title: LGBT history in Belgium

text:
Lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history in Belgium has evolved through the centuries. According to LGBT scholars Bart Eeckhout and David Paternotte, Belgium, considered a conservative nation, developed into one of the world's most progressive and LGBT-friendly states. From the 16th century, Roman Catholic values influenced attitudes towards LGBT rights. Homosexuality and sodomy was criminalised and punished in Belgium, with gay men being put under conversion therapy by medical doctors and psychiatrists. Homosexuality was decriminalised in the 18th century, but sodomy still remained punishable until the 19th century. However, from the 21st century, Belgium developed into a more LGBT friendly state; Belgium's anti-discrimination law ensures that discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal and introduces new transgender legal rights. Belgium is the second country, after the Netherlands, to open civil marriage to same-sex couples in 2003, and granted same-sex couples the right to adopt in 2006. And continues to provide asylum for individuals who may be persecuted for their sexual and gender identity. Belgium has also implemented new education policies to combat school discrimination against LGBT peoples and has allowed IVF and artificial insemination to be available for same-sex couples. Belgium has also supported LGBT politicians and expression of LGBT values through art.

Belgium's progression can be attributed to the social and political changes that occurred in the 19th - 21st century. The rise of secularisation and the sexual revolution contributed to the development of LGBT movements, gay liberation groups and uncensored media, all of which were important in influencing change and acceptance of the LGBT population. Whilst, the debate around the importance of marriage and the fluctuating nature of the political system, the transfer of power from conservative Christian Democrats to the more progressive six-party coalition, have warranted new changes to legislation. However, there was opposition and setbacks such as the AIDS epidemic and discrimination during LGBT events and against certain LGBT members of the community.

16th century

From the 16th century, Roman Catholicism dominated Belgium. European Catholicism depended heavily on an individual's unwavering obedience to Catholic beliefs, resulting in Roman Catholicism having strong “historic ties'' and influence on Belgian leadership and surrounding powers. The dominance of Catholicism in the social and political landscape contributed to prejudices and the criminalisation of homosexuality. Religion has been used to justify anti-gay sentiment.

1500s
Sodomy of any kind, including same-sex sodomy, were heavily repressed in Belgium during the 1500s. Sodomy was considered an 'unnatural crime' and was punished with death by burning.

1558
On the 26th of January, two boys 19-year-old François van Daele and the 14-year-old Willem de Clerck were sent to the scaffold to be punished for their same sex relationship with a priest. Both boys were given heavy sentences including being flogged with rods until bleeding and their hair been burned off with glowing hot iron. The boys were later banned from Flanders after their tortures.

1565
There were a high number of sodomy prosecutions in Belgium. Between 1400 and 1700, there were 204 trials for sodomy charges, involving 406 individuals, in Antwerp, Bruges, het Brugse Vrije (the Franc of Bruges), Brussels, Ghent, Ypres, Louvain and Mechelen. 252 of those charged were put to the stake, more than half of the defendants who were accused of sodomy in Belgium were put to death.

1578
June 28, Homosexual Monks were purged through execution in Ghent.

17th century
 The criminalisation of homosexuality in Belgium fell under laws related to debauchery and public indecency.

Medical doctors tried to cure homosexuality. Gay men were sent to psychiatrists and treated with female hormones. Many gay men or 'patients' would lie saying they were 'cured' to get rid of their psychiatrists. When the treatment stopped, doctors and psychiatrists would describe the treatment as 'successful' in magazines and conferences. Treatments took time, were expensive and non-effective.

 1620 -- Jacob Jordaens paints "The Flight of Lot (biblical person) and his family from Sodom."

18th century
Homosexuality in Belgium was decriminalised in 1795.

Same-sex sodomy was still considered an issue by this time. In 1776, Henricus Masso was integrated in Antwerp by magistrates regarding an accusation of sodomy. They asked several valid legal questions including where he stayed, with whom he shared a bed with and what he and his companion had done together.  Despite providing adequate information about his sexual encounters, Masso was asked further questions. "What his partner had given or promised him for his sexual cooperation, whether other boys frequented the same house, whether his partner 'associated with any women,' and whether he himself had committed sodomy with others." The magistrates not only wanted Masso's confession, but wanted to record everything about this event and its context. The interrogation questions Masso was subjected to were commonly used in sodomy cases in Belgium during the 18th century.

Peter Stocker, in 1780, was also asked multiple detailed questions about his sexual encounters with two young men. The inquiry into Stocker revealed that he had sexual relations with many men, but the magistrates were primarily interested in why he had many relationships with men. Both Stocker and his partners were interrogated by the magistrates, who asked questions about the actual occurrence of sodomy. About Stocker's other partners, how Stocker had “seduced” his younger partners and whether Stocker had "moral awareness of the graveness of their actions." Whether Stocker understood that what he did was 'wrong.' The reason why magistrates asked such questions, some of which were not legally relevant as evidence, was to find ways to limit or eliminate the problem of sodomy.

After Stocker's case for example, the mayor of Antwerp wrote "they have declared that the crime of sodomy strictly speaking reigns in Antwerp, and that it is to be hoped that an exemplary punishment will be made to make the enormity of the crime known and to inspire more horror." Punishments for those convicted of sodomy did become stricter. Up to 1789, sex between men, under the official name 'sodomy,' had become a serious offence. Sodomy became associated, through religious teachings and law, with bestiality, masturbation, sinning and the apocalypse.

However, the true extremity of sodomy charges and punishments, and whether they were enforced equally in Belgium is debated. Despite the high-profile cases of Masso and Stocker, from the 1600s onwards sodomy trials became rare in Belgium. It was believed that if sodomy occurred, there was less inclination to prosecute those committing the act to avoid public scandal. Although in the 16th century sodomites were publicly executed as a form of public deterrence, most of the recorded sodomy court cases in the 1600s were dismissed based on lack of evidence.

During the 18th century other same-sex acts also became minor concerns. The harsher punishments surrounding sodomy also seemed to have little effect on same-sex sexual behaviour. Many individuals continued to involve themselves in sodomy ideas and situations.

Changing political and social landscape of Belgium

19th century
In the 19th century sodomy ceased to be a crime and a legitimate legal concept. This was a legal improvement for those engaged in same-sex sexual activities. Different sexual relationships and practices continued, but the motivations to engage in such events or why individuals chose to perform same-sex sexual activities was no longer recorded by legal institutions.

20th century
Secularisation began to appear in Belgium in areas such as Francophone Belgium and some Flemish urban centres including Antwerp and Ghent. Secularism was adopted by Belgian freethinkers, socialist and liberalist politicians, who aimed to liberate Belgium from the influence of the Church. Dechristianisation was the product of the joint activism between the free-thinking movement and the working-class socialist movement in the Francophone south of Belgium.

1940s

1945
Many university hospitals, like the Flemish and Francophone Free University of Brussels, ideologically aligned with secularisation. Hence, they enacted strong humanist policies, including surgery for transgender individuals and in-vitro fertilisation for lesbian couples, going against and systematically diminishing the social and moral power of Roman Catholicism in Belgium. The secularisation of institutions meant surgery and reproductive technologies are available and affordable for the LGBT community.

Secularisation saw the widespread resistance and de-idealisation of marriage as a social institution, with many heterosexual Belgians choosing to not get married. Hence, legislation had to reduce discrimination between married and unmarried couples; for example, reducing financial privileges for married individuals. As the importance of marriage diminished and the ideological and material differences between the married and unmarried reduced, Belgians were unlikely to disapprove of attempts to open civil marriage to the LGBT community.

1950s
The Dutch Centre for Leisure and Culture (COC) influenced gay liberation Flemish movements in Flanders and Belgium's Dutch speaking north. Suzanne de Pues, a Belgian woman, experienced the COC and the International Committee for Sexual Equality (ICSE). And in 1953, she worked to found a gay liberation group in Belgium. de Pues established the association Centre Culturel Belge—Cultuurcentrum België (CCB; Culture Center Belgium), under her pseudonym Suzan Daniel.

In 1954, the first public activity of the CCB took place in Brussels, a second activity occurred in October 1954. At the second meeting a man humiliated Daniel by interrupting the event and stating he would not be taking 'orders' from a woman. Soon after, Daniel left the association and informed the ICSE that the CCB would be dissolved. Many issues arose leading to the termination of the CCB, the primary cause being disrespect from the male members and the conflicting views regarding the purpose of CCB; Daniel wanted to focus on the cultural and social importance of the association, potentially using it influence change in relation to LGBT laws and social acceptance of the community. Whilst many men saw the group as a place of meeting, relaxation and enjoyment.

In the 1950s, the LGBT community had to be as concealed as possible, not drawing too much attention to themselves. They had to "disappear" into the wider community and effeminate men and masculine women were not accepted in society.

Gay individuals were called "homophiles" or "homophily" which was considered a less offensive term because it referred to an individual who loved someone of the same sex, 'homosexuality' was a less used term because of its common association with sexual intercourse. In both the Netherlands and Belgium, the LGBT community received assistance from humanist organisations and sex-reform movements. The Flemish Humanist League was created in 1951.

The age of consent
In 1912 Belgium set their age of consent to 16 years, this unanimously applied to all Belgians regardless of sexuality. However, in the second half of the 1950s multiple authors wrote in Belgian legal magazines to raise the age of consent for same-sex relationships. The authors relied on so-called seduction theory; that older gay men in Belgium try to seduce and convert young individuals into becoming gay.

Belgian Parliament adopted seduction theory in 1965, and passed Article 372bis of the Criminal Code which raised the age of consent for gay and lesbian contacts to 18 years. Ultimately, discrimination against gay and lesbian individuals in the Criminal Code became a reality.

When Article 372bis was applied in practice, the older partner was given a suspended sentence and a fine. Whilst the younger partner was sent to the Juvenile Court that imposed consequences from a simple reprimand to a term in a youth institution. Threats about Article 372bis being used against certain individuals led to suicide and blackmail, hence the abolition of the article became one of the main issues of the gay liberation movements. Article 372bis was repealed in 1985, and 16 years became the age of consent for all.

