totallyhussein-blog

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The words and wisdom of Harvey Milk

Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in New York.

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Learn what Loving and loving is about

The “Loving” in Loving Day is actually the last name of Mildred and Richard Loving. The Loving Day story begins when they were arrested for being married in 1958 because they were an interracial couple living in Virginia.

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Exploring LGBTQ+ History Through the Smithsonian Archives

Angela Davis defines being radical as "grasping things at the root" and these insights from the National Museum of American History showcases the rich history of the LGBTQ+ community, from the turn of the 20th century.

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How will you mark Loving Day?

Less than 60 years ago, interracial marriage was more than frowned upon by some; it was illegal in parts of the U.S. In 1958, Mildred and Richard Loving, an interracial couple living in Virginia, were arrested for being married.

The Lovings won their landmark case, Loving v. Virginia, on June 12, 1967, abolishing all state laws against interracial marriage in the U.S. Now, every year on that date, the historic case is honored through Loving Day.

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Do you care?

Carers Week 2025 is being held under the theme of "Caring About Equality". Can you help bring change?

As Dentons solicitors highlight, there are '5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, with 3 million of those in employment.'

But 57% of unpaid carers feel that a better recognition of unpaid care is needed to reduce the inequalities faced.

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Anne Frank's Diary

Reading Anne Frank’s diary for the first time can be a ground-breaking moment in any reader’s life. Since it was first published, the book has inspired generations of people around the world – from school children to world leaders. Have you read Anne Frank's diary?

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The life and times of Harvey Milk

One's a documentary and the other is a movie but the subject remains the same. Harvey Milk was a visionary civil and human rights leader.

Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official in the USA, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.

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£184bn art tribute portrait to Britain's unpaid carers

Specsavers Home Visits and Carers UK have launched the UK’s ‘The Most Valuable Portrait’, serving as a powerful tribute to the vital contributions of carers who so often remain hidden.

As Mark Johnson reports, the portrait by critically acclaimed artist Colin Davidson, has been assigned a symbolic value of £184 billion by Roseberys, a leading London fine art auction house.

The £184bn valuation represents the staggering estimated economic value of unpaid carers every year and their incredible, yet often overlooked, contribution to society.

While the striking portrait features the face of Jaycee La Bouche, who cares for her mother, it represents the myriad of British carers and their experiences.

To highlight the value of unpaid carers even further, ‘The Most Valuable Portrait’ was unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery and put on public display at London’s South Bank encased in a secure box and guarded by round-the-clock security.

The portrait has been put up for sale via an online auction, with all proceeds going to Carers UK.

“Our Home Visits colleagues see first-hand the incredible support carers give to their loved ones every day”, said Kim Bull, Specsavers PR and social lead.

“Yet so many feel invisible and undervalued, despite providing support equivalent of the cost of a second NHS."

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What are you watching this Pride Month?

When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days.

The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.

This documentary draws upon eyewitness accounts and rare archival material to bring this pivotal event to life. Based on the book by David Carter, Stonewall Uprising is produced by Kate Davis and Davie Heilbroner.

Paris is Burning is a documentary which focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their "house" culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers.

Groups from each house compete in elaborate balls that take cues from the world of fashion. Also touching on issues of racism and poverty, the film features interviews with a number of renowned drag queens, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija and Dorian Corey.

Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? In July 1992, Johnson’s body was found floating in the Hudson River near New York City’s Christopher Street Piers.

The police deemed her death a suicide, but for those who knew her, this theory has never made sense. Victoria Cruz investigates the mysterious 1992 death of black gay rights activist and Stonewall veteran, Marsha P. Johnson.

Using archival interviews with Johnson, and interviews with Johnson's family, friends and fellow activists, this documentary provides an intimate portrait of Marsha's life.

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The legacy of war’s injuries

Until the First World War (1914-1918), most battle injuries were caused by small arms fire or sword cuts. Weapons used during the First World War like heavy artillery, machine guns and poison gas, created injuries of a severity and scale unseen before.

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Facing the truth about the lasting scars of war

Until the First World War (1914-1918), most battle injuries were caused by small arms fire or sword cuts.

