US election update

Jon Ossoff, an American documentary film-maker and former political aide is the Democratic candidate for Georgia's 6th congressional district which will take place on the 20th June. Ossoff has created some serious waves and even incurred the wrath of President Donald Trump (which isn't that hard) given he picked up 48.1% of the vote in an election that was predicted a few months ago to be easily won by Republican candidate Karen Handel. As neither candidate got a majority vote they will compete in a run-off vote this month.

And a little known fact- Ossof is also half-Australian. His mother Helen Fenton (pictured with Jon) hails from Sydney and emigrated to the US where she married Thomas Ossoff with the couple settling in Georgia where Jon was born. As an investigative journalist Jon has exposed human traffickers, been responsible for taking down dozens of international corrupt politicians and has exposed ISIL atrocities in Iraq. He makes a formidable opponent as can be seen in this debate 3 days ago. It's that Aussie spirit !

Gay News, Dame Marie and Deviants

She has been one of the most loved reps of Her Maj : Dame Marie Bashir the retiring Governor of NSW.  Last night it was time to honour the Governor herself at Parliament House at a dinner organised by the Gay & Lesbian community- the LGBTI Community Tribute Dinner for ( we love her full title) Her Excellency Dame Marie Bashir AO CVO.
Pictured right is Adrian Bartels and a pal with Dame Marie. Bartels was just pipped at the post at the last state election by current MP  Alex Greenwich. also openly gay.
Aren't we lucky in the Eastern Suburbs ?. A choice between the very David Beckham style Bartels or our favourite descendent of Russian Nobility Alex !

## also pleasing to see Sydney Councillor Christine Foster ( PM Tony Abbott's sister ) at the St Vincent de Paul sleep out in Redern  helping to raise awareness for homelessness.

Dame Marie was described by the LGBTI as a "powerful advocate for the powerless" and this has been evident on so many occasions as evidenced by our exclusive pic taken at the mansion Boomerang at a fundraiser for the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross. Marie was only too happy to chat to former Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks (left).

Dramas in the world of Opera as a twitter outrage grows over Georgian soprano Tamar Iveri, scheduled to sing Desdemona in Otello for Opera Australia in July and Tosca later this year in Melbourne
Iveri has been condemned for an open letter she wrote to the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in May last year. In the lengthy diatribe, posted on her Facebook page, she describes LGBT people as “deviants” and suggests that homosexuality is part of the “faecal mass” being foisted on Georgia by the West.
Iveri was commenting after LGBT activists marched to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) in the city of Tbilisi. The marchers were attacked by thousands of fundamentalist Christians (?) with some barely escaping with their lives. The loopy soprano said she was “proud of the fact how Georgian society spat at the parade” and that  “often, in certain cases, it is necessary to break jaws in order to be appreciated as a nation”. Charming! She really is coming to the wrong town. Somehow I think Ms Iveri's visit may be cut short.
Below is a video from the march-what a contrast to the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras !