleberry Finn, Jim and Huck in a fix on the sunrimpled Mississippi.

Ultimately, of course, Fugitives of the Heart is not The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, nor is it merely an echo set in another time. It is not as funny, for one thing. Its humor takes the form of irony, and while it is written in third person, not first, Gay has a gift for point of view, reflecting the world through the eyes of a ragamuffin boy, while still managing, as Twain did, to write in scenes that are lyrical and lovely — almost as if he were painting with words. But the portrait is dark. The interracial friendship at the heart of the story, which seems so promising at the start — flintier, perhaps, than the relationship between Jim and Huck, but a bulwark against a hard world — abruptly takes on the specter of betrayal. Redemption comes at a terrible cost, more in the form of authentic survival, and we are left with the unmistakable sense that this is the best Yates can hope for.  

Or the rest of us, for that matter. 

To read an extended version of this review — and more local book coverage — please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee. 

Hong Kong watchdog slams Beijing loyalists over Gay Games criticism – Yahoo Sport Australia

Hong Kong’s anti-discrimination watchdog slammed two prominent pro-Beijing politicians on Thursday for recent comments warning that next year’s Gay Games would “divide the city” and bring “dirty money”.

The financial hub will host the 11th Gay Games in November 2022, the first time the sporting and cultural event will be held in Asia.

The row erupted over a discussion on Wednesday in Hong Kong’s legislature, a body that has been recently purged of its pro-democracy minority and is now solely stacked with government loyalists.

During the discussion, two prominent pro-Beijing lawmakers — Priscilla Leung and Junius Ho — attacked the city’s decision to host the Gay Games.

“The issue of sex orientation is extremely controversial and could even tear society apart,” Leung said.

Ho, a notoriously firebrand speaker, said the city did not need “dirty money” brought by the games.

“We respect people with different sexual orientations. Whatever you do in your room, it’s your own business. But if you do it in public, it’s disgraceful,” he said.

On Thursday, Equal Opportunities Commission chairman Ricky Chu issued a rare rebuke, accusing politicians of “making a mountain out of a molehill”.

“I hope lawmakers as well as members of the public will not stigmatise the games, but show respect and inclusiveness,” Chu told local station Commercial Radio.

“Such an inflexible attitude will only bring more harm than good to the city.”

Modelled on the Olympics, the Gay Games features both LGBTQ and straight athletes and promotes a message of inclusivity and equal rights.

At first glance Hong Kong might be a surprising choice.

While it dubs itself “Asia’s World City”, discrimination towards gay residents remains baked into the law.

There is no recognition of same-sex marriage, despite multiple court rulings making clear such discrimination needs to end.

And there is little political appetite from Hong Kong’s unelected leaders to embrace gay rights.

The city’s pro-Beijing politicians tend to skew socially conservative, often with links to powerful religious and rural family clan associations.

Many of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politicians were vocal advocates for progressive issues such as gay rights and environmentalism.

But they are currently on the receiving end of a sweeping crackdown with scores of politicians arrested, jailed, fled overseas or simply banned from politics.

It is part of Beijing’s drive — dubbed “Patriots rule Hong Kong” — to root out opposition after huge and often violent democracy protests in 2019.

“We lost many voices that support LGBTQ rights in the legislature,” Yeo Wai-wai, a spokesperson for local gay rights community centre Rainbow Action told AFP.

Yeo said she believed Hong Kong’s establishment politicians were now emboldened to “make homophobic remarks more unscrupulously”.

“These remarks were vulgar, will cause more prejudice towards the LGBTQ community and will have a negative impact on future generations,” she added.

yz/jta/leg

Hong Kong watchdog slams Beijing loyalists over Gay Games criticism – Yahoo Sports

Hong Kong’s anti-discrimination watchdog slammed two prominent pro-Beijing politicians on Thursday for recent comments warning that next year’s Gay Games would “divide the city” and bring “dirty money”.

The financial hub will host the 11th Gay Games in November 2022, the first time the sporting and cultural event will be held in Asia.

The row erupted over a discussion on Wednesday in Hong Kong’s legislature, a body that has been recently purged of its pro-democracy minority and is now solely stacked with government loyalists.

