LGBT+ rights groups have filed a lawsuit against far-right French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour who say he denied gay Holocaust victims.
Zemmour, who is Jewish, is being sued by six LGBT+ organisations in the country: Inter-LGBT, SOS Homophobie, Stop Homophobie, Adheos, Quazar and Mousse.
The lawsuit stems from Zemmour’s latest book La France n’a pas dit son denier mot (“France has not said its final word”). The complaint highlights that a portion of the book claimed that the deportation of gay people in France due to their sexual orientation is a “legend”, NPRreported.
The lawsuit is the first time legal claims have been filed against an individual for denying that queer people were rounded up and deported during France’s occupation in the Second World War, according to a statement by the groups’ attorney Etienne Deshoulières.
The groups said the case against Zemmour is an “opportunity for LGBT+associations and historians” to form a front against the “denial of violence committed against homosexuals”.
“Éric Zemmour falsified history to justify his homophobic positions,” the statement continued. “He will have to answer for it before the French courts.”
However, representatives for Zemmour told France 24 that he was merely presenting another politician’s ideas, arguing “it is not Zemmour’s words that are cited in the book”. They described the lawsuit as an attempt to smear the far-right presidential candidate ahead of the first round of voting in the presidential election on 10 April.
According to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 men who were accused of homosexuality were deported to concentration camps. The UK-based charity reported that “most died in the camps”, “many were castrated” and some were “subjected to gruesome medical experiments”.
At least 500 men accused of homosexuality were arrested in France during the country’s occupation in World War II, according to academic research cited in the LGBT+ groups’ lawsuit. The research found that at least 200 men were deported during the German occupation.
This is not the first time that Éric Zemmour has been taken to court.
Zemmour has been convicted two times for hate speech and is appealing a third, the Guardian reported. The most recent conviction against him came in January after he said that child migrants were “thieves, killers” and “rapists”, adding “we should send them back”.
Cuba’s communist government is seeking to rally support for a new family code that would open the door to gay marriage and boost women’s rights, but experts and a recent survey suggest an upcoming referendum vote may not provide a rubber stamp.
The new code would legalize same sex marriage and civil unions, allow such couples to adopt children, double down on women’s rights, and promote equal sharing of domestic responsibilities. It also adds such novelties as prenuptial agreements and assisted pregnancy.
But the outcome of the referendum vote, slated for sometime this fall, is far from certain. The Cuban Roman Catholic Church has lashed out against gay marriage, saying the proposal is riddled with “gender ideology” and would lead to “indoctrination of children in schools without parental consent.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Andi Mudryk to the Sacramento County Superior Court today, marking the first appointment of an openly transgender person to a judicial post in California history. If confirmed, Mudryk will become just the second openly transgender judge in California. Victoria Kolakowski is the first openly transgender judge in California, after she was first elected as a judge of the Alameda County Superior Court in November 2010.
Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang:
“We are thrilled to be celebrating another historic milestone today for California’s LGBTQ+ community in Governor Newsom’s historic appointment of Andi Mudryk to the Sacramento County Superior Court. A seasoned civil rights advocate, Mudryk brings almost twenty years of experience in disability rights and rehabilitation to the court. As governors and state legislatures across the country attack the trans community, we applaud Governor Newsom’s continued commitment to increasing trans representation across appointments and on the bench. California continues to remind the rest of the country that LGBTQ+ voices are essential to achieve full equality.”
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org
Proponents of restrictions on how U.S. public schools address sexual orientation and gender identity say their ultimate goal is to allow parents more involvement in their children’s education and ensure classroom materials are age-appropriate.
But in heated debates at school board meetings and in statehouses across the country, the argument they repeatedly put forth is that they are trying to prevent children from being “groomed” — the same term commonly used to describe how sex offenders initiate contact with their victims.
“They support injecting woke gender ideology into 2nd grade classrooms,” he added. “They support enabling schools to ‘transition students’ to a ‘different gender’ without the knowledge of the parent … without the parent’s consent.”
DeSantis never uttered the word “groom,” but his press secretary, Christina Pushaw, remarked on Twitter that the legislation dubbed by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill would be more accurately described as an “Anti-Grooming Bill.”
The use of the term is an attempt to distort the goal of teachers “who are being intentional about expressing their acceptance of LGBTQ people, or perhaps sharing their own stories … so that all students can know that they have representation within the school,” said Casey Pick, a senior fellow for advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides support services for LGBTQ youth.
Asked why she used it, Pushaw replied in an email to The Associated Press, “I have never stated that all groomers are LGBT, all LGBT people are groomers, or anything of that nature.” She did not elaborate.
