News
American couple stranded in British Virgin Islands by Hurricane Irma
the tourists have since been rescued from the island
Two American tourists were enjoying a two-week trip in the British Virgin Islands when they were left stranded after Hurricane Irma.
Atlanta residents Kerman Haynes, 40, and Andrew Burruss, 32, were visiting the island of TortolaĀ when it was hit by the hurricane. The aftermath left the couple with almost no food and down to their last gallon of water.
āThere is almost no aid on the ground here and we are almost out of food and water. The devastation is unimaginable as it was more like a thirty-three hour tornado than a hurricane,” Burruss texted People.
Haynes and Burruss took to Facebook to document their struggle and to plead for assistance.
“There is almost no aid on the ground here and we are almost out of food (uncooked ramen, cookies, peanut butter) and water as are most of the people here. The devastation is unimaginable as it was more like a 33 hour tornado vs a hurricane. We hiked 11 miles to the Capitol of Tortola this morning, which is Road Town, to get cell service, which means we had to leave our little room behind. As of right now, we have no place to stay tonight and people here are desperate,” Burruss writes in one post.
Haynesā sister Karen, who hails from Richmond, Virginia, explained to People that the couple had to leave their hotel for safety reasons.
āThey had to move because it wasnāt safe where they were staying,ā Karen says.Ā āThere was looting and locals were getting violent because of a shortage of supplies. Andrew and Kerman only have one gallon of water left between them.ā
Haynes blamed the British government for its treatment of tourists and locals.
“The Queen, and all of her ‘subjects’, should be ashamed and outraged. There are many foreigners and locals that need aid and evacuation. Many foreigners have been willing to provide their own assistance at their cost, only to be denied – shame on you Queen Elizabeth, et al, for not allowing these people, whom you depend upon for tourism dollars, illegal shell corporations, and tax evasion to sustain this economy,” Haynes writes.
While their friends and family tried to find a way to bring the couple home, their efforts were unsuccessful.
According to a Facebook post, Haynes was able to find a helicopter pilot to agree to take the pair to San Juan, Puerto Rico. On Monday, the couple was evacuated via helicopter fromĀ Tortola.
Russia
Vladimir Putin takes office for fifth term as Russia’s president
Kremlin’s crackdown on LGBTQ people expected to continue
On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin took his oath of office becoming the second ever longest serving leader of the modern Russian state since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who held power from 1922 until his death in 1953.
Putin’s tenure in office has been marked by his acquisition of concentrated political power in part due to his eradication and imprisonment or the deaths of his political opponents, such as his rumored unproven involvement in the assassination of fierce Putin critic Boris NemtsovĀ on Feb. 27, 2015, just steps away from the gate to the Kremlin, and more recently in the prosecution and imprisonment of another high profile Putin critic, Alexei Navalny, who died on Feb. 16 at a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.
Putin ordered military operations in August 2008, which led to the Russo-Georgian War and diplomatic relations were broken. To this day, the two countries have maintained no formal diplomatic relations. Then in February and March 2014, Russian troops at his direction invaded the Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine, and annexed it. The resulting hostilities also spread to the far-eastern Ukrainian oblasts, [provinces] which culminated with Russia invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. The invasion became the largest attack on a European country since the end of World War II in 1945.
As the war drags on Putin’s threats of military escalation against NATO countries and use of battlefield nuclear weapons has created a tense relationship with a majority of the European Union as well as with the United States. Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to other totalitarian regimes like China, Iran, and North Korea for support.
In his inaugural speech Putin made oblique reference to his oft stated desire to recreate a hybrid of the former Soviet Union:
“In these solemn and crucial moments of assuming the office of the president, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Russia across all regions of our country, as well as those living in the historical territories of Russia who have won their right to stand united with our Motherland.”
The Russian president then thanked the forces fighting in the invasion of Ukraine saying:
“IĀ humbly honor our heroes, theĀ participants inĀ theĀ special military operation, andĀ all those who are fighting forĀ our Fatherland. IĀ would like toĀ thank you again forĀ theĀ trust you have placed inĀ me andĀ forĀ your unwavering support. These words are directed toĀ every citizen ofĀ Russia.”