1960s

The rise of gay liberation groups
In Belgium, the sexual revolution of the 1960s challenged traditional understandings of sexuality and encouraged acceptance of and gave recognition to the diversity of sexual practices such as homosexual relationships. Feminist and Gay liberation groups drove these social and cultural advancements. The gradual acceptance and understanding of sex and sexuality began to shift values amongst Flemish Catholics. Ultimately attitudes towards ethical issues largely changed in Belgium. And Vatican dogma that shunned sexual behaviour, was discredited and disregarded, making way for LGBT acceptance. In 1969, sex became a more prominent issue in the universities if Ghent and Brussels.

The sexual revolution brought new activism and gay liberation groups. Including Amsterdam's Purple September and Brussels's Wild Hinds. They drew influence from radical feminist groups from both the US and France, and criticised the gay movement for being male-dominated and patriarchal. Although lesbian feminist groups were short lived, Purple September, in particular, exerted pressure on the COC to create an autonomous women's group.

The 1960s also saw several discussion and student groups appear in Flanders, distinctively Antwerp. Notably the appearance of a male, socialist, feminist and liberationist group the Red Butterflies (Roonie Vlinder) in 1976. The Red butterflies "took to the streets in small-scale, but sensationalist actions: the media eagerly reported on this shockingly colourful mixture of bearded bohemians and loud-mouthed queens calling for the overthrow of heterosexual patriarchy." In 1978, the Red Butterflies organised a provocative film festival that celebrated gender non-alignment, and gave the LGBT community unprecedented levels of public visibility. The Red Butterflies also influenced social and political discourse, protesting the public image of homosexuals as “a pathetic minority.” On March 18, 1978, they organised a “Gay Day” which evolved into the annual gay pride, first held on 5 May 1979 in Antwerp. The Red Butterflies later dissolved in 1981 due to lack of interest amongst target audiences.

However, the 'Gay Day,' first started by the Red Butterflies later evolved into a Pink Saturday (Roze Zaterdagen). The first Pink Saturday was held in 1990, and it adopted the English name 'Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride' in 1996 to emphasise the connection between similar events abroad and to help connote its purpose because of Belgium's multilingualism.

As the number of activist groups increased, cooperation became necessary. The minister of Dutch Culture and Flemish Affairs, the Christian Democrat Rika De Backer-Van Ocken encouraged the creation of an overarching organisation to represent the LGBT community; the Federatie Werkgroepen Homofilie (Federation of Working Groups for Homophily) later originated in 1977. From 1990 onwards, the Federation considered itself a political caucus, regularly discussing with politicians and influencing agenda and policy.

The rise of LGBT media in Belgium
Likewise, in the 1960s sexuality and sexual issues were less censored in media; radio, films and television. Almost all international LGBT-themed films and television have been shown on major Belgian networks, during prime time. And in 1966, ‘Diagnosis of Being Different,’ a program that interviewed LGBT individuals and discussed homosexuality openly for the first time was aired. Displaying LGBT images and discourse normalised their presence in society, allowing for greater acceptance and LGBT-favoured legislation. Flemish politicians introduced LGBT legislation, after the increase in LGBT representation in the media.

1970s
The first gay venues in Brussels opened in 1970 in the Rainbow Quarter.

1980s
The first major LGBT protest occurred in October 1981 in Wallonia, after a lesbian school teacher was sacked for publicly coming out.

1990s

1985-1990
During the 1990s, individuals within the community-made complaints about discrimination; being bullied at work and newspapers refusing to promote LGBT-related advertisements. Flemish Socialist Member of Parliament (MP) Luc Van den Bossche submitted the first proposal for anti-discrimination law in 1985. This was resubmitted in 1988 and 1992 but never reached the Belgian political agenda due to disapproval from extreme-right parties and Christian Democrats. However, the Federation of Working Groups on Homosexuality (Homophily), continued to ask Senators to draw up new law proposals. After the 1999 Belgian elections and pressure from LGB movements, a new law proposal for an anti-discrimination act was resubmitted forming the basis of the 2003 anti-discrimination law.

The growth of LGBT media
Before 1989 the public service broadcasting channel VRT held a monopoly in Flemish media, and was the only provider of mainstream Flemish television fiction. However, in 1989 VTM was introduced as the first private channel. VTM changed the television landscape by introducing new genres such as soap operas (Familie), domestic sitcoms (Bompa) and police procedurals (Commissaris Roos). All of which attracted mass interest from Flemish audiences and challenged the dominance VRT.

In 1995, VRT responded to the popularity of VTM's soap opera, Familie, by constructing their own soap Thuis. VRT attempted to imitate VTM's strategy of "airing a daily serial immediately after the news broadcast to keep viewers tuned in."

VRT had always highlighted societal changes through their broadcasting, in the 1970s, Flemish public television had to discuss ethical and sexual debates around the process of sexual emancipation. And in the 1980s, it had to address important themes such as "homosexuality, contraception, breast cancer and divorce."

"Christine Geraghty points out that the community soap opera model is a productive site to address sociocultural issues, because the genre occupies an almost fleeting position between the private and public sphere." This was evident when the first season of Thuis introduced the first (female) LGBT character on Flemish television: Elke Vervust. Elke grew from a secondary character into a more understood and important one by the end of the season, her character was able to mirror Flemish youth culture in the 1990s without conservative backlash.

Elke's storyline and development contributed further to the normalisation of the LGBT community in Belgian society. For example, Elke's sexuality is never stated in dialogue, yet her friends seem to know about her sexuality given their lack of astonishment when Elke introduces them to her girlfriend Jessica. Instead of emphasising Elke's difference as an LGBT woman by centralising a traditional and formal 'coming out' in the episode. This event normalises LGBT relationships by displaying a common scenario of an individual (Elke) introducing their friends to the person thy love.

The mainstreaming of gay and lesbian portrayals in VRT content also led private rival VTM to introduce a lesbian storyline into their soap Familie in 1998. VTM also revealed in 2005 that Jean Bellon in police show Zone Stad (City District) was in a relationship with a man. Competition between networks created more avenues for LGBT representation; when Thuis introduced a trans women into their series in 2016, younger commercial channel VIER also featured a trans woman role in their second season of show Gent West (Ghent West). VRT's adoption of LGBT characters and storylines played a role in the mainstream presence of sexual and gender diversity in domestic Belgian television.

As the normalisation of LGBT community continued, LGBT characters and storylines became common to fiction television in the Flanders. Out of the 156 "homemade" fiction productions broadcast in the Flanders between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2016, 60 (38.46%) included LGBT roles and narratives. Non-heterosexual and non-cisgendered characters in lead roles also made up 36 (23.04%) of the productions. In the 21st century sexual and gender diversity has risen in Flemish television fiction, contributing to the normalisation of LGBT relationships in Belgium.

Yet, the representation of LGBT characters in Belgian media did receive criticisms. Thuis opted to write out Elke and Jessica in the second season. This suggests that lesbian representation was merely trivial, something that could be used for viewership and then later disregarded. Similarly, a study conducted using LGBT Belgian migrants found that gay films tend to disproportionately have unhappy endings compared to heterosexual films and television. And concerns were also raised about LGBT stereotypes, such as gay men being characterised as ‘effeminate.’ Their final critique was the lack of non-white and non-western representation. Belgian media centralised white, western men, with little acknowledgement of the differing sexual experiences of people of colour, who are influenced by cultures.

1999

Political changes influencing LGBT legislation
In 1999, for the first time in 40 years, the Christian-Democratic party lost the federal election after the surfacing of the Dioxin Scandal. Hence, it was a new six-party coalition of Flemish and French-speaking Liberals, Socialists, and Greens led by Guy Verhofstadt, that began influencing federal legislation, known as the rainbow coalition. Belgium is divided into three regions associated with separate religious or political beliefs; the Catholics, Liberals and Socialists. Liberal and socialist parties have historically been anti-Catholic and humanist, being able to develop a counter system to Catholic influence. Hence, the new coalition aimed to address “ethical issues,” like the introduction of rights for the LGBT community, policies that the Christian Democrats refused to implement. The change in political power created opportunities for radical social innovation that would advance Belgium's legislation regarding sexual minorities/LGBT community.

Achievements and developments

21st century

2000s

2003
In June 2000 a government-ordered study group reached an agreement that civil marriage should be opened to the LGBT community. However, in 2001 Louis Michel, deputy Prime Minister and Party Leader of the Francophone Liberals stated that the government was “wasting time” on minor issues like opening civil marriage. This outraged the LGB movement who in March 2001 lead a discussion with Michel, convincing him to withdraw his opposition to the opening of civil marriage a day later.

On the 22nd of June 2001, a definitive decision to open civil marriage was made in government, on the 28th of November the Senate approved the proposal and the Chamber of Representatives voted for the opening on the 30th of January 2003; 91 votes for, 22 votes against and 4 abstentions. Therefore, from the 16th of June 2003, it was possible for the LGBT community to marry, and from 2003 to 2007 5224 same-sex marriages took place. Opening civil marriage to public authorities signalled to the general population that the LGBT community and their relationships were equal, and by 2006 the social acceptance of same-sex couples in the Flemish region increased from one in every three Flemings agreeing with same-sex marriage in 2003, to 64.4% agreeing with same-sex marriage in 2006.

Opening civil marriage to the LGBT community had certain consequences. In 2003 Belgium was set to hold an election, because of this the proposal for the same-sex marriage bill was pushed for a fast approval in the Senate and House of Representatives. Causing parentage to be disregarded; this means that a woman married to another woman is not automatically considered the child's parent. To become a legal parent, same-sex couples must go through an adoption procedure.

The Belgian Anti-Discrimination Act was passed on the 25th of February 2003. The Chamber of Representatives first passed the law on the 17th of October with 93 votes for, 13 against and 25 abstentions. The Senate later passed the law on the 12th of December 2002, with 40 votes for, 5 against and 14 abstentions. The Act prohibits discrimination and criminalises hate crimes and speech directed at sexual orientation. The November 27th 2000 EU directive encouraged all member states to establish a framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. Hence, the Act also protects against discrimination in terms of self-employment, promotions in workplaces, dismissal and pay.

