Pride Live, a social advocacy and community engagement organization for the LGBTQ+ community, is presenting its third annual Stonewall Day today, June 26, starting at 12:45 p.m.
The global campaign is designed to elevate awareness and support for the Stonewall legacy and the continuing fight for full LGBTQ+ equality.
In advance of the event, the group released a 50-second clip of President Barack Obama’s message to the LGBTQ community. The full message will run during today’s program. Watch the clip below:
The livestream will feature performances and messages from an impressive lineup of celebrities and activists, including Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Cynthia Erivo, Kesha, Hayley Kiyoko, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Christian Siriano, George Takei, Donatella Versace, Lilly Wachowski, Sir Richard Branson, Jonny Beauchamp, Valentina Sampaio, Dustin Lance Black, Blossom C. Brown, Chelsea Clinton, Luke Evans, Valerie Jarrett, Stella Maxwell, Imara Jones, Bethany C. Meyers, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Justin Tranter, Josephine Skriver, Kellen Stancil, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Nico Tortorella, Alok Vaid-Menon, Chely Wright, Conchita WURST, and Stonewall Day National Chair, trans model and advocate Geena Rocero.
“COVID-19, and the recent events that have placed a national and global spotlight on the need for fair and equal treatment for all people, has impacted so many around the world and the LGBTQ+ community has not been immune,” said Pride Live Board President Dr. Yvette C. Burton. “This has resulted in vital and life-saving LGBTQ+ organizations having to severely amend their budgets and programs. Our hopes are Stonewall Day can assist our beneficiaries in continuing their work and service to the community.”
“At WarnerMedia, we believe in the power of telling stories that accurately reflect the world that we live in,” said Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at WarnerMedia, the event’s lead presenting partner, along with GLAAD and NASDAQ. “Now, more than ever, we recognize the significance of standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the deep connection between the rebellion that started at Stonewall in 1969 connected to LGBTQ+ justice and police brutality, and the movement we see on the streets today as people demand an end to repeated brutality and systemic oppression.”
Tune into the event today from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Logo’s YouTube and Facebook pages.
Roman Catholic priests will continue to be permitted to offer blessings to individuals in same-sex relationships under Pope Leo XIV, maintaining a policy approved by his predecessor, Pope Francis, that has drawn criticism from conservative Catholics.
The continuation of the policy was confirmed on July 3 by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, in an interview with the Rome-based daily Il Messaggero. The Vatican did not issue an official statement, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has subpoenaed records from the Kilted Mermaid, a popular Vero Beach restaurant, as part of an investigation into a June 29 "Pride Tea Dance" featuring music, dancing, and drag shows.
Uthmeier's office claims the restaurant allowed "adult, sexualized performers in front of children," allegedly violating Florida's blocked law banning drag shows and other "adult live performances."
Announcing the probe on X, Uthmeier wrote, "In Florida, we don't sacrifice the innocence of children for the perversions of some demented adults." He said his office had subpoenaed Kilted Mermaid owner and Vero Beach Vice Mayor Linda Moore to testify and provide documents related to the event.
After removing all references to transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument website earlier this year, the National Park Service has now scrubbed mentions of bisexual people as well.
As first reported by transgender journalist Erin Reed on her Erin in the Morning Substack, the change occurred on July 10, when the homepage was updated to read, "Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a gay or lesbian person was illegal."
Subsequent pages, including the site's "History and Culture" section, were also altered to remove broader LGBTQ references. One now reads: "Stonewall was a milestone for gay and lesbian civil rights," whereas it previously noted that living "openly as a member of the Stonewall comunity was a violation of law."
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