GET THE APP
Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Category: Culture
October 10, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
News

Two Blokes Will Compete In This Year’s Miss Universe.

Two men are preparing to compete in the 2023 Miss Universe beauty pageant in November after Portugal voted to award its national beauty prize to a transgender “woman” – a biological male – last week.

Marina Machete, a 28-year-old flight attendant, became Portugal’s first man to win the award on Friday evening, finishing above the other 16 female participants. He explained after his success that he was “proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal,” explaining further that “for years it was not possible for [him] to participate” in the female competition.

“To all of you watching, I just want to say that, just like the universe, your possibilities in life are limitless,” he added.

Machete is set to share the El Salvador stage with Rikkie Valeria Kolle, another transgender female who won the Miss Netherlands prize in July this year.

Miss Universe only permitted transgender women to participate in the competition as of 2021. The first man to compete in the competition was Spain’s Angela Ponce in 2018.

WATCH:

show less
Two men are preparing to compete in the 2023 Miss Universe beauty pageant in November after Portugal voted to award its national beauty prize to a transgender "woman" – a biological male – last week. show more
October 9, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
News

CA Gov Newsom Lowers Consent Age to 12 for ‘Gender Counseling’ Without Parents ‘OK’.

Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that permits children as young as 12 to reside in government-funded “residential shelter services” to undergo mental health treatment or counseling for their gender identity without parental consent or even being informed by doctors.

The bill, known as Assembly Bill 665, allows 12-year-olds to consent to such treatment if they are considered “mature enough to participate intelligently in the outpatient services or residential shelter services” and if they are the “alleged victim” of incest or child abuse who poses a risk to themselves or others – no proof of genuine harm is required.

The bill, signed by Newson over the weekend, further states that medical professionals must consult with the minor to determine “whether involvement of the minor’s parent or guardian would be inappropriate.”

California lawmakers justify this imposition into parental authority by claiming children identifying as LGBT often face parental rejection, harassment in school, or wider societal stigma, therefore, “obtaining parental consent for a youth who needs support is complicated by the parent or caretakers’ beliefs and stigma about mental health care.”

The law caused a stir among California’s GOP before it was even passed, with Senator Ochoa Bogh writing to Newsom last month to argue, “[b]y removing the requirement that a minor must experience extenuating circumstances to consent to mental health services on their own, we ignore the right of parents to make informed decisions regarding their child’s health.”

Newsom’s California has become increasingly radical on LGBT issues, recently implementing a law that requires all schools to have gender-neutral toilets by 2026 and threatening to fine schools up to $1.5 million for not teaching about gay pedophile and “LGBT rights activist” Harvey Milk.

show less
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that permits children as young as 12 to reside in government-funded "residential shelter services" to undergo mental health treatment or counseling for their gender identity without parental consent or even being informed by doctors. show more
October 6, 2023
Jack Montgomery
Culture
News

LISTEN: ‘There Ain’t No Rock and Roll’ Song Rips Music Industry for Big Pharma Sellout.

Five Times August have dropped a powerful new track taking aim at the music industry and singling out performers including Mick Jagger, John Legend, and the Foo Fighters by name, for selling out to Big Pharma and the lockdown agenda during the Wuhan virus pandemic.

The song laments “there ain’t no rock and roll, and the blues has lost its soul; all the punks gave the man control, and every pop star’s bought and sold,” with accompanying news clippings and other imagery serving to trash the “Big Pharma sellouts” who demanded vaccinated-only crowds and towed the government line amid Covid hysteria.

Five Times August pulled no punches against the “Big Pharma whores, shillin’ for a check,” accusing them of having completely abandoned their anti-establishment, rebellious posture when it counted: “All the suits lick the boots of the government, what they sang they never meant.”

Details in the music video underline the point, recalling standout episodes such as the Kaiser Chiefs (or “Pfizer Chiefs”) leading crowds with cries of: “Let me hear it if you’ve had the Pfizer vacine! Let me hear it for Moderna! AstraZeneca!”

Watch in full here: 

show less
Five Times August have dropped a powerful new track taking aim at the music industry and singling out performers including Mick Jagger, John Legend, and the Foo Fighters by name, for selling out to Big Pharma and the lockdown agenda during the Wuhan virus pandemic. show more
October 5, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
News

Planned Parenthood Prescribes Hormone Treatment Within 30 Mins of 1st Consultation.

Adolescents are going to Planned Parenthood to get hormone replacement drugs in an effort to avoid the often months-long consultations and safeguards implemented by specialist and strongly regulated clinics.

