Saturday, June 03, 2023

About 9% of adults in 30 countries identify as LGBTQ, survey says


Story by Meron Moges-Gerbi • Yesterday 

About 9% of adults across 30 countries around the world identify as LGBTQ, according to a new Ipsos poll.

The survey released Thursday indicates Millennials and Gen Zers are more likely to identify as queer, bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, or asexual than older generations.

Respondents included more than 22,514 adults under the age of 75 in 30 countries who answered the survey online between February 17 and March 3.

Nicolas Boyon, senior vice president of research and communications at Ipsos, told CNN the survey shows there are commonalities across countries, including widespread respect for LGBTQ+ rights because more people have interactions with them.

“Globally, we see an increase compared to two years ago in the proportion of people who have a relative or a friend or a coworker, who is either gay or lesbian, or bisexual or trans or non-binary,” Boyon said.

Among the countries surveyed, the survey shows more than half of respondents said they support same-sex marriage where it is legal.

In 30 countries, about 56% said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally while 16% say they should be allowed to obtain some legal recognition, but not to marry. Women are also significantly more likely than men to support same-sex marriage, the survey said.


The majority of respondents in 26 countries said same-sex couples are as likely to raise children successfully as other parents, according to the survey.

Boyon told CNN he was surprised there was more support for transgender people in countries like Thailand, Italy, and Spain compared with the United States, Eastern Europe, and Great Britain.

“In the US, we see generally less support for a variety of protections or measures than we see in many other countries. For example, allowing people to use public facilities according to the gender they identify with. There is also less support for the health insurance to cover the costs of transition the same way as other medical procedures,” Boyon said.

Logan Brown, a pregnant transgender man, is on the cover of 'Glamour' magazine. 'I do exist,' he says — and so do others.


David Artavia
Fri, June 2, 2023 

Logan Brown is opening up about the experiences of being a pregnant trans man, and the hurdles he's jumped through in the health care system. (Photo: Glamour UK)

A pregnant transgender man is making history by appearing on the cover of Glamour UK's latest issue.

Logan Brown, a 27-year-old writer, posed while expecting his first child and opened up to the magazine about his experience. "I am a trans pregnant man and I do exist," Brown said. "I am literally living proof."

The publication wrote that it decided to feature Brown because it seeks to celebrate "the allyship that exists between women (cisgender or not) and transgender people through our shared experiences — in particular pregnancy, health care and childbirth — something that is not often talked about with regard to the transgender community."

“Being pregnant, in general, is really, really difficult. Then add me being trans," he said of the challenges he faced. "No one's actually turned around to me and said, 'Are you OK?' No one's asked what it feels like to be a trans pregnant man."

Brown also admitted to receiving "hateful messages" from people online who claimed that men can't get pregnant.

"This thing about 'men can't get pregnant' is that I would not identify as anything else just because I found out I'm pregnant," he explained. "It's important for me to stay real with my identity. I am a pregnant man, and I am trans."



Yes, trans men can give birth


The truth is transgender men (those biologically born as female but identify as men) can give birth in the same way anyone with female reproductive organs — uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes — can. That includes conceiving from penetrative sex with someone with sperm or through assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Despite that fact, trans pregnancies are often overlooked in discussions about reproductive health due to sizable gaps in medical research and overall education, notes Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

"None of our systems have been designed to delineate the difference between somebody's gender and somebody's pregnancy capacity," Obedin-Maliver told Yahoo Life in January. According to a February Gallup survey on identity, 1 in 10 LGBTQ adults living in the United States identify as transgender (close to 2.3 million people). And while there is no comprehensive data on how many have given birth, or are considering IVF, Obedin-Maliver says it's more common than people would expect.

One of the reasons behind the lack of data, she notes, is that medical systems fall behind in understanding the nuances of trans male pregnancies. In most cases, birthing parents are marked as "female" on the child's birth certificate, by default, even when it's not always accurate (and without the consent of the parents). That makes it difficult to have a full picture.

Change is happening — slowly

Medical organizations like the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine are helping to bridge the gap in medical knowledge around trans male pregnancies, thanks in large part to a growing number of trans dads who've shared their stories online to implement wider change — including with the hashtag #seahorsedad, which has nearly 382 million posts on TikTok.

"The research is out there," Dr. Devon Ojeda, senior national organizer for National Center for Transgender Equality, explained to Yahoo Life. "The health care system has to completely change the way they see preventative care beyond the gender binary."



As for Brown, who has since given birth to a baby girl named Nova, whom he shares with his partner, TikToker Bailey Mills, he hopes his story can pave the way for other trans men who wish to carry their own children. That itself is worth the battle scars.

"If something is being talked about, then something's changing, something's happening and we're getting somewhere," he told Glamour UK. "At least it's being talked about, because back in the day, it was never talked about at all."



