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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
WorldPride gathers in Washington as Trump rolls back LGBTQ+ rights
– LGBTQ+ people from around the world will gather in Washington this week for a parade, a political rally and cultural performances marking WorldPride to channel joy in sexual and gender diversity, as well as outrage over the Trump administration's rollback of their rights. WorldPride, which takes place in a different city around the world every two years, has been running for weeks and will continue until the end of June, bringing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators nearly to US President Donald Trump's doorstep. The WorldPride parade will march within a block of the White House grounds on June 7, and the rally will be held on June 8 at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr's 1963 'I Have A Dream' speech. Mr Trump is certain to be the target of protests. He has issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces and rescinded anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes. His actions have been applauded by conservatives. As many as three million people, including two million from outside the region, could attend, according to the non-profit travel and trade group Destination DC, even as some potential attendees have suggested a boycott in protest of Mr Trump's policies or have raised concerns about safety given the US political climate. The White House has said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces such as domestic abuse shelters and workplace showers, and has described DEI as a form of discrimination based on race or gender. Proponents of DEI consider it necessary to correct historic inequities. Mr Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is leading WorldPride coordination, said many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people 'fear for their security, their safety, their mental health, and don't see a lot of hope right now'. That makes this 'the year that we need to ensure that we remain visible and seen so folks know that there's a place for them, that there are people fighting for them', he said. The African Human Rights Coalition, which offers humanitarian services and protection for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, called for a boycott of WorldPride because it said the United States was 'governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQ+ attendees'. 'This is not business as usual and not a time for celebration but rather the time for resistance,' it said. US President Donald Trump holding up a signed executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports. PHOTO: REUTERS 'Defiant, united and unstoppable' Politics and concerns about crossing the border during Mr Trump's immigration crackdown are expected to contribute to a 7 per cent decline in international travel spending in the US in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Toronto's Purple Fins, a self-described 'gender free' swim club of non-binary and transgender athletes, made the difficult decision to skip the World LGBTQIA+ Aquatics Championship being held in Washington. Mr Brandon Wolf, a spokesman for Human Rights Campaign, the largest pro-LGBTQ+ organisation in the US, said queer people 'rightly feel nervous and afraid' but that WorldPride will be 'an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to make clear that it's not going anywhere, that we cannot be bullied back into the closet'. 'I'm really buoyed by the fact that the LGBTQ+ community seems to be saying loudly and clearly that pride is, and always has been, a protest, and that they intend to show up defiant, united and unstoppable,' Mr Wolf said. But transgender people said they feel targeted by the Trump rhetoric and state laws passed around the US that have banned transgender healthcare services for minors. Backers of those laws say they are attempting to protect minors from starting on a path they may later regret. Ms Susan Stryker, author of the 2008 book Transgender History and a distinguished visitor at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said framing the Trump agenda as anti-DEI or anti-LGBTQ+ was a 'misnomer'. 'It's very specifically transgender people that they are coming after,' Ms Stryker said. 'The public discourse has been weaponised around trans issues.' Ms Marissa Miller, a transgender activist in Chicago who is travelling to Washington with the National Trans Visibility March, said the location of WorldPride events will empower demonstrators in their resistance. Sydney hosted WorldPride in 2023. Washington was chosen to host in November 2022, before Mr Trump's re-election. 'The universe is ready to showcase us,' Ms Miller said. 'And I think that if it were going to be in any other place, that the consideration should have been to move it to Washington.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
