Posted on

Norway: Two dead, Many Wounded In Shooting; Pride Events Halted

Two people were killed and more than a dozen injured early Saturday when a man opened fire outside a bar popular with the LGBTQ community in Norway’s capital, Oslo, police said.

The events occurred in the early hours as the city was gearing up for its annual Pride parade. Organisers cancelled all Pride events planned for Saturday on the advice of the police.

A suspect was arrested and police don’t believe any other people were involved, police spokesman Tore Barstad said.

Barstad said the motive was not immediately known and it wasn’t clear whether the shooting had any connection to the Pride parade.

Oslo Pride said it was nevertheless advised by police to cancel the parade and other Pride events.

“Oslo Pride therefore urges everyone who planned to participate or watch the parade to not show up. All events in connection with Oslo Prides are canceled,” organisers said on the official Facebook page of the event.

Barstad said 14 people were receiving medical treatment, eight of whom have been hospitalized.

Olav Roenneberg, a journalist from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, said he witnessed the shooting.

“I saw a man arrive at the site with a bag. He picked up a weapon and started shooting,” Roenneberg told NRK. “First I thought it was an air gun. Then the glass of the bar next door was shattered and I understood I had to run for cover.”

The shots were fired outside the London Pub, which describes itself as the most popular gay bar in Oslo since it opened in 1979.

“The shooting outside London Pub in Oslo tonight was a cruel and deeply shocking attack on innocent people,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a Facebook post.

He said that while the motive was unclear, the shooting had caused fear and grief in the LGBTQ community. 

“We all stand by you,” Gahr Stoere wrote.

Christian Bredeli, who was at the bar, told Norwegian newspaper VG that he hid on the fourth floor with a group of about 10 people until he was told it was safe to come out.

“Many were fearing for their lives,” he said. “On our way out we saw several injured people, so we understood that something serious had happened.”

Norwegian broadcaster TV2 showed footage of people running down Oslo streets in panic as shots rang out in the background.

Norway is a relatively safe country but has experienced violent attacks by right-wing extremists, including one of the worst mass shootings in Europe in 2011, when a gunman killed 69 people on the island of Utoya after setting off a bomb in Oslo that left eight dead.

In 2019, another right-wing extremist killed his stepsister and then opened fire in a mosque but was overpowered before anyone there was injured.

Posted on

2022 Chicago Pride Events: Pride Parade, Pride in the Park, Navy Pier Pride and More

2022 Chicago Pride Events: Pride Parade, Pride in the Park, Navy Pier Pride and More

More than a million people are expected at Chicago’s annual Pride Parade Sunday, but it’s not the only Pride celebration taking place this weekend.

Here’s what to know about the Parade if you plan to go, as well as other Pride events and celebrations taking place across the city this weekend.

Navy Pier Pride: Saturday

From noon to 11:30 p.m., Navy Pier’s annual free, outdoor pride celebration showcases storytelling, performances from local LGBTQIA+ artists including the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, educational programs and more.

The event concludes with fireworks, which take place every Wednesday and Saturday evenings at Navy Pier.

Here’s more information.

Back Lot Bash: Saturday and Sunday

Along Clark Street, this Pride weekend-long event will include whiskey tasting, a drag festival, live music and more.

The event takes place Saturday beginning at 3 p.m., and continues through Sunday at 9 p.m.

Tickets begin at $20 per day, or $30 for a two-day pass.

Pride in The Park: Saturday and Sunday

Pride in The Park, an outdoor music festival and immersive pride experience in Grant Park, also takes place this weekend, Saturday and Sunday.

Headliners include The Chainsmokers and Alesso, and performances include singer/songwriter Daya, rapper and television personality Saucy Santana, DJ and producer J. Worra, YouTube sensation Rebecca Black, as well as performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race Winners Shea Couleé, Monet x Change and Priyanka.

Here’s the full lineup for each day.

Pride in The Park takes place at Butler Field at Grant Park on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Butler Field at Grant Park in downtown Chicago, at 100 S. Lakeshore Drive.

Single day tickets start at $45, and tickets for both days start at $95. More information can be found here.

2022 Chicago Pride Parade: Sunday

When and Where

Chicago’s 51st annual Pride Parade steps off Sunday at noon at Montrose Ave. and Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood and winds through the north side of the city. It ends in Lincoln Park near the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road., organizers say.

The busiest portion of the parade route tends to be in North Halsted between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street, according to organizers.

Here’s a map of the route.

