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"Love is love": Vietnam veteran reveals lifelong secret in obituary

<p>A Vietnam veteran has kept a heartbreaking secret from his loved ones his entire life, and only revealed the truth in his obituary. </p> <p>Col. Edward Thomas Ryan died at the age of 85 in his home in Albany, New York, after serving as a firefighter in the city of Rensselaer for most of his life. </p> <p>In a final message to the world that he penned before succumbing to cancer, Ryan shared that he had always known he was gay, but was was “afraid of being ostracized" by his loved ones. </p> <p>"I must tell you one more thing. I was Gay all my life: thru grade school, thru High School, thru College, thru Life," he wrote in his obituary, published by the <em>Albany Times Union</em>. </p> <p>"I was in a loving and caring relationship with Paul Cavagnaro of North Greenbush," he confessed.</p> <p>"He was the love of my life. We had 25 great years together. Paul died in 1994 from a medical Procedure gone wrong. I'll be buried next to Paul."</p> <p>The former soldier, who served with the Army's 10th Brigade and received several military awards, including the National Defense Service Medal and the Defense of Liberty Medal "for participation to the State" following 9/11, explained that he had never revealed his secret out of fear of being disowned. </p> <p>"I'm sorry for not having the courage to come out as Gay. I was afraid of being ostracized: by Family, Friends, and Co-Workers," he recalled. </p> <p>"Seeing how people like me were treated, I just could not do it. Now that my secret is known, I'll forever Rest in Peace."</p> <p>Aside from serving in the war and being a firefighter, he was also one of the founders and owners of the local Albany radio station WGY-FM.</p> <p>Additionally, he was a chef at the East Greenbush, American Legion Post, and a lifelong member of the Vietnam Veterans of America.</p> <p>Ryan is survived by his 14 nieces and nephews who call him "Uncle Ed". </p> <p>His obituary has since gone viral and many have paid tribute to the Vietnam veteran on his obituary. </p> <p>"Col. Ryan. you lived your life with such bravery and carry it with you in the afterlife. I don't know if we will ever truly feel free. As a gay woman over 60, I struggle with this still. Half out and half in. Thank you for showing us the way to leave this life with dignity while being true to ourselves. The world needs more men like you. True hero," wrote one commenter. </p> <p>"Rest in Power Ed. Thank you for your service to your country. Thank you for the example of how much work we still need to do to honour and respect our brothers and sisters like you," added another. </p> <p>"Love is love. Glad you are finally reunited with yours and you are both resting in peace," wrote a third. </p> <p>"May you rest peacefully in the arms of your forever love. I'm so sorry that you never felt safe to be your authentic self. Your bravery followed you beyond death," added a fourth. </p> <p>"I hope Edward and Paul are reunited now, in love for eternity. Nobody should have to spend a lifetime hiding who they are and who they love," another commenter wrote. </p> <p><em>Image: Legacy.com</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

Harry Potter star bares all for Vogue at 82

<p dir="ltr"><em>Harry Potter</em> actress Miriam Margolyes has graced the cover of <em>British Vogue</em> and bared all for a shoot with the publication, stripping down to share her thoughts on life, love, career, and everything in between. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was an important step for Miriam - best known for her role as Professor Pomona Sprout in the <em>Harry Potter </em>and her BAFTA-winning performance in <em>The Age of Innocence </em>- who confessed during her interview for the magazine’s Pride issue that “I like my face. I think my face is kind and warm and open and smiley. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But I hate my body. I hate [having] big tits, a drooping belly, and little twisted legs.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not thrilled with that. But you can just make the best of it. You have to. You do the best you can.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Miriam’s beaming smile was front and centre in the ‘nude’ shot, which saw the 82-year-old star sitting at a table and dressed only in a pearl necklace, an array of carefully arranged desserts in the foreground to cover her. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctb2pb0NruE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #F4F4F4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctb2pb0NruE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by British Vogue (@britishvogue)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A self-confessed “bit of a child” who “can’t resist naughtiness”, Miriam came armed with her wit and humour as she opened up about her life - from her feelings about her own body, to her experience as a Jewish lesbian since coming out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in 1966. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I never had any shame about being gay or anything really,” she told <em>Vogue</em>’s Chris Godfrey. “I knew it wasn’t criminal because it was me. I couldn’t be criminal.” </p> <p dir="ltr">As Miriam confessed, however, her parents hadn’t quite seen it from the same perspective. Her mother, she explained, had made her swear on the Torah that she wouldn’t have sex with a woman again, and that she has regrets about revealing that part of herself to them. </p> <p dir="ltr">Both of her parents have since passed away - her mother of a stroke just months after Miriam came out - and while Miriam doesn’t think they ever came to accept her sexuality, she never stopped loving either of them. </p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to share that she and her partner of 54 years, Heather, have a civil partnership but don’t live together - and never have. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were able to lead our lives without diminishing them,” she said. “I didn’t want her to have to give up anything. And I didn’t want to give up anything.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wanted my cake and I wanted to eat it too. And so far, it’s worked.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Gay people have the luck to be able to fashion the relationship they want,” she added. “It’s much more flexible for us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And as for why Miriam is so open when it comes to topics others might shy away from, she had a simple answer in store, explaining that “it’s a strong position if you’re not afraid to be who you are.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re all so insecure. People are frightened such a lot of the time and what I’ve always tried to do is to make people feel more relaxed, make people feel good about themselves, and just try and lessen the torture for people a bit.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Body