David Greig on his final production at Edinburgh's Lyceum Theatre: 'it felt vital that this play be seen in Scotland'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The American playwright Katori Hall was born in Memphis, Tennessee, 44 years ago; so it's perhaps not surprising that early in her career, when she was still only in her twenties, she was moved to write a play that revolves around one of the most momentous events ever to take place in her home city. On 4 April 1968, the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King was shot dead on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The previous night, he had delivered his 'I Have Been To The Mountaintop' speech at a rally in the city, as part of an intense campaign tour. Hall's award-winning play – first seen in London in 2009 – is set in the hours following that speech, when King, alone in his room, encounters a hotel maid, Camae; a young woman with the face of an angel, who, it turns out, is something quite other than she seems. Now, the play is receiving its Scottish professional premiere at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh. The production also marks the final production of David Greig's ten-year stint as artistic director of the theatre, as James Brining takes over the reins. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'With the world in polarised chaos,' says David Greig, 'it just felt urgent and vital to me that this play be seen in Scotland. Caleb Roberts and Shannon Hayes in rehearsals for The Mountaintop PIC: Daniel Holden 'Dr King's 'I Have A Dream' speech was such a high point in postwar history, and his assassination a corresponding low. 'Both are the seeds of so much of the world we live in now; and Katori Hall's play is a modern classic, that tackles that moment head on.' In Edinburgh, the play will be directed by Rikki Henry, a young British director who has worked extensively in France and Germany in recent years, with Shannon Hayes playing Camae, and Caleb Roberts in the role of Martin Luther King. 'I first saw the play almost ten years ago, when it was revived at the Old Vic,' say Henry, 'and it really made me concentrate, and begin to see things differently. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It shows Martin Luther King in a new light, as a human being rather than an iconic hero, and I think there's a real urgency about reviving it now, when all these ideas are being challenged again. Caleb Roberts in rehearsals for The Mountaintop PIC: 'Towards the end of the play, King talks about legacy, and about passing on the baton of the huge campaigns he led. 'And I think that today, when there's so much political chaos, the question we have to ask is where is the baton? Who has it now, and how can we support them? "One thing the play makes clear, though, is that you don't have to be a celebrity to play your part, and to make an impact.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've been reading a lot about Dr King's life,' says Caleb Roberts, 'and watching film of him, of course, and certainly his presence is huge, and it's a challenge to capture that. "Without giving anything away, there are aspects of this production that make it easier to show how strong he was, physically as well as emotionally and intellectually. "But he was human, too; and I hope this play encourages people at least to see him a little differently. I know theatre can't often change people's minds; but it can maybe change their perspective a little, and I hope this play does that.' And Shannon Hayes agrees. 'I think one of the most important messages of this play is that no matter how low or small you are, or feel yourself to be, your actions still matter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Everybody has a shared responsibility in shaping what the future looks like, and no one can avoid that responsibility by putting the whole weight on the shoulders of a leader who is supposed to fix it all. "And if we can make people feel that shared responsibility for taking Dr King's legacy forward – well, then we'll be doing a good job, with this amazing play.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2025 Black History Month theme recognizes labor activists
(NewsNation) — 'African Americans and Labor' is the 2025 Black History Month theme, dictated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History to highlight the ways that work has intersected with 'the collective experiences of Black people.' Labor is a fraught topic, often evoking images of slavery, sharecropping and segregation, of unpaid labor that moves the country forward with no thanks. ASALH defines work as all 'free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary' positions. Lost recording of MLK speech resurfaces decades later Two years ago, a policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy, Christian Collins, wrote, 'Black labor is the cornerstone of U.S. global hegemony.' This year, he told NewsNation that's as true as ever. The United States' current prestige, says Collins, is thanks to the 'uncompensated and undercompensated' labor of Black communities throughout the nation's history. 'It's pretty easy to grow economic profit, especially for high value crops like cotton, like tobacco, if you're not paying the workers who are maintaining those crops,' Collins said. Labor has been a catalyst for societal change and civil rights victories throughout United States history, from labor strikes to the organization of unions. 