Category Archives: Freedom

AEW star Eddie Kingston recently spoke with Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of Yahoo Sports to promote Wednesdays AEW Dynamite on TBS premiere. Below are a few highlights from the interview:

AEW letting Kingston be himself:

If Im not into it or I cant be myself, its not going to work. AEW knew what they were getting when they signed me and they have gone with it. Ive been lucky and Ive been blessed to be at a place that lets me be myself. Everyone wants to say character, but the Eddie Kingston you see is just me at 17 turned up a thousand notches.

Having the freedom to work off-script when cutting promos in AEW, his recent program with CM Punk being the perfect example of how Kingstons brash charisma can flip an audience on its head:

I feel like if I have to discuss it with you, were not going to have a good time. I like to react to things, moments, people and I like whoever is working with me to do the same. If were not having a good time [in the ring], then the most important people, the fans, arent going to be entertained. Lets try and bring a little bit of reality back to pro wrestling.

Stay tuned for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

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Eddie Kingston on AEW Letting Him Be Himself, Having the Freedom to Work Off-Script In Promos - Wrestling Headlines

A nationwide Cycling and Walking challenge called Freedom 2 Walk and Cycle is being organised by the union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affair. In Guwahati the challenge is being managed by Guwahati Smart City Limited with the support of Pedal for a Change.The challenge began January 1, and will run till January 26, 2022.

It is free virtual challenge where participants can take part from anywhere, anytime, for any number of days during the campaign and for any distance as per their convenience. The process is very simple and participants need to register online and use fitness apps to keeptrack of their cycling or walking activities.

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The Cyclist and Walker from Guwahati who covers the total highest distance will be givenspecial recognition by Guwahati Smart City Limited at a function. All participants will get a Certificate on completion.

The process is very simple and is explained in the steps below

Visit http://www.allforsport.in or download the app on your mobile to create your ID.

Choose Freedom2Walk Campaign Guwahati or Freedom2Cycle Campaign Guwahati or Both under the Challenge section in the website/app.

Connect your Strava / Fitbit / Googlefit (any one) to the (These are Fitness tracking Apps that you have to download on your phone to use if not used earlier)

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Use the above apps to keep track of your Walking and Cycling or both.

Interested people are requested to follow the Facebook pages of Guwahati smart City Limited or Pedal for a Change for regular updates about the Challenge.

The intention of this challenge is to bring long term behavioural change in the citizens by developing a habit of walking and cycling. This is a great opportunity for the people of Guwahati to show their love for cycling and walking and at the same time show their numbers and compete with people from more than 75 Indian cities which have registered for the challenge.

This can help to understand how many people are actively involved in such activities which in turn can help to initiate measures for their benefit.

Also read: 2,135 Omicron cases detected across India; 58,097 new COVID-19 cases

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Freedom 2 Walk and Cycle: Another challenge for active Guwahatians - EastMojo

In a residential pocket of Bostons Grove Hall neighborhood where Roxbury meets Dorchester, an old brick building sits on a fenced-in lot, its wooden steps buckled and rotted, peeling paint visible through rusted metal window frames.

The longtime home of Freedom House now a decaying, neglected structure on Crawford Street played a critical role in the local civil rights movement, serving as a meeting place for advocates for equality and the neighboring community starting in the 1950s.

Tori Bedford / GBH News

One mile away from the house where Malcolm X spent part of his youth, Freedom House founders Otto and Muriel Snowden held court with Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, local elected officials, stakeholders in the fight against racism in Boston and President John F. Kennedy. Decades before a 1974 federal court order, social workers at the Freedom House in Roxbury started a movement of freedom schools and protests to counter segregation and racism in Boston public schools.

Now slated for demolition, the building was constructed in 1900 and is a civil rights-era time capsule the city seems to have forgotten though a recent application to delay its destruction raises the question: Is it too late to save the Freedom House?

Photograph contributed to Northeastern University by Freedom House

Katrina Shaw, Freedom House's executive director, says the nonprofit spent a decade trying to secure funding for renovations to save the old building.

