Latest news with #Colijn
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Some global LGBTQ travelers are skipping America this Pride season
For many European gays, the festive Eurovision Song Contest each May marks the unofficial kickoff to the global Pride season. As usual, there were soaring highlights and scandalous lowlights among the competing Eurovision nations at the 2025 edition of the contest in Basel, Switzerland, this month. But another country was on the lips of many queer jet-setters this year: the United States, with its spate of new anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies that are causing some LGBTQ travelers to reconsider their upcoming American itineraries. Several European countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, have issued official cautions for LGBTQ travelers visiting the U.S., particularly those with an 'X' gender listed on their passport. Meanwhile, out of concerns for participant safety, Canada's leading LGBTQ rights group, Egale Canada, pulled out of participation in WorldPride DC, and the African Human Rights Coalition has called for a boycott of this edition of the international Pride event, coordinated by InterPride and usually held every two years. 'It doesn't feel right to at the moment,' Karl Krause told NBC News at Eurovision in Basel, referring to travel to the U.S. Krause, who is German by birth, lives in Amsterdam with his Dutch partner, Daan Colijn, and together they are travel-focused content creators known to their followers as Couple of Men. In 2021, Lonely Planet awarded them its first Best in Travel LGBTIQ Storyteller Award, a nod to their work for the LGBTQ community. 'As gay men traveling to the U.S., we are probably still the more privileged part of the community,' Krause said. 'But we had some interesting conversations recently in Bilbao with a trans person who was like, 'I cannot, I literally cannot travel to the U.S., because I have no idea how they would receive my diverse passport, if I would be put in detention or whatever. I have my little daughter — I'm not going to risk any of this.'' Krause said that was the moment he realized that while he and Colijn as gay men may not yet be feeling the full effects of the Trump administration's policies, they were already having an impact on other travelers within the LGBTQ community. 'So how can we in good feeling promote this destination?' he asked. 'How can I send a trans friend or nonbinary friend and try to inspire them to go to the U.S. when they are in what's supposed to be the best time of their year, to spend in a country where they don't feel safe?' Colijn added that he and Krause want to send their followers 'somewhere where they are safe, where they feel welcome.' 'At the moment, of course a lot of people will still feel very, very welcome in the majority of America — a lot of places are still the same, or maybe even trying to do better. But we just want to be careful in what we are supporting,' Colijn said. John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, or IGLTA, told NBC News that such concerns are commonplace this year. 'We've heard from travelers feeling uncertain about visiting the U.S., especially trans and gender-diverse individuals,' he said. 'These decisions are often driven by concerns about safety, treatment at the border and access to affirming health care. Some have canceled their trips. Many others are still coming, but they're being more selective about where they go.' Nicoló Manfredini, an Italian trans man living in Valencia, Spain, said he was recently able to enter the U.S. without incident thanks to having an 'M' marker on his passport, but the government's anti-trans policies currently make America a place he would rather not visit again. 'Originally I had planned to go to WorldPride, but not now,' he said. Given the current environment in the U.S., Manfredini added, he said he would only travel to the U.S. if he had to do so for work. Even American gender-diverse people are adjusting their travel plans because of Trump administration policies, according to a study released earlier this month by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Of the more than 300 transgender, nonbinary and other gender-diverse people surveyed, 70% said they are less likely to go on vacation to U.S. states they view as less trans-affirming. Krause said that despite usually attending at least one and sometimes several U.S. Pride events every year, this year will be different. 'We were actually planning to go to Washington, D.C., for WorldPride, but this is off the table for us … How safe can we be in Washington? Just saying that scares me a little bit,' he said, noting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was particularly concerning. 'I don't know what is going on there now and who is coming, and I don't feel safe with the idea that I'm going there and I'm walking and maybe there is a mob [coming] from whatever direction.' Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers behind WorldPride DC, which started earlier this month and continues through June 8, did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News, but the event's website details security protocols and includes a passport advisory for transgender and nonbinary travelers. Sahand Miraminy, director of operations for Capital Pride Alliance, told The Washington Post this week that security measures at WorldPride DC will include weapons screening at the entrance to the street festival June 7 and 8, which will also be fenced in. In addition to the local and federal "agency support that we have, we also hire private security and have many forms of safety measures and surveillance that we may not share at all times with the public,' he said, 'but there are certainly conversations that we're having with those agencies on a weekly basis.' Organizers at NYC Pride, arguably the most globally popular of U.S. Pride events each year and held like most big cities during Pride Month in June, are also stepping up security plans for 2025. 'NYC Pride has contracted a private firm with vast experience managing LGBTQIA+ events to lead on-site security,' spokesperson Kevin Kilbride said. 'Given the size and visibility of our events, NYC Pride is monitored and secured by municipal agencies at every level of government to protect our freedom of expression and ensure a safe space for our community.' Tanzella said that since safety is unfortunately never guaranteed for the LGBTQ community, careful planning is more essential than ever for LGBTQ travelers coming to the U.S. this year. 'Research destinations with strong reputations for inclusion and visible LGBTQ+ support,' he advised. 'Connect with local LGBTQ+ organizations for on-the-ground insights, stay informed about local laws and current events, and have a plan for accessing affirming health care if needed. Most importantly, prioritize places where you feel respected and supported.' Cities and states with long-standing reputations for LGBTQ inclusivity are getting more attention, Tanzella added. 'In this climate, a destination's visible commitment to inclusion through its policies, community engagement, and public support truly matters,' he said. In October, the IGLTA will host its annual global convention in Palm Springs, California, a destination Colijn said he and Krause can and will enthusiastically visit. 'We were there just last year, and we felt how amazing and welcome and how much old queer culture is there,' he said. 'So of course we want to go there, and we can fully tell people to go there. Unless of course we might get in trouble at the border.' Krause, however, noted that he and Colijn still haven't booked their Palm Springs trip just yet, because they fear that under the Trump administration 'everything can change overnight.' 'There is no long-term planning,' he said. Kilbride said he understands the need global queer travelers feel to exhibit caution this year, but he said he believes Pride remains one of the most powerful tools in the collective struggle for equality. 'We stand with the international LGBTIA+ community, particularly our trans and nonbinary siblings,' he said. 'But we also believe the fight for our community is more important now than ever. We need to show up big to make it clear: We're here, we're queer, and we're not going anywhere.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Some global LGBTQ travelers are skipping America this Pride season
For many European gays, the festive Eurovision Song Contest each May marks the unofficial kickoff to the global Pride season. As usual, there were soaring highlights and scandalous lowlights among the competing Eurovision nations at the 2025 edition of the contest in Basel, Switzerland, this month. But another country was on the lips of many queer jet-setters this year: the United States, with its spate of new anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies that are causing some LGBTQ travelers to reconsider their upcoming American itineraries. Several European countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, have issued official cautions for LGBTQ travelers visiting the U.S., particularly those with an 'X' gender listed on their passport. Meanwhile, out of concerns for participant safety, Canada's leading LGBTQ rights group, Egale Canada, pulled out of participation in WorldPride DC, and the African Human Rights Coalition has called for a boycott of this edition of the international Pride event, coordinated by InterPride and usually held every two years. 'It doesn't feel right to at the moment,' Karl Krause told NBC News at Eurovision in Basel, referring to travel to the U.S. Krause, who is German by birth, lives in Amsterdam with his Dutch partner, Daan Colijn, and together they are travel-focused content creators known to their followers as Couple of Men. In 2021, Lonely Planet awarded them its first Best in Travel LGBTIQ Storyteller Award, a nod to their work for the LGBTQ community. 