2006
In 2006 same-sex couples had the right to adopt, they can adopt both domestically and internationally. Domestic adoptions are regulated legislatively at community level which affects the amount of adoptions that occur in different regions of Belgium, for example the Dutch and French speaking communities. However, despite the new legal provisions, the number of same-sex adoptions are low. According to statistics provided by the Direction Generale Statistique et Information Economique, only 48 adoptions occurred from 2006 to 2014. Out of the 48, 36 were domestic adoptions and 12 were international. International adoptions remain difficult due to certain countries not permitting same-sex couple adoption.

2007
The anti-discrimination law was amended and passed again on the 10th of May 2007. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual preference, marital status, political orientation, language and health status; protecting the LGBT community from discrimination on the basis of having HIV/AIDS. The 2007 Act also allows transgender people to legally change their sex and name. Registering the sex of a child can be postponed up to three months under article 57 of the Civil Code if the sex is unclear and medical justification is provided.

However, the revisions still enforced irrevocable sterilisation on transgender men. This condition was overturned on 1 January 2018 with the establishment of the Gender Recognition Act. The Recognition Act was then disregarded in 2019 because of its binary conception of gender; a person is either male or female, which overlooked the rights of non-binary or gender-fluid persons. The Constitutional Court in 2019, agreed there needs to be a third option or no option to identify gender on birth certificates and ID cards.

Artificial insemination and IVF first became legally accessible for Lesbian couples and single women in 2007. The development of Belgian infertility treatments generated cross-border reproductive care; where patients who cannot obtain infertility treatments in their home country, travel across borders to receive the treatment in Belgium. In 2007 "2497 cycles of sperm donation were performed for French patients," anecdotal evidence highlights that lesbian female couples were the primary recipients of that treatment. News that donor insemination was available for lesbians in Belgium spread through the gay community in France through gay organisations and 'word-of-mouth.'

In 2007, the use of art as a means of LGBT expression became common place, and was often displayed in public. Jean-François Octave designed an LGBT art installation called 'Ma Mythologie Gay' in Belgium. The design is a collection of the names of celebrities and the general public who are part of LGBT community. Some of the names are deliberately blacked-out to represent those who are still closeted.

2010s

2011
Elio Di Rupo was the world's second openly gay person and first openly gay man to be head of government when he was appointed Prime Minister of Belgium from 6 December 2011 to 11 October 2014.

A 2011 EU Directive urged member states to accept asylum applications of individuals under threat of persecution based on their sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The directive was adopted in 2013, but applications were accepted before then, the amount of which has been increasing from 188 in 2007 to 1059 in 2012. As of 2014 34% of SOGI applicants were granted asylum (289 of 840) and 39% in 2015 (236 of 609). However, this initiative has faced criticism. In a 2013 interview, Joel Le Déroff highlighted that granting asylum in Belgium relied on accessing the credibility of applications by asking for proof that the applicant is really gay. Sexual orientation can be hard to document, hence assessing credibility can be difficult and inaccurate, placing LGBT individuals in danger of being persecuted.

2013

In May 2013, on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia and Pride, 48 cities and towns in Flanders, 7 in Wallonia and Brussels raised the rainbow flag. An association of police officers known as Rainbow Cops was also introduced as part of an initiative with the Diversity Department of the National Police. Rainbow Cops Belgium are a "non-profit Association of police officers and members of the civilian staff of the Belgian Integrated Police," who aim to identify perpetrators of discrimination or hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Raise awareness about LGBT issues in the community and within the police force; this was a means of encouraging mutual respect between the LGBT community and the police, and helping change institutional attitudes towards LGBT police officers. This correlates with the National Plan against Homophobia, which trains police officers and magistrates to acknowledge diversity during incidences and court cases.

In July 2013, the Parliament of the Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles established a decree containing mandatory activities that covered issues of “affective, relational and sexual life” that must be taught in secondary schools. In October, Pascal Smet, Minister for Education and Equal Opportunities in Flanders signed a charter that allowed for open discussion about homosexuality, gender identity and expression in schools, and ensured respect for all students regardless of sexual orientation.

2018
In 2018, Çavaria's Flemish school climate survey found that 41% of LGBT+ students felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation and 27% because of their gender expression. And that 50% of teachers in schools did not respond to homophobic or transphobic remarks made.

In 2018, the Diversity Barometer [of] Education, published by the Belgian Equality Body (Unia), analysed three education systems in the Flanders, Wallonia and German-speaking Belgium for possible exclusion. It found that staff understood the importance of LGBT topics, but did not know how to introduce them to the students. As a result, in late 2018, the Flemish parliament introduced a new school curriculum that aimed at educating the first grade of secondary schools about sexual orientation and gender identity.

In May 2018, Belgium launched its second “Action plan against LGBTI-phobic discrimination and violence” in cooperation between the Federal government and the Flemish, Brussels, Walloon, French-speaking, and German-speaking governments. The first plan, which expired in 2014, was criticised for lacking coordination mechanisms between the governments in Belgium and being biased against religious and ethnic minorities when overcoming hate crimes against the LGBT community. The new plan has 115 measures based on SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Sex Characteristics) that combats discrimination and violence.

On 3 January 2018, the Gender Recognition Act stated that no medical requirements or changes are required to legally change ones gender. For an adult to change their gender they need to file an application with a statement "that their legal gender does not correspond with their gender identity. No surgery or other medical or psychological treatment or opinion is required." For transgender minors who are age 16–17, however, they are still required to provide a certificate from a psychologist indicating that the minor is "sound of mind" and can "make their own decisions." This goes against article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to respect the views of the child.

2020
Petra De Sutter was the first out transgender minister in Europe, in 2020 she was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium. De Sutter is a doctor and gynaecology professor. She campaigned for women's rights, gender equality, LGBT rights and sexual reproductive rights. De Sutter held multiple political positions; Belgian senate, parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe or European Parliament.

Setbacks and oppositions

20th century

The AIDS epidemic

1980s
The AIDS epidemic affected Belgium, it was considered irrelevant with little action taken against it by the Belgian Government. However, in the 1980s it became clear many gay men were HIV-positive and young men, particularly, were dying from the illness. Stigma and discrimination against the LGBT community was associated with the fear of AIDS. Some cities, ordered by the public, closed gay saunas and hospitals and dentists sent HIV-positive gay men away. In 1985 blood tests were able to detect HIV and AIDS inhibitors were available in 1987.

21st century

Issues with media and social activism

2012
In the fall of 2012 ‘Homme de la Rue,’ a documentary filmed by two gay male journalists was released to the public. It depicted the two journalists walking through an Antwerp neighbourhood where ethnic minorities live. They used hidden cameras to showcase the homophobic remarks and harassment they experienced, presumably by Muslim youths in the street. This documentary's aim was to highlight homophobic intimidation in the streets, however, political debate following the release did not refrain from problematising the identities of the perpetrators. Instead of the documentary bringing attention to harassment, it created assumptions and prejudices that Muslim men, in particular, had issues with gender equality and public homosexuality.

The continuing issue of AIDS in Belgium

2013
The effects of AIDS are still prevalent within Belgium, which in 2013 recorded the highest rates of HIV positivity in the EU, “10.7 cases per 100,000,” and infection increased by 20% in 2006 amongst gay men and over a 5-year period the number of diagnoses within the LGBT community has doubled. Gay and bisexual men are particularly susceptible to the myth that AIDS is another disease that can be managed using medication, and thus continued to engage in risky and unprotected sexual behaviour.

On the 15th of October 2013, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, Michel Sidibe, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and Laurette Onkelinx, Federal Minister of Social Affairs and Health of Belgium. Together launched the Belgian HIV Plan, which would be active from 2014 - 2019. The Plan had three goals; "to reduce new cases of HIV infection while promoting the conditions for healthy and responsible sexuality. To encourage access to specialised HIV services and programmes for prevention, screening, care and quality support, within the framework of universal access to health care. And to reduce all forms of stigma and discrimination, particularly those based on health." HIV is less common amongst the Belgian population, with cases primarily present amongst LGBT individuals and migrants.

Programmes and services used to combat HIV in Belgium include antiretroviral therapy (ART). Early initiation of ART, administered during the course of the HIV infection reduced mortality. However, the positive effects of ART are not often seen amongst LGBT members as many HIV-infected individuals remain undiagnosed and/or are diagnosed later in the infection process. Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Belgium have an undiagnosed HIV rate of 55 per 10,000 people as of 2015.

Discrimination against the LGBT community

2009
Discrimination is still evident in Belgium. A study conducted in 2009 found that violent homophobic acts are still visible within the community, and verbal aggression is the most common offence, “60% of LGBT respondents experienced this. 20% of respondents have been threatened, 10% have been physically attacked.” Crimes are not reported because of a lack of trust in the police. Social exclusion and discrimination contribute to negative mental health outcomes including suicide, the suicide rate in Belgium is higher among LGBT people. According to the 2012 Eurobarometer, 50% of Belgians believe there is discrimination against sexual orientation.

LGBT individuals face issues when building satisfying careers, they are discriminated against in terms of promotions, they fear coming out to their colleagues due to negative reactions and abuse from managers, and overall have poor relationships with them. A study conducted by the university in the City of Brussels highlighted that 46% of the LGBT community do not go to work, and many also feel they cannot be open about their sexuality and gender identity in the workplace. The government over the years has prioritised improving working conditions for the LGBT community but needs to focus on educating public and private companies about diversity and LGBT issues.

2013
In February, Bart De Wever, the major of Antwerp and chairman of the Flemish nationalist party imposed restrictions on LGBT city employees or rules that they should abide by. De Wever argued that forms of self-expression conducted by city desk officers should be limited to protect the neutrality of the city and the public sphere. Limitations include not wearing any clothing that displays sexual orientation like a T-shirt with rainbow prints. De Wever stated, "I do not want anyone at the city desks wearing a Rainbow T-shirt. Because a homosexual demonstrates through such symbols that he or she is committed to that obedience." De Wever's comments imply that religious and sexual identity need to be kept private.

2017
In February 2017, Jamie De Blieck, the winner of Mister Gay Belgium was attacked in Roeselare a Flemish province in West Flanders. In the following April, a group of individuals followed and attacked a gay couple in Brussels.

