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☆ Suburbs Were Democratic Turf on Tuesday. What About in 2024?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | More About Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Abortion was dominant; suburban voters outside Ohio’s biggest cities voted overwhelmingly to establish the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution. Kentucky’s incumbent Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, who ran hard on abortion rights and kitchen-table issues like infrastructure spending, won not only Jefferson County, home to Louisville, and Fayette County, home to Lexington. He also beat his Republican challenger, Daniel Cameron, in Kenton and Campbell Counties, once reliably Republican redoubts across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. “The Republican Party has to modernize its message on this issue if we’re going to convince Democrats and independents to cross over and vote Republican. This time, she said, some of the same parents recoiled from Republican efforts to ban books with L.G.B.T.Q.

Persons: Andy Beshear, Daniel Cameron, Glenn Youngkin’s, Danica Roem, “, ”, John Whitbeck, Roe, Wade, Heather Williams, recoiled Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Campbell Counties, Democrat, Virginia General, State Senate, Democrats, Republican Party of Virginia, Republican Party, Democratic Legislative, Committee Locations: Ohio’s, Jefferson County, Louisville, Fayette County, Lexington, Kenton, Campbell, Ohio, Cincinnati, Virginia, Loudoun County, Washington, ”

Pope Francis, who has made reaching out to L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics a hallmark of his papacy, has made clear that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and be witnesses at church weddings, furthering his vision of a more inclusive church. The pope’s embrace of transgender people’s participation in the church was revealed in a Vatican document that he approved on Oct. 31 and that was posted online Wednesday. The decision “signals Pope Francis’ desire for a pastorally focused approach to L.G.B.T.Q.+ issues is taking hold,” he added. The immediate public response from American bishops, who have taken more restrictive stances on transgender issues, was generally muted.

Persons: Pope Francis, ” Francis DeBernardo, Pope Francis ’, ” Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, New Ways Ministry, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Locations: Maryland

But there were also walking memes, rare public expressions of queer life, wry commentary on the state of China and at least one bipedal cucumber — a colorful burst of pent-up energy and emotion in Shanghai’s first big Halloween celebration in years. In Shanghai, revelers have embraced Halloween, turning what started as a Western tradition into something distinctly Chinese. Over four days, they celebrated many of the things that Chinese censors normally suppress: elements of L.G.B.T. life, political and social criticism, or simply appearances that mainstream Chinese society might consider too flamboyant or strange. “It was a sea of joy from Huaihai Road all the way to Nanjing Road,” said Eric Ding, a 23-year-old tech worker.

Persons: ”, Eric Ding Locations: China, Shanghai, Nanjing

Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley, said Republicans were mischaracterizing a complex, emotionally fraught issue to score political points. students, the university no doubt would crack down and make sure that this was a safe space for them on the college campuses,” Mr. Brooks said. “They’re not doing that for the Jewish students. Now they offer pathetic equivocation or, worse, deafening silence.”“They seem more offended by ‘microaggressions’ than by mass murder,” Mr. Scott said. “If this were any other minority group, hear me, the far left would be screaming from the rooftops.”

Persons: Biden, ” Jonathan Greenblatt, “, Israel ”, Erwin Chemerinsky, ”, Chemerinsky, Matt Brooks, Mr, Brooks, “ They’re, Tim Scott of, ‘ microaggressions, ” Mr, Scott Organizations: Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, Defamation League, Democrats, Republicans provocatively, University of California, Fox News, Democratic Party, Republican Jewish Coalition, American Locations: Berkeley, Israel, Tim Scott of South Carolina

☆ Israel, It’s Time to Consider a Cease-fire - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

I am watching the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza today and thinking about one of the world leaders I’ve most admired: Manmohan Singh. The cost of occupying Gaza could overstretch the Israeli military and economy for years to come. Israel should keep the door open for a humanitarian cease-fire and prisoner exchange that will also allow Israel to pause and reflect on exactly where it is going with its rushed Gaza military operation — and the price it could pay over the long haul. Israel built an impressive society and economy, even if flawed, and Hamas took nearly all of its resources and built attack tunnels. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Persons: I’ve, Manmohan Singh, Singh, Shivshankar Menon, “, ” Menon, ”, Menon, Israel’s, It’s, Israel —, —, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, ’ ’, Gaza —, Shin Bet, excusing, don’t Organizations: Pakistan Army, Abraham Accords, Economist, Hamas, United, West Bank, Shin Bet, European Union, Democratic Party, U.S . House, Bank, Gaza, New York, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Israel, Gaza, Pakistani, India, Mumbai, Pakistan, Abraham, United States, Mexico, European, U.S, Washington

