Latest news with #PrideEvents
CNN
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
These Dads Offer Hugs—and a Spiral—at Pride - CNN 5 Good Things - Podcast on CNN Audio
Krista Bo 00:00:00 Hey there, good to have you. Today's Feel Good Stories span tens of millions of years, with a few classic tunes in the mix. A newly discovered dinosaur species is helping scientists fill in a big missing piece of the T. Rex family tree, plus. Hoboken My Way Sinatra Sing Off Contestant 00:00:24 "New York, New York" clip Krista Bo 00:00:24 In Frank Sinatra's hometown, fans of all ages are keeping the late and great singer's legacy alive, one note at a time. From CNN, I'm Krista Bo, and this is Five Good Things. Krista Bo 00:00:39 There are all kinds of ways to let someone know they're welcomed and accepted. And at pride events across the country, one Pennsylvania dad does it with a Nerf football. John Piermatteo 00:00:48 Not all of us were lucky to have loving supportive fathers, especially in the LGBTQ plus community. And in many instances, they may not have realized how much they missed having a father hug them and tell them that they're proud of them until we do it. Krista Bo 00:01:08 Since 2019, John Piermatteo has been showing up at pride events, offering to toss a ball around with anyone who needs a moment of connection. The idea came to him after seeing free mom hugs and grandma hugs at pride event. John Piermatteo 00:01:21 I painted a sign that said play catch with a dad, leaned it up against a tree, and just kind of sat there waiting to see what would happen. I had no idea what might happen. Krista Bo 00:01:32 He didn't have to wait long. A young woman walked by and asked if she could play catch, tossed the ball twice, and then broke down crying. John Piermatteo 00:01:40 She was just so grateful that I was there and told me how her dad just stopped doing things with her, especially playing catch. They used to be close, but when she came out, everything changed, and it was an amazing moment, and I knew that I might be onto something. Krista Bo 00:01:57 That first interaction was all the motivation John needed to create the nonprofit organization, Play Catch with a Dad. John and his crew of volunteer dads have expanded beyond Pennsylvania to Pride events in San Diego, Phoenix, and this year, Chicago and Maryland. Last week, they played catch outside Wrigley Field during the Chicago Cubs Pride night. And next week, they'll be in Maryland at the Baltimore Orioles game. John Piermatteo 00:02:21 Sometimes it might just be a 60 second, 90 second interaction for a dad. But for those people, it could mean just so much more than that catch and the hug and the, and I love you and I'm proud of you. And we just never know how we might touch someone's heart. We just never know. Krista Bo 00:02:43 What started as just one sign under a tree has turned into something much bigger. John Piermatteo 00:02:49 My dream is that anytime there's a pride event in the United States, there's dads there to play catch and give hugs. Krista Bo 00:02:55 If you want to donate or volunteer in your area, head to The link is also in our show notes. Krista Bo 00:03:08 A mom in Newton County, Indiana is sharing her incredible survival story just three months after a scary car crash. Brieonna Cassell 00:03:16 One of the first things I told myself was, all right, you gotta stay calm, because if you freak out, it's not gonna help you. Krista Bo 00:03:22 'Brieonna Cassell, she goes by Brie, is a 41-year-old mother of three. Back in March, CNN affiliate WLS reported she fell asleep behind the wheel on a rural road and went into a ditch. Her legs got trapped in the car and she couldn't move. Brieonna Cassell 00:03:38 My car ramped up, it smacked into the embankment on the other side, it crunched like an accordion. It threw my body into the floorboard. Krista Bo 00:03:48 She had hoped someone would find her in the morning, but her car was so deep in the ditch you couldn't see it from the road, and her phone was just beyond her reach. Brie's mom reported her missing, but she was in this position for six days, using her clothing to soak up water from the ditch to stay hydrated, with the thought of her family to keep her going. Brieonna Cassell 00:04:09 But my kids are, my kids, are most. That's what I was really worried about. I wasn't leaving my babies. Krista Bo 00:04:18 On the sixth day, Brie knew she couldn't go on like this any longer. Brieonna Cassell 00:04:22 I said I've done everything that I can think of. I cannot get out of here alone. You have to let somebody see me or I'm not gonna make it out. Krista Bo 00:04:30 Little did she know, a man driving a tractor saw her car and alerted a local volunteer fire chief. That fire chief found Brie and had her airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she learned she had compound fractures in her legs and forearms, and numerous broken ribs and vertebrae. Brieonna Cassell 00:04:47 I get emotional talking about all that too because if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here. Kim Brown 00:04:52 Brie is an amazing, amazing young woman. Thank you so much for finding my baby. I could never repay you. Krista Bo 00:05:01 After 13 surgeries and the placement of several rods, plates and pins, Bree was released from the hospital and now she's back at