Latest news with #CleveJones
Euronews
a day ago
- General
- Euronews
Rare display for UK AIDS Memorial Quilt amid Trump HIV funding cuts
Each stitched panel honours someone who died from AIDS-related illness, forming part of a vast global project that began in the 1980s at the height of the epidemic. Created by loved ones, the quilt is both a tribute and a protest. The project was started by American activist Cleve Jones, who began sewing panels after losing dozens of friends and witnessing government inaction. Speaking at the Tate, Jones condemned recent cuts to global HIV funding by the Trump administration, calling them 'unconscionable.' Campaigners warn the loss of U.S. aid will cost hundreds of thousands of lives, especially in vulnerable regions. Do you suffer from Friggatriskaidekaphobia, the fear of Friday 13th? You're not alone. It's one of the most pervasive superstitions in Western culture, alongside crossing a black cat or walking under a ladder. It's estimated between 17 and 21 million people in the United States are actively affected by Friggatriskaidekaphobia – named after Frigga, the Norse goddess after whom 'Friday' is named in English – or 'triskaidekaphobia', the fear of the number 13. Some people refuse to fly, or close a business deal on this date, while others refuse to leave the house. Some buildings skip the 13th floor, going from 12 straight to 14, there are dinner guests who refuse to eat at a table with 13 guests, and there are airlines which do not have a row 13. But why is the number and date considered so unlucky? The origins of Friggatriskaidekaphobia (or paraskevidekatriaphobia in some quarters), as with most superstitions, are tough to pinpoint. The concept of the cursed number can go back to Norse mythology. According to Viking myth, 12 gods were having a banquet in Valhalla. A 13th, uninvited guest known as Loki – the god of mischief – arrived, and deceived Hodr, the blind god of darkness, into shooting Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. The superstition then spread south throughout Europe, becoming established by the start of the Christian era. Then came the story of another dinner party: the Last Supper, which was attended by Jesus Christ and his disciples. The 13th guest was none other than Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on Good Friday. Going back even further in Biblical tradition, Friday is said to be the day that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, as well as the day Cain murdered his brother, Abel. Beyond myth and religion, for many the number 13 suffers simply because it comes after the number 12. Numerologists consider 12 a 'complete number': there are 12 months in the year; 12 hours of the clock; and 12 signs of the Zodiac; 12 labors of Hercules; 12 gods of Olympus… The number 13 is irregular by comparison. As for Friday, many believe that it has been an unlucky day since the 14th-century publication of Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales": 'And on a Friday fell all this mischance.' Fast forward a few millennia and popular culture has not helped in any way: Thomas William Lawson's 1907 novel "Friday, the Thirteenth" tells the story of a stockbroker who creates chaos on Wall Street; the German bombing of Buckingham Palace took place on Friday 13 September 1940; the ill-fated Apollo 13 moon mission; the Friday 13th films, with hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees slashing to his heart's content… All have contributed to giving the date a bad rep. But some countries would disagree. In Hispanic and Greek culture, Tuesday 13th is traditionally considered an unlucky day. In Greece, Tuesday is the day associated with Ares the god of war, and Greek name for 'Tuesday' is 'Triti', or 'third', heightening the superstition, since bad luck supposedly comes in groups of three. Add the fact that Constantinople fell both times on a Tuesday - in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, and in 1453 to the Ottomans - and you've got yourself a cursed day. In Italy, the number 13 is actually considered lucky, and it's Friday 17th that has the bad reputation. The connection between the number 17 and bad luck is goes back to the Roman numerals for 17, XVII. When rearranged, it creates the word VIXI, which translates as 'I have lived', the past tense which implies death. Consequently, Alitalia, the country's airline, does not feature row 17 on its planes. Both Fridays and the number 13 haven't always been unlucky. Organised religions and misogyny silenced paganism and the celebration of women throughout the centuries, thereby leading to the narrative of Friday 13th as an unlucky date. In pagan times, Friday was believed to have a unique association with the divine feminine – which loops us back to Friggatriskaidekaphobia. As any discerning mythology expert or Marvel fan will tell you, Frigga was the Queen of Asgard and a powerful sky goddess, one who was associated with love and motherhood and who could prophesize fertility. Therefore, Friday was considered a lucky day for marriage by Norse and Teutonic people. Regarding the number 13, it was a harbinger of good fortune for pre-Christian and goddess-worshipping cultures because of its link to the number of lunar and menstrual cycles that occur in a calendar year. And then comes US national treasure Taylor Swift, who ended 2024 on a high after her record-smashing global tour brought in $2.2 billion in its nearly two-year run, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time for a second year in a row. Doesn't sound very unlucky, does it? Be we digress... Swift considers 13 her lucky number and, early in her career, often performed with the number written on her hand. "I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first No. 1 one song had a 13-second intro," she told MTV in 2009. "Every time I've won an award I've been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section or row M, which is the 13th letter. Basically, whenever a 13 comes up in my life, it's a good thing." Maybe the legacy of Friday 13th can be rewritten… Just follow TayTay's example and laugh in the face of danger. After all, it beats trying to pronounce Friggatriskaidekaphobia. Good luck with that.