A monthlong meeting convened by Pope Francis to determine the future of the Roman Catholic Church ended Saturday night with a document that said it was “urgent” that women have a larger role but postponed discussion of major issues such as ordaining women as deacons and failed to address outreach to L.G.B.T.Q.+ Catholics. Vatican officials instead sought to emphasize common ground during the meeting, which was characterized by liberals and conservatives alike as a potential culmination of Francis’ 10-year pontificate and the vehicle through which he might make changes. Instead, it echoed another characteristic of Francis’ tenure: kicking the can on major issues as he sought to build deeper support through the global church. After the conclusion of the meeting, called the Synod on Synodality, which Francis attended and had about 450 participants (of which 365 could vote), Vatican officials said they had decided to cut sources of tension — “divergences,” as the meeting called them.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis ’, Francis Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, Vatican Locations: Synodality

☆ Where Mike Johnson Stands on Ukraine, Abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. Issues and More
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Kayla Guo | More About Kayla Guo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Speaker Mike Johnson, the little-known congressman from Louisiana who won the gavel on Wednesday, is deeply conservative on both fiscal and social issues, reflecting the G.O.P.’s sharp lurch to the right. Mr. Johnson, a lawyer, also played a leading role in former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, helping to push a lawsuit to throw out the results in four battleground states he lost and then offering members of Congress a legal argument upon which to justify their votes to invalidate the results. He has a career rating of 92 percent from the American Conservative Union and 90 percent from Heritage Action for America. Here’s where he stands on six key issues. Government fundingMr. Johnson is a fiscal conservative who believes Congress has a “moral and constitutional duty” to balance the budget, lower spending and “pursue continued pro-growth tax reforms and permanent tax reductions,” according to his website.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Donald J, “ Organizations: American Conservative Union, Heritage Action, America, Here’s Locations: Louisiana

☆ In Israel and Gaza, Searching for Humanity - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The conceptual frames that many people use to organize their understanding of the world are crashing and burning upon contact with Middle Eastern reality. The first paradigm that failed this month was critical race theory or woke-ism. A group of highly educated American progressives cheered on Hamas as anti-colonialist freedom fighters even though Hamas is a theocratic, genocidal terrorist force that oppresses L.G.B.T.Q. American universities exist to give students the conceptual tools to understand the world. It appears that at many universities students are instead being fed simplistic ideological categories that blind them to reality.

Persons: Mounk, It’s, Israel, —, Boko Haram Locations: American, Nigeria

☆ Opinion | The G.O.P. Goes Full-on Extremist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Paul Krugman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Oh, no doubt some members are privately appalled by the views of Mike Johnson, the new speaker. What matters is what they do — and every single one of them went along with the selection of a radical extremist. There has also been considerable coverage of Johnson’s right-wing social views, but I’m not sure how many people grasp the depth of his intolerance. Johnson isn’t just someone who wants to legalize discrimination against L.G.B.T.Q. But Johnson’s extremism, and that of the party that chose him, goes beyond rejecting democracy and trying to turn back the clock on decades of social progress.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, I’m, Johnson isn’t, he’s Organizations: Republicans, L.G.B.T.Q

Japan’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that requiring transgender people to undergo sterilization in order to legally change their gender identity is unconstitutional, a step forward for L.G.B.T.Q. rights in a nation that has been slow to recognize them. In practice, that means many transgender people will still be unable to make the legal change. The top court said it would send the case back to the High Court for further discussion of the transition surgery clause. “I’m very disappointed that my case still has to go on.”

Persons: ”, Kazuyuki Minami, “ I’m Organizations: High Court Locations: Japan’s

☆ Who Is Mike Johnson? One of the House’s Staunchest Conservatives.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Annie Karni | More About Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Representative Mike Johnson, the little-known Louisiana Republican who was elected speaker on Wednesday, is both a leading election denier and one of the staunchest religious conservatives in the House. Mr. Johnson, a lawyer and former chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, played a pivotal role in congressional efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Last year, Mr. Johnson introduced a bill that prohibited the use of federal funds for providing sex education to children under 10 that included any L.G.B.T.Q. topics — a proposal that critics called a national version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Mr. Johnson called the legislation “common sense.”

