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seyesnyl · 4 years ago

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Examining the history of queer comics in the US

As previously mentioned, I am interested in creating graphic novels or comics during my practice as an illustrator. As a Nigerian, I also wish to include Nigerian elements in my comics and social commentary about the state of my home country. I want to comment on the injustices being faced by minority groups in tasteful ways in both metaphorical - like some of my favorite superhero comics- and literal as comic journalism. A particular social injustice I am interested in that the Nigerian government seems unwilling to budge on is its treatment of LGBTQIA+ people.

Considering the laws set in place against LGBTQIA people in Nigeria, a graphic novel about the situation will be controversial. I am intrigued to research how entertainment media (specifically, comics) navigated representing queer issues and topics in other countries that previously had unfavorable laws and attitudes towards queer people but have changed over time

The focus for this post will be the United States of America with a look at the correlation between the developments in the representation of queerness in comics and other mass media and the change in the country’s attitudes towards queer people.

In 1954, major U.S. publishers formed the Comics Magazine Association of America and its censorship arm, the Comics Code Authority (CCA 1954). This has been said to be in response to concerns over the explicit violence and sexual themes in depictions of superheroes (Bramlett, Cook and Meskin, 2016). The sexual themes that seemed queer in these comics were largely sub-textual and highlight the prejudice and paranoia against queer possibilities like what the Nigerian government currently emulates. This act of censorship brought to a halt any subtle references to gender nonconformity and same-sex attraction in mainstream comics.

Because of the restrictions in mainstream publishing, queer comic strips started to appear in underground comics and adult magazines in the 1960s. Chute (2008) talks about the rise of underground comics during this period as a reaction to the censorious content code that debilitated the mainstream industry and describes them as an influential cultural vehicle, challenging and arresting because they meditated on the violation of taboo. According to Murphy (2014), the world’s first gay comic strip was arguably Harry Chess: That Man from A.U.N.T.I.E., (Fig. 01) published from 1965 to ’66. However, other scholars like McGurk (2018), have pointed out earlier presences of queer comics - even though subliminal- like Lucy and Sophie Say Goodbye (Fig. 02) which was published weekly in newspapers in 1905, written and drawn by an unidentified artist. In the same decade as Harry Chess, Tuoko Laaksonen illustrated and released another popular gay comic series titled 'Kake', under the pseudonym, Tom of Finland.

(Fig 01) Harry Chess That Man from A.U.N.T.I.E. https://glreview.org/article/the-lives-and-times-of-harry-chess/

(Fig. 02) Lucy and Sophie Say Goodbye, May 21, 1905. Chicago Tribune.

Unlike Lucy and Sophie Say Goodbye, which could be interpreted as an exaggerated parody of women's social behavior, Harry Chess and Kake were inherently sexual and left little for subtext. Murphy (2014) describes the publication of Harry Chess as a key shift in gay publications and gay politics, and Ajuan Mance in The Routledge Companion to books noted that the explicit sex in strips of the two comics “created both a space and a demand for broader portrayals of gay men’s lives”. (Bramlett, Cook and Meskin, 2016).

To provide context for where the United States was in laws concerning queer rights in the ’60s, Illinois had just become the first U.S. state to decriminalize homosexuality by repealing its sodomy laws, and several milestone protests including the Stonewall Riot occurred during the decade The Supreme Court had also ruled in favor of an LGBT magazine when a suit was filed against them after the U.S. Postal Service and FBI declared the magazine obscene material. (Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement | American Experience | PBS, 2021). There had been little progress in legal rights compared to the country’s present status, but queer Americans were visibly fighting for them.

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the next wave of queer comics like Wendel, It’s a Gay Life, Leonard and Larry, Poppers and Chelsea Boys, which were all published in gay magazines. These comics reflected their primarily gay male readership in that the characters “attended gay pride celebrations, shopped at LGBTQ bookstores, and responded to the AIDS crisis, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell, all while falling in and out of love.” (Bramlett, Cook and Meskin, 2016).

It was not until about 28 years later in Marvel’s Captain America Vol. 1 #270 (1982) that either of the large mainstream comics publishers (Marvel and DC) featured a story-line depicting queer or trans characters (Bramlett, Cook and Meskin, 2016). In this issue, Captain America helps his childhood best friend, Arnie, by rescuing Arnie’s close friend, Michael. Through subtext, it seemed to become clear to Captain America that Arnie and Michael were, in fact, a couple. (https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Captain_America_Vol_1_270).

(Fig. 03) Cover of Marvel’s Captain America Vol. 1 #270 (1982)(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Captain_America_Vol_1_270).

Throughout the 1980s, more queer characters were depicted, although indirectly and still with subtext like Captain America’s Arnie. The CCA, in response to the greater inclusion of LGBTQ characters and themes in the film and other popular media forms, revised its Code to lift its prohibitions against queer characters and content. CCA-approved comics however were to avoid the graphic depiction of “sexual activity” and that depictions of adult relationships, “be presented with good taste, sensitivity, and in a manner, which will be acceptable by a mass audience” (CCA 1989).

Over the years to date, DC and Marvel have introduced characters explicitly stating their orientation, including Northstar, an X-Men character; members of The Runaways and the Young Avengers; and notably Batwoman, who came out as a lesbian. The popular Archie Comics in 2010 introduced a gay character named Kevin Keller (Fig. 04) who eventually had his spinoff comic in 2012. Ajuan Mance noted the debut of Kevin Keller as queer attracted a higher level of attention than any Marvel or DC character (Bramlett, Cook and Meskin, 2016). In 2014, Kelvin Keller got married to his spouse in the Life with Archie series (Fig. 05) a few years after New York and other US states legalized same-sex marriage and a year before the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal.

(Fig. 04) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11661956-kevin-keller

(Fig. 05) https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2019/06/the-wedding-issue-pride-edition-kevin-keller-and-clay-walker/

Taking this study for use in the Nigerian context can be applied in different ways. In the US, when the laws were restrictive and limiting towards queer content, the creators of comics and graphic novels under mainstream publishers had to operate in line with the laws. The creators could merely represent queer people through subtext. Unambiguous representation was only viewed through underground magazines from the ’60s up to the ’80s. In today’s age, Nigeria still has comparable, if not more regressive laws, but the Internet provides a similar and arguably better platform than the 20th century underground comics did.

The ease of access and ability to self-publish can cut out the publishing middleman, and I can illustrate distribute the stories I want via the Internet and social media platforms. Of course, if I am fortunate to secure a publishing deal for other ideas I have, I can employ subtext to include queer elements.

I will carry out more research on the best ways to present these proposed comics. Do I go in the explicit and sexually charged direction like Harry Chess and Kake to show a boldness and an unapologetic display of Nigerian queerness? Do I go the route of illustrating average Nigerian queer people to reflect their humanity hopefully to convince prejudiced people that queerness is not an abnormality? Or do I represent queerness in my comics for the Nigerian queer people to identify themselves in the media? These questions relate to the audience I want to reach because they will inform the content I want to create.

References

Bramlett, F., Cook, R. and Meskin, A., 2016, The Routledge Companion To Comics, Taylor & Francis Group.

Chute, H. 2008, "Comics as Literature? Reading Graphic Narrative", PMLA : Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, vol. 123, no. 2, pp. 452-465.

McGurk, C., 2018, Lovers, enemies, and friends: The complex and coded early history of lesbian comic strip characters, Journal of Lesbian Studies, 22:4, 336-353, DOI: 10.1080/10894160.2018.1449502

Murphy, M., 2014, The Lives and Times of Harry Chess, The Gay & Lesbian Review , 21(2): 22– 24.

Pbs.org. 2021. Milestones In The American Gay Rights Movement | American Experience | PBS. [online] Available at: <https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-milestones-american-gay-rights-movement/> [Accessed 12 January 2021].

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dctvgen · 5 years ago

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🌈 LGBTQ+ Pride Month is happening once again! 🌈

Start of event: June 1st 2020

End of event: June 30th 2020

This event is for gen content of DCTV characters of any orientation or identity that fits under the umbrella of LGBTQ+. They can be in canon, or it can be headcanons! Anything is welcome.

And this year, we’re also happy to have people rec or submit links to suitable fanworks that already exist - they don’t have to be newly created for the event.

A reminder that this is a gen-focused event. We define gen as where the main focus isn’t on sexual or romantic relationships. For example, character, friendship, familial or team-based fanworks. That said, gen can still apply if the romantic/sexual pairings aren't the main focus, like with a family fic where the pairing is in the background.

When we say DCTV characters we mean any characters from the Arrowverse or from any other TV shows which feature DC characters. We have a long, but not exhaustive, list of shows in our FAQ here.

Posting guidelines:

Tag your post appropriately - be mindful of potentially triggery content

Keep any NSFW content (e.g. violence or dark themes) behind a cut

Mention in notes if there is a background non-gen relationship

Credit any collaborators and betas

Also tag with #DCTVGenPrideMonth (must be within the first five tags)

Mention @dctvgen in your post so that we are notified of it

If you’re an AO3 user we would love for you to submit any fanworks to our AO3 collection for the event; DCTVGen_PrideMonth. You can use this link here to post new fanworks directly to the collection.

If you would like to post to Dreamwidth for the event, you will need to join our community here. Please follow guidelines 1-4 from above for any Dreamwidth posts as well.

Any questions that aren’t answered either here or by the FAQ, don’t hesitate to send us an ask on tumblr, or comment on our Dreamwidth community, or email us at the address listed at the bottom of our FAQ. We’re also over on the DC Event Server discord - you can join that here.

Prompts:

All prompts are optional, but we have a few for you!

Happy endings

Acceptance

Not just a phase

wlw / mlm solidarity

transman / transwoman / non-binary solidarity

Gender euphoria / dysphoria

What’s in a name

Firsts and lasts

No gender, no problem

The A team

Ace up your sleeve

Netflix and actually chilling

No romo

Going to Pride

Wave your flag

Queer found family

Coming out support

Blurring binaries

None of the above

Screw toxic masculinity

Fuck gender roles

Under the radar

If you’d like, reblog this post and spread the word! We can’t wait to see what you all create or rec to us!

#dctv #arrowverse #DC Fandom Events #LGBTQ+ characters #DCTVGenPrideMonth #modpost

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sapphicscholar · 7 years ago

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November 2024

“And CNN can now project that former Governor Catherine Grant will become the President Elect of the United States. By our estimates, she now has more than enough votes to become the 47th president, the country’s second female president, and the first out LGBTQ president. Folks, this is a historic moment.”

The rest of the commentator’s words were drowned out in a roar of cheering as Cat strode out on stage in front of a room packed full of her supporters. Miniature American flags waved in outstretched hands. Red, white, and blue balloons bobbed through the air above them and fell, scattering across the stage. And rainbow confetti—the one “fun” choice Cat had allowed Kara—floated down from the ceiling. Cat kept one hand on Carter’s arm, her other hand clutched in Kara’s, her fingers trembling slightly, still not quite sure whether she could believe the results. After all, it had only been four years ago when she had walked out on stage to give a rather different speech after a long night of contested results and too-close-to-call-it-yet moments that finally ended after 4 in the morning with a slightly uncertain calling of the election for General Lane.

“It’s real,” Kara murmured, and Cat squeezed her hand just a little harder at the reminder that Kara had always been the one to know exactly what she needed to hear. With a quick peck for Kara and a tight hug for Carter, Cat strode forward to the podium, waving at the crowds and calling out her thanks until the tumultuous applause finally died down. She smiled as it quieted, adjusting the microphone and glancing down at the speech she had prepared, hoping but not quite believing she would have reason for it this time.

“Thank you!” Cat shook her head the slightest amount, still wondering if perhaps it was all some dream she would wake up from, finding the election night still to come. “Thank you all for your support and your donations and your hours and hours of tireless campaigning. And now—now we’re here.”

Kara threw an arm around Carter’s shoulders as they watched and listened from the wings, cheering and laughing and clapping at the lines they had listened to Cat practice the night before. “She’s pretty great, huh?” Kara whispered, earning a low chuckle from Carter.

“Think I can get off work tomorrow since my mom’s president and all?”

