Free Republic

NEW YORK (AP) — The monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride reached its exuberant grand finale on Sunday, bringing rainbow-laden revelers to the streets for marquee parades in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere across the globe. The wide-ranging festivities functioned as both jubilant parties and political protests, as participants recognize the community’s gains while also calling attention to recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, such as bans on transgender health care, passed by Republican-led states. Thousands of people gathered along New York’s Fifth Avenue to celebrate Pride. Floats cruised the street as Diane Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” played from loudspeakers. Pride flags...

When it comes to handling a pair of toddlers, Pete Buttigieg, the unflappable Secretary of Transportation, may appear a little jet-lagged. Pete and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, raise their two-year old twins, Penelope and Gus, in Traverse City, Michigan, where they recently moved full-time from Washington to be closer to family. The kids call Pete "Papa," and Chasten "Daddy." Asked if they are a good cop/bad cop duo, Pete replied, "I don't know if we have it down to good cop/bad cop. I think of myself as the bad cop, but you think I'm a pushover, don't you?" "You are...

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (AP) — David Titterington had a sense of what his childhood friend would ask him when she led him into a photo booth at a mutual friend’s wedding roughly a decade ago. As the countdown for the second photo ticked, Jen Wilson popped the question: Will you be my sperm donor? “Of course I said yes,” Titterington said. “I mean, who would have guessed that, being a gay man, I would have this opportunity to have biological children and also be part of their lives?” On Father’s Day, Kansas residents Jen and Whitney Wilson will pack up...

NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. federal court of appeals panel suspended a venture capital firm’s grant program for Black women business owners, ruling that a conservative group is likely to prevail in its lawsuit claiming that the program is discriminatory. The ruling against the Atlanta-based Fearless Fund is another victory for conservative groups waging a sprawling legal battle against corporate diversity programs that have targeted dozens of companies and government institutions. The case against the Fearless Fund was brought last year by the American American Alliance for Equal Rights, a group led by Edward Blum, the conservative activist behind...

During Pride Month, we celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community. We reflect on the progress we have made so far in pursuit of equality, justice, and inclusion. We recommit ourselves to do more to support LGBTQI+ rights at home and around the world. To the entire LGBTQI+ community — and especially transgender children — please know that your President and my entire Administration have your back. We see you for who you are: made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support. America is the...

Voices: Paro Stands In Solidarity with SU Jewish Community as Staunch “Anti-Semite” Who Praised Hitler, Called for “Death to Jews,” Leads Encampment at His Alma Mater May 1, 2024 Syracuse, New York (May 1, 2024) – In recent hours, it has come to light that the leader of encampment demonstrations on Syracuse University campus as part of the pro-Palestinian movement called for violence against Jews. New York State Senate candidate and current Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro supports the right to peacefully protest. However, Paro is appalled at these statements and stands firmly with the Jewish community at his alma...

The American Library Association, a nonprofit organization that tracks efforts to ban books nationwide, released a list Monday detailing the 10 most challenged titles of 2023 — seven of which deal with LGBTQ themes, according to the group. Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” a graphic memoir that chronicles the author coming out as nonbinary, topped the list for the third year in a row. The other LGBTQ-themed titles on the list include George M. Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” Juno Dawson’s “This Book Is Gay” and Mike Curato’s “Flamer.” In recent years, school districts and state legislatures across the U.S. have...

Savage and Stephen Gardner expose the Left in their plot to erode America’s borders, language, and culture. Savage quotes Voltaire: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” He shares examples of the Left’s “absurdities” leading to “atrocities”: defunding police, open borders, gender ideology, critical race theory, etc. They discuss how corporate greed and the Left are working to decimate our borders and bring down our civilization. Learn why Letitia James’ prosecution of Trump is a political persecution. Savage explains why the Civil War is already here as the left is waging an insurgency to destroy...