On the domestic front Putin has stifled media outlets with draconian laws passed designed to keep the Russian population largely ignorant of the cost both human lives and governmental spending as the warfare in Ukraine drags on and losses to the Russian military continue.
The Associated Press reported neither the U.S., U.K. nor German ambassadors attended. The U.S. Embassy said Amb. Lynne Tracy was out of the country on āprescheduled, personal travel.ā
A handful of EU envoys attended even though top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said he told them āthe right thing to do is not to attend this inauguration,ā because Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
In his speech Putin issued a veiled threat to critics of his regime that dissention would not be tolerated:
“We can see that the atmosphere in society has changed, and how much we now value reliability, responsibility, sincerity, integrity, generosity, and courage. I will do everything in my power to ensure that those who have displayed these admirable human and professional traits, and who have proved their loyalty to the fatherland through their deeds, achieve leading positions in state governance, the economy and all other spheres.
We must ensure reliable continuity in the development of our country for decades to come and bring up new generations who will strengthen Russiaās might and develop our state based on interethnic accord, the preservation of the traditions of all ethnic groups living in Russia, a civilizational nation united by the Russian language and our multi-ethnic culture.”
The Russian president has also targeted the country’s LGBTQ community with passage of multiple laws that forbid public mention or acknowledgment of queer Russians. In his speech he emphasized his commitment to maintaining “family values.”
“Our top priority is the preservation of the people. I am confident that the support of centuries-old family values and traditions will continue to unite public and religious associations, political parties, and all levels of government.
Our decisions regarding the development of the country and its regions must be effective and fair and must promote the prosperity of Russian families and improve their quality of life,” he said.
The Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank in D.C., noted recently:
“Escalating state discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in Russia is directly informed by the Putin regimeās struggle to maintain legitimacy and public support, especially as Russiaās war in Ukraine drags on. Russian federal elections are scheduled for 2024, and officials are reportedly planning to project record levels of public support for Putin.”
The war in Ukraine and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community are both popular policies among the socially conservative interest groups that make up Putinās strongest base of support, and Russian policymakers draw clear connections between the Kremlin’s narrative that Russia is fighting Western ideology by proxy in Ukraine and the Kremlinās attack on the LGBTQ+ experience in Russia.
Putin’s inaugural speech today signaled his future intentions on conducting the war in Ukraine and his ongoing persecution of LGBTQ+ Russians.”
District of Columbia
Billy Porter, Keke Palmer, Ava Max to perform at Capital Pride
Concert to be held at annual festival on June 9
The Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes D.C.ās annual LGBTQ Pride events, announced this week the lineup of performers for the Sunday, June 9, Capital Pride Concert to be held during the Capital Pride Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. near the U.S. Capitol.
Among the performers will be nationally acclaimed singers and recording artists Billy Porter and Keke Palmer, who will also serve as grand marshals for the Capital Pride Parade set to take place one day earlier on Saturday, June 8.
The Capital Price announcement says the other lead performers will be Ava Max, Sapphira Cristal, and the pop female trio ExposƩ.
āThe beloved pop icons will captivate audiences with upbeat performances coupled with their fierce advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, echoing the vibrant spirit of this yearās theme, āTotally Radical,āā according to a statement released by Capital Pride Alliance.
āWith Billy Porter and Keke Palmer leading the parade as Grand Marshals, weāre not only honoring their incredible contributions to the LGBTQ+ community but also amplifying their voices as fierce advocates for equality and acceptance,ā Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos said in the statement.
āThe concert and festival serve as a platform to showcase the diverse array of LGBTQ+ talent, from the chart-topping hits of Ava Max to the iconic sounds of ExposĆ© and the electrifying performances of Sapphira Cristal,ā Bos said in the statement. āCapital Pride 2024 promises to be a celebration like no other.ā
The concert will take place from 12-10 p.m. on the main stage and other stages across the four-block long festival site on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The White House
Jane Rigby awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Sitting among a diverse and venerable group of Americans from every walk of life on the dais in the East Room of the White House on May 3 was lesbian and NASA astrophysicist Jane Rigby, awaiting her turn to be honored by President Joe Biden who would bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nationās highest civilian honor, on her.