Kara shrugged her shoulders. “I’m calling off work tomorrow with a case of First-Lady-itis.”

With a snort, Carter shook his head. “You’re the boss. Of course you can call out.”

Not that Kara took off many days. Or any days, really. After the last campaign ended, she had turned down several offers to return to the Senate as a chief of staff or to manage another campaign. The work with Cat had been enjoyable and meaningful, but after watching and living through the dirty smear campaigns and invasive personal attacks, Kara decided she needed to step back and return to the kind of work that had inspired her to turn to politics in the first place. After a year as a senior researcher at one of DC’s progressive think tanks, Kara had applied for grants and gotten seed money from L-Corp’s philanthropic arm to found an NGO dedicated to advancing alien rights and promoting interspecies dialogue—something she saw an increasingly urgent need for in the face of the Lane administration’s attempts to roll back protective measures like the Alien Amnesty Act. But now the country seemed ready to arc back toward justice, and Kara knew, no matter how late they were out that night, she would head into the office for at least an hour or two the next day to be sure they had put out a statement about Cat’s victory.

By the time Cat finished with the speech and started working her way through seemingly countless interviews with the press, most people finally headed home, leaving the large venue quiet after a night of nervous chatter and raucous applause. At a certain point, Carter snuck in for a hug and yet another congratulations while Cat was between interviews, excusing himself to get a nap in before he had to fly back to the West coast.

James likewise caught an early flight back to California after Cat sent him off with a teasing admonishment to “keep my legacy alive, Jimmy.” Even with assurances that he had CatCo’s best reporters on it and had vetted the proofs of the front page himself, James still ended up heading back out, sighing about how the work of a CEO was never done.

Around the time the sun was beginning to rise, bathing the city in a soft pink light, Kara found a very drunk Alex and an only marginally more sober Maggie making out behind the bar and celebrating the return of a liberal to the White House. After taking a few photos for posterity’s sake, Kara shuffled them outside and instructed two of the hired security guards to take them back to their house, leaving them both with stern reminders to drink plenty of water.

“Can you take us to Shake Shack?” Alex slurred as she flopped into the back seat behind Maggie. “They got great fries. Maggie likes fries. Didja know that? Veg’tarians can have fries at burger places.”

“We’ll get you fries at some point today,” Kara promised as she shut the door behind Alex, rolling her eyes as Maggie dropped her head into Alex’s lap, already half asleep.

While Kara waited for Cat to finish her final interviews, she scrolled through her texts and emails, smiling at all the happy messages waiting for her from Eliza, who promised that she had been watching live from the Grant campaign headquarters in California, and Winn, who included several photos of Americans following the coverage in Germany with the caption: “SO PROUD OF YOU!! Time to go: they’re buying shots. Gonna be so hungover for day 3 of the conference…”

Kara’s phone rang with a call from Lucy and Vasquez as Cat sat down with the last of the interviews that Jasmine had arranged. With a little wave to Cat, Kara gestured at her phone and the back corner of the room before wandering away from the cameras to take it. As she slid her finger across the screen, she couldn’t help the excited squeal. “Good news?”

“Double good news!” Vasquez cheered. “Don’t think we didn’t watch the coverage just because we couldn’t be there in person.”

“Little asshole had to choose the most inconvenient time to arrive,” Lucy grumbled in the background, earning a loud bark of laughter from Vasquez.

“Don’t mind her. She’s still a little grumpy from the 18 hours of labor.”

“‘A little grumpy?’” Kara had to hold the phone away from her face as Lucy yelled. “You try shoving a 7-pound lump out of your—”

“Congratulations!” Kara cut in.

“Thank you!” they both called back, and Kara had to chuckle at the dramatic shift in tone.

“Got a name?”

“Nope.”

“He’s baby X for now.”

“And he’s really fucking cute.”

“Okay, well, he’s kinda weird-looking, but they promise that he’ll be looking a little less alien in a couple of days. No offense, Kara.”

“None taken. I guess.”

“He’s so little. Did you know how little they are?”

“But he’s got, like, these itty-bitty fingernails and everything. Like…he’s a full human, only miniature.”

“But with big blue eyes. I don’t think they’ll stay blue, but they’re beautiful for now.”

“And so much hair. I kinda hope it falls out…might be nice to start again without a big shaggy mop of it.”

“They said it would.”

Kara snorted at the back-and-forth, wondering how long the two of them had been awake at that point. “I think Cat’s wrapping up, so I should probably go, but congratulations again!”

“Congrats to Cat too!” Vasquez cheered.

“Yes! About damn time.”

“Hopefully we’ll make it out to see the baby in the next couple of days, if you don’t mind a big team of security stalking out the perimeter of your house.”

“Go for it. And you know, if they want to take out the trash or pick up some diapers while they’re at it, I hear we’re gonna want all the extra help we can get.”

“Well I’m sure baby X’s godmothers will be more than happy to babysit once they’ve recovered from their collective hangover from hell,” Kara snickered.

“That bad?��

“Oh, I took pictures. Don’t worry.”

Lucy let out a little hum. “Can always count on you for that.”

“I think I might save these ones for the next big birthday party, though…” Kara grinned at the thought of the sheer number of humiliating photos she had saved up for that moment. “Anyway, I’ll let you go, but have a safe trip home from the hospital and give baby X a kiss for me okay?”

“Of course!”

Once Kara hung up, she ambled back over to where Cat was gathering her things and stretching after too many hours spent standing in heels. Throwing Cat’s bag over her shoulder, Kara extended her free hand. “Can I take you home, President Grant?”

“Please.”

December 2024

“God, accounting for a security detail for the president-elect is such a pain in the ass,” Alex grumbled as she pulled out the pegs of the seating chart for what felt like the hundredth time.

Maggie laughed as she wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Still better than accounting for the security detail of the actual president, isn’t it?”

“Oh yes, because bumping up the timeline for the wedding by four months was so much easier.”

“You’re the one who insisted on having Kara as your maid of honor, and you can’t just not invite her wife.”

“We should have gotten married before them.”

“Please, you had so much fun giving Kara shit for U-Hauling with Cat after only a year. You wouldn’t have given that up for a slightly easier go of it ourselves.”

Alex let out a long sigh. “Maybe not.” After a moment she added, “But I still think Kara should be doing some of this work.”

“Well then tell her so over dinner.”

“Oh yeah, let’s think about how that’ll go. Hey, Kara? Be a dear. In between running an organization and preparing to move into the White House and making decisions about the inauguration and the ball, could you also figure out this seating chart?”

“You forgot to add in that we could really use the extra time for ourselves since your fiancée is kind of irresistible.”

“Mm yes. That too.” Alex’s eyes fluttered shut as Maggie kissed her softly, their hands twining together.

A knock at the door interrupted them. “Coming,” Alex called out, squeezing Maggie’s hand one last time before making her way over to the front door. She swung it open to reveal Lucy and Vasquez, both of them looking a little worn for wear. Lucy had a diaper bag slung over her shoulder, and Vasquez held an infant carseat in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other.

“Hey! Come in, come in, it’s so good to see you.”

They followed Alex inside, waving at Maggie as she rounded the corner. As Vasquez set the carseat on the ground, Lucy grimaced at the sound of a little whimper.

Alex leaned forward, unbuckling the straps and lifting the baby up, settling him into the crook of her elbow as she cooed at him. “Oh, come here, little Alex. Your godmother’s got you.”

Lucy pursed her lips and glared. “It’s A.J.”

“Mm, but I believe one of those names could be shorted to Alex. And really, I’m still so flattered that you named your son after me.”

Vasquez’s lips twitched as Lucy groaned. “It was a family name.”

“Say whatever you want to, Luce, but me and little Alex are always gonna know the truth.”

Lucy raised her eyebrows at Maggie. “She’s insufferable, you know that, right?”

“Considering we’re getting married in a couple weeks, I think I know that by now.” Maggie raised herself up to her tip-toes to kiss away the crinkle in Alex’s forehead. “But I love you more than anything.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re lucky I’m holding a baby.”

“And you’re welcome to borrow him anytime you want.”

Vasquez shook her head. “She says that now, but she’s secretly a big softie with him at home.”

Before Lucy could respond, the sound of several SUVs pulling up drew their attention outside. “Cat’s here!” Alex called out. “Maggie, can you deal with the security team?”

Eventually Cat and Kara made it inside, and after a round of passing A.J. around to everyone, Lucy got him to fall asleep in his carseat in time for dinner. When she got back, Vasquez patted the seat next to her, throwing her arm around Lucy’s shoulders and kissing her temple.

Alex raised her glass in the air. “A toast to little Alex!”

“Also known as A.J.,” Maggie chimed in, winking at Vasquez across the table as they clinked their glasses.

“And to the soon-to-be-married couple for hosting us tonight,” Cat added, earning another round of clinking glasses.

“And, excuse me, let’s not fucking forget,” Lucy cut in, “to the next President of the United States of America.”

“Cheers!” the table chorused.

“Here’s to an overdue victory!”

“And eight long years in the White House!”

#supercat #sanvers #political au #fluff #completed fic #fanfic #supergirl #kara danvers #cat grant #alex danvers #maggie sawyer #lucy lane #susan vasquez #supercat sanvers 2020 #ao3feed

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undertheinfluencerd · 3 years ago

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https://ift.tt/3zWVCYn #

The tragic death of Michael Kenneth Willams has prompted many to reflect on the actor’s groundbreaking performance in HBO’s The Wire: as the Baltimore stickup man Omar Little. Although Williams went on to enjoy a successful career after the series ended, Omar was arguably his most famous and most socially significant role. Throughout his 27-year-long acting career, Williams amassed five Emmy nominations and received plaudits for other performances, such as the role of Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire, and more recently, that of Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country.

Williams’ casting in The Wire marked his breakthrough in the TV industry, as the actor reprised the role of Omar in each of the show’s five seasons spanning from 2002 to 2008. Williams attracted widespread recognition for his genuine portrayal of the character, who became one of TV’s most beloved fictional personas. A fearsome drug robber who walked to the beat of his own drum, Omar challenged conventions: Williams portrayed the character as a gay man who rejected overused LGBTQ stereotypes, and his representation was a groundbreaking feat in early-2000s TV.

Related: Celebrities & Friends Pay Tribute To Wire Actor Michael K. Williams

Distinguished by his deep facial scar, dusky trench coat, and a 12-gauge shotgun in hand, Omar made waves in the world of TV due to his audacious demeanor complemented by a devil-may-care attitude. His stature as a Black gay man in a crime drama significantly increased The Wire‘s value — both short and long term. Omar’s groundbreaking success as a character lies in his nuance apart from his sexuality just as much as it derives from his commendable LGBTQ representation. The Wire‘s showrunners didn’t include Omar to tick a representation box and dispose of him at the earliest convenience, rather, the character unapologetically influenced the HBO’s show’s main plot.

It’s undeniable that Omar was the best character on The Wire. He was one of the most intimidating figures, as a casual stroll down the street to his signature whistling of “The Farmer in the Dell” caused those in his path to flee. Yet, Omar’s involvement with his two romantic partners, Brandon Wright in season 1, succeeded by Renaldo in seasons 4 and 5, exemplified the character’s inherent sensuality and care for those close to him. Omar’s empowerment culminated in season 3, episode 11 “Middle Ground” when he teamed up with Brother Mouzone to eliminate the notorious Stringer Bell — someone who frequently recited homophobic slurs, and organized Brandon’s brutal murder. Despite his estrangement from society and violent tendencies, viewers sympathized with Omar because of his complex characterization, which emphatically dismissed the trope of reducing LGBTQ individuals as weak, overly-flamboyant caricatures merely serving as a show’s punchline.

Williams’ superb acting solidified Omar as a compelling character in The Wire. His bluntness melded with a tender sense of humanity perfectly manifested Omar’s multi-dimensional personality, complete with both triumphs and hardship in the rugged streets of West Baltimore. Williams’ unforgettable performance as Omar additionally constituted a breakthrough in the severe lack of gay BIPOC individuals in TV shows. Even 13 years after The Wire ended, Omar still resembles a monumental achievement in TV — and Williams undeniably made it so.

