Falkirk Council has donated thousands of sandbags to Ukraine to help protect Kyiv's statues and monuments, while the fighting there continues.
20.03.2022 - 04:01 / starobserver.com.au
Melbourne City Councillors last week took the next steps to fulfil their rainbow pledges, including setting up an LGBTQI advisory committee. A motion asking the management to provide a briefing paper on steps taken to set up an LGBTQI advisory committee, develop and implement an LGBTQI action plan and achieve Rainbow Tick accreditation for its services passed unanimously. The motion moved by Councillor Rohan Leppert and seconded by out councillor Jamal Hakim was unanimously passed by the council on March 15. The motion also noted the services and programs run by the City of Melbourne council for the LGBTQI committee.Nine out of the 11 elected Melbourne councillors had signed Victorian Pride Lobby’s Rainbow pledge before the council elections in 2020.
The pledge also included flying the Rainbow flag and marching in the Pride march. The Lobby subsequently converted the pledge into the ‘Local Government Equality Index’. Councillor Leppert’s motion noted that Melbourne city council runs an entire gamut of services and programs for the LGBTQI community.
This included its partnership and support for the annual Midsumma Pride march, the Melbourne International Queer Film Festival, community grants, grants for LGBTQI artists and the Scratch Arts Hub that supports contemporary and queer art. “The real heroes of the City of Melbourne’s services and programs are the LGBTQ staff of the City of Melbourne, whether in the Pride Network, or throughout the organisation, whose focus every day is designing and delivering inclusive public policy. They do an outstanding job,” Cr Leppert said during the council meeting. According to Cr Hakim, the motion followed the successful creation of the Inclusive Melbourne Strategy.
Falkirk Council has donated thousands of sandbags to Ukraine to help protect Kyiv's statues and monuments, while the fighting there continues.
This post was edited on Wednesday, April 6 at 10:30 a.m. to remove reporting that The Internet would dissolve after the release of their fifth album. The NME cover story containing this information has since been edited.
Manchester City supporters are urging Pep Guardiola to pick Raheem Sterling over Jack Grealish when naming his starting XI for the Atletico Madrid showdown. Tonight sees the Spanish champions head to the Etihad Stadium for the first leg of their Champions League last-eight tie.
Hungary’s right-wing and homophobic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was re-elected on Sunday, winning a fifth term in office, but failed to win enough votes for his anti-LGBTQI referendum.As per Hungarian law, around half of the eight million registered voters needed to vote in the referendum for it to be binding. The opposition parties and human rights groups had asked citizens to boycott the referendum and to cast invalid votes.
Jon Batiste got in one more performance before the 2022 GRAMMYs. The 35-year-old singer took to Instagram hours ahead of Sunday's Las Vegas ceremony to share a video of himself performing in the New York City subway.In the clip, Batiste gathered with his friends below ground for a self-proclaimed «love riot,» during which he performed his 2021 track, «Cry.»After his subway performance, Batiste and his pals headed off to the studio for one last pre-GRAMMYs session.«Love riots are like chaotic, fun, impromptu musical parades.
Australia is set to elect a new government in May 2022. The country’s peak national LGBTQI health organisation, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA), has called upon the major political parties and independent candidates to spell out their commitment and plans to improve the health and well being of the community. “LGBTIQ+ communities face significant barriers to improved health because of stigma and discrimination,” Nicky Bath, CEO, LHA, said in a statement. “All members of LGBTIQ+ communities, including those who live at the intersections of additional marginalised identities and experiences, can no longer be left behind.
Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThis is peak synergy: “Call Me Kat” is crossing over with fellow Fox comedy “Welcome to Flatch” in an upcoming episode of the series that will also feature “The Masked Singer” panelist Robin Thicke, Variety has learned exclusively.Airing April 28 at 9 p.m., the Mayim Bialik-led sitcom will feature characters from its lead-out mockumentary show “Welcome to Flatch,” which debuted March 17 on Fox at 9:30 p.m. and that same day launched half of its first season of Hulu and other digital platforms.
A transgender athlete has reportedly lodged an application to play in the women’s National Rugby League in Australia.The Daily Mail reported that the application is being considered by the NRL. Even if approved, the trans player may be able to play only in the next season which starts in August 2022.Melbourne Storm player Christian Welch recently said that it was “inevitable” that trans athletes would play in the NRL.It’s inevitable to happen but no I don’t think much discussion has been had on the topic Kim— Christian Welch (@clwelch94) March 20, 2022Welch was responding to a user, who had asked him whether, “on the back of the NCAA swimming in the US this week, has the RLPA (Rugby League Players Association) had any discussions on transgender athletes being integrated into the NRL/NRLW … grassroots or professional levels?”Welch replied: “It’s inevitable to happen but no I don’t think much discussion has been had on the topic.”According to the National Rugby League Member Protection Policy, it was “committed to supporting participation in our sport on the basis of the gender with which a person identifies.”NRL, in its policy, said that it was aware of the debate over whether male-to-female- trans athletes have any physical advantages.“If issues of performance advantage arise, we will seek advice on the application of those laws in the particular circumstances,” the policy explained.“The NRL is aware that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has established criteria for selection and participation in the Olympic Games.
