Elton John: I want Zachary to grow up in a world without homophobia
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/04/homophobia-bullying-elton-johnFailing to address the everyday use of the word 'gay' as a playground insult is inexcusable. We owe our children better
Sir Elton John and David Furnish with their son Zachary. Photograph: Sipa Press / Rex Features
In spite of everything that's gone before, the last 12 months have been the happiest and most special of my life. To become a parent is a blessing I never imagined might be bestowed upon me until recently. It's an awe-inspiring responsibility and both David and I are determined to fulfil that responsibility – not just to our son but to his generation. We want him to grow up in a Britain where every young person is not just loved as much as we love him, but is afforded fair treatment and respect. However, as we start thinking about Zachary's future education, it's clear that this Britain doesn't exist yet.
As another annual anti-bullying week approaches, homophobic bullying is still almost endemic in thousands of schools across our country. We owe our children better.
Nine in 10 secondary school teachers regularly witness homophobic bullying, according to YouGov research commissioned recently by Stonewall. What shocked me even more about the survey was that it also found that two in five primary school teachers regularly witness homophobic bullying too.
For too long schools have been afraid to take action. They've feared the sort of moral panic generated by oddball fundamentalists, claiming that somehow seven-year-olds are being tutored in having sex. Sensitively addressing in a primary school the fact that some children have two mummies or two daddies, as our son does, is something that can easily be done – just look at Stonewall's Different Families, Same Love materials, beautifully crafted for exactly that purpose.
And failing to address the still everyday use of the word "gay" as a playground insult is also inexcusable. Those who do eventually realise that they're gay find that the word which describes them has been used – unchallenged – as a proxy for anything that's useless or rubbish for half their childhoods. There's now firm evidence of the damage it does to young people's self-esteem.
This sort of bullying doesn't just impact on those who might one day be gay, or who have gay parents. It affects all sorts of children simply because they're different. Boys who do their homework and girls who are good at games. Homophobic bullying isn't only an enemy of kindness and respect, it's an enemy of attainment across the board.
There's an associated area where we're also all painfully under-serving our next generation. That's in our continuing failure to furnish them with an honest and appropriate sex education from the time they need it. Too often, we still take a near-Victorian approach to sex-and-relationship education which should be at the heart of our national curriculum.
Six hundred young people between 16 and 24 – both gay and straight – were diagnosed last year in this country with HIV. Many of them were pitifully ignorant of issues of safer sex. Also, just as important, they don't know that while combination drug therapy may keep them alive for many years to come, it frequently has deeply unpleasant side effects. These individual calamities are an indictment of our national failure to take this issue seriously. And it's young people whose self-esteem has been undermined by homophobia who often end up taking even greater risks with their own health and futures.
We owe it to boys and girls to have a frank, open and realistic discussion with them before the age of sexual activity so that they're prepared and protected. There's no evidence – even if Tea Partiers in the US fancy the possibility – that abstinence campaigns either work or indeed successfully elevate the sanctity of marriage. Instead, they simply give too many schools and teachers an excuse not to fulfil their responsibilities.
Both of these oversights are tragedies for our country. The consequence of failing to address them – as parents, as government ministers, as teachers, as school governors – will continue to be tens of thousands of individual tragedies for young Britons to whom we owe a duty of care.
I've got particular admiration for someone like Ben Cohen. This is a world-class, straight rugby star who has set up a foundation to support charities working around homophobic bullying. Now touring schools around the country, he understands that giving licence to any sort of bullying makes all bullying acceptable.
But just like Ben, every one of us can make a difference. We can all contact our former school or the schools where we live, both primary and secondary, asking the headteacher exactly what he or she is doing to combat homophobic bullying and to equip young people with appropriate and robust sex education. We're doing this with our local schools too.
David and I don't want Zachary to be a focus of people's attention. As he grows up he'll become his own man and we'll be incredibly proud of whatever choices he makes. He may one day be straight, he may one day be gay. He may turn out to be an athlete. Or a booklover. Or both. He can be whatever he likes and we'll continue to treasure him, as we do now, like nothing else in the world.
But above all, we want him to be safe. And we're determined that he'll grow up in a world different from the world that we grew up in ourselves.
As another annual anti-bullying week approaches, homophobic bullying is still almost endemic in thousands of schools across our country. We owe our children better.
Nine in 10 secondary school teachers regularly witness homophobic bullying, according to YouGov research commissioned recently by Stonewall. What shocked me even more about the survey was that it also found that two in five primary school teachers regularly witness homophobic bullying too.
