Scott Dittman — better known to his friends as Howie — says he doesn't wake up in the morning thinking of himself as an LGBT ally. But, last weekend, he still made a big impact. Dittman, 44, heard his friend Denna was heading to Pittsburgh Pride with Free Mom Hugs, an organization that assists LGBT people and also provides hugs at Pride events. "And I just said, 'well I’m going to go,' and I hopped on Amazon and grabbed a 'free dad hugs' T-shirt," he told BuzzFeed News. "I just thought it would put a smile on people’s faces." What he didn't expect was just how big an effect it had, not only on Pride attendees, but on himself.
Anne Frank - 12 June 1929 – February 1945: It was on her 13th birthday that Anne received her first red checkered diary, calling it “maybe one of my nicest presents.” A similar diary was laid on a table along with other gifts — a blue blouse, cold cream, a book, that she described receiving on her birthday. The Frank family hid in the annex for just over two years before being arrested and deported to Nazi-run concentration camps. Anne’s father Otto, the only member of the family to survive the war, later published her diaries. The book went on to be published in dozens of countries around the world and is regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th century.
The Tony Awards sank deep into underworld Sunday as “Hadestown” took home a leading eight statues and made Broadway history as first production written and directed by women to win best musical. “The Ferryman” picked up four awards including best play, but it was Anais Mitchell’s folk-operatic reimagining of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth that led the night. Mitchell took home the Tony for score, while Rachel Chavkin, the lone woman in her category, won for direction of a musical. Ali Stroker made history as the first performer in a wheelchair to win a Tony, taking home honors for featured actress in the reimagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” The production also took the prize for musical revival.The cast of “The Prom” drove home the show’s themes of acceptance and inclusion with a same-sex kiss.
Throughout history, we have attributed mythological stories and magical abilities to just about everything under the Sun. However, trees are perhaps one of the most logical things to ascribe such powers to. After all, trees are filled with vitality, live much longer than humans, and tower over nearly every living thing on Earth. However, the Tree of Life is a universal concept and was adopted by religions and cosmologies of many cultures around the world. These cultures have specific trees that are objects of worship as they are associated with gods and myths. They are sacred and it is forbidden to cut them. The custom of offering libations to them is still maintained among many cultures.