#KicksStalker: LeBron wears ‘equality’ shoes – 1 black, 1 white; speaks about Trump

WASHINGTON — LeBron James made a statement during an NBA game with his shoes — one black, one white, with the word “equality” in capital gold letters on the back of each.

Then, after the game, James made a statement about President Donald Trump, saying: “This is a beautiful country and we’re never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are.”

The four-time NBA MVP was asked about his choice of footwear for the first half of his Cleveland Cavaliers’ 106-99 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday night at an arena about a mile from the White House.

“Obviously, we know where we are right now,” James began. “And we know who’s at the helm here.”

He continued, speaking about the importance of “having equal rights and being able to stand for something and speak for something and keeping the conversation going.”

James then referred to his past discussions of Trump, saying: “Obviously, I’ve been … very outspoken and well-spoken about the situation that’s going on at the helm here. … Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men and as women, black or white or Hispanic. It doesn’t matter your race.”

Earlier this year, James called Trump “a bum” on Twitter and also said at Cleveland’s pre-season media day: “He doesn’t understand how many kids, no matter the race, look up to the president of the United State for guidance, for leadership, for words of encouragement. He doesn’t understand that, and that’s what makes me more sick than anything.”

Then, for Cleveland’s first regular-season game, James donned a pair of black sneakers with the “equality” message. But this was the first time James chose to wear one white and one black shoe.

At halftime Sunday, he changed into other sneakers. James finished the game with 20 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds.

“I didn’t play well in the first half, and I’m very superstitious, so I took ’em off,” James explained, before joking: “I didn’t play well in the second half, either, so if there was a third half, I would have took those off.”                 /kga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Taiwan’s gay marriage ruling raises hopes across Asia

BEIJING—Taiwan’s giant step towards allowing same-sex marriage has reverberated across Asia, but activists warn the fight for equality isn’t over in a region where gay sex remains illegal in some countries.

Challenges to an Asia-wide embrace of same-sex unions were highlighted by this week’s caning of two Indonesian men as punishment for gay sex and a South Korean military court’s jailing of a soldier for having intercourse with another man.

In mainland China, two men lost a court battle to get married last year.

But activists are hopeful that the push for marriage rights will be reinvigorated by Taiwan’s constitutional court decision, which paves the way for the island to become the first place in Asia to allow same-sex couples to tie the knot.

The court ruled Wednesday that laws preventing same-sex unions violated the constitution’s guarantees of freedom of marriage and gave the government two years to implement the decision.

“We’re very happy,” said Vuong Kha Phong, a rights assistant at iSEE advocacy group in Vietnam. “This is a historic victory for the LGBT groups in Asia.”

The first domino?

Gay marriage is currently legal in only around 20 countries around the world, 13 of which are in Europe. New Zealand also allows same-sex couples to legally marry.

Taiwan is seen as one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights.

“While I think it is still a long way to the equality dominos falling all over Asia, I think a few East Asian countries, such as Japan and Vietnam, may be more ready to consider equality legislation,” Ray Chan, Hong Kong’s first openly gay lawmaker, told Agence France-Presse.

“I can foresee many couples in Hong Kong will try to get married in Taiwan. When they return home, they will press the government and even the private sector for recognizing them because the current laws, policies, and rules are blatantly discriminatory.”

In Vietnam, which is seen as socially progressive on LGBT issues and where a vibrant gay scene flourishes online and in some big cities, hopes for marriage reform have stalled.

But iSEE’s Phong said the Taiwan ruling “will give us momentum to mobilize the community to take action — to do something so that gay marriage can be considered when lawmakers discuss changing the marriage law in 2020.”

Gay activists in China expressed optimism that their country’s cultural connections with Taiwan could help their efforts to change the law on same-sex nuptials.

Homosexuality was officially decriminalized in 1997 but only taken off the list of psychiatric disorders four years later.

“Taiwan and mainland China have the same roots and culture so it suggests that Chinese society could also accept the idea of gay marriage,” said Li Yinhe, a renowned Chinese sexologist who has pressed Beijing policymakers on the issue.

There have been small signs of progress. While a Chinese court last year ruled against two men seeking to marry, the fact the case even made it into the judicial system was seen by many as an achievement.

“I am very happy and very excited that homosexual marriage is legalized in Taiwan. It’s a pity that the mainland has not taken this step,” said Sun Wenlin, one of the men in the case.

“But I’m optimistic about the legalization of same-sex marriage in China.”

Elisabeth Lund Engebretsen, a senior lecturer at the University of Oslo’s Centre for Gender Research, said Taiwan’s court ruling “creates a momentum for putting this on the table as a political issue” in Asia.

