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A record number of LGBTQ people were just elected to the British Parliament
The British election was remarkable for many things — particularly the weak showing of Theresa May’s Conservative Party. But there was a milestone less widely noted: British voters elected 45 out LGBTQ candidates to parliament — 7 percent of its 650 members.
Those 45 MPs are an increase over the already high-water mark of 32 elected in 2015. In the intervening two years, seven incumbent MPs came out — leaving 39 sitting members defending their seats last week. All but two were reelected and they were joined by eight new members. Among these 45 LGBTQ members, there are now 19 from the Conservative Party, 19 from the Labour Party and seven from the Scottish Nationalist Party. In total, there were 159 LGBTQ candidates running in the elections.
In a recent study, Gabriele Magni and I found that being LGBTQ, and out, actually was a net advantage in the 2015 British general election — in particular for Labour candidates, competitive Conservatives and candidates in rural areas.
That advantage appears to have been confirmed in 2017. The Tories only made eight gains outside of Scotland and two of them were by LGBTQ Tory candidates. Two of the new Scottish Conservative MPs are also gay. LGBTQ MPs from the Scottish Nationalist Party were more likely to hold their seats than their straight colleagues and their 10 LGBTQ candidates outperformed their straight colleagues by 1.2 percent. In the Labour Party, LGBTQ MPs made four seat gains.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/06/11/a-record-number-of-lgbtq-people-were-just-elected-to-the-u-k-parliament/
Exodus at 40: Bob Marleys Plea for Peace and Black Liberation After Facing Death
Bob Marley’s Exodus is one of the epochal albums in the history of popular music. There are a select few albums that are as culturally impactful and musically rich as the album Marley released in June 1977, barely six months after armed gunmen shot him and his wife at their home in Kingston, Jamaica.
“When I come here, I want to get through to the people. I don’t come here for joke…”
Bob Marley had been in a period of great transition for about two years. The Wailers had become international stars following the success of 1973’s Catch A Fire, but things had gone awry between the original Wailers of Bob, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. The three would split in 1974, with Tosh and Livingston going on to successful solo careers and Bob refashioning the Wailers as “Bob Marley and the Wailers.” His new band featured Aston “Family Man” Barrett and his brother Carlton on bass and drums, respectively; Junior Marvin along with Al Anderson on guitar, with Earl Lindo adding keys and Junior Braithwaite singing backing vocals. Marley’s wife Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt as backing singers the I-Threes.
Bob Marley and the Wailers had made their recording debut with Natty Dread, but some tracks still featured contributions from Tosh and Livingston. And Marley had delivered one of his most committed political statements on 1976’s Rastaman Vibration. But as his new band approach was beginning to gel, the violence of the outside world came crashing into Bob Marley’s universe.
more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/exodus-at-40-bob-marleys-plea-for-peace-and-black-liberation-after-facing-death
Usain Bolt Says Farewell In Magnificent Style #OneLastBolt
Like he has done so many times before, Usain Bolt crossed the finish line in front, as he closed the book in what was his final race on local soil at Saturday’s JN Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium.
But not before his usual theatrics at the start.
A ‘To di worl’ pose as he was being introduced, Mo farah darting on the infield, GoPro camera in hand to get his vantage point of the historic moment; it was the sort of end everyone expected and the fireworks that met his 10.03 seconds win at the finish line was symbolic of the most exciting career in track and field.
Javaughn Minzie was second in 10.15 with Nickel Ashmeade running third in 10.18.
“I really appreciate you guys for coming out and supporting me. After my friend’s death it was really hard for me, I have never been through something like this, I had to take some time but I knew what I had to do and I knew Germaine (Mason) would want me to do this. This was special,” said Bolt after his event.
more
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170610/bolt-says-farewell-magnificent-style-onelastbolt
Weekend Toon Roundup 3 - The Rest
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Naomi Klein- The Worst of Trump's Toxic Agenda is lying in wait- A major Crisis will unleash it
DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL campaign, some imagined that the more overtly racist elements of Donald Trump’s platform were just talk designed to rile up the base, not anything he seriously intended to act on. But in his first week in office, when he imposed a travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries, that comforting illusion disappeared fast. Fortunately, the response was immediate: the marches and rallies at airports, the impromptu taxi strikes, the lawyers and local politicians intervening, the judges ruling the bans illegal.
The whole episode showed the power of resistance, and of judicial courage, and there was much to celebrate. Some have even concluded that this early slap down chastened Trump, and that he is now committed to a more reasonable, conventional course.
That is a dangerous illusion.
It is true that many of the more radical items on this administration’s wish list have yet to be realized. But make no mistake, the full agenda is still there, lying in wait. And there is one thing that could unleash it all: a large-scale crisis.
more
https://theintercept.com/2017/06/10/the-worst-of-donald-trumps-toxic-agenda-is-lying-in-wait-a-major-u-s-crisis-will-unleash-it/?comments=1#comments
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