home with her loving family. She's expected to be back on her feet soon with the help of physical therapy and she plans to write a book about her remarkable story of survival. Krista Bo 00:05:23 Scientists have just discovered a new dinosaur species related to the T. Rex that lived 86 million years ago. Jared Voris 00:05:30 We found a new species of one of those ancestors, and we named that Khankuuluu Mongoliensis, the dragon prince of Mongolia. Krista Bo 00:05:37 'Jared Voris is a paleontologist and post-doctoral scholar at the University of Calgary, and the lead author of a recent study published in the journal Nature that fills in a big missing piece of the Tyrannosaurus family tree. Jared Voris 00:05:49 And the reason we settled on that was because tyrannosaurs are generally regarded as being these giant, you know, kings or whatever. And so Tyrannosaurus Rex itself literally translates to tyrant lizard king. So we wanted a name that would kind of signify that this is an ancestor or the predecessor or right before they became kings. So we settled upon Khannkhuuluu, which means the Prince of Dragons. Krista Bo 00:06:11 Discovered in a fossil collection in Mongolia that hadn't been touched since the 1970s, the Khankuuluu helps explain how the tyrannosaurs evolved from smaller, speedier hunters into massive apex predators we see in the Jurassic Park films. Jared Voris 00:06:26 I jokingly refer to them as predatory horses, because they're about the size of a horse. They were pretty big, but compared to what they were going to be or what their descendants would be, which are elephant sized, they were still quite small. They had these really long, shallow skulls, kind of like horses do. Their teeth were actually designed for cutting through flesh, so different than what you see with T. Rex teeth, which would have been able to crunch through bone. So, Khankhuuluu didn't have that capacity yet. And it also had these really long limbs. So it was actually probably an animal that was built for speed. Krista Bo 00:06:58 So if you're not a dinosaur fan, you might be asking why should we care? Jared Voris 00:07:03 Paleontology teaches us about our past. By understanding how ecosystems of the past have changed over time, that can help us to understand what the future might hold for us. Krista Bo 00:07:15 'It's pretty common to hear about dogs that give mail carriers a hard time. But fortunately for long-time postal worker Ian Burke, that's not the case. Ian Burke 00:07:24 Good boy. Good boy. Come on, go this way. Krista Bo 00:07:27 Ian lives in Denton, Texas, which is just outside of Dallas. And last week he told CNN affiliate WFAA that he had adopted a dog straight from an old delivery route. Ian Burke 00:07:38 Probably one of the best things that the postal service inadvertently issued me. Krista Bo 00:07:41 The dog's name is Floyd, and today he weighs 70 pounds. When Ian first met him on the job three years ago, Floyd was just a puppy who belonged to an elderly Vietnam veteran. And Ian just looked forward to seeing him. Ian Burke 00:07:54 And he got out the door and he like charged at me, right? A little puppy. Krista Bo 00:07:58 Ian lost touch with the dog and his owner when his route changed about a year and a half ago. But when the veteran died, the postman who took over the route let Ian know that Floyd had been taken to a local animal shelter. Ian Burke 00:08:09 I kind of felt responsible to, to take care of him. This is a dog that was loved and cherished by a former customer of mine. I think he would, he'd be pleased to know that his former mailman is taking good care of his, of his dog. Krista Bo 00:08:25 It didn't take Ian long to make his next move. Ian Burke 00:08:28 I went down to the shelter at about 10 a.m. Because when they opened, I got there at 9:50 to make sure I was first in line. Krista Bo 00:08:35 And he was! Ian left the shelter with Floyd. As the two start a new chapter in their lives together, Ian says he hopes to inspire others to adopt shelter dogs. Krista Bo 00:08:48 'All right, pop quiz. What's the last song Frank Sinatra sang in public? The winner of a Sinatra sing-off in his hometown sang it, so the answer's after the break. Stay with us. Krista Bo 00:09:07 In Hoboken, New Jersey, Frank Sinatra's spirit lives on in ways that are just as timeless as his voice. Geri Fallo 00:09:14 He was born in Hoboken, December 12th, 1915. They named the street after him. The post office is named after him, the park, the waterfront park is named after him and there is, you know, a statue of him now. Krista Bo 00:09:31 Gerri Fallo spent more than 30 years as Hoboken's director of cultural affairs and now serves as a trustee on the board of the city's historical museum. She's the one who spearheaded the citys' annual Sinatra singing contest. Krista Bo 00:09:43 It was first launched in 2007 to celebrate Hoboken rich musical roots. And since then, people all over the world have contacted Jerry over the years to try to compete. Geri Fallo 00:09:53 Last Thursday, with the New York City skyline as the backdrop, 10 contestants competed in the 16th annual My Way Sinatra Sing Off. At Hoboken's outdoor Sinatra Park amphitheater. Gerri says this year's event had something extra special. Geri Fallo 00:10:07 I would say we've had singers 18, 19 years old, but never this young. Krista