“For the liveliest viewing spots, head to the Boystown section of North Halsted Street, between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street,” parade organizers say. “If you are seeking a less crowded area to view the parade, look for your viewing spots north of Irving Park Road, along Broadway or further along Broadway between Belmont Avenue and Diversey Parkway.”

Pride Parade Street Closures

Street closures begin as early as 8 a.m. Sunday and include Montrose, Irving Park and Wellington at Broadway and Addison, Grace and Roscoe at Halsted. 

Pride Parade Security

In terms of security Chicago officials say they are prepared, and have no known threats at this time. “We are expecting large crowds for the Pride Parade as we do every year, and I want to encourage everyone attending to safely enjoy the celebration throughout the day,” Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management said Tuesday during a press conference.

“Although there are no known threats at this time, each year Chicago public safety departments along with parade organizers adjust the already robust security plan to ensure the safety of personnel participants, spectators residents and all those in the area.”

During a press conference Wednesday, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said “We’ve added more staffing to this year’s pride than we’ve had in the past. We’ve had more coordination with businesses and other stakeholders in the planning process for Pride Parade than we have in the past.

“We are obviously planning for the worst, hoping for the best,” he continued. “We have extraordinary dedicated resources to this year’s Pride — more than has ever been committed.”

Posted on

2022 Chicago Pride Events: What to Know About This Weekend’s Chicago’s Pride Parade, Pride in The Park

2022 Chicago Pride Events: What to Know About This Weekend's Chicago's Pride Parade, Pride in The Park

One of Chicago’s biggest summer weekends is coming up, with the city’s Pride in the Park festival beginning Saturday, and the annual Pride Parade Sunday.

Both are expected to draw large crowds to the city, with music, events and more.

Here’s what to know about each event.

2022 Chicago Pride Parade: When and Where

Chicago’s 51st annual Pride Parade steps off Sunday at noon at Montrose Ave. and Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood and winds through the north side of the city. It ends in Lincoln Park near the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road., organizers say.

The busiest portion of the parade route tends to be in North Halsted between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street, according to organizers.

Here’s a map of the route.

“For the liveliest viewing spots, head to the Boystown section of North Halsted Street, between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street,” parade organizers say. “If you are seeking a less crowded area to view the parade, look for your viewing spots north of Irving Park Road, along Broadway or further along Broadway between Belmont Avenue and Diversey Parkway.”

Pride Parade Street Closures

Street closures begin as early as 8 a.m. Sunday and include Montrose, Irving Park and Wellington at Broadway and Addison, Grace and Roscoe at Halsted. 

Pride Parade Security

In terms of security Chicago officials say they are prepared, and have no known threats at this time. “We are expecting large crowds for the Pride Parade as we do every year, and I want to encourage everyone attending to safely enjoy the celebration throughout the day,” Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management said Tuesday during a press conference.

“Although there are no known threats at this time, each year Chicago public safety departments along with parade organizers adjust the already robust security plan to ensure the safety of personnel participants, spectators residents and all those in the area.”

During a press conference Wednesday, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said “We’ve added more staffing to this year’s pride than we’ve had in the past. We’ve had more coordination with businesses and other stakeholders in the planning process for Pride Parade than we have in the past.

“We are obviously planning for the worst, hoping for the best,” he continued. “We have extraordinary dedicated resources to this year’s Pride — more than has ever been committed.”

Pride in The Park: When and Where

Pride in The Park, an outdoor music festival and immersive pride experience in Grant Park, also takes place this weekend, Saturday and Sunday.

Headliners include The Chainsmokers and Alesso, and performances include singer/songwriter Daya, rapper and television personality Saucy Santana, DJ and producer J. Worra, YouTube sensation Rebecca Black, as well as performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race Winners Shea Couleé, Monet x Change and Priyanka.

Here’s the full lineup for each day.

Pride in The Park takes place at Butler Field at Grant Park on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Butler Field at Grant Park in downtown Chicago, at 100 S. Lakeshore Drive.

Single day tickets start at $45, and tickets for both days start at $95. More information can be found here.

Posted on

15 Pride Events Happening in Chicago This Month

15 Pride Events Happening in Chicago This Month

It’s pride month in Chicago, and there are plenty of events to attend and enjoy around the city in celebration of the LGBTQ community.

Some pride events have already begun, but there are still plenty more to attend throughout the rest of the month, including the annual Chicago Pride Parade and more.

Chicago Pride Fest

Chicago Pride Fest returns to Halsted Street and Waveland Avenue on June 18. The fest runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 18-19. The festival will feature live music, food, drinks, drag shows, and other activities. Click here for street closure information.

