Category Archives: Politically Incorrect

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Seduction, blackmail, crossdressing, insanity - all these are part of What the Butler Saw. Joe Orton's dark farce is the next production in Canberra Rep's 2020 season. What the Butler Saw, Orton's third full-length play, was first produced in 1969, two years after the playwright was murdered by his jealous and frustrated lover, Kenneth Halliwell, who then committed suicide. Director Liz Bradley says of Orton, "I think he's a very astute observer of the human condition." Orton was writing in the Swinging 60s, a time of social upheaval and change - homosexuality was legalised, censorship was loosened, women's rights and youth culture were championed - and many people were uncomfortable with what was happening. For the playwright, who enjoyed cocking a snook at social proprieties - he and Halliwell had served prison sentences for their creative and surreal vandalising of the covers of library books - it was a golden opportunity. Orton gained fame and fortune using bad taste and the bizarre to confront and provoke. Farce was a theatrical staple and Bradley says What the Butler Saw is "a piss-take of the farce itself". Orton exploited its conventions to hold up a mirror to British society. "He had a go at everything in this thing," says Bradley, who directed the play once before for The Players Company as well as a CAT Award-winning production of Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane. The new production of What the Butler Saw was postponed because of COVID-19 just as casting was about to begin but was given the go-ahead in July. Bradley and company have enjoyed exploring Orton's scathing view of society. Morals and mores, hypocrisy, the role of authority figures including the police and the medical profession, the social order - all these and more are held up to examination and ridicule in politically incorrect fashion and the action becomes increasingly chaotic. The play begins with psychiatrist Dr Prentice (played by David Cannell) in his clinic, interviewing and attempting to seduce would-be secretary Geraldine (Zoe Swan). When Dr Prentice's wife (Lainie Hart) arrives unexpectedly, he has to hide the girl. but worse is to come. A government inspector, Dr Rance (Peter Holland) also turns up, among other characters - and craziness, cross-dressing and chaos ensue as well as some bizarre revelations. Cannell says, "Nothing's really changed" in the more than 50 years since What the Butler Saw premiered, making it as relevant as ever. He says he had never been in an Orton play before and wasn't all that familiar with the man and his work but there was one connection. "My dad knew [married actors] Prunella Scales and Timothy West." The couple had been in a 1987 televised production of What the Butler Saw. "My parents told me about the show when I was about eight." Cannell was able to watch and enjoy the TV production on YouTube. During the rehearsal period, Cannell went to the coast and fell over headfirst onto a rock. "It ripped open my eyelid and eyebrow and my eye is half closed." He says "90 per cent of people" he saw afterwards thought he had simply been playing around with make-up effects. It's not hard to see why: Cannell is a performer at Questacon and has performed onstage in many stage musicals in Canberra. But that less than sympathetic reaction by many to a very real injury that could have been serious might have appealed to Joe Orton's dark sense of humour.

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September 1 2020 - 1:17PM

Seduction, blackmail, crossdressing, insanity - all these are part of What the Butler Saw. Joe Orton's dark farce is the next production in Canberra Rep's 2020 season.

What the Butler Saw, Orton's third full-length play, was first produced in 1969, two years after the playwright was murdered by his jealous and frustrated lover, Kenneth Halliwell, who then committed suicide.

Director Liz Bradley says of Orton, "I think he's a very astute observer of the human condition."

Orton was writing in the Swinging 60s, a time of social upheaval and change - homosexuality was legalised, censorship was loosened, women's rights and youth culture were championed - and many people were uncomfortable with what was happening.

For the playwright, who enjoyed cocking a snook at social proprieties - he and Halliwell had served prison sentences for their creative and surreal vandalising of the covers of library books - it was a golden opportunity.

Orton gained fame and fortune using bad taste and the bizarre to confront and provoke.

Farce was a theatrical staple and Bradley says What the Butler Saw is "a piss-take of the farce itself".

Orton exploited its conventions to hold up a mirror to British society.

"He had a go at everything in this thing," says Bradley, who directed the play once before for The Players Company as well as a CAT Award-winning production of Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane.

The new production of What the Butler Saw was postponed because of COVID-19 just as casting was about to begin but was given the go-ahead in July. Bradley and company have enjoyed exploring Orton's scathing view of society.

Morals and mores, hypocrisy, the role of authority figures including the police and the medical profession, the social order - all these and more are held up to examination and ridicule in politically incorrect fashion and the action becomes increasingly chaotic.

The play begins with psychiatrist Dr Prentice (played by David Cannell) in his clinic, interviewing and attempting to seduce would-be secretary Geraldine (Zoe Swan).

When Dr Prentice's wife (Lainie Hart) arrives unexpectedly, he has to hide the girl. but worse is to come.

A government inspector, Dr Rance (Peter Holland) also turns up, among other characters - and craziness, cross-dressing and chaos ensue as well as some bizarre revelations.