Isis King is taking Hollywood by storm, from 'America's Next Top Model,' to Prime Video's 'With Love'

One of the first openly trans women on TV, King reflects on her "uphill battle" as an actor and stopping the pattern of seeking approval in the "wrong places"


Elisabetta Bianchini
Thu, June 1, 2023 

Isis King (Charlie Nunn Photography)

From a groundbreaking appearance as an openly trans woman on America's Next Top Model, to roles in shows like When They See Us, The L Word: Generation Q and Prime Video's With Love, actor Isis King is taking Hollywood by storm.

Teasing the upcoming second season of With Love (premiering June 2), King highlighted that her character Sol will see some significant life changes, particularly making the shift from a resident to a doctor, in addition to personal relationships.

“I'm excited for Season 2 because it's different life events,” King told Yahoo Canada. “You kind of get to see the family and friends, and different scenarios and situations.”

“Season 2 is going to be awesome because in Season 1, Sol was a resident oncologist and for the next season, Sol becomes a doctor, and you can kind of, in a way I guess, see their life change, see the budget change for Sol. Their life is different, I felt like the look is different. Sol is a little bit more elegant and now, they're in a relationship, the friends bugged them enough to step it up. So I just feel like Sol is even a little bit more glamorous, if I can say.”



When Season 1 of With Love dropped, it was often referred to as "unapologetically queer" and King praised the show's creator, Gloria Calderón Kellett, for telling a story where a trans, non-binary character, like Sol, is actually able to hold the position of a successful, highly educated and skilled doctor.

“Being a successful trans, non-binary person, I feel like that's not something we usually get to see," King said. "So I love that Sol has that perspective with everything we're doing. To have a successful career, the love, the family, the friends, they have it all. So I think that kind of really grounds them and helps them to be kind of the voice of reason for a lot of the family.”

“Being on this show with so many queer people and with someone like Gloria, ... it just allows you to feel safe, and allows you to explore and to come to work, and really play and explore the characters. Also just feel like you're in a comfortable environment with people who care about you. I think it just allowed me to relax into the character and vulnerable moments, to feel safe and protected because of the people that were around me.”

While historically, a lot of roles written and made available for trans actors have been for trauma-based narratives and characters, King also stressed that With Love opens up that storytelling for trans characters.

“I definitely think because there have not been that many opportunities, people still want to see it, unfortunately,” King said. “I feel like we should have both.”

“I feel like people should be able to see those raw, gritty stories, that kind of just shows the real life of so many trans people, especially trans people of colour, especially Black trans women, specifically. ... But at the same time, we also deserve to see those lighter stories that are about magical powers and finding love, and just normal people doing normal things that are not trauma-based. So I feel like there's room for all of it and I think that With Love shows that it's possible to have it. Don't get me wrong, this season you're going to see some drama with Sol, ... but I definitely think there’s room for both.”

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Model Isis King and iSupermodel, America's Next Top Model Miss J. Alexander attend the GLSEN 2018 Respect Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 21, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for GLSEN)

'Everyone deserves to see themselves represented and it literally is that simple'

Many people first saw King on the eleventh cycle of America’s Next Top Model in 2008, largely considered a watershed moment where she was one of the first openly trans women on TV.

Looking back at her entire career, King recognizes that much of what she accomplished was "before its time."

“I had so many opportunities to be seen, but they weren't really paid or when they were it was extremely lowball,” King revealed. “So it made it really difficult, but I kind of just kept going and juggled jobs along the way.”

“I never wanted to give up because I feel like I personally contributed so much of myself in a public format during an era where it wasn't accepted, really, and there were not really opportunities for trans people out there.”

She added that establishing her acting career has been an "uphill battle," since she left Top Model, but in terms of there being dynamic, complex, meaty roles for trans actors that don't necessary portray trans people with a monolithic view, King said we're "slowly" making strides.

“It’s slowly but surely happening, but it's still really, really, really, small, really rare,” King said. “There's still a lot of work.”

“Everyone deserves to see themselves represented and it literally is that simple. We all deserve representation and every storyline doesn't have to be ‘oh, let me come out.’ What if the sergeant is trans? What if the mermaid is trans? What if the doctor is trans? Just because we're not exploring them talking about that, doesn't mean that the character is not trans. … We're not objects. We're not creatures. We're in your everyday world.”


BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: (L-R) Isis King, Harvey Guillén, and Raven-Symoné attend the GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 30, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.
 (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GLAAD)

Amid the celebration of shows like With Love, it's difficult to avoid governments attacking human rights, targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including anit-trans bills in the U.S.

It's these actions that, as King stressed, makes having trans characters visible in entertainment even more critical.

“It's very frightening,” King said. “I think it's really important, so many people don't know someone trans in real life and sometimes the only experience they have with someone trans might be on TV, and in the media.”

“So if that representation isn't there, how will they knowhow to interact? … That's why it's also important to show us as we are in real life. We do have these careers, so it's important to say ‘oh, that's a trans person, they're just like me. They deserve love and happiness, support and career and family, and to not be discriminated against.’”

Looking forward in her career, King believes that she's only cracked the surface of her possibilities.