Bo 00:10:21 '10-Year-old Joseph JoJo Trusso was the youngest contestant ever to compete in the competition. He belted out Sinatra's 1964 rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon," from the DECA record label with a full-on swagger. And while he didn't win, Gerri said the judges thought the fifth grader has a long, promising career ahead of him. The first place winner, however, had some special ties to the city and Sinatra. John Rennell 00:11:00 I am John Rennell. I live now in Ellentown, Florida, but I was born and raised in Hoboken. I've been performing live music since I'm 14, and I'm 70. But music can keep you young, and especially so with me. Always loved Sinatra's music. It's done a lot for me. I stand on the shoulders of what the styles he invented. Krista Bo 00:11:27 And using a golden mic he said was once used by the iconic singer himself, John sang his 1964 hit, "The Best Is Yet To Come," from the record label Reprise. Krista Bo 00:11:44 Fun fact, "The Best Is Yet To Come," was the last song Sinatra sang in public before he died in 1998, and the phrase was originally inscribed on his tombstone. In the city where he got his start, Sinatra's songs still inspire fans of all ages, doing it their way on a summer night in Hoboken. Krista Bo 00:12:24 All right, that's all for now. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of One Thing. Krista Bo 00:12:28 FIve Good Things is a production of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Eryn Mathewson and me, Krista Bo. Our senior producers are Felicia Patinkin and Faiz Jamil. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our technical director, and Steve Lichteig is the executive producer of CNN Audio. Krista Bo 00:12:45 We get support from Joey Salvia, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru, and Lisa Namerow. And special thanks to Wendy Brundige. And thank you, as always, for listening. If you liked the show, please consider giving us a good rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sharing it with a family member or a friend. That's the best way we can spread the good vibes. Take care, till next time.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Queen of Clean: How Kim Woodward became a one-liner legend
Kim Woodburn, who has died at the age of 83, found fame relatively late in life alongside co-star Aggie McKenzie in Channel 4 show How Clean is Your when the show ended in 2009 following a six-year run, it was just the start for the acerbic star, who went on to create some of television's most memorable moments with her no-holds barred her or hate her, Woodburn called a spade a spade in a celebrity world where being two-faced is arguably a survival TV star Kim Woodburn dies aged 83It earned her a new following on social media and had her in demand for custom videos and appearances at Pride status as a "hun" - a British subculture involving the "stanning" of camp female pop and reality TV stars - saw her become the subject of several gifs and are some of the Clean Queen's best bits. Celebrity Big Brother fireworks Probably Woodburn's best-known outburst was her "You're an adulterer!" soap queen-style moment from Celebrity Big Brother, with the ensuing row resulting in the star being temporarily removed from the taken aim at former footballer Jamie O'Hara, Woodburn also fell out with Nicola McClean, calling her "Miss Insecure" and "vile" and a "horrible, horrible girl". "You're not worth saying anything to," she informed her. "Really?" asked McLean. "Truly," Woodburn replied succinctly. McClean, a former glamour model, later said Woodburn shouldn't have been allowed to speak to her that CBB housemates who Woodburn fell out with included Loose Woman host Coleen Nolan, who went on to win the 2017 show. The row later spilled over on to an episode of Loose Woman. Hair-raising drama Bad hair days. We've all been there. But when you're in the jungle, that humidity takes it all to another her time on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2009, Woodburn gained a lot of attention after she became outraged over her hair products being confiscated. "My hair plays a big part in my career," she explained. "I earn money with this hairstyle, it's my trademark."Speaking in the hut, Woodburn says: "I have very fine hair and my hair is breaking." Later speaking to campmates, she added: "I just simply won't have it, I'm sorry, I won't have it. "I'm not going to ruin my hair which I'm known for and has made me a jolly good living. It humiliates me as a female."A tad dramatic perhaps but to be fair, Woodburn's plaited, platinum bun was iconic. This Morning interview gets a tad awkward Woodburn went on to discuss her time in the Celebrity Big Brother show on This Morning shortly after her stint in the said her fellow housemates lived "in stink and filth". "Don't be cheeky, don't be naughty," she then quipped, when former presenter Philip Schofield asked her what she was paid to go on the show."I have not gone one second in my life for bull," she added."You are giving me the impression... you don't know what you're talking about, Phil." Schofield said sarcastically: "What a delight to have had you here," to which Woodburn snapped back: "You big phoney."Viewers loved it - as did the crew, who giggled in the background. Come Dine With Me - or drink with