Latest news with #LGBTQ
CBC
31 minutes ago
- CBC
Queer advocate calls tire slashing 'sad' and 'scary' as OPP investigate
Social Sharing The victim of a crime that police are investigating as hate-motivated says she's spent hundreds of dollars replacing car tires and installing alarm systems at her home in West Lorne. Karen Bowery, who identifies as queer and performs in drag, said her tires have been slashed four times in the last two months, her taillight and mirrors smashed, and her vehicle has been vandalized with spray paint. OPP said Tuesday they're investigating the incidents that occurred between June 14 and July 24. It marks a series of investigations in southwestern Ontario, with others reporting property damage in recent months, for what they believe is their sexual orientation. "After the first time, I was pretty upset, but I figured I would deal with it and move on with my life. But then it just kept happening. The bills keep adding up, not to mention the emotional toll," Bowery said. "It's really sad," the single mother explained, noting that her child is also shaken by the damage. She calls the attacks homophobic, noting that no one else on her street has been targeted. "The OPP takes hate/bias motivated investigations seriously," the police service wrote in a statement. "The OPP will continue to collaborate with community partners to provide supports to those who are victimized by hate/bias motivated incidents." 'Makes a world of difference' Bowery estimates she's spent almost $1,000 replacing her tires and fixing her car, some of which has been paid for with donations from the community. She's lived in West Lorne, a town southwest of London, her whole life, and says her neighbours are supportive of the LGBTQ community and her family. "I think a lot of the straight community has really stepped up for me, as well [as the queer community]. Every time my tires got damaged, people stepped up and either donated money or offered services to get them switched out. That really makes a world of difference," Bowery said. Still, she can't help but feel anxious, waking up in the night to check the security footage, and worrying about whether the acts of vandalism will escalate. She described seeing a male figure on the video footage, with his face obscured. In one instance, she believes the person was wearing what looked like a motorcycle helmet. CBC News has not viewed the footage.
NBC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Saint Lucia court strikes down laws punishing gay sex, rights groups say
CASTRIES — A Saint Lucia court on Tuesday struck down laws that had criminalized same-sex relations in the Caribbean island nation with up to a decade behind bars, local LGBTQ rights organizations in the region said on Tuesday. A ruling from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, headquartered in Saint Lucia's capital Castries, said two sections of the country's criminal code that banned 'gross indecency' and 'buggery' were unconstitutional, according to rights groups. The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality, a network of local rights groups, said the decision marked a fourth major victory in a regional challenge, following similar a wave of similar legal changes in 2022. 'ECADE celebrates this historic win affirming the dignity of LGBTQ+ people in Saint Lucia,' it said in a post on X. The Caribbean nations of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis all struck down similar laws prohibiting gay sex in 2022, and Dominica also decriminalized same-sex acts last year. Though Trinidad and Tobago was among the first Eastern Caribbean nations to decriminalize gay sex in 2018, it reversed this decision in March of this year. Much of the region still imposes lengthy prison sentences.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chelsea Green Reacts To Criticism Over Her Doing Press About Hulk Hogan
Chelsea Green spoke out after her recent comments about Hulk Hogan drew criticism. Hogan unexpectedly died on Thursday morning, and the pro wrestling world reacted by sharing their feelings about the pro wrestling legend. Many spoke about how many good memories of Hogan they had, while others still remember Hogan's lack of accountability for his racist remarks from several years ago. WWE Superstars spoke to the media about Hogan's impact on the pro wrestling business. This included Chelsea Green, who spoke with CBS News 24/7 about Hogan's legacy. Green spoke about his cultural impact on the wrestling business, but also didn't shy away from addressing the elephant in the room. 'Polarizing political views aside, he was an absolute icon,' Green began. Green also issued a statement on Twitter/X where she addressed Hogan's status. Once again, she acknowledged Hogan's shortcomings but praised him as an icon in pro wrestling. 'Political views aside, Hulk Hogan's influence on the wrestling world was clearly undeniable. He inspired millions and shaped an entire generation of fans, my husband included. We are mourning the loss of an icon… a legend. My love goes out to his family,' Green wrote in a now-deleted Twitter/X post. Chelsea Green clarifies why she spoke to the news about Hulk Hogan Some felt that Green shouldn't speak out in 'support' of Hogan due to his racist remarks and links to Donald Trump, while she was a big advocate of the LGBTQ+ community. Green has now clarified why she did media about Hogan, explaining that it's part of her job in WWE. Green says she tried to acknowledge Hogan's death in a respectful way, but still doesn't condone racism. 'A significant part of my role at @WWE involves engaging w the public & responding to questions, often on live platforms. Yesterday, I was asked to comment on Hulk Hogan on live me be clear: my stance on racism is unwavering. I do not condone it—period,' Chelsea Green wrote on Twitter/X. 'If my response (or tweet) seemed dismissive of real concerns, I sincerely apologize. That was never my intention. I tried to acknowledge a death respectfully, even when the legacy is complicated. I am learning one day at a time and will continue to learn. ILY my PatriHOTS,President Chelsea ?' Read More: The post Chelsea Green Reacts To Criticism Over Her Doing Press About Hulk Hogan appeared first on Wrestlezone. Solve the daily Crossword
Cosmopolitan
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Explaining the Pedro Pascal backlash and why it matters
When I first heard there was backlash against Pedro Pascal, I was terrified. Surely, only some disastrous scandal could have prompted any outrage against everyone's current Hollywood crush. Oh, how wrong I was. It turns out the Pedro Pascal backlash isn't due to any offensive joke or impropriety, it's has anxiety and supports LGBTQ rights. Confused? Allow me to explain. The Pedro hate began last week, leading up to the premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, when the actor gave an interview with Men's Health on managing anxiety. In the interview, he said that he tends to rely on others — friends, family — and is 'always one to reach out when I'm facing something that is challenging or making me anxious.' He continued, saying that when he found himself falling into patterns of doom scrolling and anxiety in 2020, 'I had to go back to what was always the comfort for me in my life, which was engagement in my relationships, my friendships, and conversation and shared experience.' Anyone who has ever had any kind of acute mental health issue will tell you that one of the first things a therapist or counsellor will instruct you to do is to create an action plan, which usually involves listing at least two people you can call in a crisis. Calling friends or family in times of trouble is not unusual, nor is it inappropriate. Unless you ask anti-trans activist Posie Parker (not to be confused with our White Lotus queen, Parker Posey). 'He never gets the anxiety gropes around men, does he?!' Posie (real name Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull) tweeted last week. She also shared a video of Pedro posing with his Fantastic Four co-star Vanessa Kirby, his hand moving up and down her arm as he looked for the best placement for the photos. While you and I might look at this video clip and think, 'Pedro Pascal is just like me, he also doesn't know what to do with his hands in photographs!' Posie apparently looked at it and related it back to the actor's quote saying he likes to 'reach out' to those close to him when he's anxious. Is it worth pointing out that when Pedro was talking to Men's Health, he was clearly using the phrase 'reach out' to mean that he contacts his loved ones? Or that there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking physical comfort from consenting adults? Yes, but logic is clearly not at the forefront here. A wave of trolls soon followed, hopping on the bandwagon to accuse Pedro of being inappropriately touchy with certain female co-stars. (I have included tweets for proof, not endorsements.) It's worth noting that there have been no public allegations or proof of any unwanted physical affection at all. To my knowledge, Pedro has never been accused of being inappropriate (physically or otherwise) with anyone, on set or off. What Pedro is guilty of, however, is being a vocal advocate for trans rights, which many suspect is why Posie chose to target him in the first place. In fact, TERFs and other anti-trans activists have been trying to get this fake scandal going for months, ever since Pedro called out J.K. Rowling's 'heinous loser' behaviour in April after she celebrated an anti-trans ruling UK Supreme Court ruling. As noted by Vanity Fair, following Pedro's comments, fans of the Harry Potter author attempted to smear Pedro using a clip of him reaching for Vanessa Kirby's hand at last year's Comic-Con, accusing him of being inappropriate. 'What happened is we were both incredibly nervous going out in front of thousands of people who love this comic,' Vanessa later told Vanity Fair. 'He wanted me to know that we were in this together, and I found it a lovely gesture and was very glad to squeeze his hand back.' Which brings me to my final point, and the point many Pedro defenders are making online: There is a difference between being openly physically affectionate and groping someone without their consent. By pretending we don't know the difference, you are making it easier for actual harassers to get away with inappropriate, nonconsensual behaviour. Now, unless you have any substantial allegations, would you please leave our fave internet daddy alone?
Mint
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Civil rights agency sued over handling of transgender worker discrimination complaints under Trump
Legal groups sued the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Tuesday, claiming it is unlawfully refusing to enforce federal workplace protections for transgender workers. Led by Acting Chair Andrea Lucas, a Republican, the federal agency charged with enforcing laws against workplace discrimination has moved swiftly to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order declaring two unchangeable sexes. Under Lucas's leadership, the EEOC has dropped several lawsuits on behalf of transgender workers, stalled progress on some new cases, and subjected others to heightened scrutiny. The lawsuit also alleges that the agency halted payments to state and local civil rights agencies for investigating gender identity discrimination claims. 'For over 60 years, the EEOC's mandate has been to protect workers from discrimination, not to pick and choose who is deemed worthy of protection based on political interference,' said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which alongside the National Women's Law Center brought the case on behalf of Maryland LGBTQ advocacy group FreeState Justice. 'The Trump-Vance administration's unlawful effort to erase protections for transgender people is cruel, and a violation of the law and the Constitution,' Perryman continued in an emailed statement. The EEOC declined to comment on the lawsuit, and instead referred The Associated Press to the Department of Justice. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lucas, who is named in the lawsuit filed in Maryland U.S. District Court in Baltimore, has said that one of her priorities as Acting Chair would be 'defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights.' Last month she defended her decision to drop several lawsuits on behalf of transgender workers during her June 18 Senate committee confirmation hearing, saying her agency is not independent and must comply with the president's orders. 'It was impossible to both comply with the president's executive order as an executive branch agency, and also zealously defend the workers we had brought the case on behalf,' she said. However, Lucas acknowledged that a 2020 Supreme Court ruling — Bostock v. Clayton County — 'did clearly hold that discriminating against someone on the basis of sex included firing an individual who is transgender or based on their sexual orientation.' Plaintiffs argue that although the Bostock precedent 'cemented protections for LGBTQ workers that the EEOC had already recognized for years' the agency has now 'foreclosed transgender workers from the full set of charge investigation and other enforcement protections available to cisgender charging parties and categorically refuses to fully enforce the laws protecting against workplace sex discrimination tied to gender identity.' The lawsuit, which cites two Associated Press reports detailing EEOC actions related to LGBTQ workers, alleges that the EEOC's 'Trans Exclusion Policy' violates Supreme Court precedent, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fifth Amendment's Equal Protection guarantee, and the Administrative Procedure Act. 'Instead of serving its critical role to prevent discrimination in the workplace, the EEOC, under Andrea Lucas' leadership, is actually promoting discrimination,' said Gaylynn Burroughs, Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice at NWLC, in an emailed statement about the lawsuit. 'Transgender workers deserve to be protected against harassment, and the EEOC is obligated to do so under law. But the Trump administration seems hellbent on bullying transgender people in every possible way and ensuring that they are pushed out of all forms of public life, including their workplaces, so we're taking the administration to court.' The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. is solely responsible for all content. Find 's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .org. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