For too long schools have been afraid to take action. They've feared the sort of moral panic generated by oddball fundamentalists, claiming that somehow seven-year-olds are being tutored in having sex. Sensitively addressing in a primary school the fact that some children have two mummies or two daddies, as our son does, is something that can easily be done – just look at Stonewall's Different Families, Same Love materials, beautifully crafted for exactly that purpose.
And failing to address the still everyday use of the word "gay" as a playground insult is also inexcusable. Those who do eventually realise that they're gay find that the word which describes them has been used – unchallenged – as a proxy for anything that's useless or rubbish for half their childhoods. There's now firm evidence of the damage it does to young people's self-esteem.
This sort of bullying doesn't just impact on those who might one day be gay, or who have gay parents. It affects all sorts of children simply because they're different. Boys who do their homework and girls who are good at games. Homophobic bullying isn't only an enemy of kindness and respect, it's an enemy of attainment across the board.
There's an associated area where we're also all painfully under-serving our next generation. That's in our continuing failure to furnish them with an honest and appropriate sex education from the time they need it. Too often, we still take a near-Victorian approach to sex-and-relationship education which should be at the heart of our national curriculum.
Six hundred young people between 16 and 24 – both gay and straight – were diagnosed last year in this country with HIV. Many of them were pitifully ignorant of issues of safer sex. Also, just as important, they don't know that while combination drug therapy may keep them alive for many years to come, it frequently has deeply unpleasant side effects. These individual calamities are an indictment of our national failure to take this issue seriously. And it's young people whose self-esteem has been undermined by homophobia who often end up taking even greater risks with their own health and futures.
We owe it to boys and girls to have a frank, open and realistic discussion with them before the age of sexual activity so that they're prepared and protected. There's no evidence – even if Tea Partiers in the US fancy the possibility – that abstinence campaigns either work or indeed successfully elevate the sanctity of marriage. Instead, they simply give too many schools and teachers an excuse not to fulfil their responsibilities.
Both of these oversights are tragedies for our country. The consequence of failing to address them – as parents, as government ministers, as teachers, as school governors – will continue to be tens of thousands of individual tragedies for young Britons to whom we owe a duty of care.
I've got particular admiration for someone like Ben Cohen. This is a world-class, straight rugby star who has set up a foundation to support charities working around homophobic bullying. Now touring schools around the country, he understands that giving licence to any sort of bullying makes all bullying acceptable.
But just like Ben, every one of us can make a difference. We can all contact our former school or the schools where we live, both primary and secondary, asking the headteacher exactly what he or she is doing to combat homophobic bullying and to equip young people with appropriate and robust sex education. We're doing this with our local schools too.
David and I don't want Zachary to be a focus of people's attention. As he grows up he'll become his own man and we'll be incredibly proud of whatever choices he makes. He may one day be straight, he may one day be gay. He may turn out to be an athlete. Or a booklover. Or both. He can be whatever he likes and we'll continue to treasure him, as we do now, like nothing else in the world.
But above all, we want him to be safe. And we're determined that he'll grow up in a world different from the world that we grew up in ourselves.
Elton John returned to Riga with a stunning concert in front of 10,300 spectators
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/29925/
“During almost three-hour long performance, which included touching ballads, such as “Do not Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” “Sorry Seems to bethe Hardest Word” and “Candle in the Wind” mixed with energetic hits “The Bitch Is Back,” “Benne and the Jets and “Crocodile Rock,” the audience was completely drawn into Elton John’s world. With his energetic performance 64-year-old musician showed that he can still be called the ‘Rocket Man,’” Inga Kadeka, director of the concert agency FBI, said after the show.
In the middle of the concert Elton John also performed three tracks from his new album “The Union,” which is recorded together with American songwriter and singer Leon Russell.
With a concert in Riga Elton John opened his tour in Eastern Europe. Today Elton John will perform in Lithuania, but then in Russia, Ukraine and Slovenia.
10,300 attend Elton John's concert in Riga
BC, Riga, 04.11.2011.http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_news/?doc=8171
The concert of the legendary British musician Elton John in Riga yesterday was seen by 10,300 people altogether, LETA was informed by the concert agency FBI representative Kristaps Karklins.
Yesterday, Sir Elton John and his band performed at "Arena Riga". This was his third visit to Latvia. Before the concert, the musician said that he was delighted to return to Riga and went on to perform for nearly three hours for more than 10,000 people.
During the concert, Elton John performed many of his greatest hits, including such heartfelt ballads as "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me", "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word", "Candle in the Wind", and energizing hits – The Bitch Is Back", "Bennie and the Jets" and "Crocodile Rock". The audience fully transcended into his musical world. The 64-year-old musician proved with his vigorous performance that he can still be called a "rocket man", said FBI Director Inga Kadeka.