Planned Parenthood has become one of the fastest-growing and largest hormone providers across the United States as the organization – which is more commonly known for assisting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of unborn babies every year – is willing to dish out the cross-sex hormones within 30 minutes of the first consultation. The only requirement for a teenager is a mere discussion about the potential side effects of the drugs.

Most specialist clinics, however, often undertake rigorous and thorough assessments that take up to a year to complete, with even that timeframe becoming longer due to the ever-increasing public scrutiny and attention surrounding the issue.

As a result, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Portland saw an increase of roughly 400 percent in cases involving hormone or transgender treatment between 2021 and 2022. Affiliates in Ohio reported an over 500 percent increase. One of the organization’s Knoxville-based clinics even admitted that around one-fifth of its patients in 2021 demanded hormone therapy.

One mother, whose autistic son was prescribed hormones within minutes of his first visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Jersey, argued, “It’s criminal what Planned Parenthoods all over the country are doing… And most people have no idea this is happening.”

Notably, a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry earlier this year found that transgender surgery fails to reduce the demand for mental health services.

show less
Adolescents are going to Planned Parenthood to get hormone replacement drugs in an effort to avoid the often months-long consultations and safeguards implemented by specialist and strongly regulated clinics. show more
un olympics
September 28, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
News

UN Lashes Out at France For Banning Islamic Headscarves At 2024 Paris Olympics.

The United Nations (UN) has lashed out at France’s recent decision to ban the wearing of Islamic headscarves for athletes competing in the Paris Olympics next year.

Marta Hurtado, a spokeswoman for the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, argued on Tuesday that “No one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear, or not wear” adding, “Discriminatory practices against a group can have harmful consequences.”

Her statement followed France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra’s argument that the decision was taken to reflect the nation’s commitment to its strong secularist principles. Oudéa-Castéra’s Ministry claimed in a statement in response to the UN’s criticism on Tuesday: “[Muslim women] may not wear a headscarf (or any other accessory or garment expressing their religious affiliation) when representing France in a national or international sporting competition.”

Notably, France is the sixth largest contributor to the UN, paying $128 million, or just under five percent of the organization’s annual budget.

The French government has made an increased effort to integrate Muslim women and girls into society, such as ruling last month that girls cannot wear the Islamic “abaya” in schools.

show less
The United Nations (UN) has lashed out at France's recent decision to ban the wearing of Islamic headscarves for athletes competing in the Paris Olympics next year. show more
gavin newsom transgender
September 27, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
News

Gavin Newsom Wants Gender-Neutral Toilets in All Schools by 2026.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law earlier this week that requires all K-12 schools in the state to have gender-neutral bathrooms by July 2026.

The new law – Senate Bill 760 – demands that gender-neutral bathrooms be available throughout school hours and during the school’s daily functions and “unlocked, unobstructed, and easily accessible by any pupil.”

The law also requires schools to designate a member of staff that operates as a point of contact to ensure the bathrooms are compliant with the mandate. The bathrooms can only be subject to a temporary closure provided there is a “documented student safety concern.”

“California is proud to have some of the most robust laws in the nation when it comes to protecting and supporting our LGBTQ+ community, and we’re committed to the ongoing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all Californians,” said Newsom, in a statement.

The bill comes after a series of decisions by Newsom to thrust Pride and LGBT propaganda into every area of education in the state, such as threatening schools that refuse to teach about gay pedophile Harvey Milk with a $1.5 million fine.

show less
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law earlier this week that requires all K-12 schools in the state to have gender-neutral bathrooms by July 2026. show more
September 25, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
News

Washington National Cathedral Replaces Robert E Lee With Racial Justice Stained-Glass.

Washington National Cathedral unveiled its new racial-justice-themed stained glass windows over the weekend to replace the previous depictions honoring Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, which were removed in 2017.

The Cathedral argues the new windows, entitled “Now and Forever,” depict protestors holding placards that read “no foul play” and “fairness” and were introduced to signify a “new chapter” in the monument’s artistic and architectural legacy.

The previous stained glass windows of generals Lee and Jackson were described by the Cathedral as “offensive” and “a barrier to the ministry of this cathedral,” according to the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, explained during Saturday’s unveiling.

“[T]oday is an opportunity to recommit ourselves, and to recommit this Cathedral, to join that march toward fairness for all Americans, but especially for African Americans,” Rev. Hollerith continued.

“There is a lot of work yet to be done to confront systemic racism, to foster racial reconciliation and to be repairers of the breach, both in the past, the present and in our future,” he added.

The “artist” responsible for the windows, Kerry James Marshall, unveiled his work in a similarly racially-charged speech by comparing the Biblical fall of humanity with the creation of America and stated the event highlighted “one instance where a change of symbolism is meant to repair a breach of America’s creation promise of liberty and justice for all.”