Backlash to new kids clothing line sees Target lose billions

<p dir="ltr">Target has lost billions in market valuation as its Pride-themed kids line continues to face backlash.</p> <p dir="ltr">Target shares were trading at $160.96 (A$246.18) a share, which means their market valuation was roughly around $74.3 billion (A$113 billion)</p> <p dir="ltr">The Minneapolis-based retailer’s stock value dropped drastically following the calls to boycott their “PRIDE” collection, at just $138.93 (A$212) a share as of Friday, which is a 14 per cent drop in value to around $64.2 billion (A$98 billion) , according to The New York Times.</p> <p dir="ltr">This roughly translates to a $10.1 billion (A$15 billion) loss in valuation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The plummet is the retailer's lowest stock price in nearly three years, and the last time any company’s stock plummeted this intensely was in 2022 after the stocks equalised during the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">Target has since moved its Pride section away from the front of the store in some Southern states, following displays being knocked over by protesters, who also confronted the workers.</p> <p dir="ltr">They also said they would remove items from the collection but didn’t specify which ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some of the clothes receiving backlash were the rainbow-themed children’s clothing, and a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit for trans women, who have not yet had their gender-affirming surgeries, to conceal their genitalia.</p> <p dir="ltr">Target CEO Brian Cornell has defended the LBGTQ-friendly clothing line and has said that selling them was “the right thing for society.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

For some LGBTQ+ older people, events like World Pride can be isolating – we need to better understand how to support them