During the discussion, two prominent pro-Beijing lawmakers — Priscilla Leung and Junius Ho — attacked the city’s decision to host the Gay Games.

“The issue of sex orientation is extremely controversial and could even tear society apart,” Leung said.

Ho, a notoriously firebrand speaker, said the city did not need “dirty money” brought by the games.

“We respect people with different sexual orientations. Whatever you do in your room, it’s your own business. But if you do it in public, it’s disgraceful,” he said.

On Thursday, Equal Opportunities Commission chairman Ricky Chu issued a rare rebuke, accusing politicians of “making a mountain out of a molehill”.

“I hope lawmakers as well as members of the public will not stigmatise the games, but show respect and inclusiveness,” Chu told local station Commercial Radio.

“Such an inflexible attitude will only bring more harm than good to the city.”

Modelled on the Olympics, the Gay Games features both LGBTQ and straight athletes and promotes a message of inclusivity and equal rights.

At first glance Hong Kong might be a surprising choice.

While it dubs itself “Asia’s World City”, discrimination towards gay residents remains baked into the law.

There is no recognition of same-sex marriage, despite multiple court rulings making clear such discrimination needs to end.

And there is little political appetite from Hong Kong’s unelected leaders to embrace gay rights.

The city’s pro-Beijing politicians tend to skew socially conservative, often with links to powerful religious and rural family clan associations.

Many of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politicians were vocal advocates for progressive issues such as gay rights and environmentalism.

But they are currently on the receiving end of a sweeping crackdown with scores of politicians arrested, jailed, fled overseas or simply banned from politics.

It is part of Beijing’s drive — dubbed “Patriots rule Hong Kong” — to root out opposition after huge and often violent democracy protests in 2019.

“We lost many voices that support LGBTQ rights in the legislature,” Yeo Wai-wai, a spokesperson for local gay rights community centre Rainbow Action told AFP.

Yeo said she believed Hong Kong’s establishment politicians were now emboldened to “make homophobic remarks more unscrupulously”.

“These remarks were vulgar, will cause more prejudice towards the LGBTQ community and will have a negative impact on future generations,” she added.

yz/jta/leg

Royals, Met-Ed Partner to Collect Donations for LGBT Center – bctv.org

In partnership with Met-Ed, a First Energy Company, the ECHL Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced its plans to collect donations for the LGBT Center of Greater Reading.

Starting in the Summer of 2021, The LGBT Center of Greater Reading is launching its Art Collaborative – an initiative to inspire LGBT youth and the community at large, to develop, build and grow their level of self-esteem through the arts. As a celebration of Pride Month and in support of this new program, the Royals and Met-Ed will call on fans, fellow employees, and community members to contribute various art supplies to support this initiative.

“Met-Ed is proud to continue our partnership with the Reading Royals to further our commitment in creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Our ongoing collaborative partnership with the LGBTQ Center of Reading and the Reading Royals reflects this commitment to our core values and the greater Reading & Berks County community.” stated David Turner, manager of Regional External Affairs at Met-Ed.

Donations will be collected through the month of June at the Reading Royals Lion’s Den Team Store (Monday-Thursday 9 AM – 2 PM), the Santander Arena Box Office (Tuesdays/Thursdays 10 AM – 2 PM), and the Met-Ed Headquarters on Pottsville Pike (for Met-Ed Employees only). In addition, donations can be dropped off at the Reading Royals booth at Art on the Avenue in West Reading on Saturday, June 19th.

Below is a list of items requested to launch this Arts Collaborative:

  • Paint (oil, acrylic, watercolor)
  • Brushes
  • Canvas
  • Gender Identity Workbook for Teens (amazon)
  • Gender Identity Workbook for kids (amazon)
  • Adult coloring books
  • Dry erase markers
  • Palette
  • Watercolor paints
  • Watercolor paper
  • Sketchbooks
  • Mahl stick
  • Drawing pencils
  • Erasers
  • Craft popsicle sticks
  • Clay
  • Straws
  • Glitter
  • Cotton balls
  • Craft foam
  • Glue
  • Foam brushes
  • Colored paper
  • Aprons
  • Paper towels
  • Freezer paper
  • Modeling tools
  • Spray bottles

This initiative is one of several in the partnership between the Royals and Met-Ed this year. Since November, the partnership has assisted nine local non-profits by volunteering time, raising funds and supplies, and building awareness. For more information on those initiatives and to learn more on how to participate, visit RoyalsHockey.com.