me? Woodburn also appeared on Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me, where contestants have their co-stars around to their house for a home-cooked three-course wasn't the first person to get a bit squiffy on the show, memorably struggling to pronounce "mascarpone" at Claire Sweeney's dinner the taxi on the way home, Kim gave viewers her boozy verdict: "The food, okay, the vodka, lovely."Comic Tom O'Connor looked slightly shell-shocked as he was driven home. "I'd never met her before but I tell you what, I'll never forget her." Endless one-liners Woodburn had the rare ability to be both outrageous and oddly profound - like a foul-mouthed oracle in marigolds. "I want genuine people in my life, not [idiots]," she said once, using a slightly stronger word than that - a mission statement Woodburn lived wasn't afraid to invoke bedroom activity on occasion. In one moment of affectionate overshare, she said: "My husband was a goer, y'know... ooh, he was a goer that man!"Other standout one-liners from the Kim-tionary include, "Every wrinkle tells a dirty story". She also told one poor CBB housemate who was getting on her nerves: "You'd make a great town crier!" Woodburn told one member of Jedward: "You'd eat a scabby-[bottomed] rat if the mood took you." Asked to clarify what that was, she clarified helpfully: "A rat with scabs on its [backside]."She did mind her manners, in her own way, asking her fellow housemates once: "What the [expletive] hell - excuse me - has happened here?"Similarly, after one contestant told her "don't start," she said in the diary room: "I didn't start it, but I'll bloody finish it - excuse me saying bloody."And in one pensive moment, she reflected wistfully: "I may have another 10 years on this earth if I'm lucky. Do you think I'm honestly going to spend that time putting up with [expletive] bags?"Additional reporting by Chris Gibson and Steven McIntosh.
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Bridgnorth Pride paraphernalia stolen, says organiser
Bunting, posters and a rainbow flag put up to celebrate Bridgnorth Pride were torn down and stolen by people opposing the event, organisers 250 people attended the event last weekend, including Bridgnorth mayor David Cooper, West Mercia Police, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and the National organiser Huw Rees said although the event passed off without any trouble, items were removed or stolen in the lead up and the said he planned to run the event again next year and "the negativity shows exactly why Pride events are needed in small rural towns like Bridgnorth". After a parade around Castle Walk and the grounds, there was a performance by Shropshire Rock Choir and events in local venues, he said."The rainbow flag was pulled down from the town council flagpole and stolen after just two days, while posters have been torn off windows and bunting has been ripped off railings, some binned and some stolen," he said."This is on top of many hundreds of homophobic and transphobic comments on social media."Mr Rees said he started the event two years ago after experiencing homophobic abuse in Bridgnorth but said he did not want to focus on the negativity as events like his were important and would continue."Cities have LGBTQ+ venues year-round and access to them is easy. Shropshire has very few venues catering specifically to the LGBTQ+ community, if any at all, and the lack of public transport makes access to cities difficult. "This isolates the local LGBTQ+ community from support, but by holding a Pride event here it gives them an opportunity to come together in solidarity." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Washington Post
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
The 37 best things to do in the D.C. area this weekend and next week
The action-packed closing weekend of WorldPride is behind us, but things aren't slowing down, with more Pride events including storytelling, family events and drag shows at breweries this weekend. But there's much more, too: Outdoor music festivals dedicated to jazz in Alexandria and blues in Silver Spring vie with more modern sounds at the Warped Tour. DC/DOX brings documentary films to local theaters. Shakespeare's plays are performed under the stars. A festival marking the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army arrives on the Mall, while Mount Vernon celebrates George Washington's appointment as commander in chief, and the Udvar-Hazy Center's Family Day is focused on World War II. You can listen to opera outdoors at the Lincoln Memorial, get up close to more than 400 vintage cars or toast the fourth anniversary of a spicy D.C. distiller.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pride Month starts this weekend. Here's what to expect