2018
In August, a 21-year-old man was arrested after he posted a response to the Antwerp Police Department's tweet about Pride with an image of machine guns. At his home police found forbidden weapons and a swastika.

See also
 LGBT rights in Belgium
 Human Rights in Belgium
 LGBT rights in Europe
 LGBT rights in the European Union
 Homophile movement

References

Belgium
Social history of Belgium
LGBT in Belgium


title: Siah-Kaman

text:
Siah-Kaman ( meaning black bow) is a mountain in the Takht-e Suleyman Massif, Alborz mountain range, north of Iran.

Its elevation is .

See also
 List of Iranian four-thousanders

References

Mountains of Iran
Mountains of Mazandaran Province


title: LGBT history in Bangladesh

text:
Homosexuality has no recorded history in Bangladesh. Bangladesh was under British rule till 1947 and was known as ‘East Bengal’; the Partition of India made East Bengal the East Pakistan – a Muslim majority nation with moderate Islamic valued people. The culture of Bangladesh is influenced by both Bengali and Islamic ideologies, where homosexuality is absent, or present with homophobia and ignorance/silence about it. Bengalis have always been conservative and prohibition-minded regarding any kind of romance and sexuality. Any kind of sexuality whether it is homosexual or heterosexual along with romance has always been viewed negatively and repressed in Bangladeshi society.

The Muslim Rule in Bengal
Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji was the first Muslim who conquered Bengal in 1204 A.D., his reign was responsible for displacement of Hinduism by Islam, though Buddhism was little active before he came. Bakhtiyar's rule started the Islamic rule in Bengal, roots of the Bengal Sultanate and the Mughal Bengal were created from Bakhtiyar's reign. Homosexuality was not an official punishable offence during Muslim regime. A 14th century Bengali folklore tells the story of homosexual relationship between two widows.

British period
The Battle of Plassey led to the end of Muslim rule in Bengal; the British East India Company sat in the governance. Till the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the company rule was active and in 1858 British Raj was established all over India when Queen Victoria took responsibility of India directly. In 1860 Thomas Babington Macaulay made a law against homosexuality which is known as Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which was modelled after Buggery Act of 1533 of England.

Bengali Renaissance occurred in 19th century and early part of the 20th century, though it was limited only between Bengali Hindus of West Bengal; homosexuality was never mentioned positively by anyone in this period, no one tried talk on behalf of homosexuality, though female homosexuality never come under punishment according to the British law. Some Hindu writers e.g. Ishwar Chandra Gupta and Jagadish Gupta wrote on behalf of lesbianism.

Pakistan period
Bengali Muslims created their homeland known as East Pakistan according to the Lahore Resolution of 1940. From the British period to the Independence of Pakistan no Bengali Muslim writer wrote anything on behalf of homosexuality. On the other hand, the old Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was active in the Penal Code of Pakistan. Constitution of Pakistan of 1956 and Constitution of Pakistan of 1962 continued the British law regarding homosexuality which is criminalized according to the law.

1950s decade saw the introduction of Pakistani Bengal's film industry; 'Mukh O Mukhosh' (1956) was the first Bengali film made in East Pakistan which represented conservative  heterosexual marriage, from the year of 1956 to 1960s decade all films were made in the same way. Bengali Muslim literature sector also started to grow expeditiously during this period; Pakistan was created as a Muslim nation, so Bengali Muslim writers and poets were given priorities rather than top Hindu Bengali writers who were prominents from the British period. British period's Muslim writers e.g. Kazi Nazrul Islam's writings were publicised. No Muslim Bengali intellectual is known to have written anything on behalf of homosexuality during Pakistan period of Bangladesh. Progressive values in educated Bengali Muslim society was to possess heteronormative values. In 1960s decade there were reports to have some brothels in Dhaka University's adjacent areas e.g. the Shahbag area, where Bacha bazi (sexual abuse on young adolescent males) was observed but adult homosexuality was not seen; Homosexuality remained taboo throughout 1947 to 1960s decade and to 1971 in which year Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan.

Independent Bangladesh
Bangladesh got itself as a separate country from Pakistan in 1971. In 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh was created where the old Section 377 was also entered. Though people for homosexuality were never seriously punished in independent Bangladesh. Bangladeshi Bengali language-newspapers published some poems, short stories and novels by some writers in 1970s but controversies were created and as a result the newspaper didn't again publish those things; books published by them were also banned for homoerotic content, e.g. Daud Haider’s homoerotic poem was banned. In 1980s and 1990s and also in 2000s Bangladeshi brothels contained male homosexual prostitutes.

In the 21st century Bangladesh, society still remained homophobic and transphobic. However, there are many organizations which advocated homosexuality and transgender rights like ‘Bandhu Social Welfare Society', ‘Bengayliz’, and ‘Boys of Bangladesh’. In 2014, a magazine called ‘Roopbaan’ was published for the first time in Bangladesh's history which focused on homosexual romance but it quickly stopped its publication as its chief editor Xulhaz Mannan was murdered in 2016 by local Islamic fundamentalists and Bangladeshi government had vowed that, homosexuality to be remained as illegal.

In May 2017, 28 suspected male homosexual youths were arrested in Keraniganj Upazila, Dhaka by Rapid Action Battalion, however, charges against them were on the grounds of drug abuse law. Also in 2013, a young Muslim girl of 20 named Sanjida was arrested by Police for loving, marrying and eloping with another girl, though charges against homosexuality was not brought here also and Sanjida was released from prison very shortly, she was falsely accused for abducting her lover named 'Puja', a Hindu girl.

Transgenders or Hijras get a very few rights in Bangladesh.

See also
LGBT rights in Bangladesh

References

Bibliography

Bangladesh
Social history of Bangladesh
LGBT in Bangladesh


title: History of the Japanese in San Francisco

text:
There is a Japanese American and a Japanese national population in San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay Area. The center of the Japanese and Japanese American community is in San Francisco's Japantown.

History

Japan had maintained an official policy of isolation from Europe and most of its colonies since 1639, and emigration was strictly controlled. However, in the years that followed Commodore Matthew C Perry's 1854 arrival, Japan underwent a great social transformation, and for many Japanese, the U.S. became a model for military power and a desirable way of life.

After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan's rapid urbanisation and industrialisation brought about great social disruption and agricultural decline. Farmers were evicted and workers were left employed by foreign competition, they looked more and more for a better life outside the islands of their homeland. As Japanese wages decreased, and word of a booming U.S. economy spread, the lure of the United States became difficult to resist.

The first Japanese immigrants arrived in San Francisco Bay in 1869. Initially, Japanese immigrants moved to the edge of San Francisco's Chinatown and the South of Market neighborhood.

Asian American Studies professor Yuji Ichioka estimated that there around 300 Japanese "school boys"—immigrants who are working to earn their education in the United States—living in San Francisco in 1885.

Following the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906, the Japanese community relocated to the city's present day Japantown in the Western Addition, and also the South Park neighborhood. In 1900 there were 90 Japanese businesses. By 1909 this figure increased to 545.

After the earthquake, the San Francisco Board of Education passed a regulation requiring that Japanese American students attend separate, racially specific schools. This local action led to an international dispute, following the vigorous objections of the Japanese government.  The result of the dispute was the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907, which greatly restricted the flow of Japanese nationals to the United States.

San Jose's Japantown was founded due to the need of combining comradeship and resources to survive as immigrants in the United States. Initially, it was known as Heinlenville between Jackson and Taylor east of Sixth Street. However, John Heinlen offered his own property for the new location after the city's second Chinatown burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances. Despite outrage from the general public, Mr Heinlen built a new Chinatown entirely of brick. He then rented these buildings to the Chinese at very low rates.

During World War II, San Francisco saw the largest and oldest enclave of Japanese outside of Japan, Japantown, completely empty out its ethnic Japanese residents as a result of Executive Order 9066 that forced all Japanese of birth or descent in the United States to be interned. By 1943 many large sections of the neighborhood remained vacant due to the forced internment.

Following the war, some Japanese Americans returned, followed by new Japanese immigrants as well as investment from the Japanese Government and Japanese companies. However, many did not return to the neighborhood and instead settled in other parts of the city, or out to the suburbs altogether. This was further exacerbated by the city's efforts to rejuvenate the neighborhood initiated by Justin Herman in the Western Addition in the 1960s through the 1980s.

Civil rights attorney Wayne M. Collins, who worked many prominent cases on behalf of members of the Japanese American community, both lived and worked in San Francisco until his death in 1974.  Among his clients were Fred Korematsu, Iva Toguri D'Aquino, and Japanese American renunciants from the Tule Lake War Relocation Center.

Diversity
The Japanese population of the South Bay is diverse, and many have mixed-race backgrounds due to the growing trend of inter-racial marriages. According to a study conducted by Japanese American Citizens League, between 2000 and 2009, the mixed race Japanese population in San Jose grew by 27.3%, while the monoracial Japanese population declined.

Institutions
The Fukuin Kai opened in 1877. The book San Francisco's Japantown stated that this was believed to be the first Japanese organization in the United States.

Education
The San Francisco Japanese School (SFJS) is a Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT)-designated weekend Japanese school serving the area. The school system, headquartered in San Francisco, rents classrooms in four schools serving a total of over 1,600 students as of 2016; two of the schools are in San Francisco and two are in the South Bay. For elementary students it operates out of the A.P. Giannini Middle School in San Francisco and The Harker School Blackford Campus in San Jose. For junior high school and high school students it operates out of Lowell High School in San Francisco and the J.F. Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino.

MEXT also defines the Grossman Academy Japanese Language School as an official weekend school. The academy has its offices in Fremont and its classes are held in Palo Alto.

Saniku Gakuin in Japan has an affiliated weekend Japanese school, the Saniku Gakuin Japanese School in Santa Clara, California (三育学院サンタクララ校 San'iku Gakuin Santakurara Kō). It holds its classes at Latimer Elementary School in San Jose.

Kinmon Gakuen (金門学園) is a Japanese language school in San Francisco,  established in 1911.

Two San Francisco Unified School District elementary schools offer Japanese language and culture bilingual education - Clarendon Alternative Elementary School and Rosa Parks Elementary School.