In Tennessee, country music singer John Rich testified in front of lawmakers that school librarians who defend controversial books about gender identity and featuring LGBTQ characters “groom” children to become desensitized to sexual abuse and pornography.
“What’s the difference between a teacher, a librarian putting one of these books on the desk of a student, or a guy in a white van pulling up when school lets out, saying, ‘Come around kids, let me read you this book?’” Rich asked last month. “What’s the difference between those two scenarios? There is a difference. They can run away from the van.”
An Oklahoma school choice advocacy blog, Choice Remarks, shared an article on its Facebook page alleging that public schools are sexualizing children. “Groomers are gonna groom,” the group declared in comments accompanying the article. “The solution is educational choice.”
When the New York State Education Department tweeted a book recommendation of Maia Kobabe’s graphic novel “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” the agency was attacked online as providing “pornographic” material to children, as well as “grooming” and “preying” on them. The agency later deleted the tweet.
DeSantis and other conservative politicians and parents who have criticized schools’ use of books with sexually explicit material argue that parents, not teachers, should be broaching such subjects with their children.
The main point of the Florida law is that it “empowers parents to be engaged in their children’s lives,” said Republican Rep. Joe Harding, who sponsored the legislation. At Monday’s signing ceremony, a placard affixed to the speakers’ podium and signs held up by young children featured the slogan “Protect Children/Support Parents.”
But Catherine Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel at Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., said conservative groups are capitalizing on the fear of unknown materials, books and discussion taking place inside classrooms to propel measures that would place more “surveillance” on teachers, librarians and other educators.
These groups “are really coming from this idea that sexual orientation (and) gender identity is something that’s being imposed upon kids,” Oakley said. “It comes from just a really fundamentally wrong position about where a person’s LGBTQ identity comes from.”
The current trend to limit the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity echoes similar campaigns of the 1970s in which far-right religious groups characterized people who identified as LGBTQ as trying to “convert children,” said Sophie Bjork-James, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University who researches the U.S.-based religious right and the white nationalist movement. The accusation helped stall the expansion of civil rights for sexual minorities, Bjork-James said.
Brittany McBride, associate director of sexuality education at Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit that promotes adolescent sexual health and rights, sees a coordinated effort to create discomfort in school districts across the country, the result of which is to limit the education that students can receive.
“Adult discomfort has always seemed to take the priority over the rights and responsibility as a society to provide our young people with the information that they deserve,” McBride said.
Billboards popping up in some of Florida’s largest cities are encouraging passersby to “say gay.”
The massive roadside messages are a response to the state’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by critics the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday. The measure prohibits “classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity” in “kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.”
The billboards — now on display in Orlando, Tallahassee and Jacksonville — were spearheaded by the Southern Progress Political Action Committee, which, according to its website, seeks to “expose the extremist agenda of Republican politicians.”
“It’s OK to say gay. It’s more than OK. It’s encouraged,” Ally Sammarco, a volunteer for the PAC, told NBC affiliate WESH of Winter Park. “We want to make it very clear that it’s OK to talk about who you are and where you come from, and no one can stop you from doing that.”
Saturday, April 9 @ 7:30 pm. ‘Sonoma County’s Got Talent!’ at Occidental Center for the Arts. Join us for our annual showcase of local talent on the OCA stage! A variety of community performers will entertain us during this fundraiser to support our Center. Tickets are $25 General Admission, $20 for OCA Members @ www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. OCA is following current County Public Health guidelines. Fine refreshments including wine and beer for sale. Art Gallery exhibit will be open for viewing. OCA is a non profit performing and fine arts center accessible to persons with disabilities. Become an OCA Member and get discounts/free admission. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct., Occidental, CA. 95465. 707-874-9392.
Join Positive Images LGBTQIA+ Center and North Bay LGBTQI Families for a Social Saturday: Intergenerational Gathering on April 9th from 10am-1pm at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol! We will be gathering at the Gazebo, which we’ve reserved all day.
All LGBTQIA+ youth, families, adults, and elders are welcome at Social Saturdays, which are a recurring series of monthly events taking place throughout Sonoma County where we are seeking to bring together members of our community across generations, particularly gender expansive youth, teens, and adults.
At our April gathering we are excited to be offering two amazing activities: an all-ages hike and a music performance!
Hiking: For participants interested in nature and movement, Ciel Muir (he/him), a queer and trans California naturalist will lead an all-ages hike. A former environmental educator with Sonoma County Regional Parks, Ciel enjoys sharing his love of art and the outdoors with those around him. When not exploring the outdoors he enjoys spending time as a plant and cat dad while working on his own art. Our hike will start at approximately 11:00am.