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Susan B, Anthony Pro, Roe, Wade, Jim Jordan of Organizations: Louisiana Republican, Republican, Caucus Locations: Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio

The Synod on Synodality, the sprawling meeting in Rome, has become a flashpoint among different factions of the church’s leadership. Attendees have a broad mandate to discuss the future of the church, including ordaining women as deacons and outreach to L.G.B.T.Q. Relatively progressive leaders, including those appointed by Pope Francis, see the synod as a hopeful moment that could lead to much-needed changes. Cardinal Blaise J. Cupich of Chicago, a close ally of Pope Francis, is among the 14 American bishops attending the meeting. But in a moment when the American church is especially polarized at the top, the synod is also laying bare the divide in the pews, and the scale of the challenge facing the pope.

Persons: Buś, Stan’s, Pope Francis, Cardinal Blaise J, Cupich Locations: St, Synodality, Rome, Chicago

☆ Opinion | Turmoil Over Student Support for Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

To the Editor:Re “Student Letter Hits Fault Line in Free Speech” (front page, Oct. 19):The unequivocal support for Hamas by some students at elite colleges is irksome and puzzling. These bright young students claim to value tolerance and inclusion while objecting to capital punishment. Carla S. SchickOakland, Calif.To the Editor:It strikes me that the students at Harvard who complain about being “doxxed” misunderstand the concept of free speech. Free speech means that you are free to say whatever is on your mind “free” of government restrictions. If you say mean things, they likely will think you mean.

Persons: don’t, Adam M, Shaw Baltimore, I’ve, ”, Bill Ackman, Jonah S, Berger, Carla S, Schick, Sanford H, Margolin, Sidney Powell Organizations: Harvard, Stanford, Berger Pittsburgh Locations: Columbia, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, U.S, Schick Oakland, Calif

☆ Opinion | The Marketing of a Massacre
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Frank Bruni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

We watched the marketing of a massacre. Much has been written and spoken about some progressive groups and many progressive students (and faculty members) at American colleges, who reacted to the hunting, the shooting, the slashing, the burning of all those people in Israel by blaming … Israel. As Ezekiel J. Emanuel wrote in Times Opinion just days ago: “It is possible to condemn the barbarism of Hamas and condemn the endless Israeli occupation of the West Bank. So, too, is it possible to condemn the treatment of women and the L.G.B.T.Q. Why should they be any different from the so-called adults in this country?

Persons: … Israel, —, Ezekiel J, Emanuel Organizations: West Bank, Duke, Democratic Socialists of America Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States

“Bonjour hi,” the ubiquitous greeting servers and shopkeepers use to figure out whether you prefer French or English, encapsulates so much about Montreal, which like its province, Quebec, retains a strong French Canadian identity. In this 381-year-old city of 1.78 million, which Mark Twain once described as a place “where you couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window,” one of Canada’s most vibrant L.G.B.T.Q. scenes thrives, and communities formed by Jewish, African, Asian, Italian, Portuguese and Haitian immigrants all offer something special to see (and taste). The city is on an upswing: Modern apartment buildings, cafes and bike paths are popping up in formerly industrial Griffintown, while the Plateau and Mile End areas offer art and music worthy of the place that nurtured Arcade Fire and Leonard Cohen. There is too much for just 36 hours, but if you bring some good walking shoes, you’ll find terrific meals, stunning views atop Mont-Royal and a creative spirit that comes across in any language.

Persons: Mark Twain, Leonard Cohen Organizations: Royal Locations: Montreal, Quebec

☆ Opinion | When Trump Says ‘People,’ He Means ‘His People’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When he says “our once great country,” he means the country when it most benefited those most devoted to him, at a time when the racial hierarchy was more fixed, the patriarchy was more entrenched, immigrant communities were often whiter and gender identities were more rigid. There’s a reason Trump never attempted to govern as a unifier and isn’t running for re-election as one. It isn’t as simple as saying that Trump wants to drag the country backward. He wants to do something far more destructive: He wants to marry the country’s more intolerant past to a more autocratic future. They idolize Trump because his craven desire for power, and the protection from prosecution that he believes it will provide, would also offer them a ride on his coattails.