“I love that I'm loved and supported the way I have been, but … I'm just starting to make a dent and to create a name for myself as an actress, even after all these years that I've been trying to push into the industry," King said.

“I've always wanted to do action. I would love to be a leading lady myself in a rom-com and I really want some powers. … I've grown up a comic book fan and I just want to kick butt, I want to be like Cameron, Lucy and Drew in a Charlie’s Angels-type of project.”

For anyone looking at King, identifying with her and hoping to be able to achieve similar success, the actor's advice is to "bet on yourself."

“I think a lot of my career was me focusing on looking for approval, maybe it even comes from being on reality TV and a model in a competition where you're literally looking for approval," King said. “I looked for approval in all the wrong places, … from bosses and relationships, which opened me up to the wrong type of people and really abusive situations."

"I feel like the only approval I really needed was from myself, as cliche as it sounds. So just bet on yourself and just follow your heart and believe in yourself, because the quicker you do that, the further you'll get. … It could take many years but as long as you believe in yourself and keep going, it's possible.”
'Dangerous' anti-trans policies are sweeping the U.S. Is Canada next?

LIBERTARIAN FASCISM

While Canada is no Florida, a platform released by the People's Party of Canada has raised concerns among members of the LGBTQ+ community

Elianna Lev
Thu, June 1, 2023 

A transfeminist activist and jurist from Quebec has gone viral on Instagram for raising the alarm on a dangerous new anti-trans platform released by the People's Party of Canada.

Celeste Trianon's post has been shared almost 15,000 times and has garnered heated discussion, including nearly 400 comments.



The post, an eight-image gallery outlining the Maxime Bernier-led far-right party's policy on "radical gender ideology" in both English and French, warns of the PPC's eyebrow-raising platform. On its website, the PPC claims transgender people have an "evil agenda" and are planning to "destroy" society with the help of the "woke far left and all establishment parties."

The plan includes modifying the Criminal Code to outlaw the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and any form of bodily mutilation on minors with the goal of “transitioning” to another sex, as well as forbidding “biological men” from entering women’s bathrooms, shelters, prisons and change rooms.

It echoes similar moves taking place in the United States, including most publicly in Florida, which has been under the spotlight recently for passing several bills that directly target queer and trans communities.

These include a ban on sexual orientation and gender identity materials in classrooms, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" law, and a ban on transgender women and girls taking part in school sports consistent with their gender identity.

Demonstrators gather to speak on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in front of the Florida State Capitol, Monday, March 7, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida House Republicans advanced a bill, dubbed by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, rejecting criticism from Democrats who said the proposal demonizes LGBTQ people. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)More

While some in the comments of Trianon's post downplay the threat of a party that has no elected seats, she warns that it's dangerous to be complacent.

"For those who say it's an American problem, it's not," Trianon tells Yahoo News Canada. "It's very local as well."

Trianon says this kind of policy sets an extremely dangerous precedent and directly targets the trans community.

“This is going to send a very strong message to Canadians that trans Canadians are not worthy of protection,” she says. “This is an anti-freedom policy from a party that’s promoted freedom for so long.”

When she posted about the PPC's policy on LinkedIn, the party responded in the comments, telling her to "read to whole statement before jumping to conclusions."

"They don't even think that this is anti-trans, which is the most horrifying part," she says. "They're not even aware of what they're doing."

Trianon says the PPC introducing this kind of platform is tapping into many people’s fears about gender non-conformity and gender roles by targeting an already marginalized group. She urges Canadians voting in the next election to do so with human rights at the top of mind.

“If you vote against human rights, you might be the next human targeted,” Trianon says.

While the PPC won no seats in the 2021 election — even leader Bernier could not win his Beauce riding — more than 840,000 Canadians voted for the party, almost 5 per cent of all votes. It had more than tripled its support from just two years prior.

This is going to send a very strong message to Canadians that trans Canadians are not worthy of protection.

Where do Canada's political parties stand on LGBTQ+ issues?


The anti-trans policy announcement from the PPC has some reexamining where the other main political parties stand on issues that impact the freedom and safety of the LGBTQ+ community.

Wilbur Turner is the chair and founder of Advocacy Canada, a Canadian advocacy group for queer and trans communities. He spoke to Yahoo Canada News about Canada's political parties' track records on LGBTQ+ issues.
NDP

On the NDP website, the party devotes an entire section to upholding LGBTQ+ rights, which includes increasing access to gender affirming procedures and medication.

Turner says the NDP have always been very supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

“There’s definitely no concerns or question marks with regards to where they stand,” he says. “They’ve been supportive. Whenever there’s been a vote with regards to any kind of rights, like the bill to protect trans rights in the criminal code, they’ve always been in favour. They have a good track record of supporting the community.”

Liberal Party

The Liberals' website highlights the party's record in fighting for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history, which includes decriminalizing homosexuality in 1969, and the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, which protects all Canadians from discrimination.

Turner credits the Liberals for having a “really great track record” on LGBTQ+ issues.

