MOSCOW, Russia – On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin took his oath of office becoming the second ever longest serving leader of the modern Russian state since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who held power from 1922 until his death in 1953.

Putin’s tenure in office has been marked by his acquisition of concentrated political power in part due to his eradication and imprisonment or the deaths of his political opponents, such as his rumored unproven involvement in the assassination of fierce Putin critic Boris Nemtsov on February 27, 2015, just steps away from the gate to the Kremlin, and more recently in the prosecution and imprisonment of another high profile Putin critic, Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny, who died earlier this year on February 16 at a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.

Putin ordered military operations in August 2008, which led to the Russo-Georgian War and diplomatic relations were broken. To this day, the two countries have maintained no formal diplomatic relations. Then in February and March 2014, Russian troops at his direction invaded the Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine, and annexed it. The resulting hostilities also spread to the far-eastern Ukrainian oblasts, [provinces] which culminated with Russia invading Ukraine on February 24, 2022, an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. The invasion became the largest attack on a European country since the end of the Second World War in 1945.

As the war drags on Putin’s threats of military escalation against NATO countries and use of battlefield nuclear weapons has created a tense relationship with a majority of the European Union as well as with the United States. Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to other totalitarian regimes like China, Iran and North Korea for support.

In his inaugural speech Putin made oblique reference to his oft stated desire to recreate a hybrid of the former Soviet Union:

“In these solemn and crucial moments of assuming the office of the President, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Russia across all regions of our country, as well as those living in the historical territories of Russia who have won their right to stand united with our Motherland”

The Russian president then thanked the forces fighting in the invasion of Ukraine saying:

“I humbly honour our heroes, the participants in the special military operation, and all those who are fighting for our Fatherland. I would like to thank you again for the trust you have placed in me and for your unwavering support. These words are directed to every citizen of Russia.”

On the domestic front Putin has stifled media outlets with draconian laws passed designed to keep the Russian population largely ignorant of the cost both human lives and governmental spending as the warfare in Ukraine drags on and losses to the Russian military continue.

The Associated Press reported neither the U.S., U.K. nor German ambassadors attended. The U.S. Embassy said Ambassador Lynne Tracy was out of the country on “prescheduled, personal travel.”

A handful of European Union envoys attended even though top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said he told them “the right thing to do is not to attend this inauguration,” because Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

In his speech Putin issued a veiled threat to critics of his regime that dissention would not be tolerated:

“We can see that the atmosphere in society has changed, and how much we now value reliability, responsibility, sincerity, integrity, generosity and courage. I will do everything in my power to ensure that those who have displayed these admirable human and professional traits, and who have proved their loyalty to the Fatherland through their deeds, achieve leading positions in state governance, the economy and all other spheres.

We must ensure reliable continuity in the development of our country for decades to come and bring up new generations who will strengthen Russia’s might and develop our state based on interethnic accord, the preservation of the traditions of all ethnic groups living in Russia, a civilizational nation united by the Russian language and our multi-ethnic culture.”

The Russian president has also targeted the country’s LGBTQ+ people with passage of multiple laws that forbid public mention or acknowledgment of queer Russians. In his speech he emphasized his commitment to maintaining “family values.”

“Our top priority is the preservation of the people. I am confident that the support of centuries-old family values and traditions will continue to unite public and religious associations, political parties, and all levels of government.

Our decisions regarding the development of the country and its regions must be effective and fair and must promote the prosperity of Russian families and improve their quality of life,” he said.

The Wilson Center located in Washington D.C., a nonpartisan think tank, noted recently:

“Escalating state discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in Russia is directly informed by the Putin regime’s struggle to maintain legitimacy and public support, especially as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on. Russian federal elections are scheduled for 2024, and officials are reportedly planning to project record levels of public support for Putin.”

“The war in Ukraine and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community are both popular policies among the socially conservative interest groups that make up Putin’s strongest base of support, and Russian policymakers draw clear connections between the Kremlin’s narrative that Russia is fighting Western ideology by proxy in Ukraine and the Kremlin’s attack on the LGBTQ+ experience in Russia.”

Putin’s inaugural speech today signaled his future intentions on conducting the war in Ukraine and his ongoing persecution of LGBTQ+ Russians.

By Erin Reed | SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On Wednesday evening last week, the Utah Public Auditor released a form allowing cisgender people to report transgender people in bathrooms. This was done in response to a law passed earlier this year banning transgender people from bathrooms and changing rooms in various circumstances.