In the middle of the concert, Elton John also performed three songs from his latest album ''The Union'', which was recorded together with American musician and songwriter Leon Russell.
With the concert in Riga, Elton John launched his tour's Eastern European stage. The musician will also perform in Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.
“Billy Elliot” Is A Spirited, Soaring Charmer With A Dancing Heart
Harry Hamm
November 4, 2011 7:36 AM
]http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/11/04/billy-elliot-is-a-spirited-soaring-charmer-with-a-big-heart/
There is nothing typical about “Billy Elliot.”
This show with music by Elton John is set during the historic and tragic British Union of Mineworkers strike in the coal fields of Northern England in 1984, when struggling miners and their families where trying to save their livelihoods as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was endeavoring to bring down their Union and their industry, which she eventually did.
The character of Billy Elliot is the 11-year-old son of a mineworker whose wife died at an early age. Billy has learned to handle the fact that his Mom is gone with a good level of youthful maturity. Billy maintains a dialogue with his mother in his mind and heart, which is a very sweet element throughout this story.
“Billy Elliot” is the kind of show that takes a little while to finds its measure, but once the audience gets in step “Billy Elliot” takes the lead and presents a story about family difficulties and the importance of supporting your children’s dreams that truly is timeless. The dialect of the characters may take a little time for the audience to assimilate, but it’s not difficult. The show’s lighting design is a bit striking, both in the sense of its darkness and sometimes its harshness.
As you might expect, there are a lot of kids in the cast. In fact, four youngsters dance the lead role of Billy Elliot each week because of its demands.
At the conclusion of the show, don’t be in a hurry to beat the crowd. This show and this talented cast has some surprises in the final scene and at the curtain calls. I was impressed that the performers really seems to be in love with their show. There’s a noticeable level of sincere enthusiasm. As I was leaving, I could hear the kids in the cast backstage cheering their official opening night performances.
The feeling was mutual.
Elton John on parenting, sex education and bullying
4 November 2011, 11:31am
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/11/04/elton-john-on-parenting-sex-education-and-bullying/
Elton John has spoken of the “happiest months” of his life being a parent, but warned of the dangers facing gay youth.
Writing in the Guardian, the musician said parenthood was a “blessing” and “an awe-inspiring responsibility”.
He continued on to discuss his concerns surrounding homophobic bullying in schools: “Nine in ten secondary school teachers regularly witness homophobic bullying, according to YouGov research commissioned recently by Stonewall.
“What shocked me even more about the polling was that it also found that two in five primary school teachers regularly witness homophobic bullying too.”
He added that: “failing to address the still everyday use of the word ‘gay’ as a playground insult is also inexcusable”.
“This sort of bullying doesn’t just impact on those who might one day be gay, or who have gay parents. It affects all sorts of children simply because they’re different.”
Citing figures that 600 young people in the UK were diagnosed with HIV last year, he called for a “frank, open and realistic discussion” to “prepare and protect” all young people.
Failing to act, he said, would result in “tens of thousands of individual tragedies for young Britons to whom we owe a duty of care.”
He concluded that above all, he wanted his son “to be safe”.
“And we’re determined that he’ll grow up in a world different from the world that we grew up in ourselves.”
In September, Sir Elton issued a banker with a writ for £700,000 after the man allegedly failed to pay up when he successfully bid on a date with the star at an AIDS Foundation auction.
V Ljubljano 11. novembra prihaja Elton John
Pop/Kultura - petek, 04.11.2011 15:32
http://www.dnevnik.si/novice/kultura/1042485259
Ljubljana - Elton John je brez dvoma bil ena največjih pop zvezd v začetku sedemdesetih. Po vzoru Beatlov je udaril na sceno s popom, vanj pa zamešal pravšnjo mero soula, disca in countryja. Mojster klavirja in romantičnih balad bo 11. novembra ob 21. uri nastopil v Ljubljani, njegova pred skupina pa bosta hrvaška virtuoza 2Cellos.
(Foto: Reuters) Elton John 11. novembra prihaja v Ljubljano. Nastopil bo v Areni Stožice, karta za njegov koncert pa bo vašo denarnico olajšala za 43 evrov, če boste kupili najcenejšo karto ali za 85 evrov, če se boste odločili za nakup najdražje. Koncert se bo pričel ob 21. uri.
Koncert Eltona Johna bosta otvorila hrvaška virtuoza na violončelih 2Cellos, Luka Šulić in Stjepan Hauser, ki bosta po uvodnem delu nekaj pesmi odigrala tudi z velikim Eltonom.
Elton v Ljubljano prihaja v sklopu svoje turneje "Greatest Hits“, obiskovalcem koncerta pa bo predstavil svoje največje hite kot so: I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock, Candle In The Wind, Your Song, I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Saturday Night's Alright, Rocket Man, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word in številne druge.