Notable people
 Richard Aoki (1938–2009), a Black Panther Party member and FBI informant
 Ruth Asawa (1926–2013), a sculptor
 Yoshiaki Fukuda (1898–1957), a Konko bishop and missionary
 Makoto Hagiwara (1854–1925), landscape designer and caretaker of San Francisco's Japanese Tea Garden, often credited with inventing the fortune cookie
 Hisako Hibi (1907–1991), an Issei painter and printmaker
 Mike Honda (born 1941), a congressional politician
 Yuji Ichioka (1936–2002), a historian and civil rights activist
 Hiroshi Kashiwagi (1922–2019), a poet, playwright and actor
 Thomas Yamamoto (1917–2004), an artist
 Wally Yonamine (1925–2011), multi-sport athlete who played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1947

See also

 Japantown, San Francisco
 Japanese American National Library
 Kinmon Gakuen
 J-Pop Summit

References

Sources
 San Francisco's Japantown. Arcadia Publishing, 2005. , 9780738530598.

Further reading
 Kiefer, Christie W. Changing Cultures, Changing Lives: An Ethnographic Study of Three Generations of Japanese Americans. California: Jossey Bass Publishers, 1974. See profile at Google Books.

External links

Japanese
History of San Francisco

Japanese-American history


title: The Daryl and Ossie Show

text:
The Daryl and Ossie Show is an Australian comedy game show, broadcast through Somers Carroll Productions which aired on Network Ten (The 0-10 Network) in 1978, hosted by Daryl Somers, Ossie Ostrich (portrayed by Ernie Carroll), Monique Daams and Betty Bobbitt.

After deciding to take a year off from the series Hey Hey It's Saturday on the rival Nine Network, Daryl and Ernie chose this comedy game show as their next project. It ran for eight weeks, from 11 September to 3 November for 40 episodes. They returned to Nine and Hey Hey It's Saturday, the following year.

References

Network 10 original programming
1970s Australian game shows
1970s Australian comedy television series
Australian variety television shows
1978 Australian television series debuts
1978 Australian television series endings
Television shows set in Victoria (state)
Australian television shows featuring puppetry
English-language television shows


title: Twin Forks (album)

text:
Twin Forks is the eponymously titled debut studio album from Folk rock band Twin Forks. Produced by Ammar Malik and Robopop, the album was released on February 25, 2014, through Dine Alone Records.

Release and promotion
On February 20, 2014, USA Today premiered the album and listeners were allowed to stream it in its entirety.

Critical reception

Twin Forks received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a "weighted average" score to selected independent ratings and reviews, and based upon five reviews the album has a score of a 71 out of 100, which means the album received "Generally favorable" reviews. At Rock Sound, Andrew Kelham rated the album an eight-out-of-a-ten, stating that this "is an album of freedom and exploration, the sound of people taking risks for the sake of song." Craig Manning of AbsolutePunk rated the album an 85-percent, saying that this release "is comfortable and likable". At Alternative Press, Aubrey Welbers rated the album four stars out of five, writing that "Although the musical and lyrical content are more mature, what hasn't changed is the familiar empathetic thrill of Carabba's [sic] songwriting." Rob Houston of HM rated the album a perfect five stars, stating how "Twin Forks feels like a great getaway to classic folk and the Americana genre", and says it is "Carrabba through and through." At This Is Fake DIY, Tom Doyle rated the album three stars out of five, indicating how the album "might be cookie-cutter, but cookies are delicious." Timothy Monger of Allmusic rated the album two-and-a-half stars out of five, cautioning "too much of this album panders to worn-out themes and clichés."

Track listing

Chart performance

References

2014 debut albums
Dine Alone Records albums
Twin Forks (band) albums


title: LGBT history in Pakistan

text:
The Colonial British government criminalized Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities in India under section 377 of the Indian Penal code of 1860. Pakistan gained independence in 1947 and adapted the same laws regarding LGBT under the Pakistan Penal Code. The Pakistan Penal Code states, "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

In the 1980s, the rules against LGBT community stiffened even more under the sixth president of Pakistan; General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. The punishment for homosexual activities increased to life imprisonment or even death by stoning as a result of the Sharia Law added to Pakistan Penal Code. Homosexuality was somewhat supportive in major cities e.g. in Lahore and in Karachi there were secret gay parties during the regime of General Pervez Musharraf; Ali Saleem, son of a retired army colonel, appeared in television disguising as a woman, he openly talked about his sexuality that he is bisexual.

The religious leaders of Pakistan have consistently forbidden and condemned LGBT activities as being immoral under the constitution of Islam. In accordance with Islamic Law, Homosexual marriage is condemned and not recognized as legitimate.

People in Pakistan who consider themselves to be a part of the LGBT community do not expose their sexual preference in public due to the fear of being looked down upon or physically attacked.

Transgender community in Pakistan is "tolerated" and is believed to possess supernatural power of cursing people. They are the outcasts of the society and work as beggars, street dancers & prostitutes. Mostly a patriarch society, it is the men who call out to them and against them. There is even a belief among people that transgender people are just prostitutes for money. Religious clerics would declare them haraam(sinful), un-natural, inhuman and aliens and call upon the society to have no connections or interactions with them.Trans-teens are usually kept a family secret and are considered a disgrace and matter of family shame. They are either sold-off for as low as $200 or just left on their own. They have little choice but to work for survival, and without help from family, friends, community or government there are few options.

Pakistan has been known to foster practices like Bacha bazi and/or Dancing boys in its northwestern province. There are several self-declared vigilante groups who patrol the countryside looking to catch people in the act and punish them.

Muhammad Ejaz, a paramedic in Pakistan, entered the homes of three men in Lahore he met on the gay social networking site, Manjam, and killed them. Two of the men were in their 20s and one was middle-aged retired army major. Eijaz stated, "I tried to convince them to stop their dirty acts, but they would not, so I decided to kill them". The social networking site, Manjam, has since then not allowed any Pakistani individuals to sign up on their site for security reasons. Eijaz was taken into custody by the Pakistani Police which insisted that he had sex with the victims before killing them.

Violence against the LGBT Community
Cases of violence against members of the LGBT community are very common in Pakistan. Members of the LGBT community in Pakistan rarely report assaults committed against them to the police, in fact The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRBC) noted in January 2014 that if an LGBT person who faced threats from family or community members went to the police, the police "may become an accomplice rather than a protector."

According to TransAction Alliance, as of June 2016 there were more than 300 cases of violence against transgender people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, and 46 transgender people had been killed since January 2015. There are reports that show that violence against transgender individuals has been increasing every year. Very often when these cases are reported to the police they may be met with inaction or indifference.

Actions
After a long period of public protests and appeals, In 2009, Supreme Court of Pakistan legally recognized transgender people as a third gender promising them Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). The court also directed government agencies and offices to employ transgender people but that hasn't seen much traction. However, Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF) gave out an advertisement for employment of transgender people as in Tax Recovery. As many as 15 transgender people were employed on the first advert. Government has also issued voter cards for the transgender community.

Social and dating platforms like Tinder, Manjam, Grindr and Scruff are helping create an online community. With NGOs like NAZ Male Health Alliance founded by Kasim Iqbal, the LGBTQ community is coming together and helping each other. They enjoy partial freedom and covertly live life their way.

See also
 Violence against LGBT people
 LGBT rights in Pakistan

References

Other websites

 Islam e Omosessualità - Allah Loves Equality

External links
Being LGBT in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, by Vice News

Pakistan
LGBT history in Pakistan


title: Saulaces of Colchis

text:
Saulaces was a king of Colchis known from Naturalis Historia by the 1st-century Roman author Pliny the Elder and identified by one hypothesis as a king mentioned on eight coins found on the eastern Black Sea coast.

Pliny
According to Pliny, Saulaces was a descendant of Aeëtes, a king of Colchis of the Argonautic fame. He was further claimed to have found rich gold and silver deposits in the land of the Suani and to have furnished his palace with golden and silver structures obtained on his conquest of Sesostris, king of Egypt:

Pliny's account of Saulaces and his victory over the Egyptians is uncorroborated by other written sources, but Sesostris' connection with Colchis was treated by many Classical authors, first by the 5th-century BC historian Herodotus, who credited Sesostris with leading an expedition into Asia and transplanting a group of Egyptians to settle Colchis. Martin Bernal, who accepted the historicity of Sesostris' campaign, dated the event to the 1930s or 1920s BC.

Coinage
In the 19th century, Saulaces was identified by Alfred von Gutschmid on eight rare coins, five of which were acquired in West Georgia, near Sokhumi and in Vani. This interpretation was disputed since then. The Greek inscription on these coins is incomplete (ΒΑΣΙΛΕ... ΣΑΥ or ΣΑΥΜ). The coins are now in the collections located in Moscow, Berlin, London, and Vani. In 1951, Davit Kapanadze also supported the Saulaces identification.

The alternative hypothesis is that the coins attributed to Saulaces belonged to Saumacus, a Scythian, who seized power in the Bosporan Kingdom  108 BC. In particular, this was argued in 2013 by Giorgi Dundua. However, another such coin was also reported in 2007 as found in Crimea, near Theodosia. The inscription on it is complete, and reads "ΣΑΥΛΑΚΟΥ" in Greek, which supports the older Saulaces identification.

References

Literature
 Zeev Wolfgang Rubinsohn. Saumakos: Ancient History, Modern Politics // Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte Bd. 29, H. 1 (1st Qtr., 1980), pp. 50-70

Kings of Colchis


title: Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille

text:
The Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille (Bavarian Constitution Medal) is an award by the German state Bavaria, which is awarded annually by the Bavarian state parliament to persons who have rendered outstanding services to the Bavarian constitution. The medal is given in Silver and Gold.

The medal was established on 1 December 1961, donated by the then president of parliament , as the necessity arose to honour long-serving members of parliament.  The inscription on the medal is "Bayerische Verfassung" (Bavarian constitution) with the Roman year figures MDCCCXVIII (1818), MCMXIX (1919) and MCMXLVI (1946), the obverse shows the Coat of arms of Bavaria.

On 20 July 2011, the medal was elevated to the rank of an order.