Within a couple of days, the form was flooded with over 4,000 meme submissions, leading to a flurry of news articles critical of the approach to enforcing anti-transgender bathroom legislation. Now, the Utah Public Auditor is responding to the critiques by deferring blame onto the state legislature for making his office the “bathroom monitor,” a role he says he never asked for.

In a statement released today, Utah State Auditor John Dougall called the passage of the bill rushed and stated his office was never consulted during the process of passing the law: “The Office created the complaint form to comply with a statutory mandate – a role we did not request. Indeed, no auditor sets out to become a bathroom monitor. Unfortunately, neither Rep. Birkeland, nor any other legislator consulted with this Office regarding this newly mandated obligation placed on the Office under this bill. Like many in the public, we learned about our role under this bill shortly before the bill was rushed to final passage.”

You can view the full statement here:

The statement is in response to widespread criticism and outcry over the use of the form to target transgender people. The form included a section where people could upload images, among other things, to support their allegations.

This led to fears that the form would encourage members of the public to act as vigilante bathroom police, taking pictures of people they thought were transgender in private bathroom spaces.

This was a criticism shared by Senator Jennifer Plumb, a vocal critic of the legislation, who posted shortly after its release, stating, “Apparently Utah’s solution to people feeling unsafe in restrooms is to encourage folks to take photos of & focus extreme attention on the private parts of others who are taking care of a biological need to eliminate waste?”

The form was quickly recognized as a threat to transgender people, and in response, thousands of people flooded the tip line with frivolous complaints and memes, over 4,000 in all. Memes sent to the form included the yelling cat meme, Godzilla with trans pride flags, the entire script to the Bee Movie, and more.

In a separate twist, private data such as images from those who submitted forms was leaked through an open database, which allowed some of these meme submissions to be publicly viewable for a short time.

The ordeal over the bathroom reporting tool in Utah mirrors problems seen in many other anti-trans bathroom laws targeting transgender adults. These laws are extremely difficult to enforce. Questions of enforcement were brought up often in the debate, with many pointing out that you can’t always tell who is transgender.

This sentiment was shared in the Senate Business and Labor Committee by Dustin Parmley, a public defender, who stated, “This bill is impossible to enforce. It relies on citizens to determine if someone is feminine or masculine enough to use it. The exceptions are for hidden conditions, such as someone’s surgery or birth certificate. It will lead to unnecessary police investigations.”

It remains to be seen what the future of the form looks like. Already, the option to submit a picture has been removed. There is no indication that any actionable complaints have been submitted.

Other attempts to create such forms have similarly failed, such as in Virginia, where Governor Glenn Youngkin’s tip line was flooded with complaints about Beowulf, or in Missouri, where scripts for the Bee Movie were sent in.

In this case, it appears that when faced with problems enforcing anti-trans laws, the state of Utah attempted to sidestep the issue by abdicating the responsibility of enforcement to its citizens. In its “rush” to pass the legislation, those who pointed out that such a bill would create “bathroom police” appear to have been proven correct.

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Erin Reed is a transgender woman (she/her pronouns) and researcher who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues, and community. Reed also is a social media consultant and public speaker.

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The preceding article was first published at Erin In The Morning and is republished with permission.

By Jackie Llanos | TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Republican State Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit Monday against new Biden administration regulations defending access to common medical treatments for transgender and gender non-conforming people.

The regulations that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued Monday state that blanket exclusions in services that single out transgender people are “presumptively discriminatory on the basis of sex.” Those guidelines for sex-based discrimination also encompass gender identity, according to the regulations.

The agency crafted specific provisions related to gender-affirming care “given the widespread discriminatory denial of care for such services and its direct connection to an individual’s transgender status.”

While the federal regulations are set to go into effect on July 5, Moody is asking the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida in Tampa to throw out the rules, which seemingly go against the state’s ban on gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers, for minors and the restrictions for what kind of providers can treat trans adults seeking treatment for gender dysphoria.

For the duration of the case, Moody requested that the court issue a temporary injunction exempting Florida agencies from enforcing the rules.

Florida’s gender-affirming care landscape

“Florida passed a law to protect our children from dangerous, irreversible gender-transition drugs and surgeries,” Moody wrote in a Tuesday press release. “Now, Biden and his federal bureaucrats are trying to go around our child-protection law to force the state to pay for puberty blockers and gender-transition surgery for children. These rules trample states’ power to protect their own citizens and we will not stand by as Biden tries, yet again, to use the force of the federal government to unlawfully stifle Florida’s effort to protect children.”