Persons: Trump, craven Organizations: Comcast Locations: America

☆ Newsom Vetoes Bill on Parental Support of Child’s Gender Identity in Custody Cases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Anna Betts | More About Anna Betts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Gavin Newsom of California vetoed a bill on Friday that would instruct judges presiding over custody battles in the state to take into consideration a parent’s support for a child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions. Why It Matters: The veto signals a break from the governor’s stance in support of transgender rights. The governor added that under existing state law, the court is required to consider a child’s health, safety and welfare in these proceedings, which he said already includes the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity. Background: The child custody bill passed along party lines this month. A two-thirds vote in both chambers, where Democrats hold supermajorities, could override Mr. Newsom’s veto.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Newsom, ”, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, Newsom’s, Wilson, Scott Wiener, “, Mr, Wiener, Bill, Bill Essayli Organizations: California, Legislature, Democrat, Associated Press, Republicans Locations: California, L.G.B.T.Q

That’s not an issue for QI.X, which doesn’t aspire to the immaculately styled look of the typical K-pop act (and, in any case, couldn’t afford the ensemble of stylists those groups have). They handle their own bookings and manage their social media presence, recording videos themselves to post on TikTok and Instagram. Many of the videos are shot at LesVos, an L.G.B.T.Q. Myoung-woo YoonKim, 68, who has run LesVos since the late 1990s, grew up at a time when lesbians were practically invisible in South Korea. “I would often think, ‘Am I the only woman who loves women?’” they said.

Persons: That’s, QI.X, YoonKim, “, ‘, ’ ” Organizations: Seoul Disabled People’s, Festival Locations: Seoul, South Korea

☆ Changes Bring Friction, and Lawsuits, to Florida College Targeted by DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | More About Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

More than 200 students have been moved from on-campus dorms to off-campus hotels to make room for the recruited athletes and other new students. The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a complaint that New College, in its new iteration, discriminated based on disability. State lawmakers sent about $50 million to the school this year, a big jump from recent years. “What was really missing more than anything else at New College was leadership,” Mr. Corcoran, a former Florida House speaker and state education commissioner, said in an interview. “We’ve been able to do something that wasn’t accomplished in 63 years at the college, and that was grow enrollment.

Persons: Richard Corcoran, ” Mr, Corcoran, “ We’ve, “, ” Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, New College, L.G.B.T.Q, Florida House Locations: Florida

“Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence,” Mr. Biden said as President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine watched from the audience. I respectfully suggest the answer is no.”“We have to stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” Mr. Biden continued. “Ask Prigozhin if one bets on Putin’s promises.”Both Mr. Biden and Mr. Zelensky received strong applause from some of the delegations in the hall, but many others did not clap. On Tuesday evening, Mr. Biden and Jill Biden were to host a reception for other world leaders at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “This is clearly a genocide,” Mr. Zelensky said.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Vladimir V, Moscow, ”, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, “, Biden’s, Kevin McCarthy, we’ve, Lloyd J, Austin III, Ukraine’s, Xi Jinping, Jill Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Netanyahu, “ Slava Ukraini Organizations: appeasing Moscow, United Nations General Assembly, Republicans, United Nations, International Criminal Court, . Security, Mr, White, Pentagon, Capitol, Defense, General, appeasing, United, Soviet Union —, Turkmenistan —, Metropolitan Museum of Art, United Nations ’ Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Washington, New York, Russia’s, Germany, China, Beijing, Libya, “, United Nations, Soviet Union, Soviet Union — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, China’s, Brazil, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Moldova, Georgia, Syria, Belarus, Baltic

☆ What I’m Reading: Eclectic Edition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” has long been a well-known saying, but now, thanks to this interesting new paper in the American Political Science Review, it’s also political science. The authors investigate whether hostility to immigrants, particularly Muslims, has actually helped to generate support for L.G.B.T.+ rights among otherwise conservative nativist voters. They found that citizens “strategically liberalize” their stance on L.G.B.T.+ rights when they are told that people from an ethnic out-group — for example, Muslim immigrants in Europe — oppose such protections. (Here again, Trump is a useful exemplar: Although he embraced gay rights in the Pulse speech as a cudgel against Muslims, in practice his administration dismantled L.G.BT. protections, including rolling back rules against workplace discrimination and banning transgender people from the military.)