Recipients

Many politicians received the medal, including Franz Götz and Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Members of the Bavarian parliament receive it usually after three legislative periods (formerly 12 years, now 15 years of service), ministers typically after one term (formerly 4 years, now five years). The medal has been awarded also to artists such as ballerina Konstanze Vernon, and clerics such as Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, the later pope.

2001

 Kurt Faltlhauser
 Ingo Friedrich
 Erwin Huber

2002

 Reinhold Bocklet
 Josef Deimer
 Franz Götz
 Karl Freller

2004

 Johannes Friedrich
 Christian Ude

2005

 Karl Freller
 Charlotte Knobloch
 Ernst Pöppel

2006

 Manfred Christ
 Heinz Donhauser
 Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker

2007

 Otmar Bernhard
 Ruth Drexel
 Mieczysław Pemper
 Gisela Stein
 Klaus Dieter Breitschwert
 Peter Radtke
 Siegfried Schneider (politician)

2008

 Herbert Ettengruber
 Ingrid Fickler
 Heidi Lück
 Marion Schick
 Jutta Speidel

2009

 Dieter Dorn
 Max Mannheimer
 Horst Seehofer
 Ludwig Stiegler
 Dieter Borchmeyer
 Walter Kolbow
 Bernd Posselt

2010

 Michael Glos
 Theodor W. Hänsch
 Gerda Hasselfeldt
 Ludwig Schick
 Siegfried Schneider
 Senta Berger
 Renate Dodell
 Peter Maffay
 Angelika Niebler

2011

 Reinhard Marx
 Waltraud Meier
 Iris Berben
 Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler
 Peter Landau
 Eduard Oswald
 Claudia Roth

2012

 Franz Beckenbauer
 Peter Lerche
 Ilse Aigner
 Verena Bentele
 Max Stadler

2013

 Hans-Jürgen Buchner
 Mahbuba Maqsoodi
 Marcus H. Rosenmüller

2017
 Jacques Chagnon
 Philipp Lahm

2018
 Gerd Müller

2019
 Helmut Brunner

2020
 Markus Söder

2021
 Angela Merkel

2022
 Felix Neureuther

2023
 Thomas Müller

References

External links
 Informationen des Bayerischen Landtages zur Bayerischen Verfassungsmedaille

German awards
Culture of Bavaria
Awards established in 1961
1961 establishments in West Germany
Long service medals


title: Zaccai Curtis

text:
Zaccai Curtis (born December 25, 1981) is a pianist and composer.

Curtis studied at Jackie McLean's Artists Collective school in Hartford, Connecticut. Curtis founded Truth Revolution, a record label that he refers to as "Truth Revolution Recording Collective, a working community of artists". The label issued Andy González's Entre Colegas, which was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award.

Curtis and his brother, bassist Luques, are part of The Curtis Brothers Band (not to be confused with Michael and Richard Curtis, who also recorded as The Curtis Brothers). Their music is strongly influenced by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers.

The Curtis Brothers Band's first album, Blood, Spirit, Land, Water, Freedom, was followed around 2012 by Completion of Proof. Their album Algorithm, released around 2019, featured trumpeter Brian Lynch, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, and drummer Ralph Peterson. Zaccai wrote all of the compositions that appear on the recording.

Curtis is also faculty at the University of Rhode Island and the Jackie McLaean Institute at the HARTT School in Hartford Connecticut.

Discography
 Insight (2000)
 Blood, Spirit, Land, Water, Freedom (2010)
 Completion of Proof (2012)
 Nuestro Tango (2013)
 Algorithm

References

External links

 Truth Revolution Recording Collective

1981 births
Living people
Latin jazz musicians
American people of Puerto Rican descent
American bandleaders
Musicians from New York City
New England Conservatory alumni


title: Japanese Cancer Association

text:
The  (JCA) is the oldest professional association related to cancer research in Japan. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, it focuses on all aspects of cancer research, including basic, clinical and translational research into the etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Founded in 1941, the JCA has more than 16,000 members.

Purpose and activities
The purpose of the JCA is to promote cancer research. It hosts an annual meeting and other academic meetings (such as symposiums and  conferences once or twice a year), holds lectures open to the public, and publishes a journal.

The 72nd annual meeting of the Japanese Cancer Association was held at Pacifico Yokohama from October 3 to 5, 2013.

History
In 1941, Mataro Nagayo, President of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, proposed the foundation of a new organization related to cancer research, and the JCA was established and joined to the Japan Medical Society in the same year. The JCA became Union for International Cancer Control full member in 1968.

Cancer Science
The JCA publishes a peer-reviewed and fully open access journal, Cancer Science. This monthly journal was first produced by Katsusaburō Yamagiwa, Japan's pioneer cancer researcher, in 1907. It publishes original articles describing original research in the fields of basic, translational, and clinical cancer research. It also accepts reports and case studies.

Association awards
Academic awards established by the JCA include the following:
Tomizo Yoshida Award
Mataro Nagayo Award
Japanese Cancer Association Incitement Award
JCA-Mauvernay Award
JCA-CHAAO Award

References

External links

Cancer organizations based in Japan
Organizations established in 1941
1941 establishments in Japan
Shinjuku


title: LGBT history in Taiwan

text:
The major religions in Taiwan are Buddhism and Taoism. In these religions, the Holy Books present no arguable issues about LGBTQ people. There are no laws about punishing sodomy, which means a sexual relationship between males is not considered an abomination, unlike in many western and abrahamic religions. However, it was long considered a taboo issue. When human rights issues were discussed in political arenas, the concept of “Tongzhi” (a Mandarin term which means queer or LGBT, though the direct translation is comrade) became a key term among the politicians in Taiwan. When it emerged in political forums, Taiwanese people began to become familiar with the idea that “Tongzhi" people being a part of their culture. Yet still, LGBTQ people were not mentioned in Taiwanese law. Punishment for being part of the LGBTQ community did not exist, yet there was also not any welfare or protection for LGBTQ people.

Beginning in the 1990s, the movements of the human rights for LGBTQ in Taiwan gained traction. Since the movement emerged, Taiwan has been considered one of the most LGBTQ friendly nations in Asia. There is a large gay community and the biggest Pride Parade in Asia is held annually in Taipei. On 25 May 2017, the Supreme Court issued a long-awaited ruling on the laws banning same-sex marriage. They ruled that such laws were unconstitutional. This was a massive breakthrough for the fight for equality, as it requires the Parliament to amend the laws within two years. In 2019, same-sex marriage was fully legalized. In some cities a same sex partnership card for LGBTQ couples is issued to prove their relationship in case of emergency. LGBTQ discrimination is now banned in workplaces and schools. In addition, people can legally change their gender. Taiwan's first female president was elected in May 2016, Tsai Ing-wen, and officially supports the rights of the LGBT people. She worked to put the processes that legalized same-sex marriage into motion, and once said she desired that Taiwan become the first country in the Asia to allow same-sex marriage. Overall, Taiwan has a progressive history of LGBTQ.

Timeline of LGBT history in Taiwan

1683: The Qing dynasty annexes Taiwan.
1740: Anti-homosexual decrees were promulgated.
1895: Qing China ceded Taiwan to the Japanese Empire. Meiji laws applied.
1912: The Republic of China is established. Ji jian was abolished.
1945: Taiwan is returned to the Republic of China by the Japanese.
1949: The People's Republic of China is established and the Nationalist government of the Republic of China retreats to Taiwan. There was no mention in the laws about queer people.
1983: the first queer novel, Crystal Boys, was published in Chinese as "Niezi" which means Evil Sons. The author of the book is Pai Hsien-yung, he described the gay history of 1970s in this book. Crystal Boys has been famous for being a well-organized piece of literature regarding gay history, and for its illustration of the 1970s’ subterranean homosexual prostitution minor culture based in the New Park in downtown Taipei. However, as the following examples demonstrates, it has been a site of identification for a new style of "Tongzhi(Queer)" awareness.
1990: The first lesbian group, Between Us, was established.
1996: a Taiwanese writer Hsu Yu-sheng and his American partner Gray Harriman had the first public same-sex wedding in Taiwan.
1998: the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, a legally registered LGBTQ organisation, was founded.
2002: Taiwanese gay rights activists were invited by the then president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Chen Shui-Bian, to the presidential office.
2003: Vice-president and convener of the government's human rights commission (Annette Lu Hsiu-lien) drafted a basic human rights law that included an article on same-sex marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples.  It was discussed in the cabinet, but due to the elections in 2004 and a change in the government, it was not passed. The first pride parade was held, and was sponsored by the government.
2004: The second pride parade was funded by community groups.
2005:, a same-sex marriage bill was submitted by Hsiao Bi-khim, who is a lawmaker from the Democratic Progressive Party. However, it was rejected.
2006: There was the second public wedding between gay rights activist Nelson Chen and his partner Kao Chih-Wei.
2010: a third gay couple had a public wedding.
2012: The first lesbian couple had a public wedding with the blessing of monks.
2013: There was a poll about the same-sex marriage legislation. The results showed that more than half of the people in the survey supported same-sex marriage.
2016: Same-sex marriage was in the process of being legalized. Once this was announced, a lot of people, especially from Catholic groups with significant influence began to protest and speak out against the process in front of the Legislative Yuan. They were however met with huge crowds of counter-protesters that waved rainbow flags and showed support for the process.
January 2016, Tsai Ing-wen won the presidential election and became the first female president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Tsai and her party, the Democratic Progressive Party, supports LGBTQ rights.
29 October 2016: The biggest LGBT Pride Parade in Asia (to date) was held in Taipei. This march gathered around 80,000 people from Taiwan and around Asia. The participants of the parade rallied for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan.
20 May 2016: The city of Kaohsiung issued the first same-sex partnership card to the young lesbian couple, Yang Ying-fan (陳盈汎) and Wu Yu-ting (吳羽婷). This card is an official ID card and it has the basic personal information of two people's name, birth dates, and birthplace. This card however does not have legal binding force; but it can be used to verify the relationship between a same sex couple. It can be used in the case of an emergency in medical institutions
10 December 2016: over 200,000 protesters gathered in front of the presidential palace  in Taipei's Ketagalan Boulevard to support the bill to legalize same-sex marriage.The bill would remove specific terms for  genders (man and woman) and change the word to two people.
25 May 2017: The Supreme Court of the Republic of China ruled that laws preventing same-sex couples from marrying were unconstitutional. They required the Legislative Yuan to pass and enact new laws amending the issue within two years. The court also ruled that if they were to fail to amend the marriage laws within two years, same-sex couples will be able to register their marriage by going through current marriage registration processes at any household registration office.
17 May 2019: Same-sex marriage was legalized in Taiwan and became effective since 24 May 2019, including rights in areas such as taxes, insurance and child custody.