Cannell says, "Nothing's really changed" in the more than 50 years since What the Butler Saw premiered, making it as relevant as ever.

He says he had never been in an Orton play before and wasn't all that familiar with the man and his work but there was one connection.

"My dad knew [married actors] Prunella Scales and Timothy West."

The couple had been in a 1987 televised production of What the Butler Saw.

"My parents told me about the show when I was about eight."

Cannell was able to watch and enjoy the TV production on YouTube.

During the rehearsal period, Cannell went to the coast and fell over headfirst onto a rock.

"It ripped open my eyelid and eyebrow and my eye is half closed."

He says "90 per cent of people" he saw afterwards thought he had simply been playing around with make-up effects.

It's not hard to see why: Cannell is a performer at Questacon and has performed onstage in many stage musicals in Canberra.

But that less than sympathetic reaction by many to a very real injury that could have been serious might have appealed to Joe Orton's dark sense of humour.

What the Butler Saw. By Joe Orton. Directed by Liz Bradley. Canberra Rep. Canberra Rep Theatre (Theatre 3), Ellery Crescent, Acton. September 10 to 26. Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm, with 2pm matinees on September 19, 20 and 26. Limited seating. Bookings by phone only: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm on 6257 1950. canberrarep.org.au.

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Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw is a dark farce presented by Canberra Rep - The Canberra Times

Since I announced publicly that I will be voting for Joe Biden in November, Ive received a few communications from puzzled readers. How can you, a supposedly pro-life woman, support someone who believes in killing babies?

I will try to respond for the sake of those who, like me, find themselves alienated from the Republican Party despite some policy agreements with the Trump administration.

I have been pro-life my entire adult life. I havent changed. I continue to find the practice abhorrent and will persist in trying to persuade others. While I would prefer to vote for someone who upholds the right to life, Ive never believed that electing presidents who agree with me will lead to dramatic changes in abortion law, nor is the law itself the only way to discourage abortion. The number of abortions has been declining steadily since 1981. It dropped during Republican presidencies and during Democratic presidencies, and now stands below the rate in 1973, when Roe v. Wade was decided and when abortion was illegal in 44 states.

Its wrong to take innocent life. But other things are immoral too. Its also wrong to swindle people, to degrade and demonize, to incite violence, to bully, and while were at it, to steal, to bear false witness, to commit adultery and to covet.

Donald Trump is a daily, even hourly, assault on the very idea of morality, even as he obliterates truth. His influence is like sulfuric acid on our civic bonds. His cruelty is contagious. Remember how he mocked a handicapped reporter in 2016? His defenders either denied the obvious facts, or insisted that, while Trump himself might be politically incorrect, his supporters wouldnt be influenced by that aspect of his character.

Alas, they are. Consider the incredibly moving moment during the Democratic National Convention when young Braydon Harrington, who struggles with stuttering, introduced Joe Biden. That night, an Atlantic editor with the same affliction tweeted: This is what stutterers face every day. Im in awe of Braydons courage and resolve. That prompted Austin Ruse, author of The Catholic Case for Trump, to tweet in response: W-w-w-w-w-w-what?

It isnt just a matter of style. At Donald Trumps order, thousands of children, including hundreds under the age of 4, were forcibly separated from their parents at the border. Pro-lifers are tender-hearted about the most vulnerable members of society. So, images like this must stir something. Separating children from their parents is a barbaric act. In the crush of outrages over the past three and a half years, it has gotten swallowed up, but the horror of what was done in our name should never be forgotten.

All of this is familiar to Trump supporters, but they will vote for him because they believe that the left is far worse.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., characteristically subtle, claimed at the RNC that Biden and Democrats will, disarm you, empty the prisons, lock you in your home, and invite MS-13 to live next door. And the defunded police arent on their way.

Funny, but I could have sworn that the Democratic Party nominated Joe Biden, not Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Look, there are extremists on the left, and the Democratic Party has a weakness for not calling them out. Democrats do the truth and themselves no favors by attempting to gloss over the looting, arson and vandalism that have persisted in Portland, Chicago and other cities throughout the summer.

But its dishonest, and frankly, a bit hysterical, to attempt to hang every sin of the left around Joe Bidens neck. Hes no radical, and the party that nominated him showed that its centrist core was stronger than its extremist wing.

In the wake of renewed violence following yet another horrific police shooting, this time in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Biden issued a humane statement expressing deep sympathy for Jacob Blake and his family, outrage at what happened and also condemnation of violence, saying: burning down communities is not protest, its needless violence. ... Thats wrong. Biden struck exactly the right tone.

The argument that the left is worse doesnt persuade me. Strange as it is to write those words after 30-plus years as a conservative columnist, I have to say that when you compare the state of the two major parties today, the Republicans are more frightening.