But people weren't giving. People didn't want to give, she told GBH News. People love the idea of Freedom House and what it meant to the city, but no one would really put their financial wherewithal behind it.

In 2010, the state awarded Freedom House a $1 million challenge grant to restore its former home and renovate a newer location across the street, a former public library branch where the organization currently operates. Then-chief executive Gail Snowden, the founders daughter, put out a call for help with fundraising to preserve the structure.

Our love for the building made us hold on to it for so long at a financial cost, Shaw said. If we were able to preserve it, we would. But when it starts to cannibalize your own ask to actually do the mission of Freedom House, then I think you have to make hard decisions, just like you would never choose your house over your child.

Last year, Snowden gave her blessing to Shaw and the current Freedom House managers to sell the building. The historic site was sold to a development company started by the late Dorchester native John Corcoran for $1.5 million, a sum that will go towards programs at the new location, where the foundation primarily focuses on academic, financial and social opportunities for college-bound students. Hoping to break ground in 2023, the developer plans to construct mixed-income housing and a memorial on the site to honor the work of the founders.

This decision was hard to make, and it wasnt made in haste, Shaw said. And if someone wanted to give Freedom House, like $20 million, I would restore it. I will do that tomorrow. I will do it five minutes from now. That had been our plea all along in terms of being able to raise money, but we couldn't.

Tori Bedford / GBH News

The former Freedom House building sits a few blocks away from dozens of historic landmarks, structures from the Revolutionary War and homes of English settlers and church deacons. Its one of a handful of landmarks from the civil rights era remaining in Boston and a symbol of the fight for equal rights that may soon disappear.

You know, it's interesting, no one has called me about it, Byron Rushing, president of the Roxbury Historical Society, told GBH News. We pretty much respond to people raising the issue. Can we save this building? What do we have to do to save this building? No one has asked me that question.

The current segregation in Boston and racial wealth gap leads to the neglect of landmarks in predominantly Black neighborhoods like the Freedom House, Rushing said.

People don't know that history, outside of Roxbury, and new Roxbury people don't know about the history, he said. If this building was on the Black Heritage Trail, we would get a lot more publicity about it.

Photograph contributed to Northeastern University by Freedom House

Christopher Martell, a UMass Boston professor who lives in Dorchester, teaches his students about Bostons educational history through a tour that begins at the old Freedom House, an important nerve center during the violent reaction to school desegregation.

It's particularly important because it tells a much longer story than just Boston busing, Martell told GBH News. Most of the students from the suburbs of Boston have no idea about its history. They don't even really know much about the civil rights struggle in Roxbury and Dorchester during the 50s and 60s.

Donated to Northeastern University Archives Dept. by James W. Fraser.

Last month, Martell wrote a letter to the Boston Landmarks Commission, arguing for the Freedom House to be preserved as a protected landmark.

Shortly after Martell's letter, the commission received an application to delay the demolition, citing both the significance of the Freedom House during the civil rights movement and the buildings use as a Hebrew Teachers College beginning in 1920.

The commission preliminarily deemed the Freedom House historically significant, according to a commission spokesperson. Once the city agency receives two alternatives to demolition, the applicants holds a public community meeting and the commission schedules a formal hearing.

A delay from the landmarks commission doesn't guarantee that demolition will be blocked, but it could shine a light on the issue, a development Martell hopes will help the city find another solution.

Tori Bedford / GBH News

The Landmarks Commission only has so much power, he said, but this is a place where advocacy is really important, because it would be harder for a developer to just take down the building if there was a collective movement to push back against that.

Shaw seems resigned about saying goodbye, knowing that the core mission will continue, no matter what building its in.

The spirit of Freedom House, the work of Freedom House, it's here and it's going on, Shaw said, gesturing out to the bustling office, where students took classes on laptops and served lunch to the Goldenaires of Freedom House, a program for seniors. Goldenaires Coordinator Jumaada Abdal-Khallaq Henry Smith, a Roxbury native who attended Goldenaires meetings with her mother in the old building, says shes sad to let go of the space where she spent so much of her childhood.

