Free Republic

Every six months, approximately 130,000 Russian conscripts are called up for their year of service, where most of them will face sadistic hazing. In Russian, it’s called dedovshchina, a brutal internal army regime that began in Soviet times but is thoroughly embedded in modern military culture. Western militaries have worked hard to reduce bullying and hazing in the ranks with some, but not complete, success. But in Russia’s army, dedovshchina is a unique cultural staple and a formative part of the military identity. Multiple sources, both those who served in Soviet times and those with experience in the modern Russian...

"The whole world is on the precipice of something much worse"Russell T. Davies has spoken about the state of LGBTQ+ rights in the world, believing the current political climate has fostered hostility toward the community. The writer, who created the pioneering ‘90s TV show Queer As Folk as well as 2021’s It’s A Sin, spoke at a Screen Talk at the BFI Flare Festival in London on Monday (March 23). He was promoting his new series Tip Toe, a drama about a bar owner in Manchester who becomes embroiled in a feud with his neighbour. Attitudes toward LGBTQ+ rights...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The former partner of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis died by suicide on Thursday, one day after making a court appearance. Daniel Curran was found dead at a building at Northeast 36th Street and North Ocean Boulevard on his 35th birthday. His death comes after a domestic violence case against Curran where Trantalis, 72, cited previous incidents of threats and violence.

Joe Biden and his wife Jill ventured out in Santa Monica, Calif., amid his battle with cancer, Page Six is told. Spies spotted the former first couple at celeb favorite Giorgio Baldi with Scott Miller, the former Ambassador to Switzerland, and his husband, LGBTQ+ activist Tim Gill. Fellow diners told us that Joe — who was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive form of stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones — was quiet for much of the dinner, but piped up to sing “Happy Birthday” to guests celebrating at a neighboring table. “Jill did most...

Sometimes, doing what you believe is right comes with a cost. For former National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) midfielder Elizabeth Eddy Biggs, she knew that long before she ever hit "post." Mrs. Biggs officially announced her retirement Tuesday after an 11-year professional career. "I'm deeply thankful to God, my family, friends, teammates, staff, coaches and fans for this wild, wonderful journey, both full of blessing and growth," Mrs. Biggs said in a video posted to her social media. (Video: https://x.com/elizabetheddy2/status/2036553794373210317) And, in a conversation with OutKick on Monday, she said she's at peace with how everything unfolded — even if...

A coalition of congressional Democrats unveiled a resolution titled the “Trans Bill of Rights” last week to push back against the “fear” and “hatred” propelled by those who believe that one’s sex corresponds to their biological sex. As written by Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., in a press release, the resolution aims to direct the federal government to expand transgender access to public “services” and “accommodations.” The bill language adds that it aims to ensure that “transgender and non-binary people” get “equal access” to “services and public accommodations that align with their gender identity. The bill also states that transgenders should...

A Texas judge who gained national attention for displaying a pride flag in her courtroom now faces felony charges after allegedly ordering a defense attorney handcuffed and held in a jury box. Bexar County Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez turned herself in Thursday on charges of unlawful restraint and official oppression, the New York Post reported. The 60-year-old became the first openly LGBTQ judge elected in the county when she took office in 2019. “I’m a proud public servant, I’m LGBTQ, I own a gun, I’m bilingual, I’m an American citizen — and I have every right to defend myself,” Gonzalez...

In a social media announcement posted Wednesday, Tucson Pride’s Board of Directors said the organization has made the “difficult decision to close Tucson Pride as an organization" and therefore is also canceling the Tucson Pride Festival scheduled for Feb. 21, 2026. The Facebook post, attributed to the newly appointed board, said the decision came after “thoughtful discussion and careful consideration.” The statement thanked volunteers, sponsors, artists and activists and highlighted Tucson Pride’s role in the community “since 1977,” calling it a space of “visibility, advocacy, celebration, and resilience for nearly five decades.”

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin may not be the most liked player in the NHL, but he found a way to endear himself to a lot of the game's fans. On Saturday night, the Capitals and Florida Panthers faced off, with Washington holding its annual Pride Night before the game. (Cue the justified boos and eye rolls). That means that many players decided to put rainbow tape on their sticks as a show of support. But Ovechkin, and several others, decided not to. They skated onto the ice with their sticks looking normal as most reasonable people would do.

It was likely one of the last pieces of city policy passed that winter, just before the New Year, a parting gift from a progressive city council. On December 30, 1975, Minneapolis became the first city to adopt a trans-inclusive LGBTQ+ non-discrimination ordinance. Fifty years later, the United States still lacks similar protections on a federal level.

