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UNESCO censors nude statues

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Image via Stéphane Simon on Instagram.

The United Nations’ cultural agency is under fire for covering the genitalia on a series of nude sculptures with underwear, according to CNN.

The work of French sculptor Stéphane Simon, 45, the sculptures were on display at the European Heritage Days event held in in Paris by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in September.

CNN reports that the classical-style figures were part of a series called “In Memory of Me,” in which they were depicted in poses meant as a commentary on the now-worldwide social phenomenon of taking selfies.

UNESCO officials made the decision to cover the genitalia with the addition of underwear during the event.

The two statues in question were covered with a thong and a baby’s diaper.

Simon told CNN the decison “humiliated him” and was “disgusting.”

“I felt ashamed,” said Simon, 45, “so deeply sad to see all these years of work and research broken.”

“For two days visitors came to meet, to ask me: ‘But why did you do that?’ But it was not my choice,” the artist added, saying that he should instead have spent those two days “explaining the fascinating link” between the practice of selfie-taking and Ancient Greek history.

To make matters worse, Simon says he had raised the issue of nudity with UNESCO during meetings to plan for the event, but that they had not asked him to cover up the works until a few days before it took place on September 21 and 22.

In an interview with the French news site CheckNews, he said, “The question of the nudity of the statues was raised… I understand that can be disturbing. So, I proposed to stay, during Heritage Days, nearby with a cloth and, if necessary, depending on the visitors, to hide the sex of the statues.”

Image via Stéphane Simon on Instagram.

In a report by UK’s Daily Mail, law professor Jacques Bouineau compared the situation to the case of Daniele da Volterra, an Italian painter who tried to cover the exposed backsides in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.

“And it’s in Paris, the capital of a secular state, in 2019, that a similar censorship is imposed upon an artist,” Bouineau added. “Are we going to have to cover up Michelangelo’s David… or the nude women of Rubens and Ingres?’

For their part, UNESCO initially said the sculptor agreed to cover up the genitalia – which Simon denies – before the arrival of Muslim delegations, citing a confused chain of emails with agency staff over the placement of the underwear, which they said was proposed by the artist himself.

Nevertheless, the agency has apologized, blaming the incident on a “misunderstanding” and a mistake made by a “stressed” employee, and saying that they would have allowed the statues to be exhibited uncovered if they had fully understood the situation.

In a statement, UNESCO said, “We didn’t want to censor the artist, and understand that he felt hurt.”

Photos of the underwear-clad statues drew ridicule from online commentators, with some commenting that the coverage made the statues look like an underwear ad, and others wondering how the skimpy garments could even have been slipped over the base.

The predominant reaction, however, has been to level criticism at UNESCO for a decision many call “puritanical.”

In the words of one Twitter user, “That’s how the fall of the Roman Empire began.”

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PHOTOS: World Pride March

LGBTQ rights demonstration held in Amsterdam

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A scene from the 2026 World Pride March in Amsterdam. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki

Evry Pleasure, Tiara Missou-Sidora, Indiana Bones perform

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Evry Pleasure performs at the 'Daddy Issues' drag show at Kiki on Wednesday. (Washington Blade photo by Landon Shackelford)

The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.

(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)

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Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?

‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia

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(Book cover image courtesy of St. Martin's Essentials)

‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages

Mom called you in a panic the other day.

She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.

These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.

You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?

Chin says maybe, yes.

He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.

Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.

Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.

Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.

Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”

Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.

Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.

Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.

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