“They’ve done a lot of things to help out the community,” he says.

Turner says the Liberal government is loud on the world stage when it comes to rights being eroded in other countries, including Uganda, which recently signed one of the world’s most severe anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law.

However, he admits there are some things the Liberals promised that took a long time to get done, like a review of blood donation guidelines, which banned men who have sex with men from giving blood.

“There’s been lots of promises made and for the most part those have been kept,” Turner says. “(The Liberals) have been the ones supporting things that have changed, in terms of laws protecting trans people. We even saw the prime minster in his first year in office marching in pride parades.”

"There’s always more to be done," Turner adds. "Going back to what’s happening with regards to oppression and discrimination against the queer community, I think the Liberals need to step up and be very loud about this."


Conservative Party

The Conservative's 2021 recovery plan, under then-leader Erin O'Toole, stressed the party's commitment to fundamental human rights. It vowed to advocate for persecuted sexual minorities and pledged that a Conservative government would "speak clearly and confidently for the inalienable human dignity of LGBTQ people and deploy resources to help their activists." The party promised to make the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Project a permanent government program.

However, Turner says he’d give the Conservatives a big question mark when it comes to their platform on LGBTQ+ issues, as a result of their mixed messages coming from within the party.

“Overall they have the message that they’re supportive, but then there are people in the party that behave otherwise, so it makes us very concerned if there was ever a Conservative government and it depends on who the leader is and what kind of voices they have in caucus to what might happen,” he says.

Some examples include:

Former leader Andrew Scheer refused to comment on his stance on same-sex marriage when leader of the party, even though he had spoken against it in the past.

62 Conservative party members voted against banning conversion therapy in the third reading of the bill in 2021.

Kelowna-Lake Country CPC MP lashed out at the LGBTQ+ community after being banned from attending Pride.

Turner says it’s a sign that the reality of what the queer and trans community faces isn’t always represented in those politicians, especially when party members have a long history of voting against any bills related to the LGBTQ+ community.

Green Party

The Green Party states under its values section its respect for diversity, which includes "recognition of and respect for sexual minorities" and "equality between people of all genders in all spheres of social, economic, political and cultural life."

Turner says that although the Green party isn’t well represented across Canada, for the most part there hasn’t been anything from the party that causes him concern.

“I haven’t seen any red flags that would leave me alarmed,” he says.






















'We're safe nowhere': New anti-trans policy announcement by Canada's PPC sparks fears

People's Party of Canada's policy announcement on radical gender ideology is raising concerns


Corné van Hoepen
·Contributor, Yahoo News Canada
May 26, 2023·

An LGBTQ activist holds a sign reading "Trans People Just Want to Live" during a protest on March 17, 2023, in front of the US Consulate in Montreal, Canada, calling for transgender and non-binary people be admitted into Canada. - According to police services, some 200 people gathered in the rain to show support for the trans community in the United States. (Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ IVANOV/AFP via Getty Images) (ANDREJ IVANOV via Getty Images)More

A new policy announced by the leader of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) in Manitoba on Tuesday is sparking fears among LGBTQ2S communities across the nation.

Speaking at a press event in Winkler, Man., Party Leader Maxime Bernier announced a new policy which takes aim at radical gender ideology.

“With the active support of the woke far left and all establishment parties, radical trans activists are trying to transform society in a way that curtails everyone’s freedoms,” Bernier said during the press conference. “This radical agenda, which contradicts basic biological realities, is proving particularly harmful to women and children.”

The policy lays out a seven-point plan, which includes:


Modifying the Criminal Code to outlaw the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and any form of bodily mutilation on minors with the goal of “transitioning” to another sex


Protecting women’s spaces – bathrooms, changing rooms, shelters, and prisons – from “intrusion by biological men”


Abolishing federal programs that fund sex change operations for civil servants and prisoners


Removing the ban imposed by Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), on helping minors who suffer from gender dysphoria accept their body


Strictly enforcing section 163.1(1)(b) of the Criminal Code in order to remove inappropriate pornographic content from schools and libraries, which Action4Canada defines as sexually explicit and pornographic books that are being made available to children via schools and public libraries


Maintaining separate competitions for women in which “biological men” cannot participate in sports regulated and funded by the federal government


Repealing Bill C-16, which makes gender self-identification grounds for protection against discrimination


Should Canadians be concerned?


Though the PPC only won 820,000 votes, making up five per cent of the popular vote during the 2021 federal election, experts say that the rise in popularity of the party, which holds far-right values, cannot be ignored.

Historically, Bernier has denied ties and affiliations to far-right groups and white nationalists, despite his public stance on reducing immigration and scrapping the Multiculturalism Act.

A more concerning incident involving the PPC is a report by Press Progress, which exposed PPC candidate Mario Greco for allegedly creating a video game in which users were able shoot caricatures of minorities and LGBTQ2S people.