'As gay men traveling to the U.S., we are probably still the more privileged part of the community,' Krause said. 'But we had some interesting conversations recently in Bilbao with a trans person who was like, 'I cannot, I literally cannot travel to the U.S., because I have no idea how they would receive my diverse passport, if I would be put in detention or whatever. I have my little daughter — I'm not going to risk any of this.'' Krause said that was the moment he realized that while he and Colijn as gay men may not yet be feeling the full effects of the Trump administration's policies, they were already having an impact on other travelers within the LGBTQ community. 'So how can we in good feeling promote this destination?' he asked. 'How can I send a trans friend or nonbinary friend and try to inspire them to go to the U.S. when they are in what's supposed to be the best time of their year, to spend in a country where they don't feel safe?' Colijn added that he and Krause want to send their followers 'somewhere where they are safe, where they feel welcome.' 'At the moment, of course a lot of people will still feel very, very welcome in the majority of America — a lot of places are still the same, or maybe even trying to do better. But we just want to be careful in what we are supporting,' Colijn said. John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, or IGLTA, told NBC News that such concerns are commonplace this year. 'We've heard from travelers feeling uncertain about visiting the U.S., especially trans and gender-diverse individuals,' he said. 'These decisions are often driven by concerns about safety, treatment at the border and access to affirming health care. Some have canceled their trips. Many others are still coming, but they're being more selective about where they go.' Nicoló Manfredini, an Italian trans man living in Valencia, Spain, said he was recently able to enter the U.S. without incident thanks to having an 'M' marker on his passport, but the government's anti-trans policies currently make America a place he would rather not visit again. 'Originally I had planned to go to WorldPride, but not now,' he said. Given the current environment in the U.S., Manfredini added, he said he would only travel to the U.S. if he had to do so for work. Even American gender-diverse people are adjusting their travel plans because of Trump administration policies, according to a study released earlier this month by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Of the more than 300 transgender, nonbinary and other gender-diverse people surveyed, 70% said they are less likely to go on vacation to U.S. states they view as less trans-affirming. Krause said that despite usually attending at least one and sometimes several U.S. Pride events every year, this year will be different. 'We were actually planning to go to Washington, D.C., for WorldPride, but this is off the table for us … How safe can we be in Washington? Just saying that scares me a little bit,' he said, noting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was particularly concerning. 'I don't know what is going on there now and who is coming, and I don't feel safe with the idea that I'm going there and I'm walking and maybe there is a mob [coming] from whatever direction.' Capital Pride Alliance, the organizers behind WorldPride DC, which started earlier this month and continues through June 8, did not respond to requests for comment from NBC News, but the event's website details security protocols and includes a passport advisory for transgender and nonbinary travelers. Sahand Miraminy, director of operations for Capital Pride Alliance, told The Washington Post this week that security measures at WorldPride DC will include weapons screening at the entrance to the street festival June 7 and 8, which will also be fenced in. In addition to the local and federal "agency support that we have, we also hire private security and have many forms of safety measures and surveillance that we may not share at all times with the public,' he said, 'but there are certainly conversations that we're having with those agencies on a weekly basis.' Organizers at NYC Pride, arguably the most globally popular of U.S. Pride events each year and held like most big cities during Pride Month in June, are also stepping up security plans for 2025. 'NYC Pride has contracted a private firm with vast experience managing LGBTQIA+ events to lead on-site security,' spokesperson Kevin Kilbride said. 'Given the size and visibility of our events, NYC Pride is monitored and secured by municipal agencies at every level of government to protect our freedom of expression and ensure a safe space for our community.'
