Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Egyptian Police 'Banned' Concertgoers From Bringing Pride Flags To A Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert

Egyptian Police 'Banned' Concertgoers From Bringing Pride Flags To A Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert
-/AFP/Getty Images // @DaneMcFadhen/Twitter

The Red Hot Chili Peppers gave a much anticipated performance by the Giza Pyramids on the western outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, but the concert has been dampened by news that Egyptian authorities "banned" concertgoers from bringing Pride flags to the event.


LGBTQ+ rights have often been on shaky ground in Egypt; according to a 2013 study by the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of Egyptian citizens believe homosexuality should not be accepted by society at large. Although Egyptian law does not explicitly criminalize homosexual acts, it does enforce wide-reaching social codes that crack down on any behavior deemed immoral or scandalous.

But the news that Egyptian authorities were not allowing people to enter the concert venue if they carried "gay" flags has ignited significant controversy online.

Journalist Samer Al-Atrush was among the first to tweet about the policy.

Others shared similar news, with at least one person observing that police confiscated a child's crayons to keep her and her family from "drawing" the rainbow flag.



While there don't appear to have been arrests in the wake of these searches, many have decried them as an example of the Egyptian government's overreach.

Some criticism was also directed at the Red Hot Chili Peppers for deciding to perform despite the controversy.




Egyptian police have cracked down significantly on displays of the Pride flag since the 2017 Rainbow Flags' Incident, when Egyptian teens unfurled the flag during a concert for the Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila.

Pictures of the act went viral on social media and more than 30 people were arrested in subsequent days on charges that they'd engaged in "promoting sexual deviance" and "debauchery."

According to The New Arab, those arrested in that purge were convicted and sentenced to between six months and six years in prison. The Egyptian government has also imposed a wide reaching ban on media, including television and film, from discussing LGBTQ+-related matters.

More from News/lgbtq

Ribvar Karimi and Morgan Gardner Karimi
Morgan Karimi/Facebook

Alabama Woman 'Blindsided' After ICE Detains Her Trump-Supporting Iranian Husband

Another day, another MAGA face eaten by a leopard.

The "it wasn't supposed to happen to me" movement claimed two more victims on Sunday, June 22, when Ribvar Karimi was abducted by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in a sweep that included 11 Iranians.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Admits That Banning Fluoridated Water Will Cause 'More Cavities'—But He's OK With That

Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was criticized after admitting in a Fox News interview with Harris Faulkner that his proposed fluoridated water ban would likely lead people to have more cavities—but defended the move nonetheless.

While fluoride is not federally mandated in drinking water, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had long recommended its inclusion. Fluoride helps prevent cavities by strengthening enamel, and numerous studies have shown that fluoridated water reduces tooth decay in both children and adults.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters discussing Zohran Mamdani
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Trying To Give Mamdani A Scary Nickname That's Actually Kind Of Epic

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he tried to give New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a scary nickname in the vein of Conan the Destroyer—only for it to backfire considerably.

Watters is the latest member of the GOP to lash out at Mamdani, a democratic socialist who handily defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary last week.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man sitting on a couch
man sitting on sofa
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

People Sound Off On What Caused Them To Fire Their Therapist

We thankfully live in a world where there's no longer a stigma surrounding therapy.

Some people simply need professional help to deal with ongoing problems or even to get through the day.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andy Ogles; Zohran Mamdani
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images (left and right)

MAGA Rep Slammed After Calling For Mamdani To Be Stripped Of His Citizenship And Deported Over Rap Lyric

Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles was called out after he shared a letter he sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging her to denaturalize and deport New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani over a lyric in a rap song Mamdani released in 2017.

Mamdani ran a campaign centered around economic populism, arguing that the city, a global financial center, has grown unaffordable for everyday residents, citing soaring rents and grocery prices, and outlining policies aimed at reducing the cost of living.

Keep ReadingShow less