The idea used to be that Canada was immune to sort of far-right populism
Tamara Small, University of Guelph professor of political science

"I think lots of people are wondering, if he's [Bernier] just going to say ‘I'm not here to form government…I'm more here to challenge the system’” as a way of gaining support," Small said in a previous interview with media.

Where concerns are growing is the rise of anti-LGBTQ2S ideologies and hate speech instances occurring in Canada, which seem to reflect conversations and bills being passed in the United States.

During 2023, movements fuelled by national anti-LGBTQ2S group legislators across the United States have overridden the recommendations of the American medical establishments. They introduced hundreds of bills that target transgender and non-binary youth’s access to age-appropriate, medically-necessary care, according to the Non-Government Organization (NGO) Human Rights Campaign.

Public Response

"If you think that we're safe in Canada: this is the final straw. We're not," wrote Celeste Trianon in a statement posted to Instagram.

"We are only one election away from having our healthcare, civil liberties, and ability to live in public stolen away. We're one election away from becoming Florida. If the Conservatives adopt said platform, all our human rights will be gone. In a snap."


Other social media users chimed in expressing their concerns on how this policy has the potential to harm LGBTQ2S communities in Canada and others slammed Bernier for his views.




While some expressed that the current "woke" climate of Canada is "taking things too far", many couldn’t defend the policy spewing hateful thoughts.


Some organizations are asking Canadians to support the LGBTQ2S community.


"I'm greatly scared — this is why I feel like I gotta hide, we're safe nowhere.." shared one Instagram user in the comment section of Celeste Trianon's post above.

Another user commented "I have close friends in Florida, and they are making an exit plan to leave there, and they told me that they're thinking of moving to Canada and I was wondering if it was just as bad there as it is here."



The policy announced by the PPC is one held within the party, and does not reflect any bill of law within Canadian Parliament currently.

In a tweet posted in March 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged his ongoing support to those within all facets of the LGBTQ2S community.

"With a disturbing rise in anti-transgender hate here in Canada and around the world recently, I want to be very clear about one more thing: Trans women are women. We will always stand up to this hate – whenever and wherever it occurs," the prime minister tweeted.



CULTURE WAR

Why the Far-Right Is Targeting Target

The beloved big-box store has found itself in the crosshairs of a very-online, anti-LGBTQ contingent


BY CT JONES
ROLLING STONE
MAY 27, 2023
ILLUSTRATION BY GRIFFIN LOTZ. IMAGES IN ILLUSTRATION BY ADOBE STOCK, 2


TARGET HAS LONG carried LGBTQ Pride-themed merchandise for the month of June. Sure, they’ve received some angry comments from the right, or even been called out as cringe by the left. But this year — as LGBTQ organizers brace for a particularly hate-filled Pride — Target began receiving intense backlash. Then, following intense scrutiny from conservative outlets and waves of online misinformation, the company decided to remove some of the items from their collection, as well as reposition the goods further back in some Southern stores.

The big-box store has become a beloved destination not just because of its fun, red-and-white aesthetic, but because it welcomes shoppers to peruse the aisles endlessly, Starbucks-in-hand. It’s a safe-haven for white America, the pinnacle of suburban luxury and middle-class comfort. Now, that deep identification has turned into anger, with people feeling that their sanctuary has been taken over. So it’s no surprise that corporate assurances, and this latest surrender, haven’t done anything to calm people down. Instead, experts tell Rolling Stone, Target’s attempt to appease the detractors — before Pride month has even begun — could actually encourage new intimidation tactics from extreme far-right groups and conservative figureheads.

At the start of May, Target rolled out its annual Pride collection, a series of apparel, accessories, and and various other goods celebrating the LGBTQ community and June’s pride month. In addition to Target-branded items, the collection also includes “community created” picks, items designed and created by LGBTQ-owned brands. Erik Carnell, a trans designer and creator of London-based apparel line Abprallen, announced on May 9 that he had designed several items, including a colorful tote bag, fanny pack, and sweatshirt, sporting phrases like “We belong everywhere,” “Too queer for here,” and “Cure transphobia, not trans people.”

“I wanted to ensure that any young people who saw Abprallen in Target would know that who they are is beautiful, purposeful, and worth expressing,” Carnell said in May. “I wanted to create a range that would embrace younger me and tell him that who he is is more than OK, that being trans is special and wonderful and that the closet is not made for him to thrive in.”

But after conservatives found Carnell’s Instagram, thousands of people took umbrage with the brand’s use of occult imagery (skeletons, witches, satan horns, all set against pastel backgrounds), accusing the artist of trying to indoctrinate or “groom” children. “We did it with Bud Light,” far-right pundit and famous transphobe Matt Walsh said on his show. “Now it’s Target’s turn.”

Over the past two weeks, the hashtag #boycotttarget has grown to 24.6 million views on TikTok. The misplaced outrage continued after online rumors spread that the Pride collection included swimsuits for transgender children. While Target did have suits marketed as “tuck-friendly” and “Extra Crotch Coverage,” the options were only carried in adult sizes and placed in adult sections of the store. While some of the children’s swimsuit options were more gender neutral, those tags only read “Thoughtfully Fit on Multiple Body Types and Gender Expressions.”