Persons: Bethany Allen, Ebrahimian, Allen, smartly, “, ”, it’s, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Science Locations: Beijing, China, “ Beijing, Europe

☆ Egos! Drama! Desmond Child, a Pop Hitmaker, Is Telling His Story.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jim Farber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“When Steven Tyler wrote his memoir, he completely diminished me by saying, ‘Well, everything was already written’ and I just added a few words,” Child, 69, said of Aerosmith’s 1987 hit. “When Joe Perry wrote about ‘Dude’ in his autobiography, he said, ‘Well, Desmond just came up with the title.’”That wasn’t all. After “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” which Child wrote with Paul Stanley of Kiss, became a smash for that band, he asserted that Gene Simmons “started saying in every interview, ‘We hired guards in front of the studio to keep Desmond Child out,’ because he hated that song so much. Why would you attack a person who put money in your pocket?” (In an interview, Stanley confirmed the anecdote.) people locked in the closet.

Persons: Bon, ”, Ricky Martin’s “, Katy Perry —, Desmond Child’s, “, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Desmond, ’, Child, Paul Stanley of Kiss, Gene Simmons “, ‘, Desmond Child, Stanley, Blanche Dubois, Anjelica Huston, ’ ” Organizations: Kiss Locations: Cuban

Maura Healey of Massachusetts, a liberal Democrat, has declared a state of emergency, activated the National Guard and started petitioning the White House for help. The migrants on state-funded buses from Texas are a fraction of the total number arriving in northern cities. Some of those migrants have family in New York, while others are attracted to the city’s history of welcoming immigrants. Still, the rising clamor is creating a rare convergence between the two parties, which for years have fought in seemingly parallel political universes. Endless Republican news conferences at the border and threats to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, were dismissed as political bluster.

Persons: Maura Healey, Star ”, “, Alejandro Mayorkas, shouldn’t, ”, Josh Riley, Marc Molinaro, Riley, Biden Organizations: Massachusetts, Democrat, National Guard, White House, Star, Republican, Democratic, Hudson Valley Republican, ”, Republicans Locations: Texas, . Texas, New York City, New York, Washington, Albany, Hudson

☆ How Ben Sasse Became a Combatant in Florida’s Education Wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Michael Sokolove | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Sasse’s words sometimes tumble out in a kind of techno-futurist patois that can be hard to follow. In response to a question about his perceived invisibility on campus, he veered off into something about the future of pedagogy. Later, he added, “What will today’s generic term ‘professor’ mean when you disaggregate syllabus designer, sage-on-the-stage lecturer, seminar leader, instructional technologist, grader, assessor, etc. ?”Sasse is not the first politician to lead a big public university. Oliver Grundmann, a professor in the College of Pharmacy, told me that members of the campus community were worried because of the positions Sasse took in the past.

Persons: unbundle, ”, David Boren, Mitch Daniels, Judith Wilde, Sasse, Bob Graham, Oliver Grundmann, ” Grundmann, “ Organizations: University of Oklahoma, Purdue University, Midland University, Midland Lutheran College, Shar, Policy, Government, George Mason University, ”, Graduate Student Council, Pride, Bob Graham Center for Public Service, College of Pharmacy Locations: Indiana, Virginia, Florida, U.F

☆ Judge Blocks Transgender Notification Policy in California School District
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Anna Betts | More About Anna Betts | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The attorney general, a Democrat, said the school district policy amounted to the “forced outing” of transgender students. It also might deter other school districts in California from imposing similar requirements. In recent weeks, the Anderson Union High School District in Northern California and the Murrieta Valley and Temecula Valley unified school districts in the Inland Empire have enacted policies similar to the one enacted by Chino Valley Unified. Orange Unified School District board members are also scheduled to consider a transgender notification policy on Thursday. Nearly a month into its school year, the Chino Valley Unified School District must shelve its notification policy and await further court proceedings.

Persons: Rob Bonta, Bonta, Judge Thomas S, Garza, Andrea Johnston, ” Mr Organizations: Unified School District, San Bernardino Superior Court, Chino Valley Unified, Anderson Union High School District, Orange Unified School District, Chino Valley Unified School District, Chino Valley Unified School Locations: Chino, San Bernardino, California, Northern California, Temecula, Inland, Chino Valley

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