Elton John Ballet
http://www.thequ.co/elton-john-ballet/CLICK to check out the clips of the NEW ballet put to the music of Elton John and that portrays his struggles from alcoholism and drug use to homosexual repression. Opening in Toronto November 8th – 12th.
CD Elton John Matthew Shepard Benefit Concert Wells Fargo Theater Denver 2011
http://www.baixarcdsgratis.org/cd-elton-john-matthew-shepard-benefit-concert-wells-fargo-theater-denver-2011
Baixar CDS Gratis
Download do CD Elton John Matthew Shepard Benefit Concert Wells Fargo Theater Denver 2011
Músicas do CD:
CD1
01. Intro.
02. The One
03. Your Song
04. Sixty Years On
05. The Greatest Discovery
06. Border Song
07. Ballad of the Boy in Red Shoes
08. Levon
09. Tiny Dancer
10. The Best Part of the Day
11. Daniel
12. Rocket Man
13. I Guess That’s Why The Call it the Blues
14. Philadelphia Freedom
CD201. Intro.
02. The One
03. Your Song
04. Sixty Years On
05. The Greatest Discovery
06. Border Song
07. Ballad of the Boy in Red Shoes
08. Levon
09. Tiny Dancer
10. The Best Part of the Day
11. Daniel
12. Rocket Man
13. I Guess That’s Why The Call it the Blues
14. Philadelphia Freedom
01. Dedication to Matthew Shepard
02. American Triangle
03. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
04. Nikita
05. Take Me to the Pilot
06. Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
07. Candle in the Wind
08. You’re Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody)
09. Honky Cat
10. Bennie and the Jets
11. Crocodile Rock
12. Encore Break (autograph signing)
13. Circle of Life_Can You Feel the Love Tonight_Cirlce of Life
http://www.eltonjohnscorporation.com/downloads/CD%20Elton%20John%20Matthew%20Shepard%20Benefit%20Concert%20Wells%20Fargo%20Theater%20Denver%202011.zip
Friday, November 4, 2011
Elton John and Madonna
Rent-an-Elt
Elton John is captivated by Madonna's beauty on this night of February 20th, 1995. He remained jaded that he's a farck and couldn't take it hence his outburst years later. Yes, David, you read that right. Remember that when you spread those cheeks.
VIDEO:
http://madonnascrapbook.blogspot.com/2011/11/elton-john-and-madonna.html
Tags: law, legal history, legal information
On November 4, 1993, the award-winning singer won a $518,000 (£350,000) defamation claim against the Daily Mirror for publishing a false article about his eating habits. The transcript of the appeals case, John v. MGN LTD, reveals that on appeal, the award for exemplary damages was reduced because the newspaper did not attack Mr. John‘s reputation as an artist.
With roots stretching back to the Roman Empire, defamation is a tort which is steeped in common law history. While Mr. John sued in Great Britain, many of the elements of defamation are the same in our legal system. Available to students and library patrons, The Making of Modern Law is an excellent database for researching historic common law doctrine. The database contains over 21,000 legal treatises covering a period between 1800 and 1926.
On a more practical note, those interested in the size of jury verdicts in should check out this link to a site maintained by the UW Law Library. The site lists a number of Westlaw and Lexis databases containing information on jury awards. Those without access to Lexis or Westlaw need not fret. There are a number of free print resources on jury awards that are available at both the SU and UW Law Libraries. One excellent, continuously updated, print resource for jury awards is Northwest Personal Injury Litigation Reports, available in the reserve section of the SU Law Library.
VIDEO:
http://madonnascrapbook.blogspot.com/2011/11/elton-john-and-madonna.html
Today in Legal History: Elton John wins Defamation Suit
Published November 4, 2011 legal history Leave a CommentTags: law, legal history, legal information
With roots stretching back to the Roman Empire, defamation is a tort which is steeped in common law history. While Mr. John sued in Great Britain, many of the elements of defamation are the same in our legal system. Available to students and library patrons, The Making of Modern Law is an excellent database for researching historic common law doctrine. The database contains over 21,000 legal treatises covering a period between 1800 and 1926.
On a more practical note, those interested in the size of jury verdicts in should check out this link to a site maintained by the UW Law Library. The site lists a number of Westlaw and Lexis databases containing information on jury awards. Those without access to Lexis or Westlaw need not fret. There are a number of free print resources on jury awards that are available at both the SU and UW Law Libraries. One excellent, continuously updated, print resource for jury awards is Northwest Personal Injury Litigation Reports, available in the reserve section of the SU Law Library.