The Guardian
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
LGBTQ+ leaders condemn Trump plan to drop Harvey Milk's name from navy ship
Leaders in San Francisco are blasting the Trump administration for stripping the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from a US naval ship, and especially during Pride month, when people gather to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Milk is a revered figure in San Francisco history, a former city supervisor and gay rights advocate who was fatally shot along with mayor George Moscone in 1978 by disgruntled former supervisor Dan White. Just last month, California marked what would have been Milk's 95th birthday with proclamations heralding his authenticity, kindness and calls for unity. He served for four years in the navy during the Korean war, before he was forced out for being gay. Milk later moved to San Francisco, where he became one of the first openly gay politicians in the world with his election to the board of supervisors in 1977. Cleve Jones, a close friend and LGBTQ+ activist, dismissed the renaming as an attempt by the Trump administration to distract the American public from far more serious concerns, including the ongoing war in Gaza and looming cuts to Medicaid and Social Security. 'Yes, this is cruel and petty and stupid, and yes, it's an insult to my community,' Jones said. 'I would be willing to wager a considerable sum that American families sitting around that proverbial kitchen table this evening are not going to be talking about how much safer they feel now that Harvey's name is going to be taken off that ship.' The Pentagon has not confirmed news of the renaming, a highly rare move, but unnamed officials say the change was laid out in an internal memo. It is in keeping with attempts by US defense secretary Pete Hegseth and the broader Trump administration to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. A new name has not yet been selected for the USNS Harvey Milk. Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, said in a phone call Wednesday that he and the Harvey Milk Foundation have reached out to the Pentagon, which confirmed there is a proposed name change on the table. 'And our hope is that the recommendation is put aside, but if it's not, it will be a rallying cry not just for our community but for all minority communities,' said Stuart Milk, who is executive chair of the foundation, adding that his uncle always said that gay rights, and those of other marginalized communities, required constant vigilance. 'So I don't think he'd be surprised,' Milk said, 'but he'd be calling on us to remain vigilant, to stay active.' Elected officials, including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and California's governor, Gavin Newsom, called the move a shameful attempt to erase the contributions of LGBTQ+ people and an insult to fundamental American values of honoring veterans and those who worked to build a better country. Pelosi and Newsom are both San Francisco Democrats. Newsom took aim at Hegseth, calling the attempt: 'A cowardly act from a man desperate to distract us from his inability to lead the Pentagon' on the social media platform X. The USNS Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-navy secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. Sean Penn portrayed Milk in an Oscar-winning 2008 movie depicting his audacious rise in politics and his death by a supervisor who cast the sole 'no' vote on his legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. Milk's career, and his killing, was also the subject of a documentary that won an Academy Award in 1985. While the renaming attempt is rare, the Biden administration changed the names of two navy ships in 2023 as part of the effort to remove Confederate names from US military installations.