Equality watchdog, LGBT activists hit back at pro-Beijing lawmakers’ attacks on Gay Games|Appledaily – 蘋果日報

LGBT activists and the Equal Opportunities Commission have lambasted pro-Beijing lawmakers for opposing the 2022 Gay Games.

The event promotes values of equality, inclusion and diversity, and are consistent with the principle of equal opportunities, Ricky Chu, chairperson of the EOC, said in a radio program on Thursday. He called on the public not to stigmatize the event or get wound up, and urged people to hold an attitude of respect and inclusion.

Hong Kong is set to host the 11th Gay Games in November next year, but pro-government lawmakers Junius Ho and Priscilla Leung have voiced their opposition in the Legislative Council. Ho described the estimated HK$1 billion (US$129 million) in economic benefits from the event as “dirty money.”

Speaking in the same radio program, Leung, who had criticized the Tourism Board and InvestHK for supporting the event, said the Gay Games is not a normal sport event, but a tactic to promote LGBT cause. She claimed that “the majority of Hong Kong people” are against the cause and the government should maintain its neutrality instead of endorsing the event.

Brian Leung, chief operating officer of the group BigLove Alliance, said the lawmakers are making themselves a laughing stock. “Their remarks have shown that they know nothing about the Gay Games,” Leung said.

First held in San Francisco in 1982, the Gay Games has nearly 40 years of history. As the first Asian City to host the event, the government and people of Hong Kong should be glad and proud, he stressed.

“Those with a dirty mind see everything else as dirty,” said Leung. Their comments also revealed that homophobia and discrimination still exist in Hong Kong society. He also slammed that lawmakers with poor character and voices of prejudice are the only ones that remain in the Legislative Council, without any counter force. “This is what we should be concerned about and is truly disgraceful to Hong Kong.”

He admitted he no longer expects the Legislative Council to offer a voice of balance. “It is why civil society needs to speak up,” the activist said.

Leung hopes the government will not bow to the lawmakers’ demand. The pandemic will largely be under control by November next year and the event offers an opportunity to promote tourism and stimulate the economic recovery. Ricky Chu’s performance on other issues of equal opportunities also fails to demonstrate that “he is a true ally,” he added.

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What the Mara Gay controversy should tell liberals – Yahoo News

Flags.

Flags. Illustrated | iStock

When Mara Gay, the New York Times editorial board member and MSNBC contributor, told Morning Joe this week that she was “disturbed” to see “dozens of American flags” on trucks in Long Island recently, her comments were quickly and widely denounced as an attack on American patriotism.

“This is my country. This is not your country,” she said, describing how she interpreted the flag-waving Donald Trump supporters’ message. “I own this.” Gay’s newspaper leapt to her defense, saying in a statement that her commentary had been “irresponsibly taken out of context.” The Times PR team added, “Her argument was that Trump and many of his supporters have politicized the American flag.”

Perhaps the prevailing interpretation of Gay’s comment was uncharitable, though it might be asked whether her own take on the motivations of partisans she disagrees with waving the flag of her country and theirs was sufficiently charitable. The problems on the right are real, but liberals are not blameless for the sad state of our political discourse.

Gay claimed that there are “tens of millions of Trump voters who continue to believe that their rights as citizens are under threat by simple virtue of having to share the democracy with others.” But she does not recognize that many such voters will hear her call to “separate Americanness … from whiteness” — which to those who do not share her ideological priors may sound like an attack based on skin color — as threatening. They may therefore not feel included in Gay’s stated desire to “get every American a place at the table” since they must be “separated” from America or believe she, a writer for the nation’s top newspaper, is especially eager to share a democracy with them. They may find it “disturbing.”

More broadly, from the national anthem protests to the 1619 Project, there has been a growing if not always deliberate trend on the left toward treating American patriotism and racial equality as somehow in tension. This will only empower the people who genuinely do use the flag in a hateful way.