However, the regulations from the federal agencies don’t state that a healthcare provider would have to give gender-affirming care to a trans patient. Instead, it states that providers should determine treatment on a case-by-case basis.

“Nothing in this rule impedes covered entities from taking nondiscriminatory actions based on current medical standards and evidence, such as making decisions about the timing or type of protocols appropriate for care. The rule does not (and cannot) require a specific standard of care or course of treatment for any individual, minor or adult,” the rules state.

But Florida’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors and the restrictions for adults are also wrapped up in a legal challenge in a federal court in Tallahassee. The trial for the case brought by transgender children, their parents and transgender adults took place in December but the judge has yet to rule.

Equality Florida, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, condemned the lawsuit in a statement to Florida Phoenix.

“DeSantis and Attorney General Moody’s lawsuit is another taxpayer-funded distraction so Floridians won’t notice that their insurance rates continue to skyrocket as Florida has the highest rate of inflation in the country and the lowest rate of teacher pay,” the group wrote. “Everyone deserves respect and the freedom to seek best-practice healthcare, but our Governor is hellbent on denigrating transgender Floridians and overruling parents’ ability to obtain essential care for their transgender child.”

Complaint arguments

Moody filed the 84-page complaint — with dozens of additional exhibits and other documents — on behalf of the state of Florida, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, the Florida Department of Management Services and the Catholic Medical Association and its director Mario Dickerson.

The defendants were listed as: Department of Health and Human Services; Xavier Becerra, in his official capacity as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; Melanie Fontes Rainer, in her official capacity as the Director of the Office for Civil Rights; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Chiquita Brooks-Lasure, in her official capacity as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

In the complaint, she argues that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause because the agencies didn’t have the power to change the definition of sex-based discrimination and tie federal funding based on states’ compliance with those rules.

“Under the OCR Rules, Florida now faces the untenable choice of surrendering its power to protect the health and safety of Floridians or losing billions of dollars in federal funding without adequate notice that this would be part of the bargain,” Moody wrote in the complaint.

The lawsuit also includes arguments that the regulations would violate the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) members’ freedom of religion and speech.

“CMA and its members hold the position that gender-transition procedures are unethical and dangerous. Providing, facilitating, referring for, or endorsing gender-transition efforts violates their medical views, their core religious beliefs, and their oath to ‘do no harm,’” Moody wrote in the lawsuit. “CMA’s members have medical and ethical positions contrary to the 2024 Rules’ requirements, and they also have overlapping religious objections. It is within CMA’s advocacy mission to advocate and litigate for its members’ right to the conscientious and faithful practice of medicine.”

Just last month, Moody joined other states in challenging new Biden administration rules protecting transgender people from discrimination in schools, colleges, and universities.

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Jackie is a recent graduate of the University of Richmond. She has interned at Nashville Public Radio, Virginia Public Media and Virginia Mercury.

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The preceding article was previously published by the Florida Phoenix and is republished with permission.

The Phoenix is a nonprofit news site that’s free of advertising and free to readers. We cover state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee.

We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

SACRAMENTO — Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) nominated Nancy Sutley as a recipient for the Latino Spirit Awards.

In an Assembly Floor ceremony Monday, the California Legislative Latino Caucus honored Sutley, who currently leads Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ environmental, energy, and sustainability policy and programs as her Chief Sustainability Officer.

“As an LGBTQ+ Latina, Nancy Sutley has shattered glass ceilings while implementing some of the most important environmental and sustainability policies and legislation of our century,” said Assemblymember Zbur. “Her expertise has guided mayors, governors, and former President of the United States Barack Obama. It is an honor to recognize her for an outstanding achievement in public service, and as my nominee for the Latino Spirit Awards.”

Nancy Helen Sutley, born in New York City in 1962, was raised in Queens by parents who immigrated from Argentina. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University.

Currently, Sutley is the Senior Assistant General Manager of External and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). In this capacity, she supervises departments such as customer service, energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmental regulations.

During her tenure at LADWP, she has initiated sustainability projects, led the establishment of the LaKretz Innovation Campus, and advocated for cleaner transportation. Before joining LADWP in 2014, Sutley chaired the White House Council on Environmental Quality, making her the first prominent LGBTQ+ person named to a senior role in the Obama Administration.

There, she played a pivotal role in environmental initiatives, including the 2013 Climate Action Plan. She has also held various positions in public service, including Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment for Los Angeles and roles in state and federal environmental agencies.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A man currently on parole for a habitual criminal offense has been charged by Clark County, Nevada prosecutors for an April 25 incident for shooting at his neighbors while using homophobic slurs.