I am a victim of eminent domain, so I can't show my kids where I used to live because our house is not there anymore, Abdal-Khallaq Henry Smith told GBH News. I hate to see the loss of something that is historical because my mom was breathing in that air, and all those Goldenaires, you know. There's something about being able to hold on to something, for your childrens children to see it.

Photograph contributed to Northeastern University by Freedom House

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A last-minute plea attempts to save the Freedom House from demolition - wgbh.org

The Criminal Chamber of the National Court has denied a new request for the release of the former head of Intelligence and Counterintelligence of Chavismo, Hugo The chicken Carvajal, understanding that there is a risk that he will escape. In addition, the magistrates consider that if the delivery to the United States has not materialized, it is due to a clearly delaying and abusive maneuver, of requesting asylum again.

In an order, the magistrates of the Third Section, with the prosecutors report against modifying Carvajals prison situation, reiterated the arguments presented in previous resolutions denying freedom and emphasized that now The risk of flight is even greater that when those resolutions were issued, because he had been denied asylum or international protection, putting an end to the administrative process and without the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court having adopted precautionary measures.

In addition, the Court adds, a firm order has been issued considering the guarantees provided by the United States authorities sufficient as requested by the Plenary of the National Court and, they emphasize, if the delivery has not materialized, it is by a clearly delaying and abusive maneuver, to apply again for asylum .

The continuous obstacles to extradition denote an attempt to avoid international legal cooperation already resolved jurisdictionally and governmentally, which together with the undeniable fact that the defendant hid for a long time from this Hearing, determine a risk of flight that legitimates, as a measure necessary and proportional precautionary, unconditional imprisonment . The chicken Carvajal is currently in the Estremera prison.

US prosecutor dismissed

The US Attorney Emil Bove, which demanded from Spain the extradition of The chicken Carvajal, has been removed from office. This was communicated by the US Department of Justice to the now former co-chief of the Terrorism and International Drug Trafficking Unit of the Southern District of New York that investigates the Chavista military Carvajal and also the drug dictator Nicolas Maduro. Sources consulted by OKDIARIO have explained that this fact will delay the delivery of The chicken Carvajal, the military man who has revealed the corruption and illegal financing of Podemos who is investigating the National Court.

The Justice Department of the United States underlines in a document: The Government respectfully requests that your honor order the clerk of the court to terminate the appearance of the undersigned State attorney in this file. The undersigned in reference to the prosecutor Bove already will not be an employee of the State Attorneys Office from December 30, 2021. Respectfully sent .

Therefore, the same sources add, the extradition of the Chavista general has not been suspended solely for the asylum request as alleged by the National Court. There are other circumstances that have paralyzed the delivery, they add.

Disclaimer: This article is generated from the feed and not edited by our team.

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The Court again denies the freedom of El Pollo Carvajal because the risk of flight is ... - Market Research Telecast

Waikato Times

Hamiltons Neil Richardson has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the 2022 New Year Honours.

Education is your road to freedom.

Neil Richardson was 9 years old when his mother passed on that piece of advice.

He has never forgotten it. In fact, he remembers what she said word for word a crystal clear memory that has stayed with him.

It was front of mind when he found out he was being made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2022 New Year Honours.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF

Alison Henry, 76, has received a New Year honour for her work in conservation.

READ MORE:* Who are the recipients of the New Year Honours * 'Such a fortunate life': Mrs Dotterel receives New Year honour* New Year Honours: Domestic violence stalwart on the art of starting again

Richardson said the CNZM, for services to business and philanthropy, is a humbling recognition from his adopted country.

He was born and grew up in Sydney, Australia. His mum left school at age 13 and his dad at age 15.

They had very little money, they were still paying off their house when they retired, Richardson told Stuff this week.

He himself was working in a factory when he was awarded a scholarship after school to study at the University of New South Wales.

And just like his mum said, education was his road to freedom and success. It transformed his life.

I wouldnt have gone to university without that scholarship. I was the only one in our extended family who went to university.