Chicago Pride Parade

The 51st annual Chicago Pride Parade will begin at noon on June 26 at Montrose Avenue and Broadway in the Uptown neighborhood and will travel through the city’s Boystown neighborhood.

Pride in the Park

Pride in the Park will return to Grant Park on June 25. The event runs from 2-10 p.m. Saturday and from 3-10 p.m. Sunday that weekend. The two-day event will feature outdoor music and performances along the city’s lakefront, including major headliners like The Chainsmokers, Alesso and more.

Drag Story Time

Children’s story time featuring drag performers reading their favorite stories. The Bezazian Library’s Commercial Club Park, located at 1845 W. Rice St., at 10:30 a.m. on June 13.

Pride Bar Crawl

An eight-location bar crawl with an afterparty and specials will begin at 4 p.m. on June 11 at The North End, located at 3733 N. Halsted St.

Drag Me to the Fairmont

Lady Bunny and Miz Cracker will headline the drag show from 8:30-10:30 p.m. on June 18 at the Fairmont Chicago, located at 200 N. Columbus Drive.

The Chicago Drag Show Presents: PRIDE

A drag show that combines traditional drag, cabaret, and performance art into one show. The Newport Theater, at 956 W. Newport Ave., will host the event from 9:30-11:30 p.m. on June 18.

Adults Night Out: Pride Party!

After-hours LGBTQ+ party at Lincoln Park Zoo with drag bingo and a live DJ from 6:30-10 p.m. on June 23.

Chicago is A Drag Festival

Local drag kings, queens, and queer performers will perform from 4-10 p.m. on June 24 at the Cheetah Gym Parking Lot at 5248 N. Clark St.

Proud to Run

The 40th annual Pride 5k and 10k race will be held at 8 a.m. on June 25 at 601 W. Montrose Ave.

90’s Pride Drag Brunch

Brunch with a 90’s theme. This event begins at 10 a.m. on June 25 at The Walnut Room, 111 N. State St.

Navy Pier Pride

Explore storytelling, music, dance, and other activities on Navy Pier from 12-11:30 p.m. on June 25.

Pride Parade: Drag Queen Make Your Own Bagel Brunch

Complimentary strawberry mimosas and a bagel making class with drag queens. This event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 26 at Get in the Kitchen, located at 3617 N. Broadway.

Story Jam & Outspoken Celebrate Pride

Guests will be entertained with five personal stories as well as music in honor of Pride Month. This event takes place from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Artifact Events, located at 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave.

Chicago Cubs Pride Night 

The Pride Night Special Ticket Offer includes a ticket to the Cubs-Reds game at Wrigley Field at 7:05 p.m. on June 29. There will also be a special-edition Cubs hat.

Posted on

Pride strong and growing in rural Saskatchewan, community leaders say | Globalnews.ca

Pride strong and growing in rural Saskatchewan, community leaders say  | Globalnews.ca

While the province’s big city Pride events are well-known and regularly attract thousands, community leaders outside of Regina and Saskatoon say Pride is thriving in small-town Saskatchewan as well.

It’s an important trend to preserve, they say, with some explaining to Global News that feelings of isolation and loneliness can be exacerbated when living in a rural community.

“It can be harder in smaller communities, and rural communities,” said Prince Albert Pride Co-chair LJ Tyson.

“A lot of the people in the Queer community who I grew up with had to leave to bigger cities in order to find themselves and their people.”

Prince Albert Pride kicked off its Pride week activities this past weekend in part with the introduction of a new safe spaces campaign.

Story continues below advertisement

Over the coming months the organization hopes to begin distributing pride window decals to local businesses which can prove they’ve made efforts to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for the LGBTQ2 community, such as by having gender-neutral washrooms.

Tyson hopes this campaign, along with the rest of the Prince Albert Pride week events, can help people feel secure in holding onto their rural roots.

“Even just visiting bigger city centres, you know there’s that general feeling of more diversity and accepting ways of life,” they said.

“But I always encourage people to make things better for the next generation. That’s why I choose to stay and live in a smaller city like Prince Albert. It’s so important we make our presence known in these smaller centres and create a better life for the ones who come after us.”

Read more:

Inside Pride: Exploring the lesser-known part of the term 2SLGBTQQIA+

Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation is holding its first ever Pride week this month from June 13 to 17.

Events include a parade, flag-raising and two-spirit sharing circles.

Organizer Sheldon Gaetz told Global News that he too has felt the need to move to a larger city in the past.

Story continues below advertisement

Gaetz hopes that embracing Pride on the reserve can help others feel like they have a choice.