<p><a href="https://sydneyworldpride.com/">World Pride</a> has come to Sydney, with the annual <a href="https://sydneyworldpride.com/events/mardi-gras-parade/">Mardi Gras Parade</a> on Saturday having returned to its Oxford Street home for the first time in three years.</p> <p>The 17-day festival is expected to host 500,000 participants over more than 300 events. It is an opportunity to celebrate all things queer, and a good time to take stock of the changes LGBTQ+ older people have experienced, and the challenges they continue to face.</p> <p>LGBTQ+ people aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s have witnessed extraordinary social change regarding gender and sexual diversity. For example, in Australia, same-sex marriage is now legal, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/where-transgender-is-no-longer-a-diagnosis/">Gender Identity Disorder</a> has been removed as a clinical diagnosis, and all states have an equal age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual sex.</p> <p>These have been hard-fought gains after many years of adversity and advocacy on the part of LGBTQ+ older people, among others.</p> <p>Each year, the <a href="https://www.78ers.org.au/">78ers</a> – who were involved in the Sydney marches and protests between June and August 1978 – take pride of place towards the front of the parade.</p> <h2>Loneliness and social isolation</h2> <p>Despite these achievements, the consequences of living most of one’s life in a homophobic and transphobic society have been considerable, particularly in terms of mental illness and social isolation.</p> <p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00918369.2021.2005999?journalCode=wjhm20">Australian</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34326557/">US</a> research indicates loneliness is more common among lesbian, gay and bisexual older people than the general population. This is particularly so for those who live alone and are not in a relationship. Similar findings are reported in relation to <a href="https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/pdfs/LGBT%20Aging%20and%20Health%20Report_final.pdf">transgender older people</a>, although more research is needed.</p> <p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00918369.2021.2005999?journalCode=wjhm20">Loneliness</a> is also more common among lesbian and gay older people who are disconnected from LGBTQ+ communities and who hold negative attitudes towards their own same-sex attraction.</p> <p>For LGBTQ+ older people experiencing social isolation and loneliness, what might be their experience of watching World Pride from a distance? What might it be like navigating rainbow paraphernalia while shopping at <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/about/sustainability/better-together/our-team/pride">Coles</a> (a World Pride partner)? How might they perceive the glitz and glamour of the Mardi Gras Parade?</p> <p>World Pride may be challenging for those who don’t feel an attachment to LGBTQ+ communities or who feel negative about their own sexuality. And this may reinforce a sense of disconnection.</p> <p>But some may gain comfort from witnessing the sense of community on display. It may even strengthen their perceived connection to other LGBTQ+ people. And, for those who are not open about their sexuality or authentic gender, it may support their journey to “come out” later in life.</p> <h2>The impact of discrimination</h2> <p>For many LGBTQ+ older people, the experience of discrimination remains very real in their lives. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33770516/">Past and recent discrimination</a> leads to delays seeking treatment and support, simply because people expect to be discriminated against when accessing services.</p> <p>In Australia, previous discrimination has been found to predict <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00918369.2021.2005999?journalCode=wjhm20">loneliness</a> and <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/abs/recent-versus-lifetime-experiences-of-discrimination-and-the-mental-and-physical-health-of-older-lesbian-women-and-gay-men/90988215582414EA0AB7936B6384FC97">lower mental health</a> among older lesbian and gay people. In the US, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6779303/">microaggressions</a> – small everyday interactions that reinforce the experience of being “other” – have predicted greater impairment, higher rates of depression and lower quality of life among LGBTQ+ people aged 80 and over.</p> <p>There remain major gaps in evidence on the issues faced by LGBTQ+ older people, particularly for bisexual, queer, transgender and nonbinary older people. This is mainly due to the failure to systematically collect inclusive data on gender and sexual diversity, through variables such as those recommended by the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/latest-release">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a>.</p> <h2>Strengths and resilience</h2> <p>This year, older people seemed to occupy a more prominent place in the Mardi Gras Parade. Perhaps this is because of the natural ageing of our community activists. Older people were also represented in the wider World Pride festival, such as in the theatre production <a href="https://sydneyworldpride.com/events/all-the-sex-ive-ever-had/">All the Sex I’ve Ever Had</a>, in which older Sydney residents reflect on the evolution of their sexuality over the course of their lives.</p> <p>A festival like World Pride showcases the strengths and resilience of LGBTQ+ people and communities. The organisation of such an event should not be underestimated. This reflects LGBTQ+ people’s high level of civic engagement and commitment to giving back to society, as demonstrated by their greater likelihood of being <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0312407X.2021.1899256">volunteers</a> and <a href="https://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2015_CaregivingintheUS_Final-Report-June-4_WEB.pdf">caregivers</a>. And the contribution of volunteers and caregivers during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and ‘90s is not forgotten.</p> <p>LGBTQ+ older people generally are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5241752/">resilient and maintain good health</a>. Many report increased <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-021-00653-z">confidence and self-esteem</a>, compared with when they were younger. And many have created their own families – their families of choice – to support each other in later life.</p> <p>But we don’t know enough about their needs and how to provide them with inclusive services as they get older. World Pride is an opportunity to reflect on the hard-won gains but not ignore the challenges ahead.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-some-lgbtq-older-people-events-like-world-pride-can-be-isolating-we-need-to-better-understand-how-to-support-them-200533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

Reviled, reclaimed and respected: the history of the word ‘queer’