Bruce Mercer/Waikato Times

Neil Richardson was named Waikato Business Leader of the Year in 2014.

Since moving to New Zealand in 1990 to take up the job of group managing director of Gallagher Group, Richardson has had a long list of major roles in business leadership and enterprise governance, making a significant contribution particularly in the Waikato region over the past 30 years.

He was named Waikato Business Leader of the Year in 2014.

Richardson has been the chair of AgResearch, the Kiwifruit Industry Strategy Project, and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, among many other organisations and businesses, including Visique Optometrists, Marque Group, and Waikato Aggregates Limited.

He was also the director of WEL Energy Group, and a significant shareholder and chair of New Zealand Home Loans.

Richardson is a member of both Te Puna Whakaaronui Thought Leaders Forum and the Primary Sector Council, is a judge of the NZ Hi-Tech Awards, and is on the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Advisors Board.

He is also being recognised in the 2022 New Year Honours for his philanthropy and not-for-profit work.

Richardson is chair of Waikatos Momentum Foundation and is a trustee of Te Awa River Ride Trust. He was also chair of Child Matters, a charity working to educate people about and prevent child abuse.

One of his proudest moments was seeing Child Matters help bring conversations about child abuse from out of the closet into the public forum and build public awareness and public clamour for action.

Richardson said ever since he landed that university scholarship as a teenager, and despite his many business commitments and successes, education has been a constant part of his life.

He has taught at universities in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Waikato Management School, and is chair of the universitys fundraising committee for building the performing arts centre.

He and his family have also helped people with their education over the years, because we see it as such a critical thing, such a critical part of peoples development.

Richardson said he has often reflected on his mothers message the absolute importance of education, and how it can transform lives.

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'Education is your road to freedom' - mum's advice stuck with New Year honour recipient - Stuff.co.nz

On Christmas Eve, many researchers across the country received the news that their Australian Research Council (ARC) funding applications had failed. For most of them, this was disappointing but not surprising: the success rate for the scheme is 19%.

Six research teams were informed they had been recommended for funding within this competitive pool, but the acting Education Minister Stuart Robert had vetoed their applications. The rationale provided was that the vetoed projects do not demonstrate value for taxpayers money nor contribute to the national interest.

The focus of Roberts veto is particularly worrying: all the rejected projects are in the humanities, and four of the six are in literary studies. The applications that were vetoed offer a snapshot of how literature has long been part of everyday life, examining topics such as Elizabethan theatre, popular narratives, science fiction and fantasy.

This shows a wilful ignorance of the value that literature and its study provide to Australias society, culture and economy. It is an affront to the principle of independence that should underpin research funding in a democracy. It disregards the expertise and time of the thousands of scholars involved in the process of writing and assessing these applications.

The Australian University Heads of English, the peak body for the study and research of literature in Australia, has released a statement calling on the minister to reinstate the defunded projects and commit to legislating the complete independence of the ARC from government interference and censorship.

Thus far, the more than 800 signatories to the statement include many of Australias most brilliant writers: Alexis Wright, J.M. Coetzee, Randa Abdel-Fattah, Gail Jones, Delia Falconer, Natalie Harkin, Peter Goldsworthy, Amanda Lohrey, Evelyn Araluen, Michelle de Kretser, Maria Tumarkin, and Roanna Gonsalves.

When then education minister Simon Birmingham rejected 11 ARC applications four years ago, they were all in the humanities, including four from literary studies. The statement notes:

The actions of the government reveal that it is committed to defunding Australias literary culture by overriding academic autonomy and determining what kinds of knowledge can and cannot be pursued.

Read more: Simon Birmingham's intervention in research funding is not unprecedented, but dangerous

ARC applications are onerous. Each proposal goes through a process of drafting, internal university review, informal reading and advice, audit and redrafting. This process relies on collegial good will. Because of the timing of the deadlines, it is often undertaken over the summer.

Each application is then assessed by readers who are respected scholars in the field. This round, 9,402 assessors reports were submitted. The applications are then ranked by an overseeing assessor, and appraised by a selection committee and an eligibility committee.