Two sisters are selling tickets for a party to raise money to enable their mother to commit suicide at a Swiss clinic. Jackie Baker, 59, wants to travel to the Dignitas euthanasia clinic after developing motor neurone disease in February. Her daughters Tara O'Reilly and Rose Baker are desperately trying to raise £8,000 so their mother can "die with dignity" in Switzerland. Hairdresser Tara, 40, is selling tickets for a girls night out with drag artist and playboy waiters to raise the funds for her mother. Tara said: "It's what she wants. We were very upset at the beginning but...

She wore the metallic, see-through design by Christian Cowan to Variety’s Power of Women event.

For the better part of a year, we've been reporting about Richard Cox, the Tier III registered child sex offender currently terrorizing women and girls in and around Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia. Cox has repeatedly exposed himself and engaged in lewd acts in locker rooms, and authorities have turned a blind eye because Cox "identifies" as a woman. Advertisement Back in September, we learned Cox, a registered child sex offender, had schedules for children's swim classes on his phone, presumably so he could be in the locker room before and after those classes took place. VA's Democratic gubernatorial...

FBI Director Kash Patel abruptly tossed out an agent in training on Wednesday for previously showing off a gay pride flag on his desk, according to a report. The trainee had displayed the emblem while serving in a field office in California last year during President Joe Biden's administration. Patel sent the trainee a signed letter dated October 1, claiming he had presented an improper 'political' message in the workplace while assigned in Golden State. The termination letter cited Donald Trump's constitutional power to fire bureaucrats serving in the executive branch. 'After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your...

Homosexual throple allowed to adopt child in Canada A court in Quebec has granted three men in a homosexual polyamorous relationship full legal parental rights over a three-year-old girl, marking one of the most radical redefinitions of family yet seen in Canada. The case follows a 2025 ruling declaring that limiting children to one mother and one father was “unconstitutional,” opening the door to so-called “multi-parent” households. The men—Eric LeBlanc, Jonathan Bédard, and Justin Maheu—had been fostering the child for two years before being formally authorized to adopt her. Under the new framework, the court recognized all three as equal...

The legal team representing defendants in a forthcoming Supreme Court case to protect women's sports has responded after the transgender plaintiff asked the court to drop the case. The defense team, led by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney Kristen Waggoner, filed its response after former Boise State University transgender athlete Lindsay Hecox, requested the athlete's initial lawsuit to fight for trans inclusion in women's sports from 2022 be dismissed, after SCOTUS agreed to hear the case..... The Little v. Hecox lawsuit was initially filed by Hecox in 2020, when the trans athlete wanted to...

Former Vice President Kamala Harris faced swift criticism for saying that it was not viable to have former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg as her running mate in 2024 due to him being gay. "I guess I’d ask you to just elaborate on that a little bit. It’s hard to hear," MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said Monday during an interview with Harris about her campaign memoir."You’re the first woman elected vice president. You’re a Black woman and a South Asian woman elected to that high office, very nearly elected president. To say that he couldn’t be on the ticket effectively because...

I love my dog Sadie, but I don’t “levo” my dog Sadie. What’s the difference? Make sure you want to know before scrolling down, and make sure you have a barf bag nearby: Pretty much what I expected beastiality activists to look like. Love is a religious word. Love is a medieval word. Love is an outdated word. Being a resident-thus a connoisseur of the postmodern era-I am well aware of how things are. It is commonly mentioned that the only thing we can rely on now is not science or religion, but the relationships shared with others. … But...

Pedophilia, in the sense of the persistent sexual attraction to children, is a disorder, not a crime, and deserves special protections in law. That’s the premise of a recent New York Times opinion piece by Rutgers law professor Margo Kaplan, who argues that “stigma” surrounding adults who are sexually attracted to children prevents them from seeking psychological help. As a result, Kaplan asserts, pedophiles should be protected by the same anti-discrimination laws that require society to accommodate other “disabilities.”“By some estimates, 1 percent of the male population continues, long after puberty, to find themselves attracted to prepubescent children. These people are...

Florida police arrested a 13-year-old on Friday who is charged with possessing child pornography and beastiality material after he joined an “online cult” that allegedly targets minors for abuse, according to a local sheriff. The unnamed suspect was charged with four felonies weeks after police received a tip about a group on Discord, a popular gaming platform, encouraging a young girl to harm herself during a “live cut show,” Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said in a Monday press conference. The suspect’s group adheres to “Satanic and neo-Nazi ideology” that has been linked to similar cases in the U.S., and...