Pride Month kicks off with events around the world starting this weekend. It's an annual series of parades and other gatherings to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and rights. At its heart, Pride is both a party and a protest. In the U.S. this year, that means speaking out against a slew of policies that impose restrictions on transgender people and that try to end diversity, equity and inclusion programming in government, education and businesses. Here's a look at the event's roots and this year's events and themes. When Pride Month began The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a year after the violent police raid at New York's Stonewall Inn, a gay bar. At a time when many LGBTQ+ people kept their identities private, the June 28, 1969, raid sparked a series of public protests and catalyzed the gay rights movement. The first pride week featured marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, and it has since grown to other cities. On the calendar are events in Philadelphia this weekend; New Orleans on June 14; Chicago on June 21 and 22; and New York over the weekend of June 28 and 29. Many other events in big cities and small towns are also planned. There are pride celebrations around the world, including in Tokyo on June 8; Toronto on June 27-29; Sao Paolo on June 22; and Paris on June 28. Some events fall outside of June, too. World Pride, a biannual event held this year in Washington, D.C., began in May and goes through June 8. Pride in London is in July; a big celebration in Rio de Janeiro is in November and Atlanta's is in October. Former President Bill Clinton proclaimed June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 1999, marking the first time a U.S. president did so. How Trump is targeting trans people and DEI policies When President Donald Trump returned to office in January, he quickly attempted to roll back LGBTQ+ rights. He's especially targeted transgender people with policies that halted allowing people to change the sex listed on their passport, removed transgender military troops and sought to stop using federal insurance programs to pay for gender-affirming care for transgender people under age 19, and keep transgender athletes out of girls and women's sports competitions. All of those changes are being challenged in court. His actions follow years of policies in Republican-controlled states that bar gender-affirming care for transgender minors and dictate which sports transgender people can play and which school and other public bathrooms they are allowed to use. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on whether Tennessee's ban on medical treatment is constitutional. One of Trump's orders called for removing references to what he and some other conservatives call 'gender ideology' from government publications and websites. A result of that: References to transgender people have been removed from government websites, including the one for the Stonewall National Monument, site of the event that inspired Pride. About half of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling transgender issues, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found last month. About 4 in 10 voters approve of his job as president overall. But support for his individual policies on transgender people is not uniformly strong, with a clearer consensus against policies that affect youth. This year's celebrations in the U.S. Organizers of Milwaukee's PrideFest are prepared for close to 50,000 people at the event scheduled for June 5-7. 'We're feeling that people will be showing up, and that's their protest,' said Wes Shaver, the president and CEO of Milwaukee Pride, Inc. The event's theme is 'Celebrating the Power of Pride' and for the first time, one of the entertainment stages one night will feature only transgender performers. Shaver said that's an intentional move in response to Trump's policies. Another night, the stage will feature only performers of color. Jeremy Williams, the executive producer of Philly Pride 365 in Philadelphia, said he didn't expect more protest than in the past there. 'Everybody's just there to be together,' he said. The 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage legalized nationwide One milestone that's likely to be celebrated: This month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which recognized same-sex marriage nationwide. It was a watershed event in establishing rights for LGBTQ+ people across the country. About two-thirds of LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. said the case made the nation more accepting of same-sex couples, according to a Pew Research Center poll released last week. The poll found that LGBTQ+ people don't always feel accepted, though. About 6 in 10 said they see 'a great deal' or 'a fair amount' of social acceptance for those who are lesbian, gay or bisexual. But only about 1 in 10 said the same is true for nonbinary and transgender people. Which companies are backing off on sponsorships Several big companies have pulled back on sponsorships for Pride events this year. Among them: Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based brewer, declined to sponsor PrideFest in its home city after three decades of support, leaving organizers $150,000 short of last year's budget, they told The Associated Press. NYC Pride said about 20% of its corporate sponsors dropped or reduced support, including PepsiCo and Nissan. The carmaker said it was reviewing all its marketing costs. In other cities, such as Kansas City, Missouri, pride events lost about half their budgets. Several companies that have pulled back have not explained why to the AP. But some experts see the change as part of a broader retreat from brand activism. Still, the groups behind many Pride events say some companies have kept contributing but have asked not to be listed publicly as sponsors.