The decisions to fund projects in such a competitive field, where research funding is already constrained, are the end result of a process that is extremely time-intensive and relies on countless hours of labour. This process is already a significant drain on the time and resources of universities across the country.

Minister Roberts rejection of the expert recommendations is a shocking waste of time and money.

ARC funding can make the difference between researchers keeping or losing their jobs. In some institutions, it is a hard barrier to promotion and it has a compounding effect on gender disparity at professorial level in many disciplines.

Fewer than half of the chief investigators on research projects in the current round of applications were women. The success or failure of funding applications also influences how far institutions are willing to invest in particular areas of study.

Such ministerial decisions imply that the discipline of literary studies is antithetical to the national interest. On behalf of the nations readers, I would like to disagree.

Literature in Australia is put to many and diverse uses: it is part of our leisure, our social connections, our inner lives. It connects us to the past and informs our thinking about the future. It shapes our childrens and young adults sense of themselves and how they fit into the world at large.

Students study literature at school and university and find themselves challenged by and reflected in the works they read. Politicians quote poetry in their speeches in parliament. Book clubs are a vital source of community and connection for people of all walks of life.

Australian books are translated into many languages: they are read and studied all over the world. The publishing industry contributes more than a billion dollars a year to the national economy.

For these and many other reasons, I find it difficult to believe the study of literature does not provide value for taxpayers money nor contribute to the national interest.

What the writers who have signed the statement contribute to the national interest is inestimable. Unlike Robert, they recognise the role of literary research in supporting the literary cultures that enrich the lives of all Australians.

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Ministerial interference is an attack on academic freedom and Australia's literary culture - The Conversation AU

A sure sign that a nation is losing its soul is when its people are no longer willing to sacrifice for the common good. Some people seem to have forgotten what it means to be a patriot.

Casualties from COVID-19 have surpassed 800,000 deaths and 50 million wounded. This war against the virus has lasted less than two years.

If an enemy invaded our country causing similar casualties, would you be willing to sacrifice to defeat it?

Freedom is not about what we want to do, but rather what we should do.

Unfortunately it is no longer about we but more and more about me.

As a result, the responsibility that freedom demands is becoming ignored. Freedom boils down to one thing: choice.

Do you want to fly on an airplane? You have a choice to either wear a mask or not fly.

Your employer requires you to be vaccinated. You have a choice to either get vaccinated or find another job.

Most of our laws are the result of people choosing to be irresponsible. Freedom permits them to choose to be responsible or irresponsible. If they choose to be irresponsible, they pay a price for their freedom of choice, yet some believe they should be able to choose to be irresponsible without paying any price.

The basic tenets of responsibility in a free democratic society are simple: Keep your word, and respect others and their property.

Freedom demands little more and nothing less.

DOUGLAS DEVLAMING

Charleston

Here is an example of an internet scam.

First, you fill out a short survey sent to your phone. There are no questions about personal information, so OK.

And its all done via text message.

Then, you receive a message that youve won an iPhone 13.

You are told that the phone is in the warehouse.

To receive it, you only need to pay a $1.64 shipping charge.

Once the payment is made, the phone will be loaded onto a truck for delivery and sent to you. You just have to enter your credit card or bank account information.

Then, when you dont pay the money or give them your financial information, you start receiving messages about delivery requests and late payment notices from the delivery company.

Dont fall prey to these schemes trying to get your money.

STEPHEN BRINKMAN

Charleston

Make a difference in the New Year.

More than 60% of residents of long-term care facilities in South Carolina have no visitors.

They have no family or friends who are available to visit them or spend time with them. The lack of social contact and a support system often results in depression and decline.

Residents of our community can do something to help these friends and neighbors.

They can join the Volunteer Ombudsman Program, which is sponsored by the South Carolina Department on Aging, Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman.

The function of the volunteer in residential facilities is to provide encouragement and meet an essential need.

The efforts, presence and commitment of this program make a significant difference in the lives of many.