Qatar Tribune
23-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Eurozone business activity contracts in May
Agencies Business activity in the eurozone contracted for the first time in five months in May, weighed down by surprising weakness in the services sector, the bloc's engine in the past, a closely watched survey showed Thursday. Europe's growth has trailed global peers, particularly the U.S., since the pandemic and predictions for a rebound have been proven wrong time and again as firms hold back investment, households sit on savings and governments fail to enact the sort of structural policies that would reduce inefficiency. The closely watched composite HCOB Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the bloc dropped to 49.5 in May from April's 50.4, dropping below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction and falling short of the 50.7 expectation in a Reuters poll of economists. The figure is especially worrisome for services, the driver of growth in recent years, as it was the main culprit in the decline, although economists cautioned against reaching firm conclusions since the noise generated by rapidly shifting U.S. trade policy was a key factor. This week, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, cut its economic growth forecast for 2025 to 0.9%, from a previous prediction of 1.3%. The reduced output in services – 48.9 in May compared with 50.1 in April – stood in contrast with growth in manufacturing output of 51.5 in May, unchanged from April. 'The trade war is weighing on the eurozone economy, but likely mostly through the uncertainty channel rather than direct trade effects so far,' ING economist Bert Colijn said. 'Sluggishness remains the name of the game for eurozone economic activity, and risks seem to be to the downside for the short term as the trade war could intensify,' Colijn added. While even HCOB acknowledged that figures were weak, it said there was some good news in the outlook. 'There are reasons for confidence in the longer term,' HCOB chief economist Cyrus de la Rubia said. 'The recovery in manufacturing is broad-based, with encouraging signs coming out of both Germany and France.' 'Germany, in particular, might be gearing up to reclaim its role as the euro zone's economic engine, thanks to a potentially very expansionary fiscal policy,' he said. Germany plans a historic spending package to boost defense and invest in infrastructure. Signalling heightened expectations for the new German government, the Ifo Institute's monthly sentiment indicator rose a touch more than predicted this month and expectations rose sharply in both wholesale and retail trade. 'The German economy is slowly regaining its footing,' Ifo President Clemens Fuest said. Economists added that seven interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB) in the past year were also propping up sentiment and reducing cost, especially since the bank is still not done easing and a few more steps are likely. 'The fifth consecutive increase in the Ifo business climate index shows that German companies defied Trump's tariff shock also in May,' Commerzbank economist Joerg Kraemer said. 'Apparently, the positive effects of the ECB's rate cuts outweigh the higher tariffs.' Still, economists said the lukewarm readings on current business conditions combined with only a modestly optimistic outlook add up to tepid growth, fraught with downside risks. The ECB and the European Commission both see the eurozone growing by less than 1% this year, much like last year, and see risks tilted to more negative outcomes, especially if the trade war intensifies.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Concern grows over low measles vaccination rates in parts of B.C.
Social Sharing Scientists are raising the alarm over low measles vaccination rates in parts of B.C. as concern grows over outbreaks in Ontario and Texas. Health officials in Ontario say there have been 350 cases of the virus in the province since late October — with 173 of those infections reported within the last several weeks — and in late February, an unvaccinated Texas child lost their life in the first U.S. measles death since 2015. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — which is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases — is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old for the first shot, with the second coming between the ages of four and six. However, the Okanagan and Kootenay-Boundary regions of B.C. showed less than two-thirds of seven-year-olds were up to date with their measles shots in 2023, the latest year on record, well below the recommended 95 per cent rate to achieve herd immunity. Across B.C., as a whole, the percentage of seven-year-olds who were up to date with their shots has been dropping steadily for over a decade, and the province as a whole saw only 72 per cent coverage in 2023. The province has thus far reported four travel-related cases of the virus this year, all of which are related to air travel to Southeast Asia. Scientists say it's more imperative than ever that people check the vaccination status of their children, especially as measles is incredibly contagious and has high hospitalization rates for those who aren't vaccinated. "I think we do have areas and school districts where there are enough unprotected children that measles could take off if it gets introduced here," said Caroline Colijn, a Canada 150 Research Chair in mathematics at Simon