<p>Recently, a number of people have questioned or critiqued the use of the word “queer” to describe LGBTIQA+ folk. One <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/13/please-dont-use-the-q-word?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1673635001">writer to the Guardian</a> claimed that the “q-word” was as derogatory and offensive as the “n-word”, and should not be used.</p> <p>While there is a clear history of the word being used in aggressive and insulting ways, the meaning(s) and uses of queer have never been singular, simple or stable.</p> <h2>The origin of the word ‘queer’</h2> <p>Queer is a word of uncertain origin that had entered the English language by the early 16th century, when it was primarily used to mean strange, odd, peculiar or eccentric. By the late 19th century it was <a href="https://www.oah.org/tah/issues/2019/may/queer-history/#:%7E:text=Up%20through%20the%20nineteenth%20century,columns%20to%20private%20epistolary%20speculation.">being used</a> colloquially to refer to same-sex attracted men. While this usage was frequently derogatory, queer was simultaneously used in neutral and affirming ways.</p> <p>The examples <a href="https://www-oed-com.ez.library.latrobe.edu.au/view/Entry/156235">provided in the Oxford English Dictionary</a> show this semantic range, including instances of homosexual men using queer as a positive self-description at the same time as it was being used in the most insulting terms.</p> <p>Compare the neutral:“Fourteen young men were invited […] with the premise that they would have the opportunity of meeting some of the prominent ‘queers’” (1914); the insulting: “fairies, pansies, and queers conducted […] lewd practices” (1936); and self-affirmed uses: “young men who call themselves ‘queers’” (1952).</p> <p>In the 1960s and 1970s, as sexual and gender minorities fought for civil rights and promoted new ways of being in society, we also sought new names for ourselves. Gay liberationists began to reclaim queer from its earlier hurtful usages, <a href="https://outhistory.org/files/original/f6d46c5d90761e3a66edcd4fe32a6785.pdf">chanting</a> “out of the closets, into the streets” and singing “we’re here because we’re queer”. </p> <p>Their <a href="https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/come-out-magazine-1969-1972/the-come-out-archive">newsletters from the time</a> reveal sustained questioning of the words, labels and politics of naming that lesbian and gay people could and should use about themselves. Some gay libbers even wanted to <a href="https://outhistory.org/files/original/3809edc277d5dbfd51f8883422e761b7.pdf">cancel the word homosexual</a> because they felt it limited their potential and “prescribes a whole system of behaviour […] which has nothing to do with my day-to-day living”.</p> <p>In Australia, camp was briefly the most common label that lesbian women and gay men used to describe themselves, before gay became more prominent, used at that time by both homosexual men and women.</p> <h2>The evolving use of the word queer</h2> <p>In the early 1990s, gay had come to be used more typically to refer to gay men. Respectful and inclusive standards of language evolved to “lesbian and gay”, and then “LGBT”, as bisexuals and transgender people sought greater recognition. </p> <p>Queer began to be used in a different way again: not as a synonym for gay, but as a critical and political identity that challenged normative ideas about sexuality and gender.</p> <p><a href="https://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/c.php?g=995240&p=8361766">Queer theory</a> drew on <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/social-constructionism-4586374">social constructionism</a> – the theory that people develop knowledge of the world in a social context – to critique the idea any sexuality or gender identity was normal or natural. This showed how particular norms of sexuality and gender were historically contingent.</p> <p>Thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Michael Warner, Judith Butler, Eve Kosofsky Sedgewick and Lauren Berlant were enormously influential in the development of this new idea of queer. Some people began to identify as queer in the critical sense, not as a synonym for a stable gender or sexual identity, but to indicate a non-conforming gender or sexual identity. </p> <p>Activists in groups such as <a href="http://queernation.org/">Queer Nation</a> also used queer in this critical sense as part of their more assertive, anti-assimilationist political actions.</p> <h2>Queer as an umbrella term</h2> <p>From the early 2000s, it became more common to use queer as an umbrella term that was inclusive of the spectrum of sexual and gender identities represented in the LGBTIQA+ acronym.</p> <p>Today, queer is included among the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, asexual, <a href="https://junkee.com/brotherboy-sistergirl-decolonise-gender/262222">brotherboy and sistergirl</a>, <a href="https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/accessible-and-inclusive-content/inclusive-language/gender-and-sexual-diversity">recognised in style guides</a> as the most respectful and inclusive way to refer to people with diverse sexualities and genders.</p> <p>Of course, the different usages and meaning of words such as queer have often overlapped and have been hotly contested. Historical usages and associations persist and can sit uncomfortably next to contemporary reclamations.</p> <h2>Queer as a slur?</h2> <p>Contemporary concerns with queer’s historical use as a slur seem odd to me. The heritage report <a href="https://queerarchives.org.au/heritage-100/">A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects</a> (which I co-authored), surveys the complexity of language use in historical and contemporary society.</p> <p>It is notable that almost all of the words that LGBTIQA+ people use to describe ourselves today have been reclaimed from homophobic or transphobic origins.</p> <p>In fact, it could be said that liberating words from non-affirming religious, clinical or colloquial contexts and giving them our own meanings is one of the defining characteristics of LGBTIQA+ history.</p> <p>While queer does have a history of being used as an insult, that has never been its sole meaning. Same-sex attracted and gender diverse folks have taken the word and have been ascribing it with better meanings for at least the past 50 years. </p> <p>Queer’s predominant use today is as an affirming term that is inclusive of all people in the rainbow acronym. </p> <p>At a time when trans and gender diverse folk are facing particularly harsh attacks, I’m all for efforts to promote inclusion and solidarity. Respectful language use doesn’t require us to cancel queer, but rather to be mindful of its history and how that history is experienced by our readers and listeners.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/reviled-reclaimed-and-respected-the-history-of-the-word-queer-197533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