Next: Why The Wire Season 2 Is So Divisive (& Why It’s Great)

#marvel #avengers #marvelcomics #spiderman #mcu #ironman #comics #captainamerica #thor #avengersendgame #marvelstudios #xmen #dc #marveluniverse #art #cosplay #tomholland #hulk #disney #comicbooks #dccomics #peterparker #tonystark #blackwidow #marvellegends #endgame #deadpool #marvelcinematicuniverse #loki #bhfyp

The post How Michael K. Williams’ Most Famous Role Changed TV appeared first on undertheinfluencerd.net.

#entertainment, screenrant #tumblr #aesthetic #like #love #tumblrgirl #follow #instagram #photography #instagood #likeforlikes #s #likes #art #cute #o #girl #followforfollowback #a #tumblrboy #grunge #fashion #photooftheday #tiktok #l #photo #sad #k #frases #f #bhfyp

#Undertheinfluencerd

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your-dietician · 4 years ago

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Megan Fox celebrates 'putting the B in #LGBTQIA for over two decades'

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/megan-fox-celebrates-putting-the-b-in-lgbtqia-for-over-two-decades/

Megan Fox celebrates 'putting the B in #LGBTQIA for over two decades'

Happy Pride Month, she’s, gays and they’s.

It’s the queerest time of the year – yes, the whole month of June – when the LGBTQ community comes together to celebrate being out and proud. Pride started as a protest outside the Stonewall Inn in 1969 in New York, and the community wouldn’t be as outspoken as it is today without the work of Black and Latinx transgender women.

The coronavirus pandemic thwarted traditional Pride parades and other debauchery last year. With the country reopening again, members of the LGBTQ community can more readily gather safely this time around.

But how are LGBTQ celebrities partaking in Pride Month this year, and what does it mean to them? We asked some – and are monitoring many others’ social media accounts throughout June – to tell us their thoughts.

Interesting: Is coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community over? No, but it could be someday.

Megan Fox has been ‘putting the B in #LGBTQIA for over two decades’

Actress Megan Fox celebrated Pride Month with a series of selfies that included a rainbow French manicure.

“Putting the B in #LGBTQIA for over two decades,” Fox, 35, captioned the photos June 26 on Instagram with two rainbow emojis and a Pride hashtag.

She also promoted two charities in the caption: Move On, an organization that refers to itself as “a force for social justice and political progress,” and Into Action, “a movement of designers, illustrators, animators and artists building cultural momentum around civic engagement and the issues affecting our country and world.”

More: Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox pack on the PDA at Billboard Music Awards: Their relationship timeline

Former ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ star Laganja Estranja comes out as trans

Drag queen and choreographer Laganja Estranja, who appeared in the 2014 season of reality competition show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” announced she is “so proud to identify as trans” in an Instagram post for Pride Month.

Story continues

“I feel so empowered that I don’t have to hide in the shadows as I make this journey,” she wrote in a June 15 post, thanking “all the trans brothers and sisters that came before me who fought so that my coming out could be joyous!”

Estranja’s given name off-stage is Jay Jackson, which she told Entertainment Weekly she still plans to go by with those close to her.

“I am so proud to identify as TRANS and to be living my truth. Happy PRIDE, you are beautiful as you are.”

Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff march in Pride parade

Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff wore Pride T-shirts and joined marchers for the Capital Pride Parade on June 12 in Washington, DC.

Harris’ shirt read “Love is love” and Emhoff’s showed a series of text reading “Love first” in a variety of colors.

The vice president stopped and talked to the crowd, according to pool reports.

“We still have so much to do. We celebrate all the accomplishments,” she said. “Finally marriage is the law of the land. We need to make sure that our transgender community are all protected.”

Harris shared a similar message on Instagram the next day where she also recalled the honor of officiating the wedding of Kris Perry and Sandy Steir, whose court case paved the way for marriage equality in California. She noted a need to expand protections for the LGBTQ community in housing, employment and education.

“I want you to know we see you, we hear you and the president and I will not rest until everyone has equal protection under the law,” she said.

Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff join marchers for the Capital Pride Parade on June 12, 2021 in Washington, DC.

JoJo Siwa celebrates first Pride, 5-month anniversary with girlfriend

JoJo Siwa is celebrating her “first Pride” this month, which also coincides with her and her girlfriend’s five-month anniversary.

“Happy pride month!” Siwa, 18, captioned a June 4 Instagram post with a rainbow emoji. “It’s time to celebrate being who you are and LOVING who YOU wanna LOVE!!❤️”

In the post, Siwa and girlfriend Kylie Prew are shown beaming and embracing while wearing rainbow getups in front of a huge “PRIDE” display. The internet star, who started out on “Dance Moms” in the mid-2010s, came out in January as a member of the LGBTQ community, later sharing she identified as queer and pansexual. For the couple’s one-month anniversary in February, she divulged in a sweet post that she was “the happiest I have ever been.”

“It really has been the best 5 months of my life truly being exactly who I am and finding love has been the best part of it all,” Siwa added in her new post. “I love this human so much. I’m so happy❤️”

‘You’re a shining example’: Elton John praises JoJo Siwa at ‘Can’t Cancel Pride’ event

Miley Cyrus seeks to put a stop to homophobia

Miley Cyrus’s message for Pride was blunt: “STOP homophobia whenever and wherever you see it,” the singer wrote on Instagram alongside photos of herself next to a stop sign. She tagged her Happy Hippie Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing resources to LGBTQ youth, homeless citizens and other vulnerable communities.

The former Disney star spoke about being pansexual and gender-fluid in Variety’s 2016 Power of Women L.A. issue and said she discovered her identity through through the LGBTQ center in L.A.

“I saw one human in particular who didn’t identify as male or female,” she said. “Looking at them, they were both: beautiful and sexy and tough but vulnerable and feminine but masculine. And I related to that person more than I related to anyone in my life. Even though I may seem very different, people may not see me as neutral as I feel. But I feel very neutral.”

Alexandra Shipp says it’s ‘never too late to be you’

“X-Men: Apocalypse” star Alexandra Shipp took to Instagram on June 3 to share “regrets” for not coming out as a member of the LGBTQ community earlier and to encourage fans to be themselves.

“I didn’t come out until I was 28. Though I don’t believe in regrets, this would definitely be #1 for myself. I denied denied denied,” Shipp wrote. “I struggled with not only my sexuality, but my femininity. I was scared it was too late. I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to get work. I was scared no one would ever love me. Scared. Scared. Scared.”

The 29-year-old added that she is now “happy in ways I don’t think my kid self could imagine.”

“It’s never too late to be you. If I don’t work because of a flawed, racist and homophobic system, then it was never the right thing for me … I’m not scared anymore. I have #pride in who I am and what I’m doing on this planet.”

Janelle Monáe encourages LGBTQ community to ‘shine hard’

Janelle Monáe came out as pansexual during a 2018 Rolling Stone interview and in 2021 she is using social media to spread love.

Pansexuality is attraction to all gender identities, or attracted to people regardless of gender, according to GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

Saturday the “Tightrope” singer reposted words from a tweet by LGBTQ writer and activist Alexander Leon.

“Queer people don’t grow up as ourselves, we grow up playing a version of ourselves that sacrifices authenticity to minimise (sic) humiliation & prejudice,” Leon wrote. “The massive task of our adult lives is to unpick which parts of ourselves are truly us & which parts we’ve created to protect us.”

She finished the post with a series of emojis including rainbows and spaceships calling herself a “kid for life.”

“For those of us who spent time in the dark and had to build worlds to protect ourselves Shine HARD. I love us,” she wrote.

More: Janelle Monáe comes out as pansexual (and it’s not the same as bisexual)

Former ‘America’s Next Top Model’ contestant Lio Tipton comes out as queer, nonbinary

Lio Tipton who starred in Cycle 11 of “America’s Next Top Model” and played the role of babysitter Jessica in the movie “Crazy, Stupid, Love” reintroduced themself on Instagram Wednesday.

“Hi. My name is Lio. My pronouns are they/them. I am proud to announce I am queer and I identify as non binary,” they wrote.

Tipton’s caption was linked to an illustration featuring a unique robot among other droids depicted to match one of two categories a call to the binary nature of gender.

They finished the post with a rainbow flag and a heart writing: “I hope to give as much love and support back to those who continue to show love and support for the Pride community at large.”

‘High School Musical’ spinoff actor Larry Saperstein comes out as bisexual

Actor Larry Saperstein, who plays Big Red on Disney+ show “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” announced he is bisexual Tuesday on social media.

Saperstein, 23, shared in a TikTok video that he “plays a character with a girlfriend on TV,” but “is bi (in real life).” In the current season, his character, a theater tech crew member-turned-performer, is dating fellow theater cast member Ashlyn (Julia Lester).

“is it really that unexpected tho #pride,” Saperstein added of his announcement in the video caption.

Laverne Cox celebrates intersectional Pride

Laverne Cox, who has made waves in Hollywood as a trans woman, posted on Instagram to celebrate Pride with the theory of intersectionality.

The “Orange is the New Black” star listed names of Black feminists who contributed to the theory of intersectionality which is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect.”

“My pride is intersectional. I bring all of me into pride month. I believe true liberation must be intersectional,” Cox wrote.

Under a photo of Cox dressed in a golden leotard, she named 11 key figures of intersectionality and called on her fans to name the rest.

“There are so many names. Who have I left out? List them below. Happy Pride Month,” she wrote.

Tan France wants to ‘champion diversity’ for LGBTQ community

“Queer Eye” style expert Tan France who is expecting his first child with husband Rob, opened Pride Month with an Instagram post of him fashionably wrapped in a rainbow flag with a star-like flower adorned on his head.

In the caption France made it a point to approach Pride Month with love and support.

“Let’s celebrate and champion the diversity of our community,” France wrote. “Let’s show compassion to those who don’t feel that they can come out yet, and offer them love and support as they work through it, knowing there is a supportive community, waiting to welcome them with open arms and hearts.”

Busy Philipps praises her child Birdie for Pride Month

The “Girls5Eva” actress posted a selfie of her and 12-year-old child Birdie, who came out as gay last year and uses them/they pronouns, to celebrate Pride Month.

“Today is the start of PRIDE MONTH! I have so much pride for this kid and everything they are and do,” Philipps wrote.

She shares Birdie with her husband, screenwriter Marc Silverstein, and took to Instagram to brag on Birdie’s ability to give back.

“Birdie decided to start gathering the unopened makeup and hygiene items from me and other influencer types(actors, singers, makeup and hair artists) to donate to the @lalgbtcenter for the queer and trans youth that the Center provides a safe space for,” Philipps wrote. “Well. Thanks to many of my friends, Birdie was able to donate HUNDREDS of items to the center.”

Pride Month: Busy Philipps reveals her 12-year-old child Birdie is gay, ‘prefers they/them’ pronouns

In December 2020, Philipps revealed on an episode her podcast “Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best,” that Birdie was gay and used nonbinary pronouns.

“I want Birdie to be in control of their own narrative and not have to answer to anybody outside of our friends and family if they don’t want to,” Philipps said.

Taylor Swift urges senators to pass the equality act

The “You Need To Calm Down” singer is “proudly” teaming up with GLAAD for its “Summer of Equality” campaign to help get the Equality Act passed.

“Who you love and how you identify shouldn’t put you in danger, leave you vulnerable or hold you back in life,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Twitter Tuesday. “I proudly join GLAAD in their #summerofequality and add my voice to those who support The Equality Act. Happy Pride Month!”

The Equality Act would amend existing civil rights law to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identification as protected characteristics. Those protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education and other areas.

Swift took a moment to thank her fellow “courageous activists, advocates and allies for their dedication to fighting against discrimination and hatred.”

She continued: “As always, today I am sending my respect and love to those bravely living out their truth, even when the world we live in still makes that so hard to do.”

It’s ‘so upsetting’: Taylor Swift calls out 2020 census for ‘brutal’ transgender erasure

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis thanked Swift for her advocacy and said the goal of their “Summer of Equality” campaign is to “get every senator to vote yes.”

