Europe or Russia? For Georgians, the choice isn’t so simple – POLITICO

Europe or Russia? For Georgians, the choice isn’t so simple – POLITICO

But is this really the decision Georgians are making? Is the binary that clear cut? I’m not so sure. To understand the political situation in any country, Georgia included, ask a cab driver, the old adage goes. Maybe the average Joe — or in this case, Giorgi — could shed some light. As he steered his … Read more

French government split on halting football matches over homophobic chants – POLITICO

French government split on halting football matches over homophobic chants – POLITICO

PSG was sanctioned last year after fans sang the same chant at their home field, the Parc des Princes, before a match against Marseille. This time, the stadium announcer attempted but failed to interrupt the chant, saying that the Qatari-owned club stands against homophobia and discrimination. Homophobic chants are a persistent issue in French football, … Read more

Is this the end for Georgian Dream?  – POLITICO

Is this the end for Georgian Dream?  – POLITICO

With parliamentary elections set for late October, and EU membership negotiations due to start shortly thereafter, the timing of this behavior was largely puzzling. However, an even greater riddle was the ruling party’s 12-year reign: If Georgians were so passionate about Western integration, why did they keep reelecting the anti-EU Georgian Dream (GD) for more … Read more

Uranus 2324 movie review: LGBTQ stars FreenBecky in Thai sci-fi girls’ love film

Uranus 2324 movie review: LGBTQ stars FreenBecky in Thai sci-fi girls’ love film

2/5 stars The on-screen coupling of Freen Sarocha Chankimha and Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, known collectively as “FreenBecky” to their legions of adoring fans, transitions to the big screen in Uranus 2324, a sprawling sci-fi romance charting the love affair between two young women across the endless expanses of space and time. The film is the … Read more

Sarah McBride on her run to become first trans member of the House

Sarah McBride on her run to become first trans member of the House

It is a typical election year scene: A Congressional candidate working the crowd at a college football game. But Sarah McBride’s simple act of shaking hands at Delaware State University could lead to a turning point in American history. If elected, she would become the first trans member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Asked … Read more

Mountain West commissioner says she’s heartbroken over turmoil surrounding San Jose State volleyball

Mountain West commissioner says she’s heartbroken over turmoil surrounding San Jose State volleyball

By MARK ANDERSON LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents. … Read more

Trump weighs in on transgender players in college sports and singles out Bay Area athlete

Trump weighs in on transgender players in college sports and singles out Bay Area athlete

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the polarizing debate about transgender athletes on Wednesday, an issue that has engulfed San Jose State’s volleyball team, saying if he’s elected he’ll use an executive order to outlaw transgender competitors at all levels. “You just ban it,” Trump said during a town hall that aired Wednesday on … Read more

Donatella Versace Receives Philanthropy Award from Galileo Foundation

Donatella Versace Receives Philanthropy Award from Galileo Foundation

GOOD WORK: Donatella Versace has been recognized for her philanthropic work by The Galileo Foundation, an organization that supports international charitable initiatives by the Catholic Church. Versace and others, including Sharon Stone, received the Prophet of Philanthropy award at Galileo’s second Faith and Philanthropy Summit, which was held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England on … Read more

Georgia signs sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law – POLITICO

Georgia signs sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law – POLITICO

“The law that I am signing does not reflect current, temporary, changing ideas and ideologies, but is based on common sense, historical experience and centuries-old Christian, Georgian and European values,” Papuashvili wrote on social media. He added that he expected the law to “cause criticism from some foreign partners” but said Georgians “have never been … Read more

Blush & Blu on Colfax, Denver’s only lesbian bar, to close

Blush & Blu on Colfax, Denver’s only lesbian bar, to close

Denver’s only lesbian bar will soon close after more than a decade as a hotspot for the LGBTQ+ community on Colfax Avenue. Blush & Blu, which opened in 2012, will celebrate its final night of service on Oct. 5, according to a post on social media. In the closing announcement, owner Jody Bouffard lamented the … Read more