Music: For participants interested in listening to a musical performance, RAD (she/her/ellx) is a local folk musician, who will play ukulele while singing originals and well-known favorites in English and Spanish! RAD will perform from 10:30am-12pm. @radfolkmusic
We will have $50 gift cards available at the picnic to families for whom financial barriers such as the cost of gas, a meal, or missed work would otherwise prevent them from attending. If you feel your family could benefit from this support, please fill out the form at the following link:
We at Positive Images and North Bay LGBTQI Families are still very aware of and concerned about the spread of COVID-19. If you are feeling sick in any way, please stay home and take care of yourself. Masks are strongly encouraged. We will have masks on hand for those who may need them. We will maintain social distancing from one another at all times.
We’re excited to see you then!
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Acompañe a Positive Images LGBTQIA + Center y North Bay LGBTQI Families para un sábado social: ¡Reunión intergeneracional el 9 de abril de 10 a. m. a 1 p. m. en Ragle Ranch Regional Park en Sebastopol! Nos reuniremos en el kiosko, que hemos reservado por todo el día.
Todos los jóvenes, familias, adultos y ancianos LGBTQIA + son bienvenidos en esta reunión, que es parte de una serie recurrente de eventos mensuales que se llevan a cabo en todo el condado de Sonoma, donde buscamos reunir a miembros de nuestra comunidad a través de generaciones, particularmente jóvenes, adolescentes y adultos con género expansivo.
En nuestra reunión de abril, estamos emocionados de ofrecer dos actividades increíbles: ¡una caminata para todas las edades y una actuación musical!
Caminata: Para los participantes interesados en la naturaleza y el movimiento, Ciel Muir (él), un naturalista queer y trans de California, dirigirá una caminata para todas las edades. Ciel, ex educador ambiental de los Parques Regionales del Condado de Sonoma, disfruta compartir su amor por el arte y el aire libre con quienes lo rodean. Cuando no está explorando al aire libre, disfruta pasar tiempo como padre de plantas y gato mientras trabaja en su propia arte. Nuestra caminata comenzará aproximadamente a las 11:00 a. m.
Música: Para los participantes interesados en escuchar una actuación musical, RAD (ella/ellx) es una música folclórica local, que tocará el ukelele mientras canta originales y conocidos favoritos en inglés y español. RAD actuará de 10:30 a. m. a 12 p. m. @radfolkmusic
Tendremos tarjetas de regalo de $ 50 disponibles en la reunión para las familias para quienes barreras financieras como el costo de la gasolina, una comida o el trabajo perdido les impedirían asistir. Si cree que su familia podría beneficiarse de este apoyo, complete el formulario en el siguiente enlace:
En Positive Images y North Bay LGBTQI Families todavía estamos muy conscientes y preocupados por la propagación del COVID-19. Si se siente mal de alguna manera, quédese en casa y cuídese. Se recomienda encarecidamente el uso de máscaras. Tendremos máscaras a mano para quienes las necesiten. Mantendremos el distanciamiento social entre nosotros en todo momento.
Waking up in a car parked on a muddy alleyway 30 minutes from the front lines of the Battle for Kharkiv was an inconceivable notion to me 3 days ago. Yet in the front seat of a beaten down Jeep Cherokee, I slept. Artillery blasts and other sounds of war created a cacophony of destruction throughout the night. However, in a world where a former US President is refusing to outright condemn the barbaric and terroristic actions unleashed by the tyrannical head of Russia against a steadfast ally, and an out transgender journalist is at the front lines of the major European land war in 2022, is anything truly inconceivable?
No.
More than six years ago, pre-transition, I embarked on an attempt to cover the “Syrian Refugee Crisis.” Beginning in Turkey, and then heading into the Balkans, I crossed Europe, ending my voyage on the shores of the English Channel by spending several days in Calais, France inside the sprawling migrant encampment known as “The Jungle.”
In total, I went overland across 11 countries following the stories of these displaced peoples from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as several African nations, while also examining a European Union which was both unprepared and unwilling to fully integrate them into their societies. Ultimately, the book that came from it, Along the Tracks of Tears, was a woefully incomplete look into the lives of those whom I set out to report on, and this failure by me to dive fully into the deepest crevices of their torment is something that had haunted me ever since.
In 2015, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to go into Syria and speak directly with some of those fleeing from their home soil during the civil war there. Going so far as to cross the Bosphorus Strait and travel deep into the eastern part of Turkey, fear eventually swept over me. I caved to concerns of being kidnapped or killed and abruptly canceled my plans. Pangs of regret began to fill me from almost the moment of turning around, weighing heavily on my work.
Another aspect of that sojourn that gnawed at me was living as a male during my travels. At the time, pretending to be a guy wasn’t anything new. I’d lived as one for almost 40 years at that point, but guilt over the lie had begun to impede all of my undertakings, an impediment magnified by being given space among the majority Muslim male refugees who I presume would otherwise have shunned the true me. And so my publication, weighed down by those two burdens, fell far short of what it could have been.