The bill passed the U.S. House 224-206 in February, with all Democrats but just three Republicans supporting it. Its fate in the closely divided Senate is uncertain. The House also passed the bill in the last Congress, but it didn’t advance to the Senate.

Niecy Nash: ‘Love should be at the forefront’

Niecy Nash and wife Jessica Betts got married in August – when virtually no one even knew Nash was queer.

“I am proud of who I am,” she says. “I am proud of my relationship. I’m proud of our marriage. I am just proud to be a Black woman who (lives) life on her own terms and does it out loud.”

How’s she digging the newlywed life? “It’s treating me great,” she says. “I’m married to one of the most beautiful souls.” A typical weekend for the pair involves good food, swimming and relaxing in the hot tub, she says.

Surprise! Niecy Nash reveals wedding to singer Jessica Betts and shares photo with fans

Niecy Nash hosts this year’s GLAAD Media Awards.

Nash didn’t know what to expect once she revealed her truth to the world, “but my close friends and family were extremely supportive and so that was the most important part for me,” she says.

She’s been vocal about how she didn’t come out – she “never hid anything” – but rather came into herself.

“I feel like you only really need courage in the face of fear,” she says. “And I don’t know if I was afraid in as much as I was just cautious, because I did not know how we were going to be received in the world.”

Plans for her first Pride Month aren’t set in stone yet, but she encourages people to lead with love.

“The world needs so much love right now because we’ve come through a really tough year and there’s so many things happening in the world that bring stress and chaos,” she says. “Love should be at the forefront of any conversation that anybody is having.”

In case you missed: Niecy Nash says marrying Jessica Betts wasn’t a ‘coming out,’ but a ‘going into myself’

Candis Cayne reflects on first Pride, need to band together for trans community

Actress Candis Cayne acknowledged that Pride has changed over the years – especially since she came out (Cayne came out twice, but as transgender in 1995).

“When I first came out, Pride Month was about fighting for our rights. It was about marching, it was about telling the world that we were OK with who we were, and we were valued people in the community. And luckily, more and more, it’s been accepted,” she says. That said, there’s still a ways to go.

Her first Pride was in New York City, where she saw a sea of people on Fifth Avenue.

“I remember just vividly thinking, ‘There’s more of us out there than I thought,’ ” she says. She’s done New York Pride for about 20 years, including performing on floats, and she recalled dressing as Wonder Woman and jumping off a truck and pretending to push it forward and backward – a magical, quintessential Pride moment.

‘I get goosebumps’: Laverne Cox on Netflix transgender history doc, landmark Supreme Court decision

She doesn’t have plans just yet for Pride – she is vaccinated and encourages others to do the same – but “might just have a get together and celebrate Pride in a more intimate way this year.”

She encourages the LGBTQ community to come together and support the transgender community amid ongoing legal battles and violence.

“Seeing how our community’s being affected right now, with all the legislation, how trans women of color are being murdered at an alarming rate, I think that’s something that we really need to focus on as a community and band together,” she says.

‘From Disclosure’ to ‘Pose’: What movies, shows to watch on Trans Day of Visibility

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor Jake Borelli talks growing in his queerness

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Jake Borelli viewed Pride Month as a celebration when he was younger. But after publicly coming out in 2018 and spending more time in queer spaces with a variety of queer people, he had time to reflect on what Pride is really about.

“As I’ve grown in my queerness, and my relationship to my own queerness, I know wholeheartedly that it’s a riot, and it is a protest,” the actor, who plays Dr. Levi Schmitt, says. “At this point in my queerness, I feel like I can’t allow myself to stand anymore for the negative way society has made me feel about my queerness and Pride and Pride Month, and Pride gatherings.”

The absence of physical queer spaces during the pandemic forced him to think even deeper.

Did you see? How Lil Nas X, JoJo Siwa and Zaya Wade are teaching kids to be more inclusive

“That caused me to start thinking a lot more introspectively about what it means to be queer and what growing up as a gay person surrounded by straight people really actually did to my psyche in the long term, and I’ve found myself having to re-parent myself right now as as a queer man, re-parenting my younger queer self,” he says.

He’s been to a host of different Pride celebrations in his life, from Los Angeles and New York to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

“It was such an incredible experience to go back to my hometown where I was fully closeted, and didn’t feel like I could be my full self and to see that there was an entire group of people who were pushing forward in Columbus for the queer community and had been forever,” he says.

His advice for queer people going on similar journeys as himself?

“Be patient with yourself and everyone who’s around you,” he says with a laugh. “I have to remind myself that every day.”

Leyna Bloom talks Pride Month, how she celebrates ‘every single day’

“Port Authority” star Leyna Bloom recently opened up to USA TODAY in a Q&A about how she celebrates Pride Month daily.

Leyna Bloom stars as Wye in the drama “Port Authority.”

“Pride is not just this time when we can explore things that are in us that we’re raised to suppress and now we’re taught to express it in the sun and in the streets and the world just for one month,” Bloom says. “It’s something that I have to do every single day of my life. I have to wake up and be proud that I’m alive and (ask) ‘Why am I here? And what am I doing here, and am I going to be able to help people?’

“Through all the most traumatic experiences in my life and in the world, seeds are being planted everywhere I go. And this summer 2021, everything is blooming at the same time: Sports Illustrated, movies, TV shows. It is really a moment to be Black, be queer, be trans, be Asian, so I’m just honestly going to celebrate every single day that I’m allowed to be alive to have those moments. So I’m really excited to see what else I can do and how we can elevate our community to unite.”

Contributing: Anika Reed and Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

For more on that interview: ‘Port Authority’ star Leyna Bloom on trans love story, how she celebrates Pride Month daily

‘We’re not there yet’: LGBTQ representation dips on broadcast TV, GLAAD study reveals

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pride 2021: Megan Fox, JoJo Siwa, more stars celebrate month

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beardedokiephotography · 7 years ago

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Cosplay Pride: Day 4, Pic 2 Raymond C. "Ray" Terrill was the second to take up the mantle of The Ray. He first appeared in the miniseries The Ray issue 1 (February 1992). He is able to absorb and process light waves. With this energy (that is he is also able to store without apparent limit), he can fly, emit radiation bursts, create illusions and solid light constructs, as well as convert his body into pure energy where he cannot be harmed and where he can reset any damage his physical form has taken. Though a previous incarnation had a brief romance with Black Canary, the DC Rebirth showed him as being openly gay. . . Instagram Tags: Citizen Cold: [Withheld at Cosplayer Request] The Ray: @sentinelbait📸: @beardedokiephotography . . #cosplaypride #cosplaypride2018 #pride #pridemonth#cosplay #cosplayer #lgbt #lgbtq #prideproject #comics#comicbooks #dc #dccomics #dccosplay#legendsoftomorrow #captaincold #citizencold #tv#theflash #arrow #arrowverse #theray #leosnart #gay#thecw #cw #television #ray #earthx #gaypride

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schmergo · 7 years ago

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I went to the Museum of the Bible