CBS affiliate KLAS-TV 8 News reported that Larry Walraven, 75, faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon with a hate crime enhancement, according to the court documents filed this week.

In the court filings it was stated that on April 25, Walraven allegedly shot at his neighbor “due to their sexual orientation.” A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said that in the initial 911 call, the victim said he was standing outside when Walraven “provided a black, revolver handgun and pointed it at [him]. After Walraven pointed the handgun, he fired four rounds at [the victim] with none of the rounds making contact with [him].”

After allegedly firing the weapon, Walraven reportedly said, “I’m going to kill you fucking faggots,” using a homophobic slur.

Metro officers seized a BB-gun when they arrested Walraven. A preliminary hearing in this case was scheduled for May 15. Because of a parole violation, he will remain in custody without bail.

By Nuria Martinez-Keel | OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Oklahoma’s attorney general and state Department of Education are both suing the Biden administration over new Title IX rules protecting gender identity in schools.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond and the state agency each announced Monday they filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Education in Oklahoma City federal court. The cases were filed separately, but both asked that a U.S. district judge block the new regulations from taking effect.

The federal government released new legally binding Title IX rules on April 19 that include treatment based on gender identity within the scope of sex discrimination, among many other changes. The U.S. Department of Education declined to comment on pending litigation.

Multiple Republican attorneys general have filed legal challenges to the rules, specifically over the gender identity protections.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said his agency is the first state education department to sue over the regulations.

“Title IX was designed to ensure women had the guarantee of sex equality in education and an environment free from discrimination, but this rewriting – rooted in radical gender theory that ignores biological reality – has set back the cause of civil rights for women by generations,” Walters said in a statement Monday. “I will do everything possible to protect the essential and fundamental right of women and girls to have safe spaces of their own to compete, change clothes, and use the bathroom.”

Walters has been a frequent opponent of schools making accommodations for transgender students’ identities. He advocated for an Oklahoma law that requires school bathrooms to be used according to a person’s birth sex, and he established a new rule that prevents a student’s gender to be changed retroactively on prior school records.

The state also has outlawed transgender girls from participating in women’s sports.

Drummond said the new rules are unconstitutional and will conflict with state law. The set of Title IX regulations “jeopardizes the equal opportunity that has been afforded to female athletes ever since the establishment of the statute,” his lawsuit states.

The new rules do not take a stance on athletic eligibility, though they could apply to other school policies, such as restroom use.

Walters already asked Oklahoma school districts to disregard the regulations.

However, the federal Department of Education has said the rules are mandatory for schools to continue receiving federal education funding, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars for Oklahoma districts.

“As a condition of receiving federal funds, all federally-funded schools are obligated to comply with these final regulations and we look forward to working with school communities all across the country to ensure the Title IX guarantee of nondiscrimination in school is every student’s experience,” the federal agency said in a statement last month.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from the U.S. Department of Education. The federal agency declined to comment on pending lawsuits.

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Nuria Martinez-Keel covers education for Oklahoma Voice. She worked in newspapers for six years, more than four of which she spent at The Oklahoman covering education and courts. Nuria is an Oklahoma State University graduate.

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The preceding article was previously published by the Oklahoma Voice and is republished with permission.

Oklahoma Voice provides independent, nonpartisan reporting that holds officials accountable and elevates the voices of those too often sidelined by the political process.

We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

By Mia Gingerich | WASHINGTON – The Daily Wire announced the launch of a new “men’s lifestyle” company named Responsible Man on May 1, promoting its only current product — a men’s dietary supplement that it says is “designed to help … sharpen brain cognition” and that it suggests will help address what the outlet calls the “increasing health risk” of declining “sperm concentration.”

On April 30, The Daily Wire’s parent company Bentkey Ventures registered the assumed name “Daily Wire Ventures.” The next day, on May 1, it debuted Responsible Man, a new company for men’s health products. 

The Daily Wire is promoting Responsible Man as an alternative to “woke” companies and by fearmongering about some of the outlet’s frequent targets, namely gender-affirming care and drag queens, asking its readers, “Do you want to buy your men’s health products from a company that partners with drag queens and supports radical organizations that push gender procedures on children?” Responsible Man’s website uses similar language, promising its customers that “together, we can reclaim masculinity” and claiming that “Emerson’s Vitamins are a simple step towards improving yourself, creating order, and building the future.”

Ad from Responsible Man’s website:

The Daily Wire’s promotion suggests Responsible Man’s products can help address various health issues, including the purported “increasing health risk” of declining “sperm concentration” worldwide, promising to help men stay healthy “for the survival of the human race.” 