Facial injuries were often of little concern to survivors who were deemed lucky enough to have escaped with their lives.

Weapons used during the First World War like heavy artillery, machine guns and poison gas, created injuries of a severity and scale unseen before.

The circumstances of trench warfare, with men peering over parapets, caused a dramatic rise in the number of facial injuries sustained by soldiers.

Shells filled with shrapnel were to blame for many of these facial and head wounds, as they were specifically designed to cause maximum damage.

Hot flying metal could tear through flesh to create twisted, ragged wounds or even rip faces off entirely.

A pioneering surgeon

Harold Gillies was a New Zealand surgeon who had trained in England. Posted to France in 1915, he witnessed the rise in horrific facial wounds inflicted by this new style of warfare.

On his return to England, Gillies set up a special ward for facial wounds at the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot.

Gillies knew that healthy tissue needed to be moved back to its normal position. After this, any gaps could be filled with tissue from elsewhere on the body.

By 1916, Gillies had persuaded his medical chiefs that a dedicated hospital for facial injuries was required to meet the demand.

The aim of The Queen’s Hospital was to reconstruct wounded men’s faces as fully as possible, so that they could hopefully lead a normal life.

The legacy of war's injuries

Back in August 2003, the BBC reported how Iraqi civilians received treatment for burns at British hospitals at a cost of £20m, as the report below explained.

The government has given the cash to specialist NHS units at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester and the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Iraqi civilians have already received treatment in the UK with one woman presently recovering at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The extra funding over two years is to stop extra pressure at the three units which could have meant local people being turned away.

The British government also needs to honour its Geneva Convention responsibilities for civilians under its control in southern Iraq.

The convention says any occupying force has to ensure civilians get any medical treatment they need.

Len Fenwick, chief executive of Newcastle NHS Hospitals Trust, said: "We are dealing with a special client group, to give good quality care and treatment.

"We are an occupying power and under international conventions we have a duty of care to these patients."

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Ed Davey demands change for Britain's carers

Britain’s army of unpaid support has been excluded from the political conversation. Family care was part of the pre-political lives of Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner; it was also there in David Cameron’s story.

But what it demands of policymakers still seems awkward. In Britain, there are 7 million unpaid carers and the UK has no system of paid leave for family carers. So, why are 7 million British people being excluded?

Care is the thread that runs through Ed Davey’s life. Aged only four, Ed lost his father. When his mother also became ill with cancer, Ed and his brothers nursed her at home until she died when Ed was just 15.

That formative experience was one of the main inspirations in Ed Davey seeking election and becoming leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat Party.

Now, he and his wife care for their son John, who has severe physical and learning disabilities, as well as raising their younger daughter.

Why I Care is both a deeply personal story, drawing on Ed Davey’s own experiences, and a book that reflects the stories of people everywhere to offer a vision of change.

Shedding light on the often-invisible world of carers, he calls for society, our government and our institutions to recognise, support, and lift up the silent carers who form the backbone of our communities.

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UK campaign launched for the right to read

BookTrust and the Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce have launched Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future.

The report calls for national provision so that every child has access to books and reading from their earliest years.

It calls on national and local leaders in early years, health, education and culture to come together to make reading a part of daily life for every child in the first seven years of life.

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Discover a new world with Rosamunde Pilcher

With such brilliant sunshine, do you have a secret garden where you can escape to with a good book? Summer warmth always brings to mind, classic stories like The Shell Seekers and Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher.

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When the pen is mightier than the sword

In Iraq’s Al-Anbar province, where artistic activity has diminished, calligrapher Abdulhamid Nazem al-Dhibban is working to preserve the Arabic script through personal dedication and formal instruction.

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The need for justice is now!

Should British people be immune to the law? More than 400 people who fought for ISIS in Syria and Iraq are believed to have returned to the UK, without being prosecuted. A new report is calling for changes to the law, to help authorities prosecute these war criminals.

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Discover cooking and culture with Linda Dangoor

This beautifully designed book traces Jewish food writer Linda Dangoor’s journey from her home in Baghdad, and through the various countries she stayed or lived in before finally making her new home in London.