Okay, buckle in, because this is gonna be kind of a lengthy post. My mom got free tickets to the highly controversial new Museum of the Bible in DC and I, with heavy misgivings, decided to come along and see what was up. I have to say, I thought it was a lot better than I expected, though I am still suspicious and cynical of several aspects of the place. So here is my detailed review! Here's what you need to know about the museum first: 1. It was founded and funded by Steve Green, the President of Hobby Lobby, aka the company that went to the Supreme Court because they didn't want to cover employees' birth control, saying it went against their religious beliefs. 2. He was also fined $3 million for smuggling artifacts from Iraq (which did not appear in the museum's collection). 3. The museum is technically non-sectarian (though with a Protestant bias), and does not address hot-button issues like evolution/creationism, abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, or how the Bible "should" be interpreted. Its galleries include tellings of the stories from the Bible, the history of the compilation and transmission/translation of the Bible, and the impact of the Bible on history and culture. It always hints at a Christian interpretation but does not outright evangelize. Some people may find this claimed non-political and nonsectarian interpretation more insidious than an outright Christian oriented museum. 4. The museum is free, but with a suggested donation. I would personally not suggest donating anything if you're interested in checking it out so as not to put money in the Hobby Lobby Guy's pockets, but that's just me. Now, I have to address my own personal biases. I am a Protestant Christian (United Methodist, to be specific), but I'm also strongly opposed to what constitutes contemporary "American Christian culture." I'm a believer not only in God but in human rights, evidence-based science/evolution, separation of church and state, charity, equality, and empathy. To me, these values are compatible with studying Jesus' teachings, and I'm deeply critical of people who use Christianity to justify selfish and narrowminded decisions. I also am an elementary-age Sunday school teacher who likes to emphasize the importance of Biblical literacy in self-professed Christians, which this museum champions (you'd be amazed how many Christians aren't actually familiar with the Bible), and in studying not only the stories, but the themes and lessons behind them (which this museum does not do. It allows guests the freedom to interpret the material according to their own beliefs- again, some might like this and some might dislike it). This museum is huge. We were there for about five hours and still didn't see everything. It was also absolutely PACKED with guests. The line to get in snaked down the block, and there were some long lines to get into the "hottest ticket" exhibits. We started off our day in the most popular, multi-media exhibit, The Hebrew Bible, which is a mix of videos and walk-through visuals with exciting lighting, animation, and voiceover, telling the narrative of major Old Testament stories. This exhibit is a pure storytelling "experience" and does not display any artifacts or purport to be a factual account, which I actually love because it is not claiming that all of these accounts are literally true or trying to show historical evidence. It's a little cheesy but less cheesy than you might expect- it feels like an elegant Disney World attraction but with a more artistic and slightly more abstract style. I especially liked the burning bush (the voice of God was represented as multiple voices in unison, at least one of them female), the white room full of rainbow light after the ark, the Red Sea made of string and projected waves, or the watercolor style of art of the Judges/Samuel movie. This experience is as non-controversial as possible, though the one issue is that it portrays the entire Old Testament as a consistent story about how God's people moved closer to and farther from God throughout history, fluctuating in loyalty, which I've heard is contrary to how the Tanakh is generally interpreted. This also implies that the New Testament completes "the story," which shows a Christian bias. The next exhibit was a recreation of the village of Nazareth, which WAS cheesy and Disneyesque, but fun. It felt like the museum at Jamestown Settlement, where you can walk in the little houses and see how people lived in another time. There were living interpreters there, and I liked that the people who played the villagers were racially diverse. There was a mikvah, an olive press, a temple, and typical Jewish homes. Less diverse was the short movie about John the Baptist and King Herod, who were both played by white actors- in fact, Herod was John Rhys-Davies (aka Gimli) in all his bellowing rolled-r scenery-chewing glory. He seemed to be having a grand old time. The New Testament movie was poignant but a slightly more cartoonish style of animation than the Old Testament films. Its art style reminded me of the illustrations on Pottermore. There are a lot of contradictory versions of stories in the Gospels, which was not acknowledged in this movie, but they kind of found a way around this by having the movie told from the perspectives of different people who encountered Jesus in first person (John, Saul/Paul, Mary Magdalene, Thomas, a centurion at the crucifixion, etc), showing them as varying accounts rather than one narrative. I know about the differences between the Gospels, but not everyone does, and this could be interpreted as an oversimplification. One thing I loved about this movie was that they never showed Jesus' face. They allow the audience to imagine him as they see fit. My family got lunch after this. There's a big restaurant called Manna on the top floor that serves middle-Eastern inspired foods and it was quite good. (There are vegetarian, vegan, and kosher options.) I had a platter with falafel, salad, and pickled vegetables, as well as some mango juice. This place gets CROWDED and there are long lines, but you can't re-enter the museum once you've exited unless you get back in the big queue around the block, so you can really only eat here or at the coffee shop downstairs. There's also a biblical garden and observation deck up there. Next, we went to the floor that talks about the history of the Bible, and this is where things get complex. I am less knowledgeable about this stuff than the actual text of the Bible itself, so I can't tell you what was of questionable accuracy here and what was legit, but this floor was definitely poised as being more serious and academic, while the one above it was more about narrative and entertainment-- so obviously, I was side-eying it more. This exhibit is definitely slanted toward the concept that the Bible has been transmitted and translated throughout time with remarkable accuracy, but also explores the differences, inaccuracies, and variations between different Bibles. It starts with a collection of ancient tablets and documents. I have read that some of these have questionable provenance and authenticity, especially fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls. Some of the signage alludes to these questions, some does not. Many items are on loan from other institutions, while others are replicas and facsimiles of items in museums like The British Museum (always labeled as such). The articles of the museum I've read are very severe about questions of authenticity/provenance, partially because of the Hobby Lobby scandal, but also because this is such a new museum. Museum practices have changed over time, and many of the artifacts at the British Museum and the Met are unethically acquired, too. Bear that in mind when visiting any museum (I could rant to you about the Parthenon marbles!) Still, a new and expensive museum like this one should be more careful. The most interesting ancient items in this exhibit were accounts from non-Jewish ancient cultures that told a different version of events than the Bible-- a king claiming to have killed a Hebrew King and thanking his own gods for the victory, while the Bible says that God punished that Hebrew King for not being devoted to him. It was cool to see two sides of the same story. But what I REALLY loved here was the collection of Bibles from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, because I love old books. Like, I took a class at the Folger Shakespeare Library about this stuff. There was a Gutenberg Bible, some absolutely gorgeous illuminated manuscripts (including one belonging to Henry V's great-grandmother and in immaculate condition), Tyndale Bibles, one of the very first edition of the full Bible in English... It was sobering to see that Henry VIII commissioned churches to display Bibles in English two years after Tyndale was executed abroad for translating the Bible into English. My favorite thing in the entire museum was a "Wicked Bible"- a reprint of the King James Bible that accidentally left out a crucial word and said, "Thou shalt commit adultery." Needless to say, most of them were destroyed, and the printers got in trouble, but this one survived. I also liked the small exhibits on which books were included in which versions of the Bible and which were left out/ considered apocrypha. The "Drive Thru History." introductory movie here is incredibly annoying and trying too hard to be cool, by the way, so feel free to skip that one if you go. It does a disservice to a serious collection of books. I also popped into the second floor exhibits before I left, but I didn't stick around for long. This has exhibits on the Bible's impact on US history and on culture in the world. The culture one honestly was so overwhelming and sprawling that it hurt my brain (especially since I had already been in the museum for 4.5 hours), but I did get a kick out of seeing Elvis Presley's Bible. This might be the most propaganda-Y part of the museum, but I didn't take much time to find out. There's also a video booth where people can share their own feelings or experiences about the Bible. The American history section was interesting and surprisingly daring, though. It talked about how the Bible was used to back up positions on different sides of issues through history- pro- and anti- slavery, women's rights, whether to be independent from England. It showed that the Bible has been used for good and bad throughout history and has some cool documents on display- a first edition copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Women's Bible," the handwritten manuscript of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. The displays let the public vote on tricky questions like whether they agree with Thomas Jefferson's decision to cut up the Bible and keep the parts that he felt applied as advice to daily life. (73% say no.) Also, in a section about politicians making reference to their personal faiths, there is a clip of Barack Obama singing "Amazing Grace." Nice to see that this museum explicitly denies the "Obama is a secret Muslim" conspiracy. There were more exhibits that I didn't get to see, including some traveling exhibits on loan from the Vatican, an Israeli museum, and a Bavarian museum. They also have a full-stage production of the Broadway musical "Amazing Grace." I will say, I gave a hard side-eye to the large gift shop, through which visitors exit, with the "Museum of the Bible" logo branded on everything from mugs to t-shirts to sunglasses. I would have preferred a tasteful bookshop with maybe a few knick-knacks like cross necklaces and Noah's Ark toys, but I guess I'm an old party-pooper. Overall, I actually had a lot of fun at this museum and got to see some very cool and rare books, but I also was naturally more critical toward this museum's decisions than I normally would be when visiting a tourist attraction. I was happy to see a crowd diverse in age and ethnicity who were discussing the exhibits rather than just zooming through (I did see one guy in a MAGA hat, though- frankly, I thought there might be more). The employees were all really nice and helpful even though the place was outrageously crowded. Would I recommend visiting this museum? Maybe! I think I would recommend it to Christian people who are already knowledgeable about the Bible and willing to think critically about what they read and see. I think it would be a good place to bring kids (mid-elementary and up) and talk seriously about some of these topics and controversies. The kids in my Sunday school class seem to have a hard time remembering sequence of events in the Bible, thinking Moses was the same time as Jesus, calling King David a 'Christian,' etc. This might clarify some stuff. I saw a lot of little kids there, and they were having fun, but I feel like I wouldn't take kids that young there because they wouldn't be able to understand the more complex topics. I don't want to just give them candy-coated pretty stories! I probably would not recommend this museum to people who come from very different faith traditions or none at all, whatever this museum's attempts at secularity. I will say, I'm unsure what the Museum of the Bible's agenda is, because it certainly doesn't seem built to convert anybody. The more cynical part of the says it's built to spread the message that the Bible is so important to history and culture that it should be taught in schools. The less cynical part says that it's built to encourage Christians to explore and become more knowledgeable about their faiths, because we're from a time when the majority of Americans identify as Christian, but very few have read the Bible or can answer basic questions about it. I think that's dangerous, because lots of people seem to adhere more to "Christian" culture than Christian scripture, and that leads to a mindset completely divorced from what I see as Jesus' teachings. I don't personally have a problem with its location near the Mall and the Capitol, because if anything else, I see it as a sign of the separation of Church and State. The museums on and around the mall explore different cultures and fields of study, so does one-- but I hope people who visit DC for this museum also visit some of the Smithsonian museums. Learn about Natural History, African-American history, Native-American History, not just the museum about your own religious faith. Please feel free to ask me any questions about the museum!

#washington dc #museum of the bible

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pixie-skull · 7 years ago

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# 12 Post, part 2: FINALLY Top Ten 2D Animated Women’s List

Update August 12th! Updates in bold.

So I am behind on my promise and seeing this net neutrality could happen here my top lady crushes. I try to go into detail. I have to admit number 10 going to be confusing see her movie has different animation styles, so I try find a picture of which one I like more. ON TO THE DELAYED LISTED. Reminder none of my new crushes can be made after 2016, when I graduate high school. Warning lots of breasts. Hey I am Pan, as in pansexuality, so yes I am mostly romantic, yet I want to clarify, I am not liking the characters for that. Also, I tried list movies from animated companies, or else this be Disney mostly. XD Here the RULES https://indigo-psyduck.tumblr.com/post/167091245072/post-12-part-1-rules-for-animated-crush-list

10. 2010′s Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic Beatrice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1C9WtnOr7Y So now I said I have two styles I really like, yes this movie has 5 or 6 styles. O.O

So I chose this design of ALL other, maybe has a close second, yet this (due to it enhances the Souls and Demons)

Now on to the reasons she wins number 10. Her personality, hopeful, positive, loyal, patient (still annoyed at Dante for what he did), honest, and just an embodiment of virtues. So besides being someone who so kind to have what happened to her is heartbreaking. Plus her overall appearance was attractive too. I am not sure why women’s almost naked I feel more comfortable seeing, yet men’s and non-binary I feel my demisexual side bit more antsy. Yes middle school me was both freaked out and at the same time enjoyed the film. Helps also I was figuring out my sexuality and came out in mid high school. Oh and she stands ups for herself and tries not to be a prize. Unlike the video game, she is not a pushover. D: XD Also I am now sure I am asexual.

9. 2000′s Titan AE, Akima.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXmcVV3WJWwEven though this movie was hard to watch(the CGI :( ), the characters and their designs are very fun to watch. Now besides being voiced by the attractive Drew Berrymore (fun fact is bi), the haircut, and those eyebrows, there more to Akima. I like she reminds of (the stunning) Zoe from Firefly due to both pilots (in a sense) so have the voice call the shots, she can take care of herself, knows how to fight yet be not a killer, and more. I do personally headcanon her as bi. She very low on the list for I admit I saw the movie sooner than I like to admit, so she not as much a childhood crush, as a new one. Only her animated style was constant, unlike 10. Sorry, the gif changed her appearance a bit, I know in the movie she of Asian descent.

8. Now nine was tempted to put Gwen from “Total Drama Island”, first two seasons (I have a soft spot for dyed hair and punk and goth look), until I saw this movie. (I do plan do a maybe top five of TV 2D women)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVbX1NeWY9s&t=3s1992 Cool’s World Lonette.

(I like how her hair so cute and messy here^ A sweet, short, messy, haircut. Also yes her body also quite nice XD ) I really find her kindness endearing such a negative world. Even though I like all eye colors, dark green eyes I am a sucker for. Also she was loving to Frank, makes hope for someone as affectionate as her. I know she Holli look very much in common, but Holli I felt lacked in such romance tenderness.

This smile ^ so adorable.

7. 1999′s Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost Luna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92jw0fxXca4

(in Violet and short red hair)I could have easily put this whole band down, yet I wanted pick their second singer. The fact she sings, plays an instrument, in an eco goth band, dyed hair, her parent helped give the band their fangs, and more, is why I like her so much. Also she drawn in this movie she more drawn with details and for that she is more attractive.https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/8/8c/New-ghrfh-the-hex-girls-24106229-720-480.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110909113258&path-prefix=protagonist < - - - Close up on her.

6. 1993′s The Thief and the Cobbler, Yum-Yum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZibUpH-AME&list=PL18B0CA620B61D076 and https://vimeo.com/88602144

Shocked how few royals are on this list, especially for being a 90′s kid. So why Princess Yum-Yum, even though she a weird blend of Aladdin (I bring this up to claimed Disney and if they or if they did NOT steal from this movie) Jasmine (I also have a crush on her too) of having a voice and using her power, but sometimes seems underdeveloped in comparison. However to me that is only when compared, so she to me is still fleshed out. I am happy to see her make the band of thieves due what she says, she merciful, she helps Tack and does her fair of saving the day. Not just a pretty face, she actual does something.

5. ANY DC comics Batman adaptation of Selina Kyle also known as Catwoman.

(^ Not to stereotype, yet this “gay” haircut I love so much on her)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjQPXvQ7ZPQ

Now on to why I like her. First bonus is she cannoned as Bi as bisexuality. Now to the rest, she a character who in the grey waves of morals. She is either a villainess, anti-hero, or whatever. I enjoy also how much a tease she can be to Batman (thanks to her I can be like to my relationships too sometimes), she loves animals, she inspires me with her self defense and flexibility. Catwoman also she makes me comfortable being her dominate power force. I want to clarify I am waiting till marriage. XD I also like she kinda an example of a character, who can depicted with different racial background, body types, and more. I am aware some characters can not have such changes, yet Catwoman a positive example of done right.

4. 2003′s Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Marina.

Shout to @animagix101and @thenamelessdoll edits of her, if from a racebend to giving her more muscles, thank you.Now why do I like this short haired ambassador? One she stands up for what she believes in, she a quick learner, she gives off vibes like she could be bi, poly, or pan, and is fearless, yet gives mercy. Her relationship is shown on screen to grow, not just boom love, yet (I do not like Sinbad by the way, I much more like Proteus). I was tempted to give this spotlight as a tie to Moses Tzipporah, yet I know ties are not fun for most people.

3. Sailor Moon (90′s version), Michiru Kaiou AKA Sailor Neptune.

Now I know I am making this my 2D animated ladies from MOVIES, but she did make appearances in film. Sorry too the gif makes more pale (yes the characters in the anime are suppose to be Japanese). Shout out she also in the LGBTQ+ Community, cannoned as lesbian. Now on to why I like the Sailor Guardian of the planet Neptune? Besides having colorful hair (I am sorry dyed hair a bonus for me, like how accents are a bonus for other people), she has a colorful personality. XD She very artsy (I like people who can have a passion in something that is like theater, music, etc), romantic (like dang she and Sailor Uranus are soooooooooooooooo cute), funny, clever, and more.