It is the Republican Party that has officially become a personality cult, declaring that it will not adopt a platform but will simply follow whatever Trump dictates. And it is the Republican Party that now opens its arms to adherents of a deranged and dangerous new cult called QAnon. The FBI has designated QAnon a domestic terror threat, yet minority leader Kevin McCarthy has committed to providing committee assignments to Marjorie Taylor Greene, should she be elected in November.

There is putrefaction where the Republican Partys essence should be, and appointing pro-life judges cannot mask the stench. So, this conservative is voting for the Democrats. Will the GOP reform? I hope so. But my priority isnt trying to heal the Republican Party. Its trying to heal the country.

Continued here:
CHAREN: Why this pro-life conservative is voting for Biden - Odessa American

How does an AfricanIm first-generation Nigerian American, I wasnt born in Americawho hasnt experienced the same things that Black Americans face, how do you get involved in something from the inside that you dont feel you're a part of? But then you realize, Hey, youre as Black as the next person. It doesnt matter. And it goes to show that were all in this together. If I live in this country, I just have to be active.

The same day that George Floyd had passed, Dion Johnson here in Phoenix was shot by police officers. So I went to that vigil, and that was my first vigil and protest evereven when I did vote and I knew there were protests going on with Black Lives Matter and things of that nature. I just never put myself in that space.

I went to that vigil and my first protest. Im like, OK, how do I get involved? I had a friend who met me at another protest, and she introduced me to [someone] who is actually running for a legislative seat. I talked to him, and he connected me with a pastor who is very active in the community.

I spoke at my first city council meeting last Thursday, and I had a comment because they were trying to raise the police budget from $500 million to $745 million. Were still in Covid, theres homelessness, affordable living [and] mental health issues, and yet youre giving the police force more moneyfor what, I dont understandas people are dying.

Im a progressive Democrat, so Im on that side of the playing field. Im all for seeing change for everybodyBlack, indigenous, Hispanic, the LGBTQ community. We have a diverse America now, so we need new faces. So Im voting for Joe because obviously he makes more sense than Trump.

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These Swing Voters Will Decide if Trump, Biden Wins 2020 Election in November - Bloomberg

Many US fans love British comedy - even if not every joke translates. These '90s classics are some must-watch... and some must-avoid.

Over the last 50 years, there have been a lot of iconic and memorable British sitcoms. The '80s provided the world with some comedy gold, with the likes ofOnly Fools and Horses, Blackadder,and 'Allo 'Allostill watched by millions today. The noughties also provided a lot of hilarious material too with the likes ofPeep Showand The Office (UK)achieving critical success. But what about the '90s?

RELATED:The 10 Best British Sitcoms Of All Time

The sitcoms that the public saw in the '90s were just as memorable as all the other decades. However, it was not always for the right reasons. In fact, a lot of them should have never been commissioned in the first place. Here are just a few examples of the best and worst British sitcoms in the '90s.

Starring Neil Morrisey and Martin Clunes,Men Behaving Badlyis a sitcom that isn't as fondly remembered now as it was in the '90s. Set in West London, the sitcom mainly follows the lives of Gary Strang (Clunes) and his flatmates who spend most of their time doing stereotypical "manly" things.

The show was also deemed to be politically incorrect by many fans, who believed that its portrayal of lad culture promoted irresponsible and invasive behavior (especially towards the women). It's one of those sitcoms that hasn't aged well.

One of the most iconic sitcoms in the 1990s wasThe League of Gentlemen, which starred and was written by Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Reece Shearsmith. While dark comedies are not to everyone's taste, this sitcom did prove a hit with the British public as the viewers enjoyed the wickedly twisted humor.

A lot of fans also praised the writers for coming up with situations and characters that were quite innovative and inventive. Although the show would be deemed highly controversial if it was aired now, Pemberton, Gatiss, and Shearsmith style can be witnessed in Inside No. 9 and Psychoville...

Dinnerladiesis also another tv series that was prominent in the '90s. Starring Victoria Wood, Maxine Peake, and Julie Walters, the sitcom mainly focuses on the lives of the canteen workers who work at the fictional factory, HWD Components. As the show goes on, the viewers see friendships and romances blossom between the staff and grow stronger.

Unfortunately,there are mixed feelings on the sitcom. Those who weren't familiar with Wood's work didn't know what to make of the bittersweet humor that was littered throughout. Some also thought the characters were a little dull. It just depends on the viewers' taste...

Starring Paul Whitehouse, Mark Williams, and Caroline Aherne, the '90s found another hit series inThe Fast Show.Mainly containing a series of sketches, each episode provided a situation and character that depicted a stereotype of British society.

RELATED:10 Iconic British Sitcom Characters, Ranked By How Funny They Are

The series was an immediate hit with the public as the viewers managed to find the characters relatable in some form or another. The writing is funny, the execution of jokes is perfectly timed and the performances are quite memorable too. It's another must-see show...