@elonmusk Video trailer of documentary 'War on Children' features graphic themes and content produced by Robby Starbuck. WARNING: Graphic Content

Oakland's largest employer has reportedly told workers that due to safety concerns in the city, taking breaks indoors is recommended. Kaiser Permanente, which was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Oakland, has recommended employees "stay in their buildings for lunch and work, in response to street robberies of workers who went out to grab something to eat." The memo also reportedly advised employees to avoid in-person meetings, if possible, and only recommended the Claremont Hotel in the Berkeley Hills for out-of-town guests. Kaiser's news was met with consternation by local businesses, which are already struggling with lower foot traffic...

A transgender woman alleges she faced discrimination while working for the Kansas Department of Corrections, including not being allowed to use the women’s restroom and being moved to a basement office that had been a supply closet. Shelly Lamb filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday. From March 2008 until August 2022, Lamb worked at Hutchinson Correctional Facility as a counselor and then a supervisor. In October 2021, Lamb informed the corrections department that she was transitioning to female. According to the lawsuit, she was told she could not wear makeup, nail polish or women’s clothing to work, and that other...

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has requested a special meeting with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is made up of 25 mayors from surrounding suburbs all grappling with the growing migrant crisis. Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso will be in that special meeting at 4 p.m., and he spoke with ABC7 on Monday morning. "I think all mayors want to be sure that their residents are safe and the migrants are safe, and that we have an understanding of how the process is going to work when migrants come," Grasso said. Meanwhile, a nonprofit group...

Community members, religious leaders, and formally incarcerated individuals gathered on the steps of Oakland City Hall Friday, calling for more programs to address and prevent violence in the city. The push comes after an audit this week found the dismantling of “operation ceasefire,” a key violence intervention program, resulted in a spike in crime in the city over the past few years. “The lives that people going to prison, people going to jail. It could’ve been prevented,” said Oakland resident Robert McDaniels. “The most important fact is to bring the community, sit the community back in the driver’s seat, into...

This is AI. This is a joke. This isn't meant to be taken seriously. This isn't Ben Shapiro rapping. Nothing in here has been fact checked. This is comedy. This is a parody. The song is called "Ben ShapirBRO - Leftist Tears" please stream it and buy it to keep supporting me and this content! A lot of my content gets demonetized so your support off these platforms helps greatly!

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced his choice of Gabriel Attal, 34, to serve as France's youngest-ever prime minister in a bid to give new momentum to his presidency following a year of protests and criticism from both the left and the right. "The president of the republic appointed Mr. Gabriel Attal prime minister and tasked him with forming a government," read a presidential statement issued on Tuesday. Gabriel Attal rose to prominence as the government spokesman and education minister. He is France’s first openly gay prime minister. Attal's predecessor Élisabeth Borne resigned on Monday following recent political turmoil over...

Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park and closed the public comment period, the National Park Service (NPS) said Monday. The preliminary draft proposal, which was released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review, is being retracted. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned, according to the press release, which continued: “The National Park Service remains committed to rehabilitating Welcome Park as the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Upon completion of all the necessary internal...

Major retailers in California are now required to have gender-neutral toy aisles under a new state law that went into effect on Monday. The new law requires retail department stores physically located in California with 500 or more employees to “maintain a gender-neutral section or area, to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer.” Stores that already have gender-focused toy areas won’t have to get rid of them but instead add a toy section that would apply to children of any gender, according to the law’s text. The law passed the state Legislature and was signed by Gov. Gavin...

“Time for The Great Uprising to defeat The Great Reset. This isn’t just an R vs. D question in 2023. It’s a 1776 moment.” —Vivek Ramaswamy. I’m already liking 2024. Consequence is itching to return to the American scene. Somewhere around 2016, cause and effect got a divorce. After that, things just happened or unhappened with no further orders of effect, like some brute existence without purpose, meaning, or even awareness, except for the feeling of the lash on your back. After a long journey through a dark place, treading ever-deeper into the unknown, knowing you are in the presence...

Conservatives online torched Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, over his veto of a state bill to protect women's sports. The bill, the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, passed the GOP-controlled state legislature but was vetoed by DeWine on Friday. The SAFE Act would have barred sex change treatments for minors while blocking transgender women and girls from participating in female sports leagues in Ohio.