2. Okay this rule is broken of only MOVIE ladies, yet this a childhood crush since my elementary school years. 1996′s The Incredible Hulk animated Series and any other Hulk/Marvel product, Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MStHVaHNf_Y

XD Yes that scene beyond suggestive and yes her voice by the stunning Cree Summers. So what makes a delight, she can be funny and serious, an amazing lawyer (I believe the comic staff did this be part of the second wave of feminism [no hating for this, okay to be a feminist or have the ideas of one to want equality with men), confident in her body and mind, she has colorful hair, she so strong that I be happy be held by her, and more. XD It is kinda takes to her women of any height (she is “5'10" (in human form) 6'7" (as She-Hulk” according to http://marvel.com/characters/51/she-hulk) because tall Titanesses need some love. Also yes sucker for either her She-Hulk green eyes or her Jennifer’s form with brown eyes and this cute haircut. So Bruce Banner or Hulk, can you give me your cousin’s number please? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2j4_C4cvSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbVnnImJOYc

1. 1996′s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda.

So I like Disney a lot to choose ONE woman is not easy to do, yet I chose to one who I know for the fact I can say just has more to crush on. For starters her personality (seeing beauty from within a huge trait I love), spreading mercy, standing up her others, her sense of Faith (I am Spiritual, so her song to me a great representation of faith - - - > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEEpavnk7Uw ), her voice (both speaking and singing <3 <3) rich (I thank real life cutie Demi Moore, in Ghost her haircut is something I want to mimic on day), and more. Looks, well as long you are not a woman who is straight and a man who is gay, I find it hard to believe you can not understand how she is a jaw dropper. I personally head cannon her Pan as in Pansexuality.

So before you assume anything, yes there one more cutie after this, why, because I like to count zero. XD

Honorable Mentions:

X-Men:

Raven Darkholme AKA Mystique (fun fact I believe she is cannoned as Bi, even though I heancanon as Pan)

Ororo Munroe AKA Storm (XD the Pan flag I love it)

Disney:

2001′s Atlantis: The Lost Empire Kida

1991′s Beauty and the Beast Belle (I love her hazel eyes and dimples)

1999′s Iron Giant: Annie

0. 1982′s The Last Unicorn, Lady Amalthea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-TioQfT-jg

Even though yes she barely seems happy, just something about her that so stunning. If her indigo eyes, silver hair (I want to maybe dye my hair like her’s one day, when my hair longer), or moment of smiling.

Okay now I looked at her physical appearance, how does Amalthea win by personality. With light spoilers (not going into detail) she starts and end the movie on a quest for herself and it is empowering to see her just do this for she wants to. Not out of love, a prophecy, nope just wanted to save more like her. She is does not give up, she goes on. Amalthea strong in her morals, she helps her friends, her arch is powerful, and so much more. PLEASE READ THE BOOK TOO! =D So I like to point out (because my sibling and I had a debate) I liked her when HUMAN and she call herself human, not sure why this confused my sibling.

*Please anyone name what traits stick out as reoccurring in my named character crushes.*

I challenge @thenamelessdoll @sailorzelda94 @myhollie1911 @cereittanyprincess15 @deanscourse ANYONE else to make their top animated women’s, men’s, non-binary, or your top animated crush list.

I want to clear up that listing women easier because men tend be less developed. So my top 10 men list be BOTH movies and TV, so I make a top 3 tv cartoon ladies.

@theghostlightison

So since I made this, I am making a top five different, details of why I like them stay the same, yet different spots

5. Maria

4. Sailor Neptune

3. Catwoman

2. Amalthea (I kinda like this “mad” gif looks more like checking someone out. XD ^*_*^ )

1. Esmeralda (I still hope to use this quote one day)

0. She-Hulk

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gay-disabled-characters-showdown · 10 months ago

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LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 1, Wave 4, Poll 2

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and prior here.

Jonathan Sims-The Magnus Archives

Qualifications:

I quite often see him headcanoned as a cane user and/or experiencing chronic pain. And he is canon bi ace (also really often headcanoned as nb)

Propaganda:

He's my favourite special little boy post-apocalyptic antichrist archivist

Artemisia of Naimes-Vespertine

Qualifications:

She's aroace-spec as confirmed by word-of-god, she's strongly autistic-coded, and she has severe burn scars on her hands, limiting mobility of one hand.

Propaganda:

Aroace neurodivergent goth nun! I love her strong introversion and her disturbing default face. She gets herself into a working partnership with an evil spirit that sometimes possesses her, and the main result is that it encourages her to practice self-care, which by god she desperately needs.

#polls #poll #disabled characters #lgbtq characters #disability #lgbtq #lgbtq dcs round 1 #lgbtq dcs wave 4 #jonathan sims #the magnus archives #tma podcast #artemisia of naimes #vespertine

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cynthiajayusa · 6 years ago

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Highlights From the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference

Over 140 elected LGBTQ officials and 400 other attendees attended the Victory Institute’s LGBTQ Leaders Conference held in Washington DC recently. Key themes were sharing winning strategies and messages to get LGBTQ leaders elected at all levels of government.

Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said LGBTQ candidates won by speaking about issues that people worry about such as health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. She noted that the LGBTQ community can have coat tails helping other candidates.

Trans Virginia House of Delegates member Danica Roem echoed the message saying she ran on a promise to fix State Route 28 and get a new commuter bus to Haymarket. Roem was awarded the Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was awarded the Ally Award by the Institute. She urged Congress to pass the Equality Act.

Governor elect Jared Polis of Colorado noted he was the first openly gay parent in Congress. Now 8 members of Congress are LGBT and the Equality Caucus in Congress has 100 members.

Victory Institute President and CEO Annise Parker (formerly the Mayor of Houston) said Indiana, Kansas and Nebraska had elected LGBTQ members to their state legislatures for the first time, calling it a rainbow wave.

Florida State Representative Carolos Guillermo Smith of Orlando spoke on a panel with other newly elected LGBTQ millennial legislators. He noted that the Progressive Caucus in Florida now has 4 State Senators and 16 State Representatives. He noted the importance of fighting for equality of everyone (women, immigrants, felons). Guillermo Smith also talked about forming coalitions such as when the Pulse survivors reached out to the Parkland community in a push to end gun violence. He also noted the power of social media which was used to get Publix to change its policy and begin covering Prep in its drug plan coverage for its employees.

Also attending was State Representative Jennifer Webb who represents the St. Petersburg area.

The Victory Institute will hold a training for Florida LGBTQ officials on March 16. Details may be found on their website, victoryinstiute.org. The Victory Institute hosts several trainings a year for those thinking about running for elected office. They also have several fellowships for interns on Capitol Hill.

For a list of the 700 LGBTQ elected officials, visit outforamerica.org.

Bill Malcolm as a hobby writes a syndicated LGBTQ value travel column which appears in publications around the country. All or part of this story may appear in other publications. His opinions are his own. He resides in Indianapolis.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/20/highlights-from-the-international-ldgtq-leaders-conference/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2018/12/highlights-from-international-lgbtq.html

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demitgibbs · 6 years ago

Text

Highlights From the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference

Governor elect Jared Polis of Colorado noted he was the first openly gay parent in Congress. Now 8 members of Congress are LGBT and the Equality Caucus in Congress has 100 members.

Also attending was State Representative Jennifer Webb who represents the St. Petersburg area.

For a list of the 700 LGBTQ elected officials, visit outforamerica.org.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/20/highlights-from-the-international-ldgtq-leaders-conference/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/181271161605

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dctvgen · 6 years ago

Photo

LGBTQ+ Pride Month: Posting Guidelines & Prompts

Start of event: June 1st

End of event: June 30th

This event is for fanworks featuring DCTV characters of any orientation or identity that fits under the umbrella of LGBTQ+. The characters can be canonically LGBTQ+ or simply headcanoned as so, either is welcomed.

A reminder that this is a gen-focused event, so while it's fine to have non-gen relationships mentioned or in the background, the majority of the fanwork should focus on content that is non-romantic and non-sexual in nature.

Posting guidelines:

1. Tag your post appropriately - be mindful of potentially triggery content

2. Keep any NSFW content (e.g. violence or dark themes) behind a cut

3. Mention in notes if there is a background non-gen relationship

4. Credit any collaborators and betas

5. Also tag with #DCTVGenPrideMonth (must be within the first five tags)

6. Mention @dctvgen in your post so that we are notified of it

A list of shows we will be accepting fanworks for are as follows:

Arrowverse shows

Vixen

The Ray

Constantine

Black Lightning

Gotham

Doom Patrol

Titans (2018)

iZombie

Lucifer

Preacher

Smallville

all DC animated shows

…and any other tv show with DC characters in.

Once the event starts, if you haven’t seen your post reblogged here within a couple of days of posting, please let us know in case it has gotten missed.

If you are also posting your fanwork to AO3 we would love for you to submit it to our AO3 collection for the event as well – it’s DCTVGen_PrideMonth – you can use this link here to post directly to the collection.

If you would like to post to Dreamwidth for the event, you will need to join our community there – you can find the link in our header here. Posts submitted to the Dreamwidth community will be moderated and should appear on there once a moderator has had the chance to review your post. Please follow guidelines 1-4 from above for any Dreamwidth posts as well.

Any questions that aren’t answered either here or by the FAQ, don't hesitate to send us an ask here, or comment on our Dreamwidth community, or email us at the address listed at the bottom of our FAQ.

We also have some optional prompts for anyone who would like a little inspiration for the event.

Prompts:

Happy endings

Acceptance

Not just a phase

wlw / mlm solidarity

transman / transwoman / non-binary solidarity

Gender euphoria / dysphoria

What’s in a name

Firsts and lasts

No gender, no problem

The A team

Ace up your sleeve

Netflix and actually chilling

No romo

Going to Pride

Wave your flag

Queer found family

Coming out support

Blurring binaries

None of the above

Screw toxic masculinity

Fuck gender roles

Under the radar

If you're excited for the event please consider reblogging this post to help spread the word since this post may not show up in the tags due to links being included in it.

Good luck with your creating! We look forward to seeing what you make for it. :)

#dctv #DCTVGenPrideMonth #pride month #gen #modpost #arrowverse #LGBTQ+ characters

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theconservativebrief · 6 years ago

Link

Democrats are favored to win back the House on November 6 — but it’s no sure bet.

They need to pick up 24 seats to win back the House. Buoyed by the backlash against President Donald Trump and the anger of women voters, House Democrats are eyeing pickup opportunities all around the country.

The prediction of a blue wave, coupled with constant House ratings changes from election watchers, can make it hard to keep up with a dizzying number of House races. So we tried to distill it down to the most important — and interesting — races of 2018. You’ll notice they’re all open seats or endangered Republican incumbents. That’s in part because of the lopsided playing field this year to retake the House. There are just many, many more pickup opportunities for Democrats.

At the end of the day, it will come down to a handful of closely contested races. They include key districts that Democrats need to win in order to take back the House, but many of these races speak to some of the larger themes playing out between Republicans and Democrats across the country.

Here are the 15 most interesting House races of 2018.

Who is the Republican? Incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters, first elected in 2014. She voted for Obamacare repeal and the tax bill, which hurt California by eliminating the federal income tax deductions for state and local taxes.

Who is the Democrat? UC Irvine law professor Katie Porter, who is running on Medicare-for-all. Porter has the support of progressive groups and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kamala Harris (D-CA).

Former President Barack Obama attends a campaign rally with Democratic congressional candidates (from left) Josh Harder, T.J. Cox, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter, Harley Rouda, and Mike Levin on September 8, 2018, in Anaheim, California. Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

What’s the playing field? The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates this race a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? Porter is running an abashedly progressive campaign. Walters also voted for the Republican tax bill that’s likely going to increase taxes for lots of voters in this district. Meanwhile, the city of Irvine and other areas in Orange County making up the district have a lot of conservative DNA (they’ve never sent a Democrat to Congress), but the area is highly educated and diversifying rapidly. Porter’s candidacy is a test of whether Democrats can run on a decidedly left-wing message and win, rather than running centrist candidates in moderate districts.

What does the polling say? It’s definitely a close race, but there are some good signs for Porter. A New York Times/Siena College poll found her with a 5-point lead; another one from GBA Strategies showed her with a 1-point lead.

Who is the Republican? Carol Miller, a West Virginia state delegate and bison farmer. (Republican incumbent Rep. Evan Jenkins unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2018, losing his primary.)

