Under the watchful eye of Daniel Tagoe, a coach from Ghana, around 30 children wearing blue and yellow kits learn to play football in a...

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A famous drag show restaurant has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming a bill that prohibits children’s attendance at drag shows has hurt its business and is a violation of the First Amendment. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando, a franchise location of the drag show restaurant chain Hamburger Mary’s, is alleging that the state of Florida, “Seeks to explicitly restrict or chill speech and expression protected by the First Amendment” in a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Monday. The lawsuit pertains to SB 1438, nicknamed the Protection of Children, which allows for criminal penalties against a food service establishment for admitting children to “an adult live performance.” The bill, which was signed into law by Mr DeSantis last week, prohibits children from attending adult live performances or the establishment can face fines, have their license suspended or revoked and their liquor license suspended or revoked. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando offers “family friendly” drag performances on Sundays, which they say have been greatly affected by the passage of SB 1438. “This bill has nothing to do with children, and everything to do with the continued oppression of the LGBTQ+ community,” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando wrote in a Facebook post. In the lawsuit, Hamburger Mary’s Orlando said “immediately” after the bill passed, 20 per cent of their bookings were cancelled for the 21 May 2023 show as well as future bookings despite the performances being “family friendly.” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando is alleging in the lawsuit that the bill does not serve a compelling governmental interest and is too vague, thus violating the restaurant’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression. “The law and anticipation of it has had a chilling effect on free speech in Florida,” the lawsuit says. The lawsuit names Mr DeSantis, the state of Florida, as well as Melanie Griffin, the Secretary of the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation for Florida, as defendants. The recent Protection of Children bill defines “adult live performance” as any presentation in front of a live audience where a part of it depicts sexual activity, sexual conduct, nudity, lewd exposure, lewd conduct, prosthetic or imitation genitals and more. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando claims, “There is no lewd activity, sexually explicit shows, disorderly conduct, public exposure, obscene exhibition, or anything inappropriate for a child to see” in their family-friendly brunches. The restaurant claims several undercover agents visited a drag brunch in December and did not witness “any lewd acts” that were inappropriate for children. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando is also alleging that the state of Florida has not provided examples of specific conduct that is harmful to children. “The uncertainty about what specific conduct this law prohibits, as well as the threat of police surveillance and criminal charges, is precisely what concerns the Plaintiff in this case,” the lawsuit says. Instead, Hamburger Mary’s Orlando believes this is another example of conservative leaders trying to restrict LGBT+ inclusivity in communities. “Anytime our legislators want to demonize a group, they say they are coming for your children. In this case, creating a false narrative that drag queens are grooming and recruiting your children with no factual basis or history to back up these accusations AT ALL,” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando wrote on Facebook. “They are setting a precedent that the state legislators [sic] can decide what is best for you based on THEIR own values and convictions, and write it into law,” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando added. The Independent has reached out to Hamburger Mary’s Orlando and Mr DeSantis’ office for comment. Read More Ron DeSantis news – latest: Florida governor’s wife launches his 2024 presidential bid Florida school bans poem recited by Amanda Gorman at Biden inauguration College student who tracked Elon Musk’s private jet is now following Ron DeSantis Target has been a leader in catering to LGBTQ+ shoppers – now it’s on the defensive What's on DeSantis' agenda? A look at the laws he passed as Florida governor, from abortion to guns In Panama, legal rights given to sea turtles, boosting the 'rights of nature' movement

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Stars of the upcoming Women’s World Cup have pledged to neutralise the climate impact of their flights to and from Australia and New Zealand by donating money to climate resilience and carbon offsetting initiatives. A collection of 44 leading players from four different countries, including Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen, Canadian midfielder Jessie Fleming and Italian defender Elena Linari, have committed to take responsibility for their environmental impact at the tournament. The initiative was created by 31-year-old Pedersen, who has won 85 caps for Denmark, and is being facilitated by Common Goal, the social and environmental collective movement in global football, and Football For Future, the UK-based climate advocacy group. Although there are 44 players currently signed up, it is hoped that number will reach at least 50 by the time the World Cup gets underway later this month. Pedersen explained: “I want to ensure my World Cup experience has a positive environmental legacy. Climate change is the biggest issue humanity faces, and I want to be part of the solution. While there are no current sustainable solutions to aviation, as players we are setting an example, and taking a tangible step in the right direction.” Chelsea and Canada star Fleming added: “This is a topic I feel passionate about, and I hope this action my teammates and I are taking accelerates the climate conversation and sets a precedent for what athletes can do to push for more environmental policies in football.” The campaign recognises that these donations are only short-term tools to compensate for players’ flights to and from the World Cup but the stated aim is to inspire everyone in football to take responsibility for tackling climate change, with the hope that governing bodies will make carbon-offsetting a key criteria to hosting tournaments int he future. The campaign relies on a rigorous and scientific methodology to calculate the environmental impact of the players’ flights to and from the World Cup, directly referencing the flight’s carbon tonnage. The players will then donate the money to a combination of climate resilience, carbon offsetting and adaptation initiatives run by WWF (Australia, New Zealand) and DanChurchAid. These initiatives are based in Australia, New Zealand, and Uganda. Read More Lionesses bonus row could drag on until after World Cup Sam Kerr ready for her ‘Cathy Freeman moment’ at Women’s World Cup ACL injuries are keeping stars out of the Women's World Cup

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The Uefa Champions League continues with matchday two starting on Tuesday night, as Manchester United get their first chance to play in front of their fans in the competition this season. They’ll be hosting Turkish side Galatasaray and looking to kick-start their European campaign having been beaten 4-3 by Bayern Munich in their opener. At the same time, Galatasaray fought back from two goals down against Copenhagen to pick up a point, leaving Man United bottom in Group A after the first round of fixtures. While the Red Devils therefore are in sore need of a victory, the form guide is strongly against them doing so - they’ve lost four of the last six including a home weekend defeat to Crystal Palace. Follow the latest news and updates from Man United vs Galatasary below and get the latest odds and tips here. Read More Sheikh Jassim makes Manchester United takeover decision as Sir Jim Ratcliffe considers new bid Raphael Varane reveals formula for Manchester United to claim Champions League glory

Cardi B has made a fashion statement on the 2023 MTV VMAs red carpet with a dress made entirely of silver hair clips. On Tuesday 12 September, the “WAP” singer arrived on the pink carpet at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, ahead of the annual awards show. For the occasion, Cardi B chose a floor-length, strapless silver gown by Dilara Findikoglu, which, upon closer look, was found to be entirely covered with silver hair pins and pearls. Cardi B paired the embellished dress with matching arm cuffs, which also featured the hair accessory. She completed the look with a sleek and straight hairstyle that was parted down the middle. While walking the pink carpet ahead of the awards show, which celebrates the best music videos and artists of the year, Cardi B opened up about her creativity when it comes to her fashion choices. “I’m a creative. I have to be creative with everything, with my clothes, with my pictures, everything. My visions have got to come to life,” she told MTV. On social media, the unique dress proved to be a hit with fans, with one person tweeting: “Cardi stuns as always,” while another said: “This is such a cool look omg.” In addition to taking to the stage as a performer during Tuesday night’s ceremony, Cardi B is also nominated in the category of Best Hip-Hop video for her collaboration with GloRilla on “Tomorrow 2.” Read More 2023 MTV VMAs: The best-dressed stars on the red carpet, from Olivia Rodrigo to Doja Cat Olivia Rodrigo wows in sparkly silver gown on the 2023 VMAs red carpet: ‘She did it again’ Selena Gomez returns to the VMAs red carpet in red gown for first appearance since 2015