Volunteers help to diminish the sense of isolation that residents can experience, and help facilitate a sense of self-determination and achievement.

I encourage you to connect with residents who live in long-term care facilities, participate in conversations, and encourage self-advocacy.

Volunteers help to ensure that the voices of long-term care residents do not go unheard and show residents they have not been forgotten.

Working as a volunteer ombudsman will help to ensure that the voices of long-term care residents do not go unheard.

Contact the Volunteer Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program online at volunteerombudsman@tridentaaa.org or by phone at 843-554-2276.

LINDA NAERT

Long Term Care Ombudsman Volunteer Coordinator

North Charleston

Years ago, my mother gave me a Dec. 26 deadline to write thank-you notes for gifts received for Christmas and get them mailed by New Years.

So Charleston, here is my thank-you note to the Charleston Music Hall, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Charleston School of the Arts for their recent holiday program of music.

I have never liked the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. But the rendition or I should say the spoofing of it by four gentlemen at the Charleston Music Hall is something all should experience.

The usual order of gifts was mixed up. By the second verse, the audience was writhing with laughter.

Not to be outdone, CSO conductor Yuri Bekker got the audience involved.

Two elves went through the audience and encouraged several people to sing the five golden rings part of the song.

After initially showing looks of panic, a man and a woman sang the phrase great. Then the rest of the audience was eager to join in as well.

The best part was saved for last.

Charleston County School of the Arts musicians and choral group lit up the theater.

About a dozen deaf students signed the words to Silent Night, which left many breathless.

Thank you, Charleston, for once again making this season very merry and bright in spite of COVID.

CHRISTINE EBEL

Charleston

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Letters: Freedom demands the responsibility of sacrifice in COVID fight - Charleston Post Courier

Living in a small town isnt always easy as an LGBTQ person. It can be isolating, make people feel trapped and unable to be their true selves. However, that doesnt mean the future is destined to be miserable.

Read these stories from people who have moved out of their small towns and found freedom in big cities.

Related: This group offers stand-in parents for LGBTQ weddings. It all started with a viral video.

Dinesh grew up in a relatively conservative Gujarati Hindu household. He was raised in a tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone and no one wants to be seen to go against the norm. Any different aspects of his personality were far from celebrated, and any aspirations for him to just be him fell on deaf ears.

His family, most notably his grandmother, really pushed home to him the elements of culture, tradition and religion. As a child these elements seemed jovial and lively to him, but as his understanding grew of his faith and culture, he found his own relationship with his heritage.

It may seem odd in a way that I kind of never had a coming out moment. I explored myself and learnt more about myself through my experiences. I lived as my true self in every parameter of my life, and at home I was just me too. My identity wasnt discussed, but in a way it didnt matter to me, not out of a dismissive place or malice, but because I did as I pleased everywhere else and I believed nobody had the power to judge me or stop me from doing that, Dinesh shared.

However, this element of judgment became an issue as both his personal and professional life evolved. All of a sudden, he was judged for his lifestyle and looked down upon. Many thought that his lifestyle did not or could not coincide with his faith or culture and professionalism, simply thinking his viewpoints were naive and uninformed because he was young.

So, Dinesh moved to London and started his own business at just 15.

I am a very proud Brit but Im also a very proud Indian man and growing up in the UK, experiencing the culture and heritage that seemed diluted with judgment and unnecessary conservatism, left me longing to experience a missing part of myself.

So, he started traveling India, absorbing everything he could from the food culture to the heritage, learning a great deal more about his faith and, in turn, discovering a missing part of himself.

Experiencing gay culture in India was interesting. Being bombarded by Asian communities in the UK with judgment made me feel as though I would be experiencing the same within India. But to my surprise, it seemed like gay culture was thriving, as so many individuals were expressing their true selves. I was used to things being underground with conservatism prevailing to a degree, but in Mumbai there did seem to be an air of acceptance and change.

Dinesh was astonished by the resilience of queer-identifying people in India, and their acceptance of anyone into their community seemed far more advanced anything hed experienced previously.