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
San Francisco leaders blast Trump for trying to erase gay rights icon Harvey Milk's name from ship
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Leaders in San Francisco are blasting the Trump administration for stripping the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from a U.S. naval ship, and especially during Pride Month, when people gather to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Milk is a revered figure in San Francisco history, a former city supervisor and gay rights advocate who was fatally shot along with Mayor George Moscone in 1978 by disgruntled former supervisor Dan White. Just last month, California marked what would have been Milk's 95th birthday with proclamations heralding his authenticity, kindness and calls for unity. He served for four years in the Navy during the Korean War, before he was forced out for being gay. Milk later moved to San Francisco, where he became one of the first out gay politicians in the world with his election to the Board of Supervisors in 1977. Cleve Jones, a close friend and LGBTQ+ activist, dismissed the renaming as an attempt by the Trump administration to distract the American public from far more serious concerns, including the ongoing war in Gaza and looming cuts to Medicaid and Social Security. 'Yes, this is cruel and petty and stupid, and yes, it's an insult to my community,' Jones said. 'I would be willing to wager a considerable sum that American families sitting around that proverbial kitchen table this evening are not going to be talking about how much safer they feel now that Harvey's name is going to be taken off that ship.' The Pentagon has not confirmed news of the renaming, a highly rare move, but unnamed officials say the change was laid out in an internal memo. It is in keeping with attempts by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the broader Trump administration to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. A new name has not yet been selected for the USNS Harvey Milk. Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, said in a phone call Wednesday that he and the Harvey Milk Foundation have reached out to the Pentagon, which confirmed there is a proposed name change on the table. 'And our hope is that the recommendation is put aside, but if it's not, it will be a rallying cry not just for our community but for all minority communities,' said Stuart Milk, who is executive chair of the foundation, adding that his uncle always said that gay rights, and those of other marginalized communities, required constant vigilance. 'So I don't think he'd be surprised,' Milk said, 'but he'd be calling on us to remain vigilant, to stay active.' Elected officials, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, called the move a shameful attempt to erase the contributions of LGBTQ+ people and an insult to fundamental American values of honoring veterans and those who worked to build a better country. Pelosi and Newsom are both San Francisco Democrats. Newsom took aim at Hegseth, calling the attempt 'A cowardly act from a man desperate to distract us from his inability to lead the Pentagon' on the social platform X. The USNS Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. Sean Penn portrayed Milk in an Oscar-winning 2008 movie depicting his audacious rise in politics and his death by a supervisor who cast the sole 'no' vote on his legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. While the renaming attempt is rare, the Biden administration also changed the names of two Navy ships in 2023 as part of the effort to remove Confederate names from U.S. military installations.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK Aids Memorial Quilt to be shown at Tate Modern
The UK Aids Memorial Quilt collection is to be displayed in the Tate Modern later this year. A combination of 42 quilts and 23 individual panels, which represents about 385 people who lost their lives to HIV/Aids in the UK, will be displayed in the art gallery's Turbine Hall. The US National Aids Memorial describes the memorial quilt as "the largest community arts project in history", with the UK quilt being "one chapter" of this project, the Tate Modern said. It will be on display from 12 June to 16 June, with a live reading of names on the quilt taking place on 14 June. In response to the Aids pandemic, American activist Cleve Jones formed the NAMES Project in 1985. It invited people to create textile panels to commemorate friends, family and loved ones who died during the pandemic. The individual panels are sewn together to create larger quilts, which have in the past been shown outdoors to raise awareness about HIV and Aids. The displays often included a reading of all the names on the panels. The NAMES project UK was launched by Scottish activist Alistair Hulme who witnessed an early display of the NAMES Project Aids Memorial Quilt in San Francisco. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Aids memorial quilt display aims to 'break stigma' The Aids memorial quilt Tate Modern
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK Aids Memorial Quilt to be shown at Tate Modern
The UK Aids Memorial Quilt collection is to be displayed in the Tate Modern later this year. A combination of 42 quilts and 23 individual panels, which represents about 385 people who lost their lives to HIV/Aids in the UK, will be displayed in the art gallery's Turbine Hall. The US National Aids Memorial describes the memorial quilt as "the largest community arts project in history", with the UK quilt being "one chapter" of this project, the Tate Modern said. It will be on display from 12 June to 16 June, with a live reading of names on the quilt taking place on 14 June. In response to the Aids pandemic, American activist Cleve Jones formed the NAMES Project in 1985. It invited people to create textile panels to commemorate friends, family and loved ones who died during the pandemic. The individual panels are sewn together to create larger quilts, which have in the past been shown outdoors to raise awareness about HIV and Aids. The displays often included a reading of all the names on the panels. The NAMES project UK was launched by Scottish activist Alistair Hulme who witnessed an early display of the NAMES Project Aids Memorial Quilt in San Francisco. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Aids memorial quilt display aims to 'break stigma' The Aids memorial quilt Tate Modern