One sitcom that hasn't been as popular as the other entries on the list isBirds of a Feather.Starring Linda Robson, Pauline Quirke, and Lesley Joseph, the show focused on the lives of two sisters, who are shocked to discover that their husbands have been arrested for armed robbery. They are then forced to move in together and adapt to their newfound lives.

While the show is still going presently, many people believe the magic went out of the show decades ago. Although the series' protagonists give strong performances, the show lacks in writing and storylines. The jokes are also very predictable too. It would have been more iconic if it ended in its prime...

Goodnight Sweetheartis also another sitcom that proved to be a hit in the '90s. Starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, the show followed the life of Gary Sparrow, a time-traveler who finds himself living a double life when he stumbles upon a portal leading to 1940s London.

In both time-periods, the viewers get to meet some iconic characters and duos. Viewers loved watching Ron and Yvonne butt-heads, and the friendship blossomed between Reg and Gary. Despite hating his adulterous nature, viewers did look forward to seeing what adventures Gary got up to as well. It's worth a watch if someone hasn't seen it yet...

Although Lyndhurst found success withGoodnight Sweetheart,he did feature in another 90s sitcom that wasn't as successful. Set in the early 1990s, the show focuses on Peter Chapman (Lyndhurst), who finds himself recruited by MI5 after they ask him to join their technology division. Since he had lost his job, Peter jumps on the opportunity.

RELATED:The Worst Episode Of 10 Great British Sitcoms, According To IMDb

The only problem was that he had to hide his new job from his wife. Unfortunately, the sitcom didn't last very long as many thought the writing was dull and dry. To this day, not many people remember it particularly well.

Another sitcom that was a hit in the '90s wasKnowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge.Starring Steven Coogan, the series follows the life of verbose talk show host Alan Partridge, who often gets himself into awkward and troublesome situations.

Scripts, which were written by Coogan too, received a lot of praise amongst the public, who thoroughly enjoyed the dry and cringe humor. It was also well received with critics, withThe Austin Chroniclecalling it "the most hilarious satirical comedies in recent memory."The show was so popular that Coogan went on to create several more series with Alan Partridge at the center.

Most people will agree thatHeil Honey, I'm Homewas the worst sitcom to come out of the '90s. Starring Neil McCaul and Denica Fairman, the show centered on the lives of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, who find themselves living next door to a Jewish couple.

Already, one would be able to tell that the controversial show wasn't well-received among the British public, who rightfully deemed it "distasteful and offensive." The public outcry would have got even bigger if one looks up what was planned in the future episodes. It wasn't surprising that the network executives decided to cancel it altogether. How this got commissioned in the first place is anyone's guess...

By far, the best sitcom of the '90s has to beThe Royle Family.Set in Manchester, the sitcom mainly focused on the Royles, who spend most of their time watching television and discussing everyday events. Starringthe likes of Ricky Tomlinson, Susan Johnston, and Caroline Aherne, the series rose to fame due to its relatable characters and humorous storylines.

The show also accrued critical fame due to the chemistry between actors, particularly the rivalry between Jim (Tomlinson) and Nana, which had audiences in tears most of the time. This show is still just as popular with the viewers in the U.K. as it was in the '90s.

NEXT:10 Hilarious British Sitcoms That You Absolutely Need To Watch

Next 10 Most Cringeworthy Characters On Full House

A writer, reader and tv fanatic, Kayleigh enjoys reading movie news and your film reviews. She has attained an Undergraduate degree in Creative Writing and is also the creator of the film and television blog 'The Critics' Corner'.

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5 Best (& 5 Worst) British Sitcoms Of The '90s | ScreenRant - Screen Rant

Immigration New Zealand has apologised after it told an Egyptian student his country's political instability was a reason for denying him a visa.

(file photo) Photo: 123rf.com

Immigration statistics show at least half of all student applications from Egypt had been declined in each of the last six calendar years.

Mohamed Mansour, who works in marketing in Saudi Arabia, applied for immigration approval to attend a business management course last year.

In a rejection letter, an officer said, "As Egypt is currently politically unstable and it is known people are attempting to leave Egypt I am concerned this may discourage you from returning to your home country on completion of study."

Mansour said although Immigration New Zealand (INZ) had apologised, its reassessment of his application was inadequate.

"I need to tell you that students who applied for a student visa from Egypt their applications [in the past] were processed in Mumbai and many students got an interview call from the immigration officer to discuss with them the application, but recently all Egyptians application were reallocated to Palmerston North office and no immigration officers had any interview with any Egyptian students.

"I hope in the near future INZ stop their discrimination to my people and I share regularly my case via social media to show the other face of New Zealand. Don't trust any New Zealand immigration officers, I tell them they have hidden reasons to decline the visas."

In a statement, Immigration New Zealand said it rejected claims of discrimination.