Carol Miller, who is running for the Republican nomination in West Virginia’s Third Congressional District, is seen at a National Day of Prayer event in Point Pleasant on May 3, 2018. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Who is the Democrat? Richard Ojeda, a state senator and Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He voted for Trump in 2016 (something he later said he regretted), and rose to prominence during the West Virginia teachers strikes as a vocal advocate for raising teacher pay.

What’s the playing field? Cook rates it as Lean Republican. But it’s also worth noting that Rep. Nick Rahall (D) held the district from 1993 to 2015.

What’s interesting about this race? This is a true test of whether Democrats can chip away at Republicans’ hold on poorer Rust Belt districts that went overwhelmingly for the president in 2016. Trump won West Virginia by one of the biggest margins in the country, but technically, there are more registered Democrats than Republicans. The state has always had a populist streak, but political winds have shifted to the conservative side of late — especially as coal jobs have left and the economy has tanked. It’s also a test of whether more leftist populist ideas have sway in the state — Ojeda is for a public option and Medicare buy-in for health care.

What does the polling say? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. Ojeda appeared to be in the lead this summer, but Miller seems to have passed him in recent months. An October Monmouth poll found her with a 3-point lead, with the NYT/Siena College September poll showing her 8 points ahead.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Kevin Yoder, in office since 2011. Yoder voted for the GOP tax cuts and Obamacare repeal.

Who is the Democrat? Sharice Davids, an attorney and former mixed martial arts fighter. She’s Native American and openly LGBTQ.

Sharice Davids, a Democrat running for Congress in Kansas, talks to supporters at a July 4 event in Prairie Village, Kansas. David Weigel/The Washington Post via Getty Images

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race as Lean Democrat. Hillary Clinton narrowly won the district in 2016.

What’s interesting about this race? Yoder is one of the more endangered House Republicans in 2018. His suburban district, which includes part of Kansas City and its suburbs, is one Democrats actually have a decent shot at flipping (the district went for Clinton by 1 point in 2016). KS-03 and the neighboring Second Congressional District are key pickups for Democrats, and Davids is a young, dynamic candidate who represents the future of the party. Republicans are taking notice; the NRCC recently canceled a $1 million ad buy for Yoder, a sign he’s in trouble.

What does the polling say? Things are looking pretty good for Davids; the NYT/Siena poll had her 8 points ahead of Yoder, and an Emerson College poll had her 6 points ahead.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Andy Barr, in office since 2013. Voted for the GOP tax bill and Obamacare repeal.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), gives a tour of Capitol’s Rayburn Room to constituent Alpha Fayida, 6. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Who is the Democrat? Amy McGrath, a Marine Corps veteran and the first woman to fly a combat mission for the Marines. She’s a political newcomer who beat the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s initial favorite for the district in the primary and has proven herself to be a fundraising powerhouse.

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race as a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? Similarly to West Virginia’s Third Congressional District, this Kentucky district is another test of whether a Democrat can win back Trump voters. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans here, and the district has a history of having representatives from both parties. But many counties in the Sixth overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016. McGrath wants to try to win them back by appealing to voters in rural areas, in addition to Democrats in Lexington, which is also in the district.

Barr has raised $4 million, but McGrath has outpaced that, hauling in more than $6 million largely from small donors. If she wins, Democrats may be looking at her to seek higher office, including the Senate, in coming years.

What does the polling say? The polling is spare, but it shows a very close race. Barr leads McGrath by about 1 point, well within the margin of error.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Barbara Comstock, in office since 2015. She was swept into office in a 2014 Republican wave; now she might be swept out by a Democratic one.

Who is the Democrat? State Sen. Jennifer Wexton, an attorney.

Jennifer Wexton waves to the crowd in Leesburg, Virginia, as she participates in the Leesburg Independence Day Parade on July 4, 2018. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

What’s the playing field? Cook rates it as Lean Democrat.

What’s interesting about this race? Virginia’s 10th Congressional District is a suburb of Washington, DC. Clinton won it by 10 points in 2016, so it’s at the top of the districts Democrats think they can flip. Health care is sure to be a huge issue in the district, with Wexton able to run on the fact that Democrats expanded Medicaid in the state. Comstock voted against Obamacare repeal but for the individual mandate repeal in the GOP tax cut bill, which Democrats are hitting her on. The NRCC is spending on her race, but the conservative Congressional Leadership Fund PAC has been more hesitant to commit money — a sign of trouble.

What does the polling say? The polls look good for Wexton. She’s been in a comfortable lead recently; one Washington Post poll even showed her 12 points ahead Comstock. It could be closer, but Democrats have reason to be optimistic.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Dave Brat, in office since 2015. You might remember him as the former college professor who beat then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014. He voted for the GOP tax bill and Obamacare repeal.

Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) talks with reporters outside a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the Capitol on December 19, 2017. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Who is the Democrat? Abigail Spanberger, a former federal law enforcement officer and CIA operative.

What’s the playing field? Cook rates this race as a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? If you’re looking for an extremely conservative House Republican facing a credible Democratic challenger, Dave Brat is it. Brat is a member of the House Freedom Caucus — the super-conservative group of House Republicans that frequently challenges Republican leadership and pushes them to the right. Brat is trying to tie Spanberger to Nancy Pelosi (a name he evoked no less than 25 times in a single debate). A man who swept in during the age of the Tea Party, Brat could be toppled by a Democratic wave propelled by women. It may not help that he’s also running against a woman.

What does the polling say? A couple polls show the race as very close. The NYT/Siena poll showed Brat with a slim lead in September, but a Monmouth poll released on September 25 showed Spanberger in the lead, propelled by the district’s suburban voters.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Mike Coffman, in office since 2009. He voted for GOP tax cuts and Obamacare repeal but has been outspoken against the Trump administration.

Who is the Democrat? Attorney and Army veteran Jason Crow.

Jason Crow, the Democrat running in Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District, talks with Maria Valle on her front porch on September 15, 2018. Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images

What’s the playing field? Cook rates this race as Lean Democrat.

What’s interesting about this race? Democrats have been trying to unseat Coffman for years, but the moderate Republican has managed to hang on to his seat in this suburban Colorado district. Democrats are hitting Coffman on his votes for the tax bill and Obamacare repeal, as well as his donations from the National Rifle Association. The Sixth District is home to Aurora, the city where a gunman killed 12 people inside a movie theater in 2012. It’s also very close to Columbine High School, where the 1999 school shooting took place. Gun violence is personal in the area, and Crow has been openly running on gun control from the start of his campaign.

What does the polling say? The past few months have been good for Crow; Coffman’s last poll lead was back in the middle of summer, and recent polls show Crow with a comfortable lead. The latest NYT/Siena College poll showed Crow with a 9-point lead.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Randy Hultgren, in office since 2011. He voted for GOP tax cuts and Obamacare repeal.

Who is the Democrat? Lauren Underwood, a registered nurse and former Obama administration adviser who helped implement the Affordable Care Act.

Democratic candidate Lauren Underwood talks with supporters in Lindenhurst, Illinois, on August 12, 2018. Teresa Crawford/AP

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race as a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? Health care and the GOP bill to kill the Affordable Care Act loom large in this race. Hultgren voted for the Obamacare repeal bill after promising he wouldn’t support anything that weakened protections for preexisting conditions, and faced protests in his home district for the vote. The fact that Underwood was an adviser in President Obama’s Department Health and Human Services who helped implement the ACA makes this dynamic all the more interesting. Underwood, who is African-American and 31 years old, is attempting to unseat a white man in his 50s. The district voted for Trump by 4 points in 2016.

What does the polling say? There’s not a lot of polling, but Hultgren seems to have a small lead. The most recent NYT/Siena College poll showed him 4 points ahead of Underwood among likely voters. That narrowed to just a 1-point lead among registered voters.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Erik Paulsen, in office since 2019. Paulsen voted for the GOP tax cuts and Obamacare repeal.

Who is the Democrat? Dean Phillips, a distillery CEO and philanthropist.

Dean Phillips, the Democratic candidate for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District, greets guests at a picnic in Excelsior, Minnesota, on September 15, 2018. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

What’s the district rating? Cook rates this race as Lean Democrat.

What’s interesting about this race? Paulsen is considered a moderate Republican who didn’t support Trump in 2016, writing in Marco Rubio instead (Minnesota was the only primary state Rubio won). The Third Congressional District went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 but voted Paulsen in as well.

He’s taken some tough votes since then, sticking reliably with House Republicans on health care and taxes while also trying to separate himself from Trump. Phillips, the Democrat, is running on campaign finance reform. This is a bit ironic, as Phillips made a fortune off his family’s liquor business and gelato company. He has been upfront about his wealth, and vowed to run without self-funding his campaign or accepting PAC money, though he’s still getting plenty of money from various industries.

What does the polling say? Polling is looking good for Phillips; two polls released in early/mid-September had him leading Paulsen by double digits. A SurveyUSA poll released in late September showed the race narrowing, with Phillips in a 5-point lead.

Who is the Republican? Rep. John Faso, in office since 2017. He voted for Obamacare repeal but against the GOP tax bill, citing concerns about tax hikes in places with high state and local taxes.

Who is the Democrat? Antonio Delgado, an attorney and former Rhodes scholar.

Congressional candidate Antonio Delgado talks with a potential voter while campaigning in Schodack Landing, New York, on October 13, 2018. Mary Esch/AP

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race as a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? A number of things are at play in this Hudson Valley district. The main policy battle in the race is over health care; Delgado is hammering Faso for his vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, Faso is trying to paint Delgado’s health care platform (advocating for a Medicare public option but not a single-payer system) as radically to the left. Race has also become a flashpoint in the campaign, as Republicans have run ads juxtaposing old videos Delgado shot as rapper “AD the Voice” with his current campaign ads, arguing the lyrics should disqualify him from representing the district. It’s pure race-baiting in an overwhelmingly white district.

What does the polling say? This race is very close. Polls in mid/late August found Faso with a 5-point advantage, but a more recent Monmouth University poll found the two candidates are essentially tied, with Delgado in a 2-point lead.

Who is the Republican? Rep. John Culberson, in office since 2001. He voted for the GOP tax cuts and Obamacare repeal.

Who is the Democrat? Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, a longtime attorney in Houston.

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, a Democrat challenging longtime Rep. John Culberson (R) for his seat in Texas’s Seventh Congressional District, speaks during an assembly of the Bayou Blue Democratic Club in Houston on September 5, 2018. John L. Mone/AP

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race as a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? The most interesting thing about this race is simply whether dislike of Trump and Democratic energy will mean Democrats can flip a Texas district that Culberson has had locked down for decades. The district went for Clinton in 2016. Democrats have been dreaming of turning Texas purple for years, and they have a decent shot in the Seventh District, which is mostly suburbs of Houston.

In addition to health care, Pannill Fletcher is hitting Culberson on issues including disaster relief and infrastructure funding for Houston (remember that the city was badly flooded by Hurricane Harvey and has very little public transportation). She’s also talking a lot about women’s issues, including reproductive rights.

What does the polling say? Culberson and Fletcher are battling in a close race. The NYT/Siena College poll in mid-September showed Culberson up by 3 points, while a Public Policy Polling survey around the same time showed Fletcher ahead by 2 points.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Don Bacon is a freshman. Bacon voted for Obamacare repeal and the GOP tax cuts.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, alongside Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon (left), closes the door as he prepares to hold a press conference following the House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on March 20, 2018. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Who is the Democrat? Kara Eastman, president of a local health care nonprofit and a supporter of Medicare-for-all.

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race as Lean Republican.

What’s interesting about this race? Eastman made waves earlier this year when she beat the DCCC’s preferred candidate, former Rep. Brad Ashford (Ashford was previously a Republican but most recently served as a Democrat, and Bacon beat him in 2016). Eastman was notably more progressive than Ashford, backing Medicare-for-all, and with her win, Democratic voters in the district sent a message that they wanted someone who could draw a real contrast with Bacon. National Democrats are somewhat worried that running a more liberal candidate against Bacon will result in a loss in the district, but it’s an interesting test of whether progressive ideas can prevail in a swing district in the Midwestern plains.