Rigby, an astronomer who grew up in Delaware, is the chief scientist of the worldās most powerful telescope who alongside her team operating NASAās James Webb Space Telescope, studies every phase in the history of the universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of the solar system.
A member of Penn Stateās Class of 2000, Rigby graduated with a bachelorās degrees in physics and astronomy. She also holds a masterās degree and a PhD in astronomy from at the University of Arizona. Her work as the senior project scientist for NASAās Webb Telescope includes studies on how galaxies evolve over cosmic time and she has published more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Rigby was named to Nature.comās 2022 list of 10 individuals who shaped science and to the BBCās list of 100 inspiring and influential women in the same year. Rigby had postdoctoral fellowships at Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, Calif., before landing her job at Goddard Space Flight Center. In 2013 Rigby was awarded the Robert H. Goddard Award for Exceptional Achievement for Science.
A founding member of the American Astronomical Societyās Working Group on LGBTQ Equality in January 2012, now called the Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy, Rigby serves as its Board Liaison until her term expires this June.
The lesbian astrophysicist in an interview for SGMAās website spoke about her experiences including coming out:
āIāve been out since 2000. My storyās simple ā I fell in love with a fellow grad student in the department. It was a close-knit department, so hiding would have been ludicrous. Nor did I want to hide the best thing in my life! So, we were out as grad students. I certainly heard people say awful homophobic things at work there. They werenāt directed at me, and they werenāt said by people with power over me. If I recall, I was much less afraid of homophobic discrimination at work, than I was afraid of the two-body problem, and the lack of support we would receive as a same-sex couple in astronomy. That fear turned out to be justified. Iāve seen numerous different-sex couples get a wide range of support in solving the two-body problem, which was never offered to us,ā she told the interviewer.
She reflected on American astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, her childhood role model who had an impact on her career:
āOne of my biggest role models when I was young was Dr. Sally Ride. A few years ago, on her deathbed, Dr. Ride chose to write in her obituary that her life partner had been a woman. Dr. Ride was the most influential woman scientist when I was growing up ā the person that made me say, āI want to do THAT when I grow up.ā It was because of her that I realized that astrophysics was a profession, that physics was a subject girls could study, that NASA needed astrophysicists. So Iām so ā¦ amused, I suppose, that Sally Ride was this influence on my lifeās path, at a time when I was completely unaware that it was even possible to *be gay* ā and at the same time, she was gay, in love, and deeply closeted to keep her job.ā
The interviewer noted that āfor some women being gay is a cause for concern at the work place. Some say they were unsure about how to turn their sexual orientation into a positive aspect of their work persona.ā Then asked Rigby what is your view on this?
āMy experience is that absolutely I am a *better* astronomer because Iām queer. For a few reasons. First, I see things different than my colleagues. On mission work, as we weigh a decision, my first thought is always the community impact: ‘If we do things this way, who benefits, and who gets left out in the cold?’ Will this policy create inclusion, or marginalization? I think about science in terms of community-building. What team do we need to tackle a given science problem, with skills that are different from mine? Absolutely I think that way because Iām an outsider, because Iāve been marginalized. And because community-building is central to LGBTQ culture,ā she said.
Editorās note: You can read Rigbyās complete SGMA interview here: (Link)
Married to Dr. Andrea Leistra, Rigby, her wife and their young child reside in Maryland not far from her workplace at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in suburban Washington and when not studying the universe is often found on the neighboring Chesapeake Bay wind boarding, a favored pastime.
Also honored in the ceremony Friday were a former U.S. vice president, a civil rights worker and martyr, two former Cabinet secretaries ā one a former U.S. secretary of state, a speech writer for the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an Olympian and gold medalist, and one of the most powerful woman political leaders and the speaker emeritus of the U.S. House of Representatives, among others, and LGBTQ advocate Judy Shepard.