The company’s only product, a men’s multivitamin, is marketed as being “professionally engineered by medical doctors” to “support your immune system, maintain energy production, sharpen brain cognition, and support the health of your heart and muscles.” 

Claims made by The Daily Wire’s new company are not FDA-approved

According to disclaimers on Responsible Man’s website, the claims made to promote the company’s vitamins “have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.” Multivitamins do not need to go through an evaluation process prior to entering the marketplace, and have generally proved ineffective in reducing the risk of heart disease and mental decline. 

In the past, The Daily Wire has targeted certain medications used in gender-affirming care for trans youth for their use off-label without FDA approval, even though this is a common practice in prescribing pediatric medications. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh has been particularly fervent in wielding this point to target gender-affirming care. 

The Daily Wire is promoting the new company by targeting Men’s Health magazine

The Daily Wire’s previous ventures into consumer goods have been framed in opposition to specific companies it deemed too “woke,” such as Harry’s Razors and Hershey’s Chocolate, for refusing to advertise with The Daily Wire and featuring a trans woman in an advertisement, respectively. (Jeremy’s Razors and Jeremy’s Chocolate, The Daily Wire’s answers to Harry’s and Hershey’s going “woke,” have received poor feedback from customers.)

The Daily Wire’s promotion of Responsible Man singles out for criticism Men’s Health, the largest men’s lifestyle magazine in the United States. Claiming that Men’s Health was “afraid of manhood itself,” The Daily Wire has declared itself “here to give you a better option.” The lone source of outrage cited by the outlet is a Men’s Health article from November 2021 on “LGBTQ+ Language and Media Literacy.” 

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Mia Gingerich is a researcher at Media Matters. She has a bachelor’s degree in politics and government from Northern Arizona University and has previously worked in rural organizing and local media.

The preceding article was previously published by Media Matters for America and is republished by permission.

By Erin Reed | JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi’s legislature passed a transgender bathroom ban that applies to all college campuses in the state. News of the bill’s passage came just after it appeared the bill had failed to meet deadlines, but Republicans voted to suspend the rules in order to pass it.

The bill bans transgender people from using bathrooms and changing rooms that match their gender identity on college campuses, and even allows cisgender people to sue transgender people who are found in bathrooms forbidden by the law. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk, who is likely to sign it into law.

The bill is Senate Bill 2753, and it applies to all “public education buildings,” which include public schools and colleges, and any facilities owned or operated by them. It also applies to fraternities and sororities, which may have been included after a transgender girl won the right to stay in her sorority in Wyoming. It specifies that even dormitories must discriminate against transgender people in “single-sex educational housing spaces.”

Lastly, it offers a “private right of action” that appears to be targeted at transgender people, allowing cisgender people to sue to prevent transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, according to local news.

You can see the provision here:

This portion of the bill was a significant source of controversy during debate. Earlier versions of the bill explicitly allowed lawsuits for “compensatory damages,” although that provision was removed in the final conference committee for the bill. In its place is a scaled-down version of the private enforcement provisions, which leaves the question of enforcement uncertain when it comes to targeting transgender people individually. The bill also allows the state Attorney General of Mississippi to enforce the law against educational institutions.

Over the last year, more bathroom bans targeting transgender people have been enacted following Florida’s bathroom ban, which remains the harshest in the nation with criminal penalties of up to one year in jail. Kansas, North Dakota, and Utah also have bathroom bans. Utah’s ban targets all government buildings, including the airport, with enforcement depending on allegations of behavior that “causes affront or alarm.” In Kansas and North Dakota, there is no enforcement mechanism. Other states are also considering bathroom bans, such as Ohio, which has slowly progressed a bill similar to Mississippi’s higher education bathroom ban.

Mississippi has consistently been one of the harshest states toward transgender people. The state has already passed a gender-affirming care ban for transgender youth and a sports ban. Last year, students at one school in Mississippi were forced to wear clothing of their assigned sex at birth for graduation, resulting in both a transgender girl and a cisgender nonconforming girl being barred from walking at their own graduation after a judge sided with the school. This bill will only increase the danger for transgender residents and those who travel through the state.

Although the bill likely runs afoul of Title IX protections, Mississippi is among the states suing the federal government for the right to discriminate against trans people.

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Erin Reed is a transgender woman (she/her pronouns) and researcher who tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues, and community. Reed also is a social media consultant and public speaker.