References

Taiwan
History of Taiwan
LGBT in Taiwan
LGBT history in China


title: Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

text:
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of ten in Greater Manchester and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England. It provides the majority of local government services in Bury.

Parliamentary representation
Bury is currently covered by two constituencies: Bury North (nine wards) and Bury South (eight wards).

Wards and councillors
Each ward is represented by three councillors.

See also
Bury local elections

References

External links

Metropolitan district councils of England
Local authorities in Greater Manchester
Leader and cabinet executives
Local education authorities in England
Billing authorities in England
1974 establishments in England
Metropolitan Borough of Bury


title: LGBT history in Thailand

text:
The history of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people in Thailand spans thousands of years. But because of ancient beliefs, homosexuality and homosexual relationships have been seen as an abnormality both socially and mentally. In the 20th century, LGBT people received more stringent legal regulations regarding their orientation, with restrictions being gradually eased by the beginning of the 21st century. However, activism for LGBT people has been slow in development due to government inaction.

Ancient
Homosexuality has been documented in Thailand since the Ayutthaya period (1351 to 1767) . Temple murals have been found which depict same-sex relations between both men and women.  ‘Samutthakhot Kham Chan’ (สมุทรโฆษคำฉันท์), Thai literature from Ayuttaya times, mentioned lesbian relationships between the concubines living in the royal palace. In the poem, the writer wrote about the concubines sleeping together, some of them have their breasts exposed, some of them embracing each other in their sleep.

Royal law in Borommatrailokkanat, King’s Reign states that if the concubines act or treat each other as lovers, they shall be whipped 50 times.

The notion of kathoey

The Thai term kathoey refers to a gender identity which is distinct from male and female, but is instead something inbetween or a third sex. Scholarship suggests that "an idealized  hermaphroditic kathoey category" was likely inspired and shaped by Thai creation myths and Hindu-Buddhist mythology. This mythical kathoey figure blends male and female, masculine and feminine traits in equal measure and continues to influence modern Thai ideas about gender and eroticism.

Rama I-VIII

Prince Kraison
Prince Kraison, King Rama I’s son, had his own theatre group where all actors were male. Prince Kraison’s theatre group was known to be the most luxurious with all the expensive clothing and jewelry provided by prince Kraison to all the actors. These actors usually needed to dress up as females while performing and, with the support from Prince Kraison, they also dressed as females at public occasion like Loi Krathong festival.

According to the memorandum, Khun Thong (ขุนทอง) and Yaem (แย้ม) were two actors Prince Kraisorn adored the most, both Khun Thong and Yaem were patronized more than the rest of the actors. Prince Kraison never tried to cover up his sexuality and his preference. He unashamedly spent most of his time with these actors and usually spent the night with the actors in their home not in his palace, which was very uncommon for his position as a prince. This unusual behavior of Prince Kraison led to the investigation where the actors confessed to performing sexual interaction.

Princess Yuangkaeo Sirorot

In 1956 homosexual relationships were common among the maids working and living in the Royal palace. Princess Yuangkaeo Sirorot (), was involved in a relationship with Mom Rajawongse Wongthep (หม่อมราชวงศ์วงศ์เทพ), but Mom Rajawongse Wongthep already had a lover at the time, who was also a woman, named Lady Hun. Out of jealousy, Lady Hun started a false rumor saying Princess Yuangkaeo was so infatuated with Mom Rajawongse Wongthep that she gave all the jewelry she received from the queen to Mom Rajawongse Wongthep. The rumor started spreading all around Royal Palace. After the queen found out about this false accusation, she furiously banished Princess Yuangkaeo back to Chiang Mai as a punishment. Humiliated, Princess Yuangkaeo decided to consult with Princess Buachum, her friend at Chiang Mai.That night after Princess Buachum fell asleep, wanting to prove her innocence, Princess Yuangkaeo jumped down from the top of the palace. She later died at the hospital at the age of only 19.

Modern Thailand

LGBT and the Military
In Thailand, all 21-year-old Thai men must partake in a lottery to determine whether they will become military conscripts, unless they have attended at least three years of reserved military training during high school or are considered unfit to serve. Men reporting for the military draft are classified into 4 groups according to their physical condition. The first is person with normal physique, the second is person whose physique is unlike persons in the previous category, the third is person with an illness which cannot be cured within 30 days, and the fourth is person whose illness is incompatible with military.

Transgender women are usually placed in the second category and treated significantly differently, as women are exempt from the military draft. Transgender women are automatically rejected and given an exemption document known as “Sor Dor 43” stamped with the wording “permanent mental disorder”. This makes it difficult for transgender women to apply for jobs in government, state enterprises or any companies which require proof of military service.

Due to high pressure from the LGBT community, in March 2006, the military agreed to change the wording but refused to revise any already given Sor Dor 43.

On 11 April 2012, new regulations were issued under the 1954 Military Service Act to use the term “gender identity disorder” in military service exemption. Following this, transgender persons can request a new Sor Dor 43 with the new wording.

Gender in legal documents

As of 2007 when the Thai legislature passed the Persons' Name Act, changing one's name is legal in Thailand. However, requests are left up to the discretion of individual administrators.

Changing one's gender marker on legal documents is not legal in Thailand. This leaves trans people vulnerable to humilation, social stigma and discrimination in healthcare, education, the job market, and more. Thailand's 2015 Gender Equality Act prohibits gender expression-based discrimination, but has had very spotty implementation.

On August 9, 2012 Mr (now Miss) Sirinlada Khodpad along with Dr. Taejing Siripanich, committee of National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, and his parents arrived at district office to file a request on changing title, marked the first legal title change in Thailand, but only for intersex person.

Media
In the past few years, higher visibility of LGBT acceptance is apparent such as in media : the growing numbers of television shows, dramas and movies concerning LGBT relationships and the increase in homosexual/LGBT characters’ airtime on television. LGBT artists/groups started appearing in media as well. Two of these groups, "4MIX" and "Venus Flytrap" are Thai-Pop groups with LGBT members.

References

Further reading
 Busakorn Suriyasarn, Pride at work, 14 May 2015

Thailand
Social history of Thailand
LGBT in Thailand
History of Thailand by topic


title: Ivan Pitsan

text:
Ivan Ihorovych Pitsan (; born 19 January 1990) is a Ukrainian professional football goalkeeper who plays for Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk.

He is the product of Youth Sportive School in his native city Kalush and UFK Lviv. His first trainer was Ihor Vasylkiv. Pitsan was the member of different Ukrainian national youth football teams.

References

External links

1990 births
Living people
People from Kalush, Ukraine
Ukrainian men's footballers
Men's association football goalkeepers
FC Karpaty Lviv players
FC Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk (2004) players
FC Karpaty-2 Lviv players
FC Sambir players
FC Lviv players
FC Dinamo Batumi players
FC Stal Alchevsk players
FC Stal Kamianske players
FC Obolon Kyiv players
FC Kalush players
FC Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk (1998) players
Ukrainian First League players
Ukrainian Second League players
Ukrainian Amateur Football Championship players
Ukrainian expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Georgia (country)
Ukrainian expatriate sportspeople in Georgia (country)
Footballers from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast


title: Just for Fun (film)

text:
Just for Fun is a 1963 British musical film directed by Gordon Flemyng. It was written by Amicus co-founder Milton Subotsky.

Plot
When English teenagers win the right to vote, the established political parties compete for their support. However, when the Prime Minister cuts the amount of Pop music allowed on TV, young Mark and Cherry start their own 'Teenage Party' and use some of England's pop singers to help.

Cast

Mark Wynter as Mark
Cherry Roland as Cherry
Richard Vernon as Prime minister
Reginald Beckwith as Opposition leader
John Wood as Official
Jeremy Lloyd as Prime minister's son
Harry Fowler as Interviewer
Edwin Richfield as Man with a CND badge
Alan Freeman as Narrator
David Jacobs as Disc Jockey
Jimmy Savile as Disc Jockey
Irene Handl as Housewife
Hugh Lloyd as Plumber
Dick Emery
Mario Fabrizi
Ken Parry
Gary Hope
Douglas Ives
Ian Gray
John Martin
Jack Bentley
Frank Williams
Gordon Rollings
Bobby Vee
The Crickets
Freddy Cannon
Johnny Tillotson
Ketty Lester
Joe Brown and the Bruvvers
Karl Denver
Kenny Lynch
Jet Harris
Tony Meehan
Clodagh Rodgers
Louise Cordet
Lyn Cornell
The Tornados
The Springfields
The Spotnicks
Jimmy Powell
Brian Poole and the Tremeloes
Sounds Incorporated
The Vernons Girls

Critical reception
TCM wrote, "episodic in the extreme, Just for Fun plays like an evening of Vaudeville, with the various singing acts punctuated by broad comic bits that are more miss than hit but retain, at least at this distance, an undeniable vintage charm...sweet relief comes in the form of the assembled musical talent, whose contributions are well-staged by director Gordon Flemyng."

References

External links
 Just for Fun at TCMDB

1963 films
1963 musical films
British black-and-white films
Films set in London
Columbia Pictures films
Amicus Productions films
British musical films
Films directed by Gordon Flemyng
Films shot at Twickenham Film Studios
1960s English-language films
1960s British films
English-language musical films


title: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

text:
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of ten in Greater Manchester and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of local government services in Tameside.

The council was documented in the 2014 BBC TV series Call the Council, which showed its workers carrying out their duties.

Parliamentary representation
Tameside is currently covered by three constituencies: Ashton-under-Lyne (six wards), Denton and Reddish (five wards) and Stalybridge and Hyde (eight wards).

Wards and councillors

Each ward is represented by three councillors.