Those funding and supporting the project included the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and Steven Spielberg’s Heartland Foundation.

show less
Washington National Cathedral unveiled its new racial-justice-themed stained glass windows over the weekend to replace the previous depictions honoring Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, which were removed in 2017. show more
September 25, 2023
Jake Welch
Culture
Education
News

School Removes ALL Books Published Pre-2008 In ‘Equity, Inclusivity’ Push.

A high school in Ontario has removed all books published before the year 2008 in an effort to make the school’s library more “inclusive” for students returning from their summer holidays, including Anne Frank’s Diary, the Harry Potter series, and even “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga removed roughly 50 percent the library’s collection under an “equity-based book weeding” policy implemented by the local school board earlier this year.

“This year, I came into my school library and there are rows and rows of empty shelves with absolutely no books,” said one student.

The “weeding” process is merely the first step in the new policy, with the second comprising an audit of books based on whether they “promote anti-racism, cultural responsiveness, and inclusivity,” and thirdly ensuring the books reflect the “diversity” of the pupils attending the school.

The decision was criticized by the Ontario government, with Minister of Education Stephen Lecce stating: “It is offensive, illogical and counterintuitive to remove books from years past that educate students on Canada’s history, antisemitism or celebrated literary classics.”

The local school board announced following the backlash that it “works to ensure that the books available in our school libraries are culturally responsive, relevant, inclusive, and reflective of the diversity of our school communities and the broader society.”

show less
A high school in Ontario has removed all books published before the year 2008 in an effort to make the school's library more "inclusive" for students returning from their summer holidays, including Anne Frank's Diary, the Harry Potter series, and even "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." show more
reparations
September 25, 2023
Culture
News
Politics

Californians Want Reparations for Slavery. They Just Don’t Want to Pay for It.

A new UC Berkeley poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times has found that a strong majority of California voters are opposed to cash payments to the descendants of enslaved African Americans. The poll also revealed, however, that California voters believe that the government should do more to address racial disparities.

Six in 10 said it was unfair to ask today’s taxpayers to pay for wrongs committed in the past, while 53% said it would be unfair to single out one group when other racial and religious groups were also historically wronged. About 1 in 5 said the proposal would cost too much.

Although cash payments were not widely favored, they received more support from women, younger voters, and those born in the U.S. State Senator Steven Bradford recently introduced a bill to create the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency, which would oversee and implement reparations, including cash payments.

“I know who will pay: It’s people like me,” said interviewee Richard Malone, 71. “It won’t be the rich. It won’t be the poor. It will be all of us in the middle. You don’t have to be a mathematician to know that our taxes will have to go up to pay for this.”

The report from the Reparations Task Force highlighted California’s history with slavery, including the presence of enslaved African descendants during the Gold Rush and the existence of loopholes that allowed slavery and discrimination to persist despite the state’s ban on slavery in 1849.

show less
A new UC Berkeley poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times has found that a strong majority of California voters are opposed to cash payments to the descendants of enslaved African Americans. The poll also revealed, however, that California voters believe that the government should do more to address racial disparities. show more
September 23, 2023
Culture
News

Newsom Vetoes Child Gender Identity Affirmation Bill, But Says Courts Can Already Scrutinize Parents’ Wokeness.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has vetoed a bill that requires judges in child custody cases to consider whether a parent has affirmed their child’s gender identity. While the move was blasted by the bill’s authors, Newsom explained in a statement that he believes “…a court, under existing law, is required to consider a child’s health, safety, and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in these proceedings, including the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity.”

Effectively, Newsom is claiming the thrust of the bill is already California law, though bill co-author Sen. Scott Wiener disagrees, claiming, “Governor Newsom has been such a staunch ally to the LGBTQ community. A true champion. Respectfully, however, this veto is a mistake”.

Newsom said he appreciates the “passion and values” that led Democrat Assemblywoman Lori Wilson to introduce the bill, adding that he shares a “deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians, an effort that has guided my decisions through many decades in public office.”

show less
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has vetoed a bill that requires judges in child custody cases to consider whether a parent has affirmed their child's gender identity. While the move was blasted by the bill’s authors, Newsom explained in a statement that he believes "…a court, under existing law, is required to consider a child's health, safety, and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in these proceedings, including the parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity." show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Doubtless the media on both sides will run away with the veto angle on this, to boost their “he’s running!” narrative
for exclusive members-only insights
Doubtless the media on both sides will run away with the veto angle on this, to boost their “he’s running!” narrative show more
for exclusive members-only insights