“In the smaller communities, we don’t have the parades, and we don’t have the centres to go talk to people,” Gaetz said.

“Sometimes you do feel alone. And it’s nice to know in these small communities or on the reserve that there is support for you.”

Read more:

Labelling a lesbian: How stereotypes harm and help the community

Southwest Saskatchewan Pride, meanwhile, is celebrating the opening of Swift Current’s first Queer Resource Centre.

“This was a project that was really a pipe dream for many years,” said Southwest Saskatchewan Pride boardmember Shaun Hanna.

“Southwest Saskatchewan Pride has been around since 2012. We’ve been around a while and we had always talked about opening a centre. We’re just getting it off the ground now.”

Its Pride activities kick off in July, in part so that its schedule doesn’t overlap with that of other small-town Pride festivals.

Pride events are also occurring in communities like Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Weyburn, Humboldt, North Battleford and Foam Lake.

Story continues below advertisement

Hanna said he’s seen Pride organizations “flourish” in smaller Saskatchewan communities over the past decade, and that the hard work put in by these communities is improving life for all.

“There was always these efforts that unfolded throughout the course of the twentieth century to try to bring rural areas and small towns under a sway of a national consensus of what middle-class life ought to look like,” Hanna said.

“I think we’ve really taken it for granted that rural areas and small towns and sort of inhospitable to queer life. Groups like ours, we really are are sort of pushing back against that narrative that queer people can only thrive in those major metropolitan spaces.”


Click to play video: 'Global’s Inside Pride explores issues inside the 2SGBTQQIA+ community'







Global’s Inside Pride explores issues inside the 2SGBTQQIA+ community


Global’s Inside Pride explores issues inside the 2SGBTQQIA+ community

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Posted on

Celebrate Pride Month with these 4 events around Washtenaw County

Celebrate Pride Month with these 4 events around Washtenaw County

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Occurring every June, Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and honors LGBTQ+ civil rights.

Across Washtenaw County, community organizations, committees and businesses are planning events in honor of Pride Month.

From picnics and performances to a queer art exhibit, here are four of them.

1. The Gallery at Stone & Spoon

The West Michigan Avenue gallery will debut “QUEER: Celebrating Work by LGBTQIA Artists” on Friday during a reception from 5-8 p.m. with three live performances.

During the reception, 10 percent of all artwork sales will be donated to Ypsi Pride, according to the gallery website.

The exhibition includes pieces from area artists and will run until July 24.

Find more details here.

2. Hamburger Mary’s

Ypsi Pride has been postponed until next year but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. On Saturday, June 4, Ypsi residents can kick off Pride Month with hours of fun starting at Hamburger Mary’s.

Ad

The Cross Street eatery will host drag shows, karaoke, belly dancers, DJ Edward Alan and kid’s activities until 10 p.m. Shows after 10 p.m. are recommended for those 18 years old and above.

Mary’s has more here.

3. Milan Comes OUT for a Picnic

Gather at Wilson Park, 147 Wabash St., for an inclusive and family-friendly event with treats, activities, music and community outreach on Thursday, June 9.

The event will run from 4-7 p.m. and is organized by ARC Milan.

Learn more here.

4. Pride Picnic

On Sunday, June 26, stop by Tefft Par, at 1866 Woodland Dr. E, for Pride Picnic.

Hosted by the City of Saline DEI Committee, the event will run from noon to 2 p.m. Water will be provided but participants will need to bring their own lunches.

Ad

The committee is also hosting a Pride flag ceremony this Sunday and a presentation discussing ongoing issues within the LGBTQ+ community on June 23.

Check out the event page here.

Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

Posted on

Ramstein rethinks Pride Month events after critics bash ‘Drag Queen Story Time’ for kids

A newly installed welcome sign is on display at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 2, 2021. (Airman Edgar Grimaldo/Air Force)

Ramstein Air Base in Germany is overhauling its Pride Month festivities after critics, including a Republican senator, complained that a drag queen was picked to read to children.

Ramstein, the largest American air base in Germany and headquarters of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, was slated to host local drag queen Stacey Teed at a 30-minute story time event for kids at an on-base library, according to a since-deleted Facebook event.

“Be sure to wear your brightest and most colorful outfits!” the post read.

But the event created a furor. Chief among its opponents was Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who confirmed the Air Force had canceled “Drag Queen Story Time” the same week he wrote to Secretary Frank Kendall demanding the service “immediately cancel this politically divisive event, and take appropriate disciplinary action against all involved in allowing this gross abuse of taxpayer funding to place children in a sexualized environment.”