Arms

References

External links

Metropolitan district councils of England
Local authorities in Greater Manchester
Leader and cabinet executives
Local education authorities in England
Billing authorities in England
1974 establishments in England
Tameside


title: Arvis Liepiņš

text:
Arvis Liepiņš (born 18 March 1990) is a Latvian cross-country skier. He competed at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 in Val di Fiemme, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

References

External links

1990 births
Living people
Cross-country skiers at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Latvian male cross-country skiers
Olympic cross-country skiers for Latvia
People from Madona Municipality


title: Shaneh-Kuh

text:
Shaneh-Kuh ( meaning mount shoulder) is a mountain in the Takht-e Suleyman Massif, Alborz mountain range, north of Iran.

With an elevation of 4,465 meters, it is located between mount Alam-Kuh and Mount Takht-e Suleyman.

See also
 List of Iranian four-thousanders

References

Mountains of Iran
Four-thousanders of the Alborz
Mountains of Mazandaran Province


title: Kyle Dempsey

text:
Kyle Michael Dempsey (born 17 September 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers.

Early life
Dempsey was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria. His father Michael Dempsey played rugby league professionally for Workington Town and he nearly followed his father into the sport, having played for youth sides at Wigan Warriors before electing to pursue a career in professional football.

Career
Dempsey made his first-team debut for Carlisle United on 28 January 2014 in a 3–0 win over Milton Keynes Dons. Dempsey scored 11 goals on top of 10 assists in his first professional season. He was named as Carlisle's Player of the Year for the 2014–15 season.

He signed for Championship club Huddersfield Town on 10 July 2015 for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract. He made his debut as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 2–0 defeat against Hull City at the KC Stadium on 8 August 2015. His first league start came in their 2–2 draw against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 3 November 2015. His first goal for the club came in a 4–2 defeat against Brentford at Griffin Park on 19 December 2015.

On 29 August 2016, with his chances limited at Huddersfield, Dempsey joined League One club Fleetwood Town on a season-long loan. He signed for the club permanently on a three-year contract on 19 May 2017.

Dempsey joined Fleetwood's League One rivals Peterborough United on 7 January 2019 on loan until the end of the 2018–19 season.

On 17 August 2020, Dempsey joined League One club Gillingham and was made captain for the 2020-21 season. He was named team captain the following month. Dempsey attracted interest and an offer in the January 2021 transfer window, but Gillingham turned the offer down and Dempsey remained at the club.

Dempsey joined Bolton Wanderers on 31 January 2022 for a fee around £150,000. On 2 April 2023, he started in the 2023 EFL Trophy Final, scoring the opening goal against Plymouth Argyle; Bolton won 4–0. On 27 June 2023, he signed a two-year extension at Bolton, keeping him at the club until 2026.

Style of play
Dempsey has been utilised as a "deeper-lying number eight to a number 10 behind the front two", describing himself as a "goal-scoring midfielder" who "likes to receive the ball around the halfway line and drive with the ball and bring everyone else into play".

Personal life
On 1 March 2023 at Carlisle Crown Court, Dempsey admitted an assault on a Maryport doorman on 16 July 2022 and, along with his father, was granted unconditional bail ahead of sentencing on 11 April 2023. He was given a 12 month suspended sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, alongside 200 hours of unpaid voluntary work and was forced to pay £1750 in damages. He was also given a curfew of 9pm–7am and would be required to wear an electronic tag, though was given permission to break said curfew when it came to his professional football career.

Career statistics

Honours
Bolton Wanderers
EFL Trophy: 2022–23

Individual
Carlisle United Player of the Year: 2014–15
Fleetwood Town Young Player of the Year: 2016–17
Gillingham Player of the Year: 2020–21

References

External links

1995 births
Living people
Footballers from Whitehaven
English men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Carlisle United F.C. players
Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players
Fleetwood Town F.C. players
Peterborough United F.C. players
Gillingham F.C. players
Bolton Wanderers F.C. players
English Football League players


title: Edge of Night (film)

text:
Edge of Night (Greek:Αυτή η νύχτα μένει/Afti i nyhta menei) is a Greek film directed by Nikos Panayotopoulos. The film released on 7 January 2000 and stars Nikos Kouris and Athina Maximou. It won six awards in Greek State Film Awards.

Plot
Stella is a beautiful young woman with a talent in singing. She dreams of doing one day a big career in singing. Andreas, her boyfriend who works in a small store, doesn't approve her dreams and as consequence there are quarrels between them. When Stella decides to go in the north Greece to sing in night clubs, Andreas sets off to find her, wandered in the places of night fun. Soon Stella is disappointed by the people of nightlife and returns to Andreas.

Cast
Nikos Kouris as Andreas
Athina Maximou as Stella
Zoi Nalbanti as Tzina
Kostas Markopoulos as boxer

Reception
winner:
2000: Greek State Film Awards for best actress (Athina Maximou)
2000: Greek State Film Awards for best supporting actress (Zoe Nalbanti)
2000: Greek State Film Awards for best music (Stamatis Kraounakis)
2000: Greek State Film Awards for best sound
2000: Greek State Film Awards for best set decoration
2000: Greek State Film Awards for best film (second place)

nominated:
2000:Cairo International Film Festival for Golden Pyramid

References

External links

2000 films
Greek romantic drama films
2000s Greek-language films
Greek musical films


title: John Brownjohn

text:
John Maxwell Brownjohn (11 April 1929 – 6 January 2020) was a British literary translator.

Career

John Brownjohn translated more than 160 books, and won the Schlegel-Tieck Prize for German translation three times and the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize once.

Film

Brownjohn also collaborated with the filmmaker Roman Polanski on Tess (1979), Pirates (1986), Bitter Moon (1992), The Ninth Gate (1999) and The Pianist (2002).

Personal life

Brownjohn was born in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. He died in January 2020 at the age of 90.

Selected works
 Frank Arnau: The Art of the Faker
 Marcel Beyer: The Karnau Tapes
 Willy Brandt: People and Politics: The Years, 1960-75 (Schlegel-Tieck Prize)
 Thomas Brussig: Heroes Like Us (Schlegel-Tieck Prize, Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator's Prize)
 Thomas Glavinic: Night Work
 Martin Gregor-Dellin: Richard Wagner: His Life, His Work, His Century
 Lothar Günther Buchheim: The Boat
 Hans Hellmut Kirst: The Night of the Generals
 Bodo Kirchhoff: Infanta (Schlegel-Tieck Prize)
 Georg Klein: Libidissi
 Walter Moers: City of Dreaming Books
 Walter Moers: A Wild Ride Through the Night
 Dietlof Reiche: The Golden Hamster Saga
 Alain Claude Sulzer: A Perfect Waiter
 Leo Perutz: The Swedish Cavalier (Schlegel-Tieck Prize)
 Mario Giordano: Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions

Refe Lionsrences

External links

 INTERVIEW: John Brownjohn on Walter Moers and Translation, Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review blog, November 2012

British translators
German–English translators
1929 births
2020 deaths
People from Rickmansworth
Literary translators


title: Dardan Selimaj

text:
Dardan Selimaj (born 1984 in Prishtina, Kosovo) is a journalist, producer and music theorist. He started his career as a journalist by writing for magazines and hosting a live show on local radio station in Prishtina. Since 2005 he has hosted a daily TV show at Kohavision (KTV), one of the three national broadcasters in Kosovo. He has also produced over 300 TV shows.

Selimaj is well known in Kosovo as an event manager too. He founded the International Festival of Young Musicians DAM in 2006 together with Yllka Rexhepi and is the head of the festival in addition to organizing concerts in Kosovo. In 2006 and 2007 he managed the Prishtina Jazz Festival while he was also for two years a board member of Re Musica Contemporary Music Festival in Prishtina.

He has been a member of the choir of the Kosovo Philharmonic since 2003 and has performed with the choir in Croatia, Albania, and North Macedonia. He is now manager of the Kosovo Philharmonic. Lately Selimaj is experiencing a new ventures in documentary film. In 2014, his first documentary 'There is light inside' (co directed with Rea Surroi) was premiered at Dokufest, Prizren (RKS) and till now it has been screened in several events and festivals in New York, Florence, Bratislava and Leipzig.

References

1984 births
Kosovan journalists
Living people


title: Mian-Seh-Chal

text:
Mian-Seh-Chal ( meaning in the middle of three holes) is a mountain in the Takht-e Suleyman Massif, Alborz mountain range, north of Iran.

With an elevation of , it is located in the middle of North Eastern glacier of the massif, just as its name resembles.

See also
 List of Iranian four-thousanders

References

Mountains of Mazandaran Province
Mountains of Iran


title: 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley

text:
The men's 400 metre individual medley competition at the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships took place on August 25 at the Yokohama International Swimming Pool.  The last champion was Matthew Dunn of Australia.

This race consisted of eight lengths of the pool. The first two lengths were swum using the butterfly stroke, the second pair with the backstroke, the third pair of lengths in breaststroke, and the final two were freestyle.

Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Pan Pacific records were as follows:

Results
All times are in minutes and seconds.

Heats
The first round was held on August 25.

Final
The final was held on August 25.

References

2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships


title: Tornado Alicia Black

text:
Tornado Alicia Black (born May 12, 1998) is an American former tennis player.

She was taught by Rick Macci, a former tennis player. Macci taught many people including Serena and Venus Williams.

Black won two singles titles on the ITF Circuit in her career. On February 2, 2015, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 404. On September 14, 2015, she peaked at No. 348 in the doubles rankings.

She was runner-up at the 2013 Junior US Open, losing to Ana Konjuh in three sets.

Black made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2014 Abierto Mexicano Telcel. Having been awarded a wildcard, she played Serbian sixth seed Bojana Jovanovski in the first round, losing in straight sets.

Tornado and her younger sister Hurricane Tyra had at one point been referred to as "the next Williams sisters".

In 2017, she was sidelined by a hip injury. Black used GoFundMe to get the $40,000 needed for the hip surgery. Her last match on the circuit so far took place in March 2017.

ITF finals

Singles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Doubles: 1 (runner-up)

Junior Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles

References

External links

1998 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Boca Raton, Florida
American female tennis players
African-American female tennis players
Tennis people from Florida
21st-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American women