"Mr Mansour lodged a formal complaint on 25 November 2019 in relation to a reference to political instability in Egypt," said Steve McGill, the acting general manager for border and visa operations.

"INZ acknowledged this reference was incorrect and apologised to Mr Mansour.

"INZ also offered to reassess Mr Mansour's application, which was lodged on 12 December 2019. Based on additional information provided in this application, INZ was satisfied with Mr Mansour's evidence of funds but still did not have enough evidence demonstrating he was a bona fide student. As a result, Mr Mansour's application was declined on 24 December 2019."

It said officers were trained to apply fairness in decision-making and to avoid bias, ensuring that each application was decided on its own merits.

"INZ refutes claims of discrimination," McGill said. "Each application is decided on a case-by-case basis against the relevant immigration instructions. Officers are supervised while in training, their work is regularly checked and reviewed when they are out of training, and INZ has a quality assurance programme that continues to monitor work on a regular basis."

INZ said it did not decline visa applicants based on their country of origin or race.

In the year ended July 2020, 129 student visas were issued to Egyptian nationals, with 33 applications declined.

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Immigration NZ apologises after rejecting student for 'political instability' in Egypt - RNZ

In India, we are dealing with a peculiar situation at the moment we seem to be having a major problem with numbers! Which numbers are citizens supposed to trust? We know the numbers we cant trust the official ones. That being the case, which ones do we take seriously, which do we discard, which do we totally ignore?

It started with the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package that nobody could fathom, least of all our finance minister, who looked bewildered each time she was asked to elaborate on the figure. The Prime Minister took his favourite position during tricky situations he placed a finger on his mouth and changed the subject. Soon we all changed the subject too. Whats the point in banging on about the package when one couldnt wrap ones head around the astronomical sum? Is it purely notional? Has anybody seen it? Counted the notes?

Its a number game, at the end of it all. I confess I am severely number-challenged and can barely add 2+2. But even with my very limited grasp over multiplication and division, I can tell when sarkari numbers dont add up. With this administration, numbers seem to pose a huge challenge. Which means one of two things the FM and PMO probably believe we (yes, 1.3 billion of us) are all duds when it comes to simple arithmetic, or that they are clever by half. Indians are known to excel at math Gujaratis and South Indians in particular. Maybe their ways of number crunching are different from everybody elses?

At the moment, we are left scratching our heads trying to make sense of many gaps. Most Indians understand one important aspect of life, even if they are not intuitive mathematicians like Srinivasa Ramanujan or human computers like Shakuntala Devi. The man on the street is saying, Forget bogus government statistics, I am only interested in one thing why is there no money in my pocket? Nobody has money, bro. But gold prices did cross Rs 50,000 for 10 gm this week! Someone somewhere must be buying sona-chandi, right? My generation will recall buying the entire wedding jewellery in gold for Rs 50,000 what were sweetly called gold sets. During the same week as this startling news hit headlines, we also read about the GVK group being booked for siphoning off Rs 705 crore. Mumbais spectacular T2 terminal opened in 2014 after an agreement was signed in 2006. It was built, promoted and operated by the same group. Is it possible that nobody was aware of the jiggery-pokery going on so blatantly all this while? Or does the sudden crackdown suggest something else? Arent there fresh bids galore to construct and develop new airports across India? Does that mean that new players angling for these multimillion-dollar contracts will get preference? And are all these new players entirely kosher in their business dealings? Someones going to be making a lot of money!

Our issue with numbers goes beyond money. We cant seem to accurately calculate land areas for example: which hostile country has grabbed how much land that rightfully belongs to us that sort of thing. We still dont know for sure how many people were involved in the Ladakh standoff or whether such a standoff took place at all! The Prime Minister said on national television that nobody intruded into our territory and we didnt intrude into anybodys. OK, Sirji, if you insist. We have made it a habit to hit delete when we dont like certain numbers whether its casualties on our borders or victims of the pandemic. Yes, we are able to count bodybags because those cannot stay hidden. For the rest, like the number of Covid cases or the number of people struggling for life, your guess is as good as mine. But dont worry, take a look at all those colourful graphs and mind-boggling graphics try and figure. All guesses are equally valid.

In Mumbai, weve been juggling with other information that is pretty puzzling the fines being imposed right and left on motorists and two-wheeler owners flouting lockdown rules which change every few hours. From 6,000 cars being impounded in a day to fines between Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000 imposed in a totally arbitrary fashion, we meekly pay first and protest later. Ditto for astronomical electricity bills. What we do know for sure is that our chief minister and his wife drove to Pandharpur, a distance of 358km, to seek Vithobas blessings on Ashadi Ekadashi day. The stated purpose of the visit was to pray for a Covid miracle. Well, considering Uddhav Thackeray formed a government in Maharashtra with just 56 MLAs, he is going to need a double miracle to continue in his job. People have pulled out their calculators to work out the dates for the exit plan. Not that the alternative is any better. Politics has always been a game of dirty numbers.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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The number game in India that nobody can make any sense of - The Times of India Blog

This is no time to funnel thousands of strangers into a convention hall. Especially not in Houston, a city that has become an epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Hospitalizations there have quadrupled since Memorial Day. The regions intensive care unit beds are nearly full. Local officials have implored residents to stay home.

