Rapper's Delight as New York celebrates 50 years of hip-hop
From a display of Jay-Z lyrics on the facade of the Brooklyn Library to a concert of rap pioneers at Yankee Stadium, New York is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, a genre born in its...
2023-07-20 09:52
Starbucks teams up with Blackpink, betting on the power of K-pop
Starbucks is teaming up with Blackpink, one of the world's hottest musical acts.
2023-07-20 09:19
Naples fetes Italy's great tenor Caruso with new museum
A century and a half after his birth, Italian tenor and opera legend Enrico Caruso is finally being celebrated by his hometown of...
2023-07-20 08:26
Russia warns against any ships traveling to Ukraine from Thursday
MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) -Russia warned that from Thursday any ships traveling to Ukraine's Black Sea ports will be seen as possibly
2023-07-20 05:55
How Putin just spiked worldwide wheat prices
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have declared open season on Ukraine's consequential grain exports, targeting the port city of Odesa with new ferocity and jeopardizing worldwide food prices.
2023-07-20 04:55
Italy begins removing gay mothers from children’s birth certificates
Italy has begun removing the names of gay mothers from their children’s birth certificates, as part of the right-wing government’s crackdown on same-sex parenting. The move comes after populist prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition announced in March that state agencies should no longer register the children of same-sex couples, a move that sparked protests in Milan. Families have begun receiving letters from the state prosecutor, with PinkNews reporting that 27 parents in the northern city of Padua have been issued notices that they were being removed from their child’s birth certificate. Other families have received letters in Milan, Florence and Fiumicino, near Rome. Michael Leidi and her wife Viola were reportedly among one of the three lesbian couples to be targeted by the crackdown, with Ms Leidi telling LGBTQ+ Nation that she “cried for 10 days” after receiving the letter. It informed them that the inclusion of Ms Leidi’s name was “contrary to public order”, as she was not the biological mother of the couple’s daughter Giulia, the site reported. The policy means only the recognised biological mother has parenting rights, and if she was to die, her children can be handed to relatives or taken into the state’s care. “It was as if I did not exist,” Ms Leidi told LGBTQ+ Nation. “I suspect the government is afraid that a family that looks different, like ours, can be happy - maybe even happier, sometimes - as a traditional family. “On paper, they say Guilia has one mother but we know she has two. We will do everything possible to prove we are a good family.” Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ms Leidi said that the couple had been together for 11 years and were both teachers of children with special needs. After Viola became pregnant through artificial insemination, their local mayor had signed Giulia’s birth certificate and had been “very supportive”. Despite this, they were recently sent a letter informing them of the changes to the birth certificate. It was followed by an unsuccessful legal attempt to overturn the removal of her name and a rejection by local judges of their bid to take the case to Italy’s Supreme Court. Italy’s first female prime minister had rallied against the ‘LGBT lobby’ and ‘gender ideology’ as part of her successful campaign last year to win power. Despite Ms Meloni comparing herself to British Conservatives and denying she is homophobic, her party rose to power with tough rhetoric against same-sex parenting and support for traditional families and moral values. In a recent speech, she said: “We want a nation in which – whatever each person’s legitimate choices and free inclinations may be – it is no longer a scandal to say we are all born from a man and a woman.” Her coalition partner, Matteo Salvini, of the far-right League party, had previously called gay parents “unnatural” while the government opposed a Brussels plan for a parenthood certificate that would be valid across the EU. In 2016, Italy’s former centre-left government legalised same-sex civil unions, however stopped short from issuing full adoption rights following opposition from the Catholic church. Gay couples are forced to go abroad if they want children, as they are banned from accessing reproductive medical treatment such as IVF and surrogacy is also prohibited. Italian law does not rule if same-sex couples can both be recognised as parents on official certification, which meant local mayors were left to make the call based on their own personal views. However, now the message from the interior ministry to town halls is that such arrangements are illegal. This follows a Supreme Court ruling last December against a male same-sex couple who brought a child obtained through surrogacy into Italy. Pro-LGBTQ politicians have condemned the move, arguing that it is clearly discriminatory. Elly Scheink, the leader of the centre-Left party, who is also in a same-sex relationship, said: “These families are tired of being discriminated against. “We’re talking about boys and girls already growing up in our communities and going to schools.” Meanwhile, a poll last month found that two-thirds of Italians hold positive views on same-sex parenting and adoption, demonstrating a surge of support in recent years. Read More UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologizes for a previous ban on LGBTQ+ people in the military Russian lawmakers pass a bill outlawing gender-affirming procedures to protect 'traditional values' Thousands march at Budapest Pride as LGBTQ+ community voices anxiety over Hungary's restrictive laws Six-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister drown in Texas river New drug to protect babies and toddlers from RSV gets FDA approval ahead of cold season Ban disposable vapes by next year, ministers urged
2023-07-20 04:51
Injunction blocking Florida law targeting drag shows applies to all venues, judge says
A federal judge says that his order blocking a Florida law targeting drag shows doesn’t just apply to the restaurant that brought a lawsuit challenging it but other venues in the state
2023-07-20 04:18
Letter reviewed by the AP undercuts Mississippi candidate's accusation against lieutenant governor
The Republican lieutenant governor's race in Mississippi has turned nasty with primary elections just under three weeks away
2023-07-20 01:50
Namibian MPs back anti-gay law despite Supreme Court ruling
Namibian lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation to ban same-sex marriage and punish its supporters, in what critics said was an unconstitutional...
2023-07-20 00:28
Soul Cap approved for swimming's biggest meets but real impact expected at the grassroots level
The Soul Cap has gotten the green light from swimming’s top governing body, which figures to be a huge step toward bringing more diversity to a largely white sport
2023-07-20 00:22
Exclusive-Israeli bid for U.S. visa waiver hangs on Palestinian-American access test
By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's bid to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) hinges on a month-long trial
2023-07-19 22:56
'A Haunting in Venice' trailer throws Hercule Poirot into a ghost story
If you've ever read an Agatha Christie mystery (or watched Jonathan Creek or Scooby Doo),
2023-07-19 22:50