Our politics are so ugly because large numbers of Americans no longer see themselves in the other side’s vision of the country. This is a flag-waving Trump supporter’s country. This is Mara Gay’s country. We own this.

Services to be held for fallen Worcester police officer – Yahoo News

0

Reuters

EU and UK’s ‘sausage war’ sizzles at G7 as Macron and Johnson spar

CARBIS BAY, England (Reuters) -Growing tensions between Britain and the European Union threatened to overshadow the Group of Seven summit’s conclusion on Sunday, with London accusing France of “offensive” remarks that Northern Ireland was not part of the United Kingdom. Ever since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the two sides have been trying to work out how to deal with post-Brexit trade and the British province, which has a land border with EU member Ireland. Ultimately, the talks keep coming back to the delicate patchwork of history, nationalism, religion and geography that intertwine in Northern Ireland, but the latest spat over the Brexit divorce deal is centred on sausages.

10 Things To Do This Week in Philly / NJ / Del. – WHYY

Beer festivals have long been a linchpin of the Philly entertainment scene, but the pandemic meant they had to temporarily subside. Philly Beer Week is not quite the boozy outdoor festival that usually distinguishes local beer celebrations, but is a series of events at pubs, bars, and restaurants around the city. There’s everything from Quizzo, happy hour and live music performances to … roller skating? Yep, you just gotta bring your own skates.

  • What: Beer festival
  • Where: Various venues
  • When: Through Sunday, June 13
  • How much: Various prices
( ‘Summer of Soul” Provided)

The Philadelphia Film Society’s SpringFest marks an official return to in-person movie viewing by the city’s largest film organization. This is a precursor to their larger Philadelphia Film Festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in October. On view in this summer version: our own Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Sundance darling “Summer of Soul,” a documentary about 1969’s Harlem Cultural Festival; an Alvin Ailey doc; and a ‘rockumentary’ about the band Sparks called “The Sparks Brothers,” among others.

  • What: Film festival
  • Where: PFS Bourse Theater, 400 Ranstead St., S. 4th St.
  • When: Friday, June 11 – Thursday, June 17
  • How much: $13 and up, individual movie tickets and festival passes available
(Official Drive N Drag website)

The ladies of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” have offered to save 2021 from anything drab, boring, and un-fabulous, and we’ve accepted. The nationwide tour that includes Aquaria, Violet Chachki, GottMik and Asia O’Hara, among others, stops at the King of Prussia Mall this weekend for a drive-in, all-ages performance.

For the second year, the city opens up to celebrate its LGBT+ population with an array of events including live music performances, a book signing, a children’s concert, film screenings, a drag brunch and more. Some events are ticketed, some are free, some in-person and others online.

  • What: LGBT+ celebration
  • Where: Various venues
  • When: Sunday, June 13 – Saturday, June 19
  • How much: Various prices
(Philly Pride Run / Facebook)

The fifth annual Philly Pride Run, organized by Lez Run Running Club, Out Philadelphia Athletic League and Philadelphia Front Runners, in conjunction with The William Way LGBT Community Center, is virtual this year, which means runners can plot their own 5K or 1K ‘fun run’ course and complete the race anytime between June 13 and June 20. You’ll have to prove you ran it though, via a fitness tracker or app. Proceeds from fundraising and donations will go to the William Way center and winners, including those in the 1K, with the most festive costume will win cash prizes.

  • What: Virtual 5K and 1K ‘fun run’
  • Where: Self-directed through Philadelphia
  • When: Sunday, June 13 – Sunday, June 20
  • How Much: $30 registration

The Nashville duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley that is Florida Georgia Line might be best known to country fans, but their 2012 hit “Cruise” with rap star Nelly gave them crossover status. While they haven’t quite duplicated that pop success, they’re now on their fifth album, “Life Rolls On,” released in February. Their one-night-only concert film was specially made for drive-ins and features Nelly and Chase Rice

(The Princeton Festival)

The Princeton, N.J.-based arts nonprofit announced earlier this year that their 17th season would be a hybrid one. That was met with such enthusiasm that in-person events have sold out, but you can still see chamber music performances, a live opera, and more on their website. Some events are free, others are ticketed.