The Republican Party of Texas should heed that call and cancel its in-person convention, slated for July 16-18.

Proceeding with such a large-scale gathering at this point would be unconscionably reckless not only for the roughly 6,000 attendees converging from all over the state, but for the Houston workforce that would be exposed to this mass of people.

After receiving a letter Tuesday from the Texas Medical Association urging the convention be canceled, Texas Republican Party chairman James Dickey indicated the party is evaluating its options. "We are taking all input from those involved with our Convention, including that from our Party leadership and our delegates, very seriously," Dickey said in a statement.

This shouldnt be a tough call. Not when Gov. Greg Abbott, the top Republican official in Texas, has already deemed gatherings of just a couple hundred people so risky that he has shuttered bars statewide. Not when Abbott has halted elective surgeries in Harris County because of the need to keep more hospital beds open. Not as long as the Texas GOP can do what so many of us have done in recent months: move meetings to video platforms.

Unfortunately, President Donald Trump has set such a toxic example on coronavirus response eschewing masks as weak or politically incorrect, barreling ahead with his Tulsa rally, even pressing to move the Republican National Convention to another state after the original host refused to welcome large crowds that Texas GOP officials are in a bind. Follow the president? Or abide by the science?

This isnt an abstract exercise. As Texas Monthly recently reported, Texas GOP activists have already lost one of their own to COVID complications: Former Kaufman County Republican Party chairman Bill Baker died in late June of a heart attack while hospitalized with the virus. He checked into the hospital just five days after attending his countys GOP convention, which drew a handful of people. Imagine if it had been the state convention, expected to draw thousands.

To its credit, the Texas GOP delayed its convention, originally slated for mid-May, over coronavirus concerns. More recently, though, Dickey has suggested that providing hand sanitizer, and encouraging social distancing and masks (though not requiring them), will do enough to keep delegates safe. Given Trumps dismissive attitude toward such measures, its hard to envision all of the party faithful will embrace them.

Some have suggested there is a double standard in calling for large gatherings to cease while Black Lives Matter protests have filled the streets. We see some important differences: The Black Lives Matter protests were spontaneous and urgent, a statement that masses of Americans could no longer tolerate the racism that colors policing. The protests were also outside, which experts say is less conducive to coronavirus spread than indoor arenas. Indeed, a recent study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found no evidence the protests led to a spike in cases. It's doubtful the same would be true of a massive indoor conference like the Texas GOP convention.

We recognize the Republican Party of Texas is loathe to cancel its in-person convention, particularly when part of the base believes the coronavirus threat has been overblown. But the worrisome spike in cases is real. The deaths of more than 2,400 Texans are real. The lasting damage this disease inflicts on some patients bodies is real.

No convention is worth this. The only option for a party that values peoples safety is to move the event online.

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Editorial: Holding Texas GOP convention now would be reckless - Austin American-Statesman

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An ambassador and trained facilitator under Eco Femme (a social enterprise working towards menstrual health in south India), Sanjina is also an active member of the MHM Collective- India and Menstrual Health Alliance- India. She has conducted Menstrual Health sessions in multiple government schools adopted by Rotary District 3240 as part of their WinS project in rural Bengal. She has also delivered training of trainers on SRHR, gender, sexuality and Menstruation for Tomorrows Foundation, Vikramshila Education Resource Society, Nirdhan trust and Micro Finance, Tollygunj Women In Need, Paint It Red in Kolkata.

Now as an MH Fellow with YKA, shes expanding her impressive scope of work further by launching a campaign to facilitate the process of ensuring better menstrual health and SRH services for women residing in correctional homes in West Bengal. The campaign will entail an independent study to take stalk of the present conditions of MHM in correctional homes across the state and use its findings to build public support and political will to take the necessary action.

Saurabh has been associated with YKA as a user and has consistently been writing on the issue MHM and its intersectionality with other issues in the society. Now as an MHM Fellow with YKA, hes launched the Right to Period campaign, which aims to ensure proper execution of MHM guidelines in Delhis schools.

The long-term aim of the campaign is to develop an open culture where menstruation is not treated as a taboo. The campaign also seeks to hold the schools accountable for their responsibilities as an important component in the implementation of MHM policies by making adequate sanitation infrastructure and knowledge of MHM available in school premises.

Read more about his campaign.

Harshita is a psychologist and works to support people with mental health issues, particularly adolescents who are survivors of violence. Associated with the Azadi Foundation in UP, Harshita became an MHM Fellow with YKA, with the aim of promoting better menstrual health.