Fraser University. Last month, Colijn and her co-authors published a modelling study on measles to see what happens when the respiratory illness is introduced to a community, and what level of vaccination coverage or previous immunity from infection is needed to prevent outbreaks. The SFU scientist says that measles is so infectious that if there's an exposure in a room, anyone who's not immunized will go home with measles — and symptoms may not appear for seven to 10 days afterwards, making contact tracing difficult. BCCDC says rate likely higher Jia Hu, the interim medical director for immunization programs at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, says that while B.C.'s measles vaccination uptake looks low among children, actual rates are likely a bit higher given some residents may have just moved to the province and others are not registered in the provincial immunization registry. Still, he acknowledges that rates are lower than where public health officials want them to be for the preventable disease — which was considered eradicated in Canada in 1998. WATCH | Health authority urges British Columbians to check measles vaccinations: Health authority says to check children's vaccine status, amid rising measles cases 11 hours ago Duration 2:01 Vancouver Coastal Health is reminding parents to check their children's vaccine status. It comes with measles on the rise globally and outbreaks in Ontario and Texas. As Michelle Ghoussoub reports public health officials are warning vaccination rates in B.C. are worryingly low. Hu says that the pandemic disrupted many childhood vaccine schedules, which could explain the downturn in vaccination rates. He added the data shows that many seven-year-olds in B.C. were eligible for their second measles shot at the peak of the pandemic. WATCH | Travel-related measles cases confirmed in B.C.: More travel-related measles cases confirmed in B.C.'s Lower Mainland 10 days ago Duration 1:53 "I also think, more worryingly, that there probably has been a decline in people's willingness to get measles-containing vaccine or any vaccine for that matter, right?" he said. "In the aftermath of the pandemic, we've seen, you know, a lot more, vaccine hesitancy." Hu says that officials had a responsibility to increase the measles vaccination uptake, by reaching out to community leaders in places where people could be vaccine hesitant. "I think the combination of information and vaccine availability would really help increase uptake for other communities where I think vaccine hesitancy is more entrenched," he said. Hu says that vaccines are the best way to prevent a disease that has high hospitalization rates — with the doctor saying that at least 10 per cent of Canadian cases have led to hospitalization. Colijn says that Canadians have perhaps collectively forgotten how bad measles is, and says the disease can cause brain swelling and immune system damage in children who are not protected. "We don't want to have to rediscover how bad these are and then rediscover how to prevent them," she said of childhood diseases. "We've already been down that road."
CBC
08-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
A play-by-play of how measles outbreaks can spiral out of control
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. Measles infections are ticking up and up across multiple provinces, with more cases already this year than all of 2024. Local public health alerts of new cases come with detailed descriptions of the person's whereabouts before they were diagnosed. We're told which hours and minutes a passenger spent in airports in Vancouver, Toronto, and Fredericton, how long other patients were in an emergency department north of Toronto or family health clinic in eastern Ontario, and just how long someone visited a sit-down chain restaurant in Quebec's Laurentians. The announcements raise a couple questions: Why do measles cases seem to be slipping through health-care professionals' fingers — or even going unrecognized by patients or their families? And, why give such detailed information on where a person went? The answers lie in how incredibly contagious the measles virus is, coupled with the cornerstone role vaccination plays in stopping spread. "What those announcements are trying to do is really make people aware so that they can protect ... others around them and watch out for their own symptoms," said Caroline Colijn, an epidemiologist who holds a Canada 150 Research Chair at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. Last month, Colijn and her co-authors published a modelling study on measles to see what happens when the respiratory illness is introduced to a community, and what level of vaccination coverage or previous immunity from infection is needed to prevent outbreaks. "Because measles is so incredibly infectious, it can spread rapidly, even if most people in a community, 80 per cent, for example, are immunized," Colijn said. "The usual threshold is that you would want 95 per cent of the people in a community to either have been vaccinated or to have had previous measles exposure." However, vaccination rates have been falling in Canada and elsewhere, and the early symptoms of measles may go unrecognized — adding to the risk of spread. Hardy and highly contagious virus Measles spreads through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks, so even spending a few minutes in that same airspace can pose an infection risk to someone who