Mariah Carey shimmers in her eccentric date-night outfit

<p dir="ltr">Mariah Carey is known for her style and iconic looks, and her latest night on the town has seen her embrace glitter and glam in the name of Pride Month.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-329161db-7fff-7083-2129-7328173bbf3f">The Queen of Pop was spotted at a special screening of her friend Billy Eichner’s new film <em>Bros </em>in a black glittery mini dress with ‘Bros’ written across her chest in gold, paired with a rainbow-striped, sequined jacket, diamond stacked bracelets, and Christian Louboutin stilettos.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/mariah-pride1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Mariah turned heads with her bedazzled look at a screening of ‘Bros’, accompanied by her partner, Bryan Tanaka. Images: Getty Images</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Carey attended the event - which she also hosted - with her partner, Bryan Tanaka, who styled a black leather varsity jacket with a white T-shirt and light-wash denim.</p> <p dir="ltr">The film in question is a romantic comedy co-written by and starring Eichner, the first openly gay man to write and star in his own major studio film according to the movie’s <a href="https://www.brosthemovie.com/synopsis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, which also features an entirely LGBTQ+ principal cast.</p> <p dir="ltr">Later taking to social media, Carey had nothing but praise for her friend's new movie, due to be released on September 30, and shared how it was an honour to celebrate Pride through the screening.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d1f12bd7-7fff-8f1f-df89-c545b260f09b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It was an honour to celebrate PRIDE 🌈 & host a special screening of @brosthemovie for LGBTQ+ orgs!” Carey captioned a trio of photos from the night.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfHN3rYq64E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfHN3rYq64E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My friend @billyeichner has created something truly special, important and hilarious!!!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Eichner was quick to respond to Carey’s praise, commenting in all caps: “YOU ARE MY RAIN-BRO 4 LYFE!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! 💓🌈🦋”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans dubbed the singer “Queen of the gays” and “Queen of Pride”, while others showered her with praise for her outfit.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love u queen,” one wrote. “Celebrating every moment of pride month with you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“You look stunning queen,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7fc953a6-7fff-a57f-67eb-12e6bab7feb0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

“So filled with pride”: Lisa Marie Presley shares thoughts on new Elvis movie

<p dir="ltr">Lisa Marie Presley has praised the new film about her late father Elvis Presley, and reflected on how her children’s reactions moved her to tears.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old shared her thoughts in a lengthy Instagram post where she opened up about the grief she feels for her late son, Benjamin Keough, who she thinks “would have absolutely loved” the movie too.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Navigating through this hideous grief that absolutely destroyed and shattered my heart and soul into almost nothing has swallowed me whole,” Presley wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It breaks my heart that my son isn’t here to see it. He would have absolutely loved it as well.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8333be6d-7fff-8863-bd2f-d3c2dc9b719e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Benjamin passed away in 2020 aged 27, leaving behind his sister, Riley Keough, and half-siblings, Harper and Finley Lockwood.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/By8tI88F-Eo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/By8tI88F-Eo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lisa Marie Presley (@lisampresley)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Amidst the grief, Presley highly praised the “absolutely exquisite” film and its director, Baz Luhrmann, for the “pure love, care and respect for my father throughout”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You can feel and witness Baz’s pure love, care and respect for my father throughout this beautiful film, and it is finally something that myself and my children and their children can be proud of forever,” Presley wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-27e3359b-7fff-a6e7-9b39-c2eb6dfd5657"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“What moved me to tears as well was watching Riley and Harper, and Finley afterwards, all 3 visibly overwhelmed in the best possible way, and so filled with pride about their grandfather and his legacy in a way that I have not ever experienced.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdjV23APIrq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdjV23APIrq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lisa Marie Presley (@lisampresley)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The King of Rock and Roll’s daughter also had plenty to say about Austin Butler, who plays her father in the movie, and joked that she would “eat her own foot” if he didn’t win an Oscar for it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Austin Butler channelled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully (sic).</p> <p dir="ltr">“If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha,” she joked.</p> <p dir="ltr">Presley thanked everyone involved in the film who “poured their hearts and souls into it” and Luhrmann for creating the “beautiful” project.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Baz, your utter genius combined with your love and respect for my father and this project is just so beautiful and so inspiring,” she concluded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know I’m being repetitive, but I don’t care.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thank you for setting the record straight in such a deeply profound and artistic way.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love you ~LMP.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a46a7548-7fff-bdaa-7208-926ea9671cd5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