He has since found many south Asians within both India and the UK reaching out for guidance and advice on navigating the often tumultuous road between culture and their queer identity. He said its been eye-opening, but it made him want to be there for more people.

Dinesh now feels more comfortable in his identity than ever, as a gay man, a practicing Hindu and Gujarati Indian, who is also British and loves to cook. These aspects of his personal identity arent ones he feels he needs to prove to anyone.

It makes me really happy to see change, and how so many south Asians are now reaching out to guide and support others. Ive had quite a rollercoaster ride of a life over the last six years, but I feel very fortunate for all of that. I really encourage anyone struggling with their identity to reach out and connect with others. The melding of south Asian culture and our faiths and heritage with a queer identity at times seems daunting, but it doesnt have to be. I believe that you can live life as your true self, and no one has the power to take that away from you.

Sion grew up in a small village and was quite literally the only gay in the village.

However, he didnt fully realize his sexuality until he grew older, as growing up in a small village meant he didnt think being gay was a thing. He didnt think it could be a part of his life.

Quite simply, the concept of being gay did not exist for me. It was hidden in the media for the most part, and was not apparent in day-to-day life. I had never knowingly met or spoken to another gay person living in my small village or indeed in the neighbouring towns, perhaps if I had I might have had a moment of realization sooner, he said.

Given that he did not have an awareness of people being gay or that gay relationships existed, Sion did not follow the common story of coming out in a small town and escaping to the big city. In fact it was quite the opposite.

He left his small village and headed to the big city for university, while very much still in the closet.

It was during this time he met people from all walks of life, as his eyes were finally opened. Sion found himself in the right environment with the right people, and felt safe to start exploring his sexuality.

It wasnt until a year later when he properly came out, after going to a gay club with his housemates and waking up the next morning with a shifted mindset and sense of clarify the next morning.

A month later I came out to my friend in strictest confidence and he subsequently made it his mission to get me out for our final night out of our first year of university that night I met my now husband.

Fast forward seven months of dating and coming out to friends and family one by one, Sion had finally made it fully out of the closet with a new boyfriend in hand.

It scares me to think how things would have been different and much more difficult had I not had the chance to change my environment from small village to big city, he admitted.

Fast forward again 13 years, and hes now living his best life alongside his husband. He gets to travel the world and share his experiences with other LGBTQ people in a bid to make the world safer and coming out easier than it was for him he wouldnt have it any other way.

Growing up in a small town can often make you feel far more visible as an LGBTQ person. I didnt realize this would be the case until I tried to come out at the age of 15, shared Emilie.

Her coming out didnt go as well as she had hoped and she felt under a lot of scrutiny, that people saw her as deviant and exotic and, in some cases, threatening. It was attention she hadnt counted on and certainly didnt enjoy it.

The sort of books and films I was into growing up featured positive responses to characters being their authentic selves. And these characters were often rewarded with love, excitement and adventure. But life just went on for me. Nothing remarkable happened, and sometimes it felt the big queer life I should be leading was happening somewhere without me.

This prompted her to move away from the sleepy countryside and start afresh in a big city.

Once she had settled, her anxiety over being judged, outed or feeling like her authentic self wasnt welcome began to decrease.

She no longer felt like she was standing out, because the city hosted such a mix of people, and she could see herself everywhere. She says it was joyous to develop self confidence and, a decade later, that confidence sticks with her no matter where in the world she is.

All the queer spaces and events I got to immerse myself in gave me the courage to come out for a second time a few years ago. I had the privilege of marching at London Pride, I was openly dating, my family and friends and everyone at work knew who I was, and no one had any issues. It was great.

Emilie stresses that she has to continuously come out to new people in new situation, but thanks to the incredible reactions shes had to bring who she is, that gets easier every time, something she believes her move to the city is responsible for.

Read more here:

Finding freedom as an LGBTQ person in a city after escaping a small town - LGBTQ Nation

Prince Charles has written a powerful New Year message to those fighting for freedom in war torn countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar. His human rights message said we should take a moment to 'remember the many people around the world who are standing up for freedom'.