Her campaign #MeriMarzi aims to promote menstrual health and wellness, hygiene and facilities for female sex workers in UP. She says, Knowledge about natural body processes is a very basic human right. And for individuals whose occupation is providing sexual services, it becomes even more important.

Meri Marzi aims to ensure sensitised, non-discriminatory health workers for the needs of female sex workers in the Suraksha Clinics under the UPSACS (Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society) program by creating more dialogues and garnering public support for the cause of sex workers menstrual rights. The campaign will also ensure interventions with sex workers to clear misconceptions around overall hygiene management to ensure that results flow both ways.

Read more about her campaign.

MH Fellow Sabna comes with significant experience working with a range of development issues. A co-founder of Project Sakhi Saheli, which aims to combat period poverty and break menstrual taboos, Sabna has, in the past, worked on the issue of menstruation in urban slums of Delhi with women and adolescent girls. She and her team also released MenstraBook, with menstrastories and organised Menstra Tlk in the Delhi School of Social Work to create more conversations on menstruation.

With YKA MHM Fellow Vineet, Sabna launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society. As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

Read more about her campaign.

A student from Delhi School of Social work, Vineet is a part of Project Sakhi Saheli, an initiative by the students of Delhi school of Social Work to create awareness on Menstrual Health and combat Period Poverty. Along with MHM Action Fellow Sabna, Vineet launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society.

As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

Find out more about the campaign here.

A native of Bhagalpur district Bihar, Shalini Jha believes in equal rights for all genders and wants to work for a gender-equal and just society. In the past shes had a year-long association as a community leader with Haiyya: Organise for Actions Health Over Stigma campaign. Shes pursuing a Masters in Literature with Ambedkar University, Delhi and as an MHM Fellow with YKA, recently launched Project (Alharh).

She says, Bihar is ranked the lowest in Indias SDG Index 2019 for India. Hygienic and comfortable menstruation is a basic human right and sustainable development cannot be ensured if menstruators are deprived of their basic rights. Project (Alharh) aims to create a robust sensitised community in Bhagalpur to collectively spread awareness, break the taboo, debunk myths and initiate fearless conversations around menstruation. The campaign aims to reach at least 6000 adolescent girls from government and private schools in Baghalpur district in 2020.

Read more about the campaign here.

A psychologist and co-founder of a mental health NGO called Customize Cognition, Ritika forayed into the space of menstrual health and hygiene, sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights and gender equality as an MHM Fellow with YKA. She says, The experience of working on MHM/SRHR and gender equality has been an enriching and eye-opening experience. I have learned whats beneath the surface of the issue, be it awareness, lack of resources or disregard for trans men, who also menstruate.

The Transmen-ses campaign aims to tackle the issue of silence and disregard for trans mens menstruation needs, by mobilising gender sensitive health professionals and gender neutral restrooms in Lucknow.

Read more about the campaign here.

A Computer Science engineer by education, Nitisha started her career in the corporate sector, before realising she wanted to work in the development and social justice space. Since then, she has worked with Teach For India and Care India and is from the founding batch of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), a one of its kind organisation creating leaders for the development sector through its experiential learning post graduate program.

As a Youth Ki Awaaz Menstrual Health Fellow, Nitisha has started Lets Talk Period, a campaign to mobilise young people to switch to sustainable period products. She says, 80 lakh women in Delhi use non-biodegradable sanitary products, generate 3000 tonnes of menstrual waste, that takes 500-800 years to decompose; which in turn contributes to the health issues of all menstruators, increased burden of waste management on the city and harmful living environment for all citizens.

Lets Talk Period aims to change this by

Find out more about her campaign here.

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A former Assistant Secretary with the Ministry of Women and Child Development in West Bengal for three months, Lakshmi Bhavya has been championing the cause of menstrual hygiene in her district. By associating herself with the Lalana Campaign, a holistic menstrual hygiene awareness campaign which is conducted by the Anahat NGO, Lakshmi has been slowly breaking taboos when it comes to periods and menstrual hygiene.

A Gender Rights Activist working with the tribal and marginalized communities in india, Srilekha is a PhD scholar working on understanding body and sexuality among tribal girls, to fill the gaps in research around indigenous women and their stories. Srilekha has worked extensively at the grassroots level with community based organisations, through several advocacy initiatives around Gender, Mental Health, Menstrual Hygiene and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for the indigenous in Jharkhand, over the last 6 years.

Srilekha has also contributed to sustainable livelihood projects and legal aid programs for survivors of sex trafficking. She has been conducting research based programs on maternal health, mental health, gender based violence, sex and sexuality. Her interest lies in conducting workshops for young people on life skills, feminism, gender and sexuality, trauma, resilience and interpersonal relationships.