isn't vaccinated, such as an infant who is too young to receive the shots. A single infected person can infect 90 per cent of their close contacts, if they're unvaccinated. The virus that causes measles is also hardy, lingering on surfaces for two hours after an infected individual leaves. That's why case counts can spiral quickly. A single person, on average, infects 12 to 18 others who are susceptible to measles. That means if one patient infects 15 others, who each infects 15 others, you end up with 225 cases. If each of those people infects 15 others, you're at 3,375 cases, and so on. Another wrinkle is that the symptoms of measles overlap with more common respiratory illnesses, including influenza, which is also circulating in Canada now. When someone who is vulnerable to the measles virus is exposed, they may show the "3 C" landmarks of the infection about 10 days later: Cough. Coryza, or inflammation of nasal mucous membranes, which leads to a runny nose. Conjunctivitis or redness of the eyes. "These are very similar to things we would see with the flu," said Dr. Mark Kirchhof, president-elect of the Canadian Dermatology Association and an associate professor at the University of Ottawa. "It can be easily confused." When people unknowingly infected with measles chalk up the symptoms to influenza, a cold or COVID-19, especially early on, they may interact with family, go to school, work and other public places and expose others who haven't been vaccinated, Kirchhof said. That's why local public health officials and physicians encourage people to call ahead before coming to a clinic if the person is unvaccinated and showing cold symptoms. That way, staff can cordon off an area to prevent further spread of measles. Measles rash appears on the face first When the Canadian Dermatology Association observed an uptick in measles in 2023, the group started raising awareness about the measles rash, other symptoms and who is vulnerable to complications. Kirchhof said dermatologists can lend a hand at helping colleagues to recognize measles, which many doctors have only read about in textbooks and never seen in real life. Two or three days after the symptoms of cough, a runny nose and conjunctivitis arise in someone infected with measles, a cluster of white dots will often appear on the inside of the cheeks near the molars. These are known as Koplik spots after the pediatrician who first identified the pattern's link to measles infection. WATCH | Mapping the spread of measles in Canada in 2025: Once declared eradicated, measles is surging in parts of Canada 10 days ago Duration 2:05 Measles was declared eradicated in Canada in 1998, but with vaccination rates dropping, new cases are surging; 95 people have been infected in just the first two months of this year, compared to 147 for all of 2024. Then, a few days after the Koplik spots appear, a characteristic rash starts on the face and spreads downwards to the neck, legs, arms and feet. "The rash itself is red dots," Kirchhof said. "Some of them you can feel, and some of them might be flat. Sometimes they can cluster together to form larger red areas over the body, and in some patients it can be somewhat itchy." Depending on skin tone, the brightness of the rash may vary, doctors say. It's the delay between exposure and when measles symptoms erupt, followed by the time lag between types of symptoms that explains why someone who eventually seeks treatment may pass through airports, schools, grocery stores and hospitals before being diagnosed. Initially, measles affects the respiratory tract, and common complications include ear infections. But measles can also lead to high hospitalization rates. It is estimated nearly one to three of every 1,000 children who become infected will die from complications, such as pneumonia and a swelling of the brain called encephalitis. There is no specific treatment for measles infection, which needs to run its course. Countering fall in childhood immunization rates The best prevention, public health officials in Canada and internationally stress, is vaccination. But, amid declining vaccination rates, some people on the internet or on social media may promote treatments that lack evidence, Kirchhof said, such as vitamins or supplements that maintain general health, though don't specifically treat measles. In contrast, federal figures reflect the power of high vaccination rates to curb outbreaks. Before measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations started to roll out in Canada in the 1970s, tens of thousands of cases occurred each year. More recently, falling vaccination rates in children in Canada and international travel reintroducing the virus have also contributed to outbreaks, scientists say. Dr. Sarah Khan, an infectious diseases specialist and associate professor at McMaster University, was part of the team who cared for an unvaccinated child who died of measles last year in Hamilton. "It's devastating when you have to manage a vaccine-preventable disease that results in a fatality," Khan said. Given the timing and other factors, Khan said managing even a single case of measles can be a challenge. Doctors say those at highest risk of exposure, such as an infant or someone who is pregnant, may benefit from a medicine called immune globulin to reduce the risk of developing measles. "It really does require early recognition, early notification and a lot of coordination for all of the exposed individuals," Khan said.