  • What: Hybrid music event
  • Where: Online, (in-person events are sold out)
  • When: Through Sunday, June 20
  • How Much: Free – $30
Take 6 (Bristol Riverside Theater)

One of the nation’s top acapella groups, Take 6 is performing as part of the Bristol Riverside’s Summer Music Fest at its new outdoor amphitheater. Take 6 says that they’re the most awarded acapella group in music history and, since we have no way to disprove it, we’ll go with it. They have earned 10 Grammy and 10 Dove Awards, which is impressive regardless. Fun fact: Take 6 member Claude McKnight has earned more Grammys than his brother Brian McKnight, who remains winless despite 17 nominations.

  • What: In-person concert
  • Where: Bristol Riverside Theater, 2501 Bath Rd. Bristol, Pa.
  • When: Friday, June 11, Saturday, June 12, 8 p.m.
  • How Much: $55

The Delaware Contemporary, Delaware’s only contemporary art museum is hosting a street festival that incorporates a bike tour, several art workshops, a youth art show and even haircuts. The haircuts are a nod to their recently opened exhibition “Unapologetic Conversations of Hair & Nonconformity” which goes through Aug. 21. The free event will also have food trucks on site.

Controversy band (Facebook)

Though he’s been gone in the physical sense for more than five years, the fanbase that supported Prince when he was alive is still just as passionate. And so are the tribute bands that have sprung up in his stead. Delco’s Controversy band is one of them and they will highlight some of Prince’s biggest hits in their performance at the Queen. (Prince has a ‘new’ album, “Welcome to America,” being released from his lauded vault on July 30.)

  • What: An in-person tribute band performance
  • Where: The Queen Wilmington, 500 N. Market St.,Wilmington, Del.
  • When: Saturday, June 12, 8 p.m.
  • How much: $10

Keep checking with “Things To Do” as we continue to provide our picks for entertainment during the industry’s COVID-19 recovery. Please consult our coronavirus updates to keep up with the latest information regionally.

Young gay man gang-raped and tortured as hatred spirals in Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil – PinkNews

Brazil is one of the deadliest places to be LGBT+, according to activists. (Cris Faga/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In an act of “barbaric” violence, a gay 22-year-old was gang-raped and tortured in Brazil, touching off fear and frustration among activists.

The victim, who has not been named, was attacked by three armed men in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina last week. Wielding sharp objects, they forced the victim to carve homophobic slurs onto his legs.

Passersby were stunned to find the man writhing in pain in the middle of the street where he was left, activists told The Guardian newspaper.

He was rushed to hospital in serious condition and is now recovering at home. Police have launched an investigation – no arrest have been made at the time of writing.

To activists in a Brazil increasingly inured to anti-LGBT+ violence – its president deeply homophobic – the “frightening crime” was in no way surprising.

“It’s very common in Brazil, and violence – not only against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people but also women, Black people and immigrants – is worsening,” said Lirous Ávila, president of the Association in Defence of Human Rights.

The association, which aids victims of violence in the capital city, is supporting the victim’s loved ones.

Brazil Jair Bolsonaro
Brazilian President and ‘proud homophobe’ Jair Bolsonaro. (EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty)

But the incident, which took place during Pride Month, has touched off national anger – and homophobia – from Brazilians, advocates said. Ávila said that some have sought to justify the attack because the victim was gay.

“It’s absurd to justify violence that is brutal and barbaric,” she said.

Brazil is also one of the deadliest places in the world to be trans, annually topping advocacy group’s tallies on the number of violent crimes against trans folk that take place.

Last year alone, 175 trans people were slain, according to advocacy group National Association of Travestis and Transexuals of Brazil. By its estimates, a trans person was murdered every two days in a nation of 211 million.

In the group’s report, a startling figure captured the apparent impunity felt by violent transphobes: seven out of every 10 trans deaths in Brazil occurred in a public space.

“We have a president who compounded this violence,” said Ávila.

“It seems that the population feels it has a right to commit these violent acts against the LGBT+ population, influenced by Bolsonaro.”