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The preceding article was first published at Erin In The Morning and is republished with permission.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Between 200 and 250 people, including parents and their children, turned out on Saturday, May 4, for a “Love Fest” Drag Story Hour brunch hosted by the Arlington, Va., LGBTQ establishment Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant.

Local drag performer Tara Hoot, who read children’s stories and handed out coloring books to the kids attending the event, was joined by members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, which sang several songs before Hoot began reading from children’s books in keeping with the tradition of drag queens conducting Drag Story Hour events across the country.

The May 4 event at Freddie’s in the Crystal City section of Arlington took place four weeks after the start of a similar event hosted by Freddie’s was delayed by a bomb threat, forcing those who had arrived  to exit through a rear door and wait in a parking lot as Arlington police conducted a search of the premises with a bomb sniffing dog. No trace of a bomb was found.

All the customers, including parents and their kids, were invited back inside and the show took place as planned.

No similar threat occurred at the May 4 event. But three male protesters assembled on the sidewalk next to the parking lot behind the Freddie’s building, with one of them shouting from a bullhorn passages from his Bible that he said indicated the Drag Story Hour event was an “abomination.”

The three protesters were outnumbered by nearly a dozen counter protesters who were  members of the Rainbow Defense Coalition, an LGBTQ organization. They carried bright, rainbow-colored umbrellas while chanting messages of support for the Drag Story Hour event.

Freddie Lutz, Freddie’s Beach Bar owner, called the event a “smashing success” that brought an “outpouring of love from the community.” Lutz released a flier on social media promoting the Love Fest event shortly after the earlier event interrupted by the bomb threat as a showing of love “to stop the hate.”

“Join us for the next story time brunch dressed in your favorite rainbow/hippie outfit” and “carry your favorite homemade signs of support,” Lutz said in his promotional flier. He came to the event dressed in what he called his hippie protest outfit.

Lutz said while the protesters did not interrupt the event, he was concerned that their shouting was scaring some of the kids as they and their parents walked by the protesters to enter Freddie’s.

“I went out back and tried to talk to one of them and it was kind of like talking to a brick wall,” Lutz told the Washington Blade. “He was screaming at the parents that were crossing their kids on the crosswalk,” Lutz said. “And I said, you’re screaming at those kids, you’re scaring them.”

Lutz said the man told him he was yelling at the parents, not the kids. “And I said, no you’re not. The kids are hearing you. You’re scaring them.”

Added Lutz, “And to have such a fun-loving, happy show and then walk out on the sidewalk to that is very disheartening. It’s really sad. I told him my God is a forgiving and loving God.”

One of the protesters, who declined to disclose his name, said he and his two fellow protesters came to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

“We want them to know this is an abomination to the Lord,” he told the Blade. “We want them to know those children don’t have a voice and they’re being brainwashed in there. We’re here to call out their sin.”

Stephanie Krenrich, who brought her two-year-old daughter to the event, said she strongly disputes the claims of the protesters.

“I brought my daughter here because I think that it was a beautiful and wonderful show, and it was great for her,” she said. “And I think it’s pretty offensive when people come to Arlington and tell parents what to do, especially for something so beautiful and so fun and so wholesome,” she told the Blade.

“So that’s why I brought her,” Krenrich said. “I think that it’s really important that we stand up for our values and people just being themselves, being happy and being them.”

Among those who attended the event were four elected officials from Arlington – Virginia State Sen. Barbara Favola, Virginia State Del. Adele McClure, Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffee, and Arlington and Falls Church State’s Attorney Parisa Dehgani-Tafti.

Also attending was Nick Benton, editor and publisher of the LGBTQ supportive Falls Church, Va., News Press; and Kellen McBeth, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Arlington.

“It was fantastic to see so many people come out to support Freddie’s, to support the LGBTQ+ community,” McBeth said. “It was a great event and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Related:

RUSSIA

MOSCOW, Russia – Russia’s largest publishing houses working in concert with the country’s libraries and book sellers formed an advisory union body earlier this month to address the increasingly repressive nature of laws centered around the subject matters of LGBTQ+ people and the war in Ukraine.

Making the task difficult is removal of materials from classic Russian literature in addition to contemporary works. Russian media outlet Vedomosti business daily reported that The Russian Book Union’s self-labeled expert center will issue recommendations on individual books, but leave the final decision to pull the books from sale up to the publishers.

According to Vedomosti, AST, one of Russia’s largest publishers, announced earlier this week that it would suspend sales of three books by U.S. authors James Baldwin and Michael Cunningham, as well as the Russian postmodern writer Vladimir Sorokin, for allegedly containing “LGBTQ propaganda,” which is now outlawed in the country.