BBC’s Pride and Prejudice: Where are they now?

<p>Jane Austen’s iconic novel<em> Pride and Prejudice</em> has been a literary favourite for two centuries, but it experienced an unprecedented surge in 1995, when the BBC aired a six-part TV adaptation starring Jennifer Ehle as Lizzie Bennet and a little-known actor by the name of Colin Firth in the role of Mr Darcy.</p> <p>It’s now been almost 22 years since this benchmark-setting adaptation hit our screens, so we thought it was about time to see what the cast has been up to since. Scroll through to gallery above to see how the Bennets, Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, Mr Wickham and more are getting on today.</p>

6 surprising facts about the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice miniseries

<p>There have been countless of film and TV adaptations of Jane Austen’s beloved 1813 novel <em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, but undoubtedly the most popular (and in our opinion, best) version was the BBC’s 1995 miniseries. Starring Colin Firth as the brooding Mr Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett, the program has become almost as classic as the book itself. Here are six things you might not have known about this acclaimed series.</p> <p><strong>1. No one was confident about Colin Firth</strong> – Neither the BBC nor Firth himself saw the 35-year-old actor in the role of Mr Darcy. In fact, Firth almost turned the role down. “I couldn’t see there was anything to play because the character doesn’t speak most of the time,” he told the <em><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/8187846/Colin-Firth-did-not-think-Mr-Darcy-was-much-of-a-role.html" target="_blank"><strong>Telegraph</strong></a></em>. “I thought this is just a guy who stands around for hours driving people to despair.”</p> <p><strong>2. The series’ most famous scene was an afterthought</strong> – Who could forget the scene by the lake when Darcy, still clothed in his white shirt, took a dip into the lake, emerging dripping wet? According to screenwriter Andrew Davies, the scene wasn’t intended to be suggestive. “I never thought it was supposed to be a sexy scene in any way,” he told the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150922-pride-and-prejudice-at-20-the-scene-that-changed-everything" target="_blank"><strong>BBC</strong></a>.</p> <p><strong>3. Jane’s mother also played Jane</strong> – Susannah Harker, who played Jane Bennett, was the second generation of her family to play the role – her mother, Polly Adams, played Jane back in the BBC’s 1967 adaptation. Harker described it as an “amazing coincidence,” explaining she chose not to watch her mother’s performance and instead play it for herself.</p> <p><strong>4. Lizzie and Darcy fell in love off-screen</strong> – Firth and Ehle not only played a couple, but became one in real life. However, their romance created some unique challenges on-set. “I actually find that if you’re involved with an actress that you’re having to tell a love story with, it’s more difficult,” Firth told the <em><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/a-man-of-many-parts-1283972.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Independent</span></strong></span></a></em>. “I think it stands in the way, to be honest.”</p> <p><strong>5. It was a huge success</strong> – Each episode was seen by around 10 to 11 million people in the UK alone, but no one could have foreseen the audience for the finale – 40 per cent of the country’s population tuned in to see the series’ final instalment.</p> <p><strong>6. Firth’s role as Darcy almost made him pass up Bridget Jones’ Diary</strong> – In 2001, Firth admitted to <em>NOW</em> magazine he was hesitant to take on the role of Mr. Darcy in the hit adaptation of Helen Fielding’s novel, <em>Bridget Jones’ Diary</em>. “If I spent 20 years training to be an astronaut, the headlines would still say ‘Darcy