What does the polling say? Bacon seems to have a pretty clear advantage over Eastman. The NYT/Siena College poll found him nearly 9 points ahead of her in late September. Other polls show his advantage closer to 5 points, but Eastman hasn’t been able to capture a lead yet.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, is also a freshman. He voted for the GOP tax cuts but against Obamacare repeal.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) talks with guests during a town hall meeting in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, on August 22, 2017. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Who is the Democrat? Attorney Scott Wallace, who is self-funding his campaign.

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? Pennsylvania is interesting for the sheer number of important, contested House seats it contains; the Keystone State has nine races that Cook lists as competitive. Granted, some are more competitive than others, given the state’s recent redistricting that makes Pennsylvania’s electoral map fairer for Democrats.

Flipping Fitzpatrick’s seat is an important ingredient of this strategy, given that Clinton narrowly won it in 2016. Wallace, a deep-pocketed Democrat, is running on a platform including Medicare-for-all and green jobs. Fitzpatrick could be tough to beat, though; Democrats are hitting him on his tax bill vote, but he bucked Republicans by opposing Obamacare repeal.

What does the polling say? Another close race. Fitzpatrick has been in the lead most summer and fall, but the recent NYT/Siena College poll showed Wallace with a 7-point lead.

Who is the Republican? Longtime Rep. Steve Chabot, who was in office from 1995 to 2009, briefly unseated for two years, and then reelected in 2011. He voted for Obamacare repeal and the GOP tax cuts.

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) speaks alongside President Trump at a rally in Lebanon, Ohio, on October 12, 2018. John Minchillo/AP

Who is the Democrat? Aftab Pureval, who currently serves as the Hamilton County clerk of courts.

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? Chabot has been in office for a very long time but was beaten by a Democrat in 2008 … and then won reelection two years later. Now, there’s a lot of attention on this suburban Cincinnati district because Democrats need to win it (and others like it) to take back the House. Pureval is hitting Chabot on his votes on Obamacare repeal and taxes. The Democrat is fundraising a lot but also faces questions about whether he used money from his clerk of courts campaign on his race for Congress.

What does the polling say? The polls are looking pretty solid for Chabot. Despite one September poll showing Pureval with a 2-point lead, Chabot has been ahead consistently. The most recent poll from NYT/Siena College had him up by 9 points.

Who is the Republican? Rep. Carlos Curbelo, in office since 2015. He voted for Obamacare repeal and the GOP tax bill (he helped draft the latter).

Who is the Democrat? Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who works in nonprofits.

Surrounded by family and supporters, Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell announces she is running against Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), outside the West Perrine Health Center in Miami on August 2, 2017. Jose A. Iglesias/El Nuevo Herald/TNS via Getty Images

What’s the playing field? Cook rates the race a toss-up.

What’s interesting about this race? Curbelo is a moderate Republican in a very Democratic-leaning district. FL-26 went for Clinton by 16 points in 2016, and voted for Obama before that. Still, Curbelo has managed to hang on by positioning himself as a moderate Republican, especially on issues like immigration (he’s also one of the few Republicans to propose a carbon tax bill). He was one of the House GOP members who tried a last-ditch effort to force Republican leadership to take up a narrow immigration bill with the aim of finding a fix for the young unauthorized immigrants known as DREAMers, but the effort failed. Given his district is about 70 percent Hispanic, immigration is a pivotal issue for Curbelo. Mucarsel-Powell has been hitting him on his health care vote, in particular.

What does the polling say? This race looked like Curbelo’s to lose this summer, but now it’s neck and neck. Some of the recent polling has had Curbelo in a less-than-a-point lead, or just over 1 point ahead of his challenger. The NYT/Siena College poll in mid-September was slightly more generous, giving Curbelo a 3-point lead.

Original Source -> The 15 most interesting House races of 2018

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beautytipsfor · 7 years ago

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Royal wedding fever hits the US: Here's how to watch in America and where to celebrate

America was always wild about Harry. The wedding of his brother seven years ago drew almost 23 million viewers in the States; given that the Prince is marrying an American, Meghan Markle, the excitement about his own wedding has only intensified. And the drama surrounding Ms Markle's family has sparked a certain surge in fascination, as cable news channels devote lengthy segments to her ailing father Thomas's "will he, won't he" attendance, and scrutinise his ill-judged decision to pose for paparazzi pictures near his home in Mexico. It all means that, come Saturday, the United States will be riding the wave of Royal mania. Of course, the story in itself is a classic fairy tale straight out of a Disney film – a handsome prince meets a glamorous actress, and whisks her off her feet. Yet their nuptials will be, in the hearts and minds of many Americans, more akin to something far more readily identifiable. A student at Meghan Markle's former Los Angeles high school wears British and American flags she takes part in a 'Here's to Meghan!' celebration Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake “It’s the Super Bowl of weddings,” said Anne Chertoff, a wedding magazine and Royal expert, currently running classes on the subject in New York. “America has gone bonkers.” “It’s definitely captured the imagination here,” said Michael Howells, Britain’s consul-general in Los Angeles, Ms Markle’s hometown. “People are talking about it a lot.” The Los Angeles Times has run fashion features on British style, highlighting labels chosen by the bride-to-be such as Burberry and Jigsaw, and has already begun a live blog, with rolling coverage of the lead-up as Ms Markle’s mother left LA to travel to London and meet the Queen. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle How to watch the royal wedding in America The wedding will be broadcast live in the US - 7am ET, 4am PT. PBS PBS will also be showing the wedding live. The channel will run a five-part nightly series starting May 14, which will end with a live broadcast of the wedding on May 19. CBS CBS will start their coverage three hours before the ceremony, with live broadcasting from 4am ET from Windsor. Tina Brown will join Gayle King and Kevin Frazier live. CBSN CBS's live-streaming site will also reportedly be broadcasting coverage starting at 4am ET. MSNBC Joy Reid will anchor coverage of the royal wedding on MSNBC from New York starting at 4am ET, while Stephanie Ruhle and Katy Tur will report live from Windsor. NBC Commentary will begin on NBC at 4:30am ET with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb reporting live from "an exclusive vantage point overlooking Windsor Castle." FOX Fox's coverage of the big day will begin at 5am ET with Ainsley Earhardt broadcasting live from Windsor. Their main coverage of the wedding will start at 6am ET, and will feature Shepard Smith and Sandra Smith along with other guests. BBC AMERICA BBC America will be streaming coverage and commentary of the event on May 19. ABC Good Morning America will be starting their coverage at 5am ET on ABC. 20/20 will also provide coverage of the royal wedding with primetime specials on Friday at 10pm ET and Saturday at 10pm ET. E! "E! Live From the Royal Wedding" with hosts Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski, Sarah-Jane Crawford, and royal expert Melanie Bromley will start at 5am ET on May 19. The channel will also have programming like “The Real Princess Diaries: From Diana to Meghan" scheduled in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and are airing a "Royal Wedding Rundown" on Saturday evening, to recap the historic event right after it happens. How and where to watch the royal wedding if you're in the UK Students at Meghan's old school in Los Angeles wave flags at a pre-wedding celebration in the city Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake Los Angeles In LA, where Thomas Markle Snr lived until 2011, British pubs across the city are advertising their “slumber parties” for the 4am-local-time ceremony, with the Cat and Fiddle in Hollywood suggesting revellers come in their pyjamas and fascinators – described helpfully by the LA Times as “the precarious and ostentatious ladies' headgear constructed for such special events.” On the day of the wedding itself, Mr Howells will host around 150 people at the consulate for an afternoon tea, with guest invited from across the LA area representing some of the charities the couple are known to support – veterans’ organisations, childrens’ charities and LGBTQ concerns. It will be 11pm in Windsor when Mr Howells’ guests arrive, but at Ms Markle’s former secondary school they couldn’t wait – and had to see the ceremony live. Girls currently studying at Immaculate Heart, a private Catholic day school in Hollywood, are planning to gather in the school to watch the 4am events as they happen. Ms Markle studied at the school from 11 to 18, leaving in 1999. Shea Sprague, 17, said their classrooms were abuzz when the news of the engagement was made public. Maureen Diekmann, president of Immaculate Heart school, with students Credit: Harriet Alexander “This school raised a princess,” she told The Telegraph, to laughter from her friends. Mia Speier, 17, added: “She’s made such a difference – not just as an actress, but also as an activist, a UN ambassador – it’s really inspirational. “She’s poised and well spoken. Even if she didn’t come from royalty, she’s ready.” The girls said they knew they couldn’t miss the live ceremony – even before the timing was announced. “Even if it’s in the middle of the night,” said Miss Sprague. “We’ll be watching with a cup of tea.” Chicago On leaving high school Ms Markle attended Northwestern University in Chicago – a place the Prince’s mother visited in 1996. On the eve of the wedding the university plans a talk about the history of the royal family, exploring their evolution with an afternoon tea entitled: The British monarchy: then and now. Meghan Markle's high school yearbook photograph Credit: Harriet Alexander Washington DC The nation’s capital is celebrating at a royal wedding pop-up bar, which has opened in Washington DC for two weeks. On the day of the wedding the bar will be open from 6:30am for customers to view watch the wedding from big projectors with a full catered breakfast, and all proceeds going to Prince Harry's Invictus Games Foundation. “It’s hard not to get swept up in the romance of a royal wedding, especially when it involves a modern, real-life fairy tale,” said Angie Fetherston, CEO of Drink Company, which owns the bar. “I’ve been a superfan of the Royals since I was a kid and knew as soon as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were engaged that we had to bring a slice of their day to all of the fans who want to experience a little bit of the fantasy - fascinators and all.” Inside the bar the interior of St. George’s Chapel has been recreated, with hand-carved replicas of the wedding venue’s vaulted ceiling and columns. Patrons can sip on cocktails including the Kensington Garden Party and the Markle Sparkle, or opt for God Save the Queen - a classic martini with gin and dry vermouth, served with a souvenir crown. The British embassy in Washington is delivering handwritten notes from visitors to the bar to Kensington Palace, and have leant the bar a statue of a Beefeater, along with a Royal Mailbox. New York City In New York, too, preparations have been afoot for the big day. Last week eight corgis were bounding through Herald Square in central Manhattan, to promote a television drama portraying their courtship. The Queen in 1969 Introduced by name, Meghan the corgi was the star of the show in a white wedding dress and tiara, while Prince Harry wore his ceremonial blues. “Duchess Kate” was in a blue dress and feathered hat and her “children,” “Prince George” and “Princess Charlotte” were in a blue tie and a pink dress, respectively. “Queen Elizabeth II” was suitably regal in a bejewelled crown and cape. The show, Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance, aired on Sunday - the night after CNN show their documentary on the couple. Humans wishing to emulate the pair, meanwhile, can book the Conrad Hotel’s “Propose like a Prince” package – two nights in their Conrad suite, a helicopter tour of the city, and a private consultation with the London Jewellers, based in TriBeCa, who are offering an exact replica of Ms Markle’s engagement ring. Students at Meghan Markle's former Los Angeles high school dance as they stage a 'Here's to Meghan!' celebration ahead of her marriage Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake “We’ve had a lot of interest in this – so much so that it’s been extended until the end of summer,” said Vildana Kurtovic, assistant marketing manager for the hotel. “I’m a huge fan of the Royal family, and we just wanted to embrace and celebrate them in a big way.” She admits, however, that despite the interest no one has actually taken the plunge – the $10,000 price tag perhaps having something to do with it. In the run up to the wedding, Mrs Chertoff, the wedding and Royal expert, has been hosting etiquette talks at the Downton Abbey exhibition in midtown Manhattan. Royal wedding PREMIUM GRID Inside the formal dining room of the Crawley family, tourists and New Yorkers are manners fit for a princess – how to curtsey, how to sit, how to approach a Royal dining table. “It’s kind of a history lesson, but also useful for modern life,” said Mrs Chertoff. “Millennials are especially interested, because they perhaps don’t have formal dining at home. “We have a nice mix of ages coming along, and I think people have a renewed fascination thanks to The Crown – I get asked a lot of questions about her tiara, and the line of succession. “There are few things that can bring a country together like a Royal wedding.”

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