Rubio also asked Kendall how many events “involving drag queens spending time around children” have been held on American military installations around the world, and what resources have been used to hold them.

“Decisions over children and their bodies should be left to moms and dads serving our nation,” Rubio wrote Thursday. “The last thing parents serving their nation overseas should be worried about, particularly in a theater with heightened geopolitical tensions, is whether their children are being exposed to sexually charged content simply because they visited their local library.”

His opposition comes amid a spike in baseless accusations of LGBTQ people “grooming” or befriending children with the intent to sexually abuse them.

“It’s story time, not RuPaul’s Drag Race,” said Natalie Ricketts, a member of the Ramstein community who created a Change.org petition to reinstate the events. “Stacey Teed isn’t a sexualized name, nor would they wear the same clothes [to the reading that] they would for a show.”

Neither Ramstein’s 86th Airlift Wing nor the Modern Military Association of America, an advocacy group for LGBTQ service members, responded to questions by press time Friday.

Drag is the centuries-long practice of dressing in exaggerated makeup and clothing of the opposite sex, most commonly used in theater and other stage performances. It’s often on display during Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month events, held worldwide each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York that served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement. Pride Month also celebrates the community’s contributions and remembers those killed in hate crimes or by HIV/AIDS.

Military organizations have started hosting Pride events in the decade since the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning openly gay service members ended.

This year, Ricketts wrote in the petition, the 86th Mission Support Group commander canceled all Pride events unless they are rebranded without drag queens.

“The reason for this is because the [public affairs chief] received a lot of angry emails from ‘taxpaying Americans’ … most of which aren’t stationed here,” said Ricketts, whose public LinkedIn profile shows she served as an active duty geospatial intelligence analyst before joining the Air Force Reserve.

“Per the [86th Airlift] Wing … ‘You can do the event but remove the drag queen [and] have someone ‘normal’ reading the stories,’” said Ricketts.

According to the Change.org petition, which had gathered more than 140 digital signatures as of Friday afternoon, the library will only hold Pride story time if a drag queen participates.

Objections centered on the library gathering but allegedly led to a blanket ban from local leadership on any drag-related event. Pride was slated to kick off next week with a karaoke event run by drag queens at the base’s enlisted club, Ricketts said.

Ricketts disputed the idea that the event would involve anything untoward.

The “Monarchy of RoyalTea,” a drag group in the Kaiserslautern military community that holds performances and events like holiday drag brunches, is losing out on funds it would have received for working at Pride Month activities, she said. Most of the drag queens are enlisted members.

A note anonymously posted to the popular Facebook page “Air Force amn/nco/snco”, which airs airmen’s questions and gripes and shares news articles, said those involved with Ramstein Pride are working with the Air Force’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning Initiative Team; the Modern Military Association of America, an advocacy group for LGBTQ service members; and 86th Force Support Squadron on a solution.

“We are deeply disappointed that discrimination like this continues to be tolerated,” the note said.

Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md.), the Washington Post, and others.

Posted on

Pride 2022 events in and around Edmonton this June – Edmonton | Globalnews.ca

Pride 2022 events in and around Edmonton this June - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca

With health restrictions eased, the Edmonton area is expecting to see a return to more in-person events this summer. That will be especially true with Pride Month in June.

Below is a list of some of the Pride events in and around the Edmonton area:

Various Djs, drag queens and local performers

Evolution Wonderlounge

Every Thursday – Sunday night

June 2 – June 30

Pride Month kick-off and proclamation

Edmonton City Hall Plaza 

Friday, June 3

Read more:

How the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting ‘vital’ LGBTQ2S+ safe spaces

Story continues below advertisement

Fruit Loop PRIDE Reunited – Presented by TD

The Grindstone Theatre

Friday, June 3 – Sunday, June 5

Morinville Family BBQ

Morinville

Sunday, June 5

Fruit Loop PRIDE Recharged – Presented by TD 

The Starlite Room 

Saturday, June 11

St. Albert Pride 

Rotary Park

Saturday, June 18

Read more:

Edmonton Pride Festival returns to Churchill Square under new organization

Edmonton Pride Fest 

Churchill Square

Friday, June 24 – Saturday, June 25

Pride Drag Brunch

Churchill Square

Story continues below advertisement

Saturday, June 25

More events will be added as they are announced


Click to play video: 'Vancouver Canucks debut 2SLGBTQ+ pride jersey'







Vancouver Canucks debut 2SLGBTQ+ pride jersey


Vancouver Canucks debut 2SLGBTQ+ pride jersey – Mar 8, 2022

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.