But there’s also a larger reason why the shopping center has become such a focal point. For many middle class white Americans, Target isn’t just a store. It’s a place to congregate, to spend ludicrous amounts of money. It’s both a necessity and an activity in its own right — and a signifier about the type of voter, shopper, and parent you are. According to data from analytics firm Numerator, the average Target shoppers are white suburban mothers between 35 and 44 years old, with annual incomes around $80,000. And in common videos that reference the boycott, (mainly) white women complain about having to find a new place to spend “$500 a week” while sipping their coffee.

Since 2019, the company’s revenue has grown by over $30 billion. And it’s why, according to Americus Reed, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, when people are confronted with products that are inconsistent with their brand’s perceived worldview, it can inspire instant backlash.

“Target has had a tremendous rebranding effort over the last three decades with respect to becoming more upscale,” Reed tells Rolling Stone. “Brands [want] to make self expressive connections to their products and to their services. And that if that’s done properly, that can create a sense of identity and deeper loyalty. In fact, the great brands are able to transcend what they do, in terms of the functional features, and are able to actually become something more symbolic.”

While Target’s holy place in white America explains why conservative consumers have been so quick to voice their displeasure, experts say small victories — even to protect employees from harassment, as Target stated when it dropped the products — could have a “chilling effect” on brands’ interactions with Pride month going forward. And with the company’s recent and immediate submissions in the face of minor outrage, Target might have unintentionally given itself a new likeness — the store that gives in, and gives up.

“By Target bending in this way so early in the process, they are signaling a capitulation and making it potentially more dangerous for LGBTQ+ people,” Michael Edison Hayden, a spokesperson for the Southern Poverty Law Center, tells Rolling Stone. “You are saying to the LGBTQ+ population, ‘We have your back. We are interested in your business and we celebrate you.’ And then when you back down out of pressure, you leave those people exposed and you leave them vulnerable. It’s worse than having not done it in first place.”

“Purpose-driven marketing is not for the faint of heart,” Reed adds. “If you’re going to do this, then you have to take a stand and you have to go all in.

Climate change fuelling N.S. wildfires say ecologists, climate activists

CBC
Thu, June 1, 2023 

With wildfires burning out of control in two areas of the province, citizens concerned about climate change say Nova Scotia needs to take more action. (Jonathan Villeneuve/CBC - image credit)

Ecologists and climate change activists are urging officials to recognize the links between Nova Scotia's wildfires and climate change.

An out-of-control wildfire in Shelburne County is the largest on record in the province, and additional fires have started in the area. Another wildfire near Halifax has destroyed about 150 homes but is now 50 per cent contained.

Nicholas Carter, an ecologist and researcher working at the Plant Based Treaty, said in an interview with CBC that deforestation and animal agriculture are contributing to climate change and the province's wildfires.

"The climate crisis is really amplifying the risk of fires from a number of different angles," he said.

Other factors, Carter said, include the lack of precipitation and trees downed by post-tropical storm Fiona that haven't been cleaned up properly, creating highly flammable material.

"This is part of an ongoing symptom of a warming climate and really creating these perfect scenarios for these fires to rage on uncontrollably like they're doing."

The measures the province is taking are important, he said, but more needs to be done.


Nicholas Carter

"We need to stop this irresponsible behaviour around bonfires and throwing cigarette butts, but these are minor compared to what we can do on a bigger scale to prevent more of this happening in the future," he said.

Some of the solutions, he said, include protecting areas of Nova Scotia from further deforestation.

"There are beautiful areas of the province that are not necessarily protected and have the risk of continued erosion from different industries," he said.

He wants the province to conduct an economic analysis showing that the short-term economic gains of industries cutting down trees don't trump the long-term effects.

"These uncontrollable forest fires, a warming climate, these things will be far, far more expensive in the long run," he said.

Lindsay Lee lives in Hammond's Plains and is one of about 20,000 people ordered to leave their homes across the province due to the fires.

Lee is a climate activist as a member of Eastern Shore Forest Watch Association, the Ecology Action Centre and the Sierra Club Canada Foundation.


Lindsay Lee

In an interview with CBC, she said she spent years trying to warn the province of the effects of climate change and is now directly facing the reality of it.

"It's tough," she said "It's something that I would much rather have been wrong about. When it comes down to it, nobody who's sounding the alarm on climate wants these things to be happening."

Lee said it's not too late for Nova Scotians to mitigate some damage done by climate change and people can take action by raising awareness.

"There are things that we can do at the community level, at the municipal level, provincial and federal. There are tons of solutions out there," she said.

"This is not a question of not having the tools, it's a question of not necessarily seeing the speed and implementation that we need."
People living in tents in Halifax-area parks urged to move amid wildfire restrictions

CBC
Sat, June 3, 2023 

The Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia says there were 943 people in the Halifax Regional Municipality who were homeless at the end of May. (Paul Poirier/CBC - image credit)

People who are living in tents in wooded areas in and around Halifax are being offered support to move to other locations following provincial restrictions introduced as a result of recent wildfires.