Foo Fighters have cancelled all forthcoming tour dates following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins on Friday (25 March). The band were on tour in South America preparing to perform at a Colombian festival when Hawkins complained of chest pains.
LOS ANGELES -- Foo Fighters have canceled all upcoming concert dates following the death of the band's drummer, Taylor Hawkins.The rockers had been scheduled to play at the Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday as well as spring dates at the Beale Street Music Festival; the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; Columbia, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; Daytona Beach; Charlotte, North Carolina; the Boston Calling Music Festival; and summer dates in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and the UK.“It is with great sadness that Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all upcoming tour dates in light of the staggering loss of our brother,” the band said in a statement Tuesday.Hawkins died Friday during a South American tour with the rock band. He was 50.“We’re sorry for and share in the disappointment that we won’t be seeing one another as planned,” the band's statement read.
Foo Fighters today canceled all of their upcoming tour dates in the wake of drummer Taylor Hawkins’ death last week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is in the midst of invading Ukraine, has found time to give a shout out to fellow transphobe, author J K Rowling. Trigger Warning: This story has details of transphobic statements, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The President in a televised speech to winners of the Presidential Young Artists Awards, claimed that the West was trying to “cancel” a 1000-year-old country and pointed to programs by Russian artists being cancelled across the US and Europe. WATCH: Vladimir Putin says the West has "cancelled" JK Rowling and are now "engaging in cancel culture" against Russia.(Begins at 1:00)pic.twitter.com/fqAin41HpO— TLDR News UK (@TLDRNewsUK) March 25, 2022“They’re now engaging in the cancel culture, even removing Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Rachmaninov from posters. Russian writers and books are now cancelled,” Putin claimed, comparing the cancellations to Nazi supporters burning books in the 1930s. “Recently they cancelled the children’s writer Joanne Rowling because she – the author of books that have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide – fell out of favour with fans of so-called gender freedoms,” said Putin. Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics.
Bury Council is to buy the Mill Gate shopping centre, paving the way for its redevelopment.
Brian Houston, founder of the global megachurch, resigned following an internal investigation that found he had behaved inappropriately towards two women in the past decade. Trigger Warning: This story has details of child sexual abuse, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The NSW police had alleged that Brian had not reported the child sexual abuse by his father Frank Houston. The allegations against Frank, related to sexual abuse of young boys when he was a pastor in New Zealand and Australia in the 1960s and 1970s. One of the nine boys had come forward to lodge a complaint that Frank had sexually abused him between the ages of seven and 12.Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston and his father Frank Houston.In 1999, the victim’s mother reported Frank to the Assemblies of God denomination led by Brian, who was legally required to inform the police.
Brisbane-based Citipointe Christian College is once again in the news, this time for asking teachers and staff to sign employment contracts that threaten to sack them for being openly LGBTQI.LGBTQI advocacy group Just.Equal has said that school should be stripped of public funding. “Religious schools cannot continue to defy discrimination laws and public opinion, and expect to receive public funding,” Just.Equal Australia spokesperson Brian Greig said in a statement. “There comes a limit where taxpayers should no longer be expected to fund bigotry, and Citipointe has reached that limit.” Protests Outside Citipointe Christian College (Screen Grab of Nine Entertainment video)According to The Guardian, the employment contract for teachers was dated in February, after the controversy erupted over the enrolment contract. The document says that teachers agree to work within the statement of faith of International Network of Churches that runs the school. “It is a genuine occupational requirement of the college that the employee not act in a way he knows, or ought reasonably to know, is contrary to the religious beliefs of the college,” the contract says.“Nothing in his/her deliberate conduct should be incompatible with the intrinsic character of their position, especially, but not only, in relation to the expression of human sexuality through heterosexual, monogamous relationships, expressed intimately through marriage.”In a statement, Citipointe college said that it was reviewing the employment contract. “Citipointe Christian College can confirm that no member of staff has had their employment terminated for failing to sign their employment contract,” the school said in a statement published on its website. “One staff
Seven years after a former county clerk from Kentucky refused to issue marriage license to gay couples, a court in the US has cleared the decks her to be sued for damages.US District Judge David Bunning said that former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis had violated the rights of the same sex couples in 2015, when she refused to issue marriage licenses to them citing her Christian religious beliefs. The court also rejected a request from Davis seeking immunity from being sued. Davis had stopped issuing marriage licenses to all couples after the landmark US Supreme Court Obergefell v.
Pep Guardiola says he "never had a doubt" about Raheem Sterling after his goal began the rout of Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final. The Manchester City boss left the England ace on the bench in the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace and afterwards said he had considered putting on Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus - without mentioning Sterling.