Roberto Carnero, an Italian literature professor at the University of Bologna’s biographical book on the openly gay Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini had been heavily edited with some 70 out of its 400 pages containing sections that were redacted by its Russian publisher Reuters reported last week.

According to Carnero, speaking with the wire service, that publisher also AST, would only agree to publish his critical essay on the openly gay Pasolini only with severe cuts.

“I am very concerned about this,” he said in a phone interview from Milan. “This is something that happens in dictatorships.”

The striking images of Carnero’s book have thrown a spotlight on issues of government censorship in Russia at a time when the Kremlin says it is fighting an existential war with the West to defend its “traditional values,” Reuters noted.

English language media outlet The Moscow Times reported that Russian law allows citations for scientific, educational and critical purposes. If brought to court, Russian publishers would be forced to prove that they retold an unlicensed book for purposes that do not include entertainment.

Russian law firms say publishers risk being hit by lawsuits and fined double the value of books sold if their summaries hew too close to the original text.

LITHUANIA

VILNIUS, Lithuania – A singer-songwriter who has been entertaining audiences since he was 12-years-old is now the first openly queer person to represent Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest this year.

Silvester Belthe in 2010 had been a finalist in Lithuania’s preselection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest that year and now he returns 14 years later at age 26 taking the contest by storm.

A veteran of the musical variety contest show circuit, he competed on the Lithuanian version of The X Factor, and the Baltic TV3 Group’s music show Aš – superhitas, which he won in 2017.

PinkNewsUK reported Eurovision 2024 marks Belthe’s biggest career move to-date, and so far, it’s going well. His song, hypnotic eurobanger “Luktelk”, has hit over five million Spotify streams worldwide. In Lithuania, it hit number on the charts and stayed there for several weeks.

In an interview with PinkNewsUK when asked about LGBTQ+ representation in his homeland’s music scene. he responded: “Zero. It’s nada. It’s non-existent,” says Belt. “Everyone is pretending to be what they’re not, and it pisses me off so much.”

Eurovision has been supportive of LGBTQ+ musical artists for decades, but Lithuania has never sent an out artist to the contest. According to Belthe there is a culture of fear among Lithuanian artists about being seen as queer, as they feel there is “so much at stake” and that they could “lose [their] career” if they were to ever come out he noted.

The main reason he is frustrated by the lack of LGBTQ+ representation in his country he tells PinkNewsUK is that he thinks it would change the population’s mindset. Six in ten Lithuanians still believe that same-sex relationships are “wrong.”

“If every single LGBTQ artist in Lithuania, not even artists, if everyone [would] come out, I feel like Lithuania would change in a day,” he says. “It’s just crazy that we have this massive elephant in the room and we’re just pretending it’s not there.”

UNITED KINGDOM

LONDON, UK – At the end of last month Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, announced sanctions on high profile Ugandan politicians charged with corruption, and the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda.

It is the first time the UK government has used the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime on individuals involved in corruption in Uganda.  

The three individuals, two of whom were previously ministers responsible for Uganda’s poorest region, Karamoja, and have been charged with corruption at Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court, will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes. 

The two former ministers sanctioned – Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu – stole thousands of iron sheets used for roofing and infrastructure from a Ugandan government-funded project aimed at housing some of the most vulnerable communities in the region, providing them to prominent politicians and their families instead.

The Speaker of the Parliament, Anita Annet Among, benefited from the proceeds.

Over 60% of people in Karamoja live in poverty and many suffer from the devastating impacts of drought and insecurity.

 The Deputy Foreign Secretary said in a media statement:  

“The actions of these individuals, in taking aid from those who need it most, and keeping the proceeds, is corruption at its worst and has no place in society. The Ugandan courts are rightly taking action to crack down on those politicians who seek to line their own pockets at their constituents’ expense.”

“Today the UK is sending a clear message to those who think benefiting at the expense of others is acceptable. Corruption has consequences and you will be held responsible,” Mitchell added.

 The three individuals sanctioned were:  

• Anita Annet Among, who has been the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda since 2022.
• Mary Goretti Kitutu, who was the Minister for Karamoja Affairs between 2021 and 2024.
• Agnes Nandutu, who was the State Minister for Karamoja Affairs between 2021 and 2024.  

These measures follow previous UK sanctions under the Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime, which has targeted individuals involved in serious corruption cases across the world, including Bulgaria, Lebanon, Moldova, Russia, South Africa, South Sudan, and Venezuela. 

