Ariana Grande Pledges Up To $1.5 Million To Support Trans Youth Facing ‘Disgraceful’ Legislation

Britain's Got Talent shocked some viewers during its first show when serial auditionee Jim Fitzpatrick returned dressed in a giant black crow costume - as people at home connected the performance to the historical American racism associated with the phrase "Jim Crow". While the performer was never once referred to as "Jim Crow" during his audition, a vast amount of ITV viewers were outraged by the costume, claiming ITV should have known of the historic racism connection.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” welcomed a boost in ticket sales at the international box office, though the third installment in the “Harry Potter” spinoff series already seems to be running out of steam.Over the weekend, “Fantastic Beasts 3” added $71.7 million from 66 foreign markets, taking the film’s international tally to $150.4 million. After debuting to a less-than-enchanting $43 million in North America, “The Secrets of Dumbledore” has collected $193.4 million to date.Along with United States and Canada, the Warner Bros.

tweet earlier this week that the legislation would not prevent mental health counseling for those struggling with gender dysphoria.“If an adult wants to self-mutilate in pursuit of the fiction they can defy G-d and science, more power to them — as they don’t expect me to pay for it. But no child should be put in the position of making life-altering decisions before they are of the age of majority,” Fine tweeted.“I can say I’m a porcupine, but that doesn’t make it so,” he continued.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIndie-rock pioneers Sonic Youth have released a live album recorded in 1989 in Kyiv to support relief efforts in Ukraine, in the wake of Russia’s brutal invasion of the country.To set the context of the concert — which was recorded exactly 33 years ago — at the time, Sonic Youth were one of the first bands of their ilk to play behind what was then still known as the Iron Curtain; the Berlin Wall would come down a few months later. But at the time, U.S.

a competition lineup with only three films directed by women. While additional films could still be added to the slate for next month’s festival, the Cannes lineup falls short of the already dismal record of the last two editions of the festival.

Singer and actress Ariana Grande has taken steps to support transgender youth as the tide of anti-trans legislation continues to rise across the United States. Using more than just her words, Grande has established a donation page where she pledges to match the total amount donated “up to $1.5 million.”As of Monday, April 11, around 5,500 people had donated to Grande’s “Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund,” raising over $722,000 for trans-supportive organizations.“Right now, there are hundreds of bills pending in state legislatures across the United States that target trans youth and aim to curb their rights,” Grande writes on her donation page.

Sasha Urban editorStephanie Beatriz lit up the Oscars stage last month, performing a rendition of the hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” with her fellow voice cast members of Disney’s “Encanto.” But Disney itself is currently at the center of a different free speech issue, as the company feuds with Florida government officials over its opposition to the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.Speaking to Variety at the 2022 Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival Gala at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center on Friday, Beatriz said the current wave of anti-gay and anti-trans legislation, which has recently taken hold in Alabama, “keeps me up at night.” Although Disney is currently facing backlash from both ends of the political spectrum, she’s thankful for the positive representation she’s taken part in through the animated movie. “I understand that many people have issues with Disney, as well they should,” Beatriz said.

Prince Andrew was last night urged to take action on his vow to make a stand over child sex trafficking.

The Broadway-bound revival of the musical 1776, which begins a pre-New York engagement at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts next month, has announced a cast comprised fully of performers who identify as female, non-binary, and trans.

Spotify is facing renewed criticism from US Congress over its Discovery Mode feature, which allows artists to receive additional exposure for a reduced royalty rate.Three Congress members – Yvette D. Clarke, Judy Chu and Tony Cardenas, who represent the Congressional Caucus on Multicultural Media, have sent a letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek criticising the feature.In exchange for a boost in visibility, artists and their labels agree to receive a “promotional” royalty rate on those streams, believed to be lower than the standard rate through the feature, which was announced in November 2020.Highlighting this issue, the letter said via Variety: “Choosing to accept reduced royalty payments is a serious risk for musicians, who would only benefit if Discovery Mode yields more total streams for an artist across their entire catalogue, not just the track covered by the program.”“And if two competing artists both enroll their newest track in the program, any benefit could be cancelled out, meaning that the only profit goes to your company’s bottom line.

Maluma is touring Europe with his Papi Juancho World Tour. The Colombian singer and actor recreated Julio Iglesias’ iconic private jet photo as a tribute to one of its most legendary European stars.

Marvel Studios’ Victoria Alonso said she had a 45-minute sitdown with Disney boss Bob Chapek recently regarding the anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida, Texas, and Arizona. She revealed the details of their chat while accepting the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film for Eternals.

Ariana Grande has partnered with Pledge – a charity-centric fundraising platform – to launch the Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, which the singer and actress says was founded “to support organizations providing direct services and advocating for the rights of trans youth”.The fund was launched on Thursday (March 31), which marked this year’s International Transgender Day Of Visibility. It aims to fight back against a growing onslaught of transphobic legislation in the US, such as bills launched in Arizona and Texas to impede on the rights of transgender children. “Right now,” Grande said in a statement announcing the Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, “there hundreds of bills pending in state legislatures across the United States that target trans youth and aim to curb their rights.

Brandi Carlile is one of the most talented singer/songwriters to emerge onto the American music scene over the last decade. After getting the attention of critics and fans alike with her sophomore effort The Story in 2007, the 40-year-old Washington native would go on to strike gold with 2015’s The Firewatcher’s Daughter, receiving her first Grammy nomination. She tallied up six more nods for By the Way, I Forgive You in 2018 and another three for her work as a producer and writer on Tanya Tucker’s 2019 album While I’m Living. Brandi would bring home a total of six Grammys from the incredible recognition.

filed suit in Polk County court, claiming that the Department of Corrections discriminated against him based on his gender identity, in violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act.Vroegh’s case was the first jury lawsuit brought under the Iowa Civil Rights Act since it was amended in 2007 to include protections for gender identity. In February 2019, an Iowa jury found that the Department of Corrections had discriminated against Vroegh on the basis of sex and gender identity through its actions, and awarded him $120,000 in damages. The state later appealed the jury’s verdict to the Iowa Supreme Court, which upheld the jury’s verdict on Friday.“This is a historic victory for civil rights in Iowa, because it makes real the promise of nondiscrimination protections in employment that our legislature put in place for transgender Iowans in 2007,” Rita Bettis Austen, legal director for the ACLU of Iowa, said in a statement.

Ariana Grande is stepping in to protect trans youth, launching a new fund and matching donations raised from up to $1.5 million in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, following recent anti-trans policies that target the trans community.The superstar announced the creation of her Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, partnering with fundraising organization Pledge and urging her fans and followers to donate to make a positive impact, collecting over $450,000 since going live.“Right now there are hundreds of disgraceful bills pending in state legislature that target trans youth and aim to curb their rights,” Ariana wrote, including states banning trans students from participating in school sports, such as Arizona, Oklahoma, Iowa, Utah and South Dakota.The singer stated that this new fund will provide “critical funds” and direct services to organizations “providing direct services and advocating for the rights of trans youth,” adding that this campaign will bring donations to 18 organizations across 12 different states, including the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, Equality Florida, Jasmyn, Tennessee Equality Project, and more.A post shared by Pledge (@pledge.to)Ariana shared her appreciation for everyone taking the time to donate, as “the impact of fighting these anti-trans bills and policies is felt all year by trans people, their families and loved ones.”

Prince Harry has faced fresh criticism over his decision not to attend his grandfather Prince Philip’s memorial service. The prince announced his decision not to return for the memorial service, which took place on Tuesday morning, after he raised concerns about his safety during his trips to the UK.The Duke threatened legal action to acquire security for his family when they fly over from the US.