Gay sex illegal

South Korea allows homosexual acts between civilians but not military personnel and a high-profile legal challenge to the country’s ban on same-sex marriage in 2015 by movie director Kim Jho Gwang-Soo and his long-time partner Kim Seung-Hwan failed.

“People say that it’s too early for our society to handle but I think if there is an open debate about the troubles of sexual minorities then I hope South Korean society can also walk a similar path,” said Lee Na-Ra from Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea.

Before they can consider marriage, activists must win other battles in places such as India, Singapore and Indonesia’s Aceh province, where gay sex is still outlawed.

“Legally we are not even pressing for gay marriage now. We are being denied our fundamental right,” said Manvendra Singh Gohil, one of India’s most vocal gay rights activists. “We have to go step by step.”/rga

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Emma Watson starts 'feminist book club' online

British actress Emma Watson, an outspoken advocate of feminism, has started another way to share her thoughts and hear more ideas on equality.

Watson announced on her Facebook page on Friday that she has started a “feminist book club,” putting up the “Our Shared Shelf” group on Goodreads, a social network for readers.

The actress, who gained worldwide acclaim playing the brainy wizard Hermione Granger  — a bookworm — in the "Harry Potter" movies, plans moderate the group and lead discussions about the chosen book for every month.

"The plan is to select and read a book every month, then discuss the work during the month’s last week (to give everyone time to read it!). I will post some questions/quotes to get things started, but I would love for this to grow into an open discussion with and between you all," she wrote.

"Whenever possible I hope to have the author, or another prominent voice on the subject, join the conversation," she added.

In July 2014, United Nations’ gender equality body UN Women named Watson as a goodwill ambassador to advocate for the empowerment of young women. A few months after in September, she launched the HeForShe campaign in an impassioned speech at the UN’s New York headquarters. —Trisha Macas/JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

50 years after King's speech, economic equality remains elusive - Fil-Ams

Fifty years ago, civil rights activist Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. intoned how race continued to separate Americans, how black men and white men remained unequal and how the “Negro is still not free.”

But he had a dream.

His hopeful dream was that one day his four little children “will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” and that every American is equal before society and the law.

Last week, tens of thousands of people gathered in the nation’s capital to reflect on his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington where he ruminated about his “dream.” Filipino Americans who were out at National Mall or watched the event on television said King’s message remains relevant to this day. Like many other minorities, they said FilAms are still struggling to achieve economic justice, and equal opportunities in jobs and education.

Marita Etcubanez
Director of Programs
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC

We had a sizable contingent of Filipino Americans for the 50th Anniversary March. Several of us marched representing the advocacy organizations we work for. We know that the pursuit of justice is ongoing. There is so much work that remains to be done: voting rights must be protected; we must end racial profiling; and, since immigrants’ rights are inextricably bound up with civil rights, we must reform our broken immigration system.

Our Filipino American community is one of the most impacted by our current system. We cannot leave it to others to fight for the immigration reform that we need, reform that will help immigrant families and allow the millions who are undocumented to come out of the shadows and begin working toward citizenship. Our community must answer the call and get involved.
No one group can do this alone. This was one of the messages of Dr. King’s speech 50 years ago. So I was heartened to see such diversity among the participants in the 50th Anniversary March.

Erwin de Leon,
Research Associate
Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy

Last week’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington is and should be relevant to Filipino Americans because the civil rights movement, at its core, is about fulfilling the promise of equality for all Americans.

As people of color, FilAms and other Asians also experienced discrimination and abuse. Recall the anti-Chinese movement in the 1800s which saw the lynching and murder of Chinese immigrants and resulted in the Chinese Exclusion Act. Learn about the anti-Filipino movement during the late 1920s. Do not forget the Japanese internment in the U.S. mainland during WW II or the Rescission Act of 1946 which broke the promise of veteran benefits to 250,000 Filipinos who had fought bravely for America.

Today, FilAms and other Asian Americans, while perceived as the “model minority,” share the same concerns of other people of color. Many of us are poor, unemployed, and on a daily basis, experience discrimination. Fifty years ago, Asians marched alongside African Americans. We should continue marching shoulder to shoulder with our African American, Latino and Native American sisters and brothers until the American promise if fulfilled.

Jon Melegrito
Communications Director
National Federation of Filipino American Associations

We need to empower ourselves politically so we can have a stronger voice in public policy especially on issues that affect the elderly, gays, the disabled and the millions of undocumented immigrants.

We must also recognize our role in advancing race relations by ridding ourselves of biases and fighting for equal treatment for all regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, nationality or religion. – The FilAm

source: gmanetwork.com