Since its introduction in April 2021, the UK has introduced sanctions on 42 individuals and entities under this regime globally to combat corruption across the world. 

MAIDENHEAD, UK – A fully inclusive rugby club – with the majority of their members being part of Berkshire, England’s LGBTQ+ community, competes against other inclusive teams from across the world.

Recently the club won the International Gay Rugby (IGR) UK league for the first time in their seven year history. John Hamp, the tighthead prop- one of the three players who form the front row of the scrum, told the BBC that being part of an LGBTQ+ inclusive club meant “You don’t have to hide any part of yourself.”

“With any inclusive rugby team, the need is that there are people who really enjoy rugby and really enjoy the sport, but haven’t necessarily found their home in a traditional club setup,” Hamp said.

“We provide a home and a welcoming environment where anyone and everyone can come and learn the sport,” he added.

Hamp, who is also the teams’ communications manager, told the BBC an inclusive club meant “regardless of any of your defining features or characteristics, especially for us that includes a sexual orientation, you can join our club and find a safe and welcoming environment – somewhere that you can be yourself.”

“I have a rugby family, and I tried as a child, and it just didn’t feel right for me – I knew that I was a bit different, I think other people knew that I felt different, and it didn’t feel comfortable for me,” he said.

“Sadly my my father passed away and I needed to do something; I needed something different – there was a need to be with community that understood me and a connection that I wanted to get back involved in rugby.”

“So I found the unicorns, and it was the perfect marriage of those two things.”

The club was founded in 2016 – and has grown in size to over 50 playing and social members. This season, the team went unbeaten – scoring over 400 points across their 11 games in the process.

NORTHERN IRELAND

BELFAST, Northern Ireland – For the first time in the 132 history of the largely ceremonial role of Lord Mayor of the City of Belfast, an openly gay man has been chosen. Micky Murray, an Alliance Party councilor [city councilman] representing the Balmoral area was selected to succeed the outgoing Sinn Féin Party’s Ryan Murphy in June.

On his X (formerly Twitter) Murray stated: “It’s truly an honour to have been selected by my party to be the next Lord Mayor of Belfast in June. This is a significant moment for the LGBTQ+ community, as I step into a role which has never represented us before. I look forward to getting stuck in!”

The 32-year-old politico in an interview with LGBTQ+ media outlet GCN Ireland said:

“In my role as Lord Mayor I want to meet people in all areas of Belfast and recognise those who are making a difference in every quarter, finding ways to work alongside them for the better.

He added: “Supporting the most vulnerable is a priority of mine, and I want to use my experience working in the homeless sector to ensure our city does more to help people.

“I want to help transform Belfast into a more inclusive city where everyone can enjoy, regardless of who you are or where you’re from. We’re 26 years on from the Good Friday Agreement and we were promised peace, which has largely been delivered, but now is the time to further break down barriers and create a thriving city.

“Our city should be recognised for its inclusivity, rather than its division. As the first openly gay Lord Mayor, I want to use this platform to represent the LGBTQ+ community and be a positive role model for them.”

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph Murray said: “As a schoolboy who was badly bullied because of my sexuality, I never thought I’d have the privilege of serving in a role like this.”

The councillor continued: “The position of Lord Mayor has existed for over 130 years, and I’ll be the first openly LGBTQ person to hold it. It’s a huge honour for me personally to be given this opportunity by my party colleagues.

“While some people may question why my sexuality is relevant, it does matter for members of my community. We are finally represented in a role we’ve never been before. It’s imbued with symbolism.”

IRELAND

DROGHEDA, Ireland – Pride is back again this year for this industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 26 miles north of Dublin. The four-day festival which kicks off on July 18, will include live musical performances, dance parties, film screenings, and family-friendly events.

This year’s event promises to be a fantastic experience, with preparation well underway and organizer Peter James Nugent told LGBTQ+ media outlet GCN Ireland. Nugent is working on the four-day festival, which will include live music performances, dance parties, film screenings, and family-friendly events.

This year’s Pride Parade will take place on Saturday, July 20. Following the parade, talented local musical artist Kobrah Kage will headline the main event with a highly-anticipated performance.

GCN also reported that Festival organizers are also calling upon anyone with a talent, be it a drag queen, a singer, a dancer, or any other talent, to apply to be a part of the 2024 fantastic event. This is a great opportunity for the local community to showcase their support and join in the celebrations. A complete listing of events is available on Drogheda Pride’s socials and their website.

Additional reporting from the BBC, PinkNewsUK, The Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse the Belfast Telegraph and GCN Ireland.