The New Year's Instagram post, which the Duke posted yesterday, and has since amassed thousands of likes started with, "As we start a New Year, we might take a moment to remember the many people around the world who are standing up for freedom and human rights."

The message was accompanied by a picture of him visiting an International Rescue Committee centre, an organisation that works with communities displaced by war and conflict, in Jordan at the end of last year.

Prince Charles' message of hope went on to say, "In places such as Afghanistan, Syria and Myanmar, among others, the threats and reality of political and religious persecution and insecurity are coupled with an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.

He went on to pay tribute to those who faced these situations last year, "In the face of such adversity, incredibly brave individuals, local communities and international organizations are responding to great needs by providing vital assistance."

While the Prince Of Wales, who spent four days on a royal tour of the Middle East with Camilla in November, also had a wish for 2022, "I pray for peaceful resolutions to these conflicts and that we might all be blessed with the courage to support those in need, wherever they may be."

Prince Charles has been a patron of the British Red Cross since 2003 and a patron of the International Rescue Committee since January 2020.

Founded in 1933 the International Rescue Committee is at work in over 40 countries to help people to survive, recover and gaincontrol of their future.

Charles and Camilla, like Kate and William, had a quiet festive periodand were said to have spent Christmas day with the Queen, after she cancelled a big Christmas celebration at Sandringham.

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Prince Charles praises 'brave individuals' who are 'standing up for freedom' in heartfelt New Year message - Woman & Home

Freedom Transit is leaning into the New year, new you mantra.

The transportation company, which connects greater Washington County to the Mon Valley and Pittsburgh, recently completed upgrades to five area bus stops and rolled out a mobile app that provides riders with real-time bus information.

Its something thats been in the works for about ... the past year, said Alexandra Sakalik, Freedom Transits outreach and marketing director. Dark hits at 4, 4:30, now. We wanted something that was safer for our riders.

To ensure rider safety and make waiting for the bus more comfortable, Freedom installed new shelters, complete with benches and lights, at five locations throughout Washington and Canonsburg.

The sites upgraded with shelters, seating and solar-powered lighting are stops at Beau Street Park and Ride, Crumrine Tower, Jefferson Avenue outside of Pathways, Valleyview Terrace and Southpointe Park and Ride.

These are just safer places for our riders to wait, especially now that we have the benches, Sakalik said. Weve already identified a couple locations for our next phase.

Sakalik said rider input and traffic patterns factored into which stops received upgrades, and the next phase of upgrades should be completed in fall 2022.

While some riders wait for seating and lighting to be installed at additional stops, the wait for a real-time bus ride app is over for all Freedom Transit commuters.

At the beginning of December, the company launched a mobile app that offers a variety of commuter data. Created in collaboration with developer Modeshift, the app uses Google Maps so riders can track their bus in real-time and locate the bus stop nearest them.

Lets just say youre closest to the Local A, said Sakalik. (The app) will tell you how many more minutes, give you directions in order to get to the bus stop.

Riders can also link their smartcards to the app, which means the app can be used in place of physical bus passes. Commuters can also pay for rides through the app.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Sakalik said more than 70 Freedom Transit riders had installed the app to their smartphones a number much higher than the company expected, given the app launched only two weeks ago.

We think thats a pretty good number, Sakalik said, noting the first pass sold through the app was a Prexie pass (Freedom Transit offers Washington School District students discounted rides).

Freedom Transit is, like several area transit companies, looking for ways to welcome commuters back on busses after the number of public transportation riders dipped during the global pandemic. The company hopes new amenities, including free on-board WiFi, which was rolled out over the summer, and upgraded stops will encourage folks to hop aboard.

This past year has really been an up-and-coming year for us, said Sakalik. I think a lot of transit agencies are pulling out all the stops to get riders back. We have a lot going on. Were just happy to be a part of that change and happy to get new riders and bring back old riders alike.

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Freedom Transit rings in New Year with new amenities - Observer-Reporter