On Thursday, the province announced a ban on all travel and activity in Nova Scotia forests until June 25 or until conditions improve. A provincewide ban on open fires is also in place.

As a result of the ban, wooded areas of municipal parks in Halifax are closed and heavily wooded parks, like Shubie Park, Point Pleasant Park and Admiral Cove Park, are off limits.

Waye Mason, the municipal councillor for Halifax South Downtown, told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia on Friday the municipality has been offering "wide support" for people who are homeless.

Robert Short/CBC

He said he visited Point Pleasant Park in the south end of Halifax with a representative of the Elizabeth Fry Society earlier in the week to check encampment sites.

"Most of them have been vacated," Mason said. "Folks have been encouraged to move out of parks and the ones that wouldn't move immediately have been geolocated so that if an emergency happens we know where to go to try and get them out."

Mason said efforts are also being made to move people who are in tents along the railway cut outside the park.

943 people are homeless in HRM

Max Chauvin, Halifax's director of housing and homelessness, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Nova Scotia that there were 943 people in the municipality who were homeless at the end of May, according to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.

Chauvin said the municipality has a list of people who are living in tents in the community.

He said officials met with people in Shubie Park, Point Pleasant Park and Second and First Lake parks in Lower Sackville to tell them about the provincial ban, deliver water, and assist them in moving to other areas.

Chauvin said most people were aware of the fires and were willing to consider relocating.

"It was an opportunity to do some education [and] talk to people about the fire risk here," he said. "People were all very receptive to that information and understanding the risk."

Designated locations

According to Chauvin, there are designated locations that people can use for living in tents, including lower Flynn Park in Halifax and a site on Cobequid Road in Lower Sackville.

Chauvin said the ultimate goal is to find supportive, stable and sustainable housing for people who are homeless.

He said there are a number of housing projects being supported by the provincial government including the Overlook in the former Travelodge hotel and the former DoubleTree hotel, both in Dartmouth.
AS DANGEROUS AS CHUCKWAGON RACING
Churchill Downs to suspend races and examine safety measures after 12 horse deaths


Chris Cwik
·Staff writer
Fri, June 2, 2023

Churchill Downs will suspend races to perform a safety check after multiple horse deaths. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Churchill Downs will suspend races and examine its safety measures after 12 horses died at the track in recent months, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced Friday.

In a statement, CDI said the move was made due to an "unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month resulting in 12 equine fatalities." Some of those deaths came in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs suspended trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and pulled one of his horses, Lord Miles, from the Kentucky Derby after two horses trained by Joseph died days before the event.

Bill Carstanjen, the CEO of CDI, called the deaths "deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable." He also said:

“What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. Despite our best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, and though no issues have been linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs, we need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols.”

CDI said it was unable to find a reason or pattern that would explain the deaths. It said the track will be shut down out of "an abundance of caution."

The race suspension won't begin until Wednesday. Races scheduled for Saturday and Sunday will still take place at Churchill Downs. Starting June 10, some of the races that were supposed to take place at Churchill Downs will be moved to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky.

Top Indian wrestling stars protest culture of sexual harassment in Indian wrestling

EMMA OGAO
Sat, June 3, 2023 

Top Indian wrestling stars protest culture of sexual harassment in Indian wrestling

India’s top wrestling athletes -- Olympians and world champions alike -- have taken to the streets in protest of allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief, President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The athletes accuse the WFI chief, 66, of sexual harassment over the span of more than a decades and have been staging protests in New Delhi -- which have slowly intensified -- since April 23.

At least seven athletes -- including a minor -- have filed official complaints against Singh who has denied allegations, saying they are “politically motivated” and asserting that he is “ready to hang [him]self” if found guilty.

ABC News has reached out to Singh for comment.


A person holds a placard during a Candlelight March called by India's Top Wrestlers against the allegations of sexual harassment to athletes by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, in New Delhi on May 23, 2023. (Kabir Jhangiani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On the frontline of the protests is two-time Olympian and first woman wrestler to win a gold for India in the Commonwealth and Asian games, Vinesh Phogat, and her sister, Sangeeta Phogat. They are leading protests alongside Olympic freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik and fellow Olympic freestyle wrestler Bajrang Punia.

Phogat said allegations of sexual harassment in Indian Wrestling are often swept under the rug. “During the 2012 national camp, a sexual harassment complaint was lodged at a police station. Within 24 hours the case was hushed up,” Phoghat said.

“Before we started our protests three months back, we had explained everything to a government official how sexual harassment was taking place and how women wrestlers were being tortured mentally,” she continued. “When we met the sports minister, the women wrestlers shared individual incidents related to sexual harassment. The girls were crying before him, but no action was taken at the time.”

On Sunday, the athletes were joined by hundreds of supporters as they marched in protest from their Jantar Mantar protest site towards India's New Parliament building which was being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).