A Guwahati-based college student pursuing her Masters in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bidisha started the #BleedwithDignity campaign on the technology platform Change.org, demanding that the Government of Assam installbiodegradable sanitary pad vending machines in all government schools across the state. Her petition on Change.org has already gathered support from over 90000 people and continues to grow.

Bidisha was selected in Change.orgs flagship program She Creates Change having run successful online advocacycampaigns, which were widely recognised. Through the #BleedwithDignity campaign; she organised and celebrated World Menstrual Hygiene Day, 2019 in Guwahati, Assam by hosting a wall mural by collaborating with local organisations. The initiative was widely covered by national and local media, and the mural was later inaugurated by the events chief guest Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Debeswar Malakar, IAS.

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Opinion: As A Muslim, I Believe Onus Is On Us To Develop With The Nation - Youth Ki Awaaz

Sacha Baron Cohens career is built upon the art of trolling, from posing as a Kazakh journalist in Borat to getting Paula Abdul to sit on Mexican chair-people in Brno and, finally, the overall madness of his politically incorrect Showtime series Who Is America? And on Saturday, Cohen reportedly infiltrated a far-right rally in Olympia, Washington, posing onstage as a sponsor of the event and performing a song with racially charged lyrics to get the crowd to sing along. Watch the video below.

Disguised as a PAC out of Southern California, paid for the stage setup and musical entertainment. Came on stage disguised as the lead singer of the last band, singing a bunch of racist, hateful, disgusting shit, Yelm City Councilman James Connor Blair wrote on Facebook following the event. His security blocked event organizers from getting him off the stage or pulling power from the generator. After the crowd realized what he was saying, and turned on him, his security then rushed the stage and evacuated them to a waiting private ambulance that was contracted to be their escape transport.

The event was a downtown March for Our Rights 3 rally organized by the Washington Three Percenters, a far-right militia group known for its gun advocacy. The name of the group is a reference to the belief that only three percent of American colonists fought against the British.

Dressed in overalls and a fake beard, Cohen sang about everything from injecting kids with the Wuhan flu to references to Dr. Fauci, Obama, and chopping up any person wearing a mask like the Saudis do. While some speculate that the stunt was another elaborately staged exercise for a possible second season of Who Is America?, the political activist and comedian has repeatedly said that its never happening.

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Sacha Baron Cohen Crashes Far-Right Rally and Dupes Attendees with Racist Singalong - IndieWire

As calls for a University of North Carolina Wilmington professor whose tweets the school deemed "vile" grew louder, the university announced he had decided to retire.

Mike Adams, a sociology and criminology professor, has come under fire for previous tweets and publications, and recent tweets regarding racial justice protestors, coronavirus and other topics have sparked renewed pushback on social media.

On May 29, Adams tweeted: This evening I ate pizza and drank beer with six guys at a six seat table top. I almost felt like a free man who was not living in a slave state of North Carolina. Massa Cooper, let my people go. He was referring to Gov. Roy Cooper's measures put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Massa is a dialect term that is often used in a mocking way to mimic what users imagine was the pronunciation that enslaved people used for master.

"When I tell covid 19 jokes people seem to get them right off the bat," Adams had tweeted earlier in the month.

After protesters took to the streets following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Adams shared: "Rioters dont care about social issues. They are thugs looking for an opportunity to break the law with impunity."

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And another May tweet from Adams read: "Don't shut down the universities. Shut down the non essential majors. Like Women's Studies."

As more people began to publicly criticize Adams, he responded: "When you write the university asking them to fire me dont forget to leave a mailing address so I can send you a box of panty liners."

A statement from the university earlier this month called Adams' tweets "vile" and said "the university's constitutional obligations and support of free expression do not lessen our disgust when those viewpoints offend or otherwise upset those who read these comments."

On Monday, a statement from Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli said, "Over the past several weeks, many of you have inquired about the status of a UNCW faculty member, Dr. Mike Adams, in light of the public attention generated by comments he made on his personal social media channels."

"We can now share the update that after a discussion with Chancellor Sartarelli, Dr. Adams has decided to retire from UNCW, effective August 1, 2020," the statement said.

Two separate Change.org petitions calling for Adams' removal from his position had garnered about 90,000 signatures, and a Facebook group called "Justice And Equality For UNCW: Soaring to Stop Hate #CancelMikeAdams" has nearly 8,000 members.

Adams is the author of the book "Feminists Say the Darndest Things: A Politically Incorrect Professor Confronts 'Womyn' on Campus."

He also faced backlash after publishing an article titled "A 'Queer Muslim' Jihad?" questioning a student activist at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who identified as both queer and Muslim.

Adams was awarded $50,000 in backpay and a $9,000 raise in a settlement with the university after he sued claiming that school had denied him a promotion because he expressed his views, violating his First Amendment rights, according to Wilmington's StarNews.

Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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University of North Carolina Wilmington professor behind 'vile' racist and sexist tweets to retire - NBC News