Years passed.
In the time since, much has happened to me personally and professionally. I published a novel, finally transitioned, and eventually became heavily involved in Nevada politics, the last area leading to the launch of a politics and news portal focused on the state.
Then in 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and with that arose an opportunity to create a follow-up to my 2015-2016 coverage of the previous European refugee crisis – and this time attempt to do it right.
Beginning in Poland and then crossing into Ukraine, before eventually traversing the Ukrainian countryside, I arrived at the front, intent on learning about every aspect of what the victims of the invasion are enduring through photography, interviews, and personal observation. Along the way, I also realized the stories I uncovered, and the intertwined narratives which wove them together, were both much deeper and broader than I’d initially comprehended.
That first night we took cover in the darkness, camouflaged against a sky offering a canopy of infinite blackness because it was simply too dangerous to traverse the city streets after curfew. As soon as the light of morning peaked, we headed into the ravaged city, checkpoint after checkpoint lining the streets. While in many areas of Ukraine the blockaded streets are manned by volunteers from the Territorial Defense Forces, those asking for documents in Kharkiv are members of the professional, full-time, Ukrainian Armed Forces. Though we were stopped at an innumerable number of checkpoints on the more than 1,000 km drive through the nation’s heartland, the last search, the last flash of my credentials upon entering the city’s center, was truly the most poignant. It separated me from reading about war, and having listened to it, to witnessing it.
After being waved through into the downtown corridor, destruction enveloped me. Burnt out vehicles, blown out windows, decimated apartment buildings, and deep craters all pocked the landscape. Death too was present.
And yet residents of Kharkiv moved deftly around these reminders of war crimes and terrorism, lining up to get medicine, buy food, and withdraw money from banks, as life continued through 24 hours a day of enemy bombardment and Ukrainian counter-offensives.
The apartment I procured while at the frontlines promised to offer an expansive visage of the city. It didn’t disappoint, but as I quickly learned life at war changes hourly, and so I’ve spent a total of three hours in the accommodations since I arrived here.
Around 6 pm on my second evening, the group I’m embedded with decided to take cover for the evening in a restaurant, and the same on our third. Chairs, some blankets, a pillow, and contagious amounts of patriotic courage from my hosts have helped me find sleep during the explosive nights.
Operating as a hub of activity for various security services, the restaurant is now the location where I work, eat, sleep, and digest the toll that the Russian invasion has taken on the population of Ukraine and the global community as a whole.
Two weeks have gone by since I’ve arrived in Europe and 10 days since I entered a nation during the throes of war. In that short span, a realization settled in.
I’m not the same writer. I’m not the same photographer. I’m not the same person.
I came to Ukraine to cover a refugee crisis, I’m now reporting on a war.
A trans teenager was shot and killed by her own father in Georgia, United States, in what has been described as a “horrific tragedy”.
Kathryn “Katie” Newhouse, 19, was killed on 19 March, according to officers at Cherokee County Police who found both her and her father, Howard Newhouse, 57, dead in their home.
According to Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, who wrote a blog post about Newhouse’s death, the teen was a “Minecraft and UberSpire enthusiast, an advocate for trans rights” and “had a bright smile”.
The blog post continued: “A native of Illinois, Kathryn was most recently living with her family in Canton, Georgia.
“Kathryn was a Minecraft and UberSpire enthusiast, an advocate for trans rights, had a bright smile, enjoyed changing up her hairstyles, and attentive to world events.”
“She enjoyed hiking and sightseeing. She was proud of her AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islander] heritage; she was of Filipino heritage…
“Kathryn’s death is a horrific tragedy and she deserves to still be here with us.”
Newhouse’s brother Chris explained to CBS46 news that his sister was autistic and had lived with mental health issues.
“A tragic culmination of all of these different mental health issues that kind of compounded and led to such a, escalated to a situation that – it shouldn’t have happened, but it happened,” he said.
At least six other trans, non-binary and gender-conforming people have been violently killed in the US in 2022 so far, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which has been monitoring the wave of brutality since 2013.
It comes after last year’s record-breaking death tally of at least 57, many of them Black trans women. The record continues to climb even months after the year’s end, as more victims’ deaths are discovered by grassroots activists combing through local news reports and talking to relatives.
HRC said in a statement: “HRC works to shed light on this epidemic of violence in order to ensure victims’ lives are remembered with dignity, and to work to end the stigma that so many trans and gender non-conforming people face…
“While the details of these cases differ, it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of colour – particularly Black transgender women – and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and unchecked access to guns conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare and other necessities.”