'When you think about some of the events that really changed the course of American history, it can't be told without the role of the labor movement,' said Ryan Jones, director of History, Interpretation and Curatorial Services at the National Civil Rights Museum. One of the most iconic public addresses of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have A Dream,' was delivered during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The labor conditions in Memphis, Tennessee, got the reverend involved in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike. King would later be assassinated during his April 1968 trip to Memphis, just one week before then-President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 into law. Why is Black History Month in February? One century ago, another prominent labor organizer, A. Philip Randolph, established the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. It was the first Black labor union to be recognized by the American Federation of Labor. Randolph tied Black labor to the Civil Rights Movement by establishing that 'the most effective weapon against racism is solidarity,' said Collins. Randolph, who called for the 1941 March on Washington alongside Bayard Rustin, also fought for desegregation in the armed forces and fair working opportunities for African Americans. His efforts forced President Franklin D. Roosevelt's hand, leading to the creation of the Fair Employment Practices Committee. 'The solidarity that he built in specific labor advocacy really laid the like help lay the early groundwork for how leaders after him would follow, like Martin Luther King, like Medgar Evers,' Collins said. Black-owned pie shop celebrates 40 years in business A lesser-known labor activist, Nannie Helen Burroughs, founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in 1909, giving Black women access to an education not led by white missionaries. Dr. Danielle Phillips-Cunningham, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University, credits Burroughs' tenacity and dedication to academia as a legitimizing factor for many Black women in the 20th century. With a certification in domestic science from Burroughs' school, women were able to leverage their employers for better working conditions and a living wage. 'Burroughs had this saying that really drove her curriculum,' Phillips-Cunningham explained. 'She said, 'We must idealize the real before we realize the ideal.'' As of 2023, more than 21 million Black Americans were in the United States labor force, roughly 13% of the nation's workers. A 2023 Pew Research poll found that while workers' experiences were varied, there were some major takeaways that shed light on the African American workplace experience. Black workers were abundant in certain jobs, like postal service clerks (40.4%), nursing assistants (36.0%) and transit and intercity bus drivers (36.6%), Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2022 shows. Chicago bookstore bridging literacy gap for minority students In turn, they're underrepresented in some agricultural and STEM fields, with earlier surveys pointing to barriers in those fields regarding discrimination and lack of mentors. Pew data also found that Black Americans are the most likely to report being discriminated against — around 25% of respondents said their race or ethnicity makes it harder to succeed in the workplace. Black workers also, in general, earn less than the average American worker among all education levels, BLS data revealed. The next steps, and maybe the next frontier for Black labor movements, are on the horizon, multiple experts told NewsNation. Collins pointed to artificial intelligence as the 'next large struggle' for the Black labor force, telling NewsNation, 'I feel that kind of the next large struggle for, especially the Black labor force in the country, is in these ongoing discussions around artificial intelligence and how it'll impact the American workforce at large.' Phillips-Cunningham warned that recent executive orders from the Trump administration could also be threatening labor progress. She said the orders have 'significantly rolled back and threatened' what 'Black labor leaders fought for.' David Walker: Boston's impassioned abolitionist author Whether it's tech innovations or political motivations, moving forward and making change requires an acknowledgment of the past, said Jones. 'It could be a difficult history to interpret and to comprehend, but it happened, you know? And so I think that we'll be going backward if we don't acknowledge those stories in the manner that they occurred,' Jones said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Johnstown elementary students explore careers in a hands-on setting
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — When you were in elementary school, your teachers probably asked what you wanted to be when you grew up. Every kid always has a different answer, and sometimes it can shape the rest of their lives. Hundreds of children at the Greater Johnstown Elementary School got the chance to see some of the careers from the local community up close. It was for the first ever 'I Have A Dream' Career Fair. 'I wanted to do something in honor of Black History Month for one. That's where the I Have a Dream came from for the kids' career fair. And then I also wanted to collaborate with the community and bring something to the school. I know that normally whenever we have career fairs, for a certain age group, but I want to change it up. I wanted to bring it to a younger age group,' Mercedes Barnette, Community Development Director for Vision Together 2025, said. The career fair was for students in grades Pre-K through four. Nine businesses/companies from public service, literacy, medicine, and innovation interacted with children to show the careers available in their area. Punxsutawney community rallying to help a family in need Kurt Hoffman, the Principal at the Greater Johnstown Elementary School believes the fair will help children who don't know what they want to do yet. 'So it starts here at the foundational level and just builds on into the middle school and high school years into our CTE programs, career and tech ed programs at the high school. That's the idea. We can have all kinds of pathways to success, but if they don't get the vision early on, you know, what's the point?' Hoffman said. 1,200 packets of job info were at the fair. There were also take-home employment opportunities for parents. 'I've just seen a lot of enjoyment, a lot of new knowledge being presented, a lot of, just things that they didn't know. Like what's all involved with the different careers,' Eddie Mikesic, Director of Workforce Development at the Greater Johnstown Elementary School, said. The 'I Have a Dream' Career Fair is expected to become an annual event every February. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
20-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
Trump's DEI order raises fears of anti-diversity "witch hunt"
President Trump's sweeping executive order revoking decades of federal diversity and affirmative action practices — and potentially making private sector DEI programs illegal — augurs a fundamental change in the way American government and companies do business. Why it matters: It builds on the anti-DEI activist pressure of recent years, and could pave the way for a world where the government prosecutes, not protects, corporate diversity efforts. The big picture: Though Trump's executive order emphasizes a commitment to equality, it guts the mechanisms the federal government has historically used to root out discrimination and guarantee equal opportunity, particularly among the federal contractors that employ about 3.7 million people. But even more than gutting standards, the order mandates that federal agencies identify companies, foundations and schools that have diversity programs, and target them for civil enforcement actions, effectively telling corporate America that its DEI efforts now stand on shaky legal ground. "You can't have a commitment to ending discrimination and then get rid of the tools that help you end discrimination," Jocelyn Frye, president of the advocacy group National Partnership for Women & Families, told Axios. You're "empowering agencies to engage in some sort of strange anti-diversity witch hunt," she said. Zoom out: Trump's order, issued Tuesday, revokes one that President Johnson signed on Sept. 24, 1965, more than two years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The reversal comes after six Republican presidents — including Trump during his first term — kept the Johnson executive order in place, while others expanded it through amendments. The new order is sure to face legal challenges, and it's not clear how long any of these changes will ultimately take to implement. In the meantime, the administration is asking federal employees to snitch on any colleagues who are still doing DEI work. What they're saying: Civil rights advocates were anticipating this move. Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, framed Trump's actions as "an assault on the civil rights movement and everything we've achieved in the last 60 years." Brenda Victoria Castillo, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, emphasized the economic power of the Latino community, with a $3.6 trillion buying power in 2024. "Anti-diversity is anti-business," she said. "Representation in leadership and media isn't just morally right. It's essential for success in a diverse America." Some CEOs are still defending their DEI initiatives amid the backlash. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, long a defender of the bank's diversity initiatives, was asked on CNBC yesterday if he was aware of anti-DEI activists going after his firm. He said he wasn't, but in his typical pugnacious way said, "Well, bring them on. I'm not aware of it." He added, "Wherever I go, red states, blue states, green states, mayors, said they like what we do." Between the lines: Recent polling makes clear that while rolling back diversity programs may be a priority for the Trump administration, it's not for most Americans. The recent Axios Vibes/Harris Poll survey indicated that a majority of Americans oppose, or are unsure about, rolling back diversity programs. Almost three-fourths of the 3,200 global CEOs polled for the AlixPartners Disruption Index said their corporate diversity efforts had actually helped their bottom lines. Shirley Wilcher, who ran the office in charge of administering the LBJ executive order during the Clinton administration, said businesses will still wind up facing discrimination complaints: "If any of these companies think they're off the hook, they're not." The bottom line: Corporations were already rolling back diversity programs and policies, partially in response to attacks from conservative groups. While some may push back, expect many to run even harder from those programs now.