 Sakshi Malik, in blue, an Indian wrestler who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, is detained by the police during a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar, an area near the Indian parliament, in New Delhi, May, 28, 2023. (Altaf Qadri/AP)

They called for the arrest of Singh, who also serves as a member of parliament for Modi’s ruling BJP Political Party. But the athletes were met with a heavy-handed police response as dramatic footage showed several of them being forcefully dragged away and temporarily detained.

“Did we commit a crime by demanding justice for the sexual harassment committed against the female wrestlers? We have been treated like criminals,” they said in a joint statement. “We women wrestlers feel there is nothing left for us in this country.”

As part of ongoing protests the athletes also planned to throw their Olympic medals into the Ganges River in protest.

“These medals are our life and soul. After we immerse them in the Ganges river, there would be no meaning for us to live,” they said.

In a statement sent to ABC News, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson said the treatment of India’s female wrestlers was "very disturbing."


Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat is detained by the police in New Delhi on May 28, 2023.
 (Arun Thakur/AFP via Getty Images)

“The IOC insists that the allegations by the wrestlers are followed up on by an unbiased, criminal investigation in line with local law,” said an IOC Spokesperson. “We understand that a first step towards such a criminal investigation has been made, but more steps have to follow before concrete actions become visible. We urge that the safety and wellbeing of these athletes is duly considered throughout this process and that this investigation will be speedily concluded.”

Wrestling is one of India’s most-successful sports, with the South Asian nation winning seven Olympic medals in the sport.

"The whole world is watching how the government is treating its players,” tweeted Phogat.

India's sport minister Anurag Thakur has said the police are investigating the case and has urged athletes to have faith in the probe.

B.C. to invest $17 million on science, Indigenous knowledge to restore Pacific salmon

The Canadian Press
Thu, June 1, 2023 


ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — The British Columbia government is adding $17.25 million for ongoing efforts to save declining populations of wild Pacific salmon.

The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says the bulk of the money will be shared equally between the First Nations Fisheries Council and the Pacific Salmon Foundation as the organizations work to conserve and restore the fish.

It says in a statement that "science, Indigenous knowledge and data will be used to actively advance habitat restoration and climate adaptation."

The latest funding is on top of nearly $286 million in joint federal-provincial money earmarked for the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund over seven years.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says many Pacific salmon stocks are declining to "historic lows" due to the impacts of climate change, habitat loss and other threats.

Jordan Point, executive director of the First Nations Fisheries Council, says his organization and the Pacific Salmon Foundation have a "proven record of tangible results" in salmon stewardship and the funding is a step forward for their efforts.

The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs issued a statement Thursday saying wild salmon are in "an increasingly desperate state" and "drastic action" is needed to save the fish.

"First Nations have sounded the alarm on the state of wild salmon for decades and long identified the implications of government actions, allowing for ever more degradation of salmon habitat and overfishing by industry," union president and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says in the statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2023.

The Canadian Press
Former West Ham players walk out of The Soccer Tournament after opponent's alleged racial slur


Jack Baer
Staff writer
Fri, June 2, 2023 

The first holding of The Soccer Tournament saw a protest by former West Ham players. (Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A group of former West Ham United players walked off the field during a match in The Soccer Tournament on Thursday after a player on the opposing Dallas United allegedly used a racial slur.

Organizers for The Soccer Tournament, a publicly open, 7-on-7 event from the people behind The Basketball Tournament, announced later in the night that Dallas United had withdrawn from the competition after investigating the incident and speaking with leaders on both clubs:

"After conducting an investigation into the final moments of the match between West Ham United and Dallas United, we have concluded that Dallas United violated TST’s code of conduct. We have been in dialogue with leadership from both clubs and we are all aligned that the best path forward is Dallas United withdrawing from competition. All parties involved are unified in wanting to make a statement against racial insensitivity.

"We seek to run an event that is not only fiercely high stakes for all competitors, but also one in which all competitors feel safe and protected.

"As a result, tomorrow’s game between Dallas United and Far East United has been canceled."

Per The Athletic, TST officials said a Dallas player started to use the N-word toward a West Ham player. Former West Ham center back Anton Ferdinand, who played for the Hammers from 2003-2008, was initially believed to be the slur's target, but it was later clarified to be striker Frank Nouble.

The referee of the match did not hear the slur, according to ESPN. The incident apparently came near the end of the match with Dallas leading 2-0, and as the West Ham players walking away after a long delay. When asked by reporters what happened, Ferdinand reportedly said "racism" without elaborating.

Dallas United, a team composed mostly of amateur players from the Dallas area, acknowledged the allegation but didn't confirm or challenge its veracity in its own statement:


West Ham United still played against Mo Ali FC on Friday, with both squads taking a knee at the start of the match.



The incident comes during the inaugural Soccer Tournament, which also features former players from Borussia Dortmund, Wrexham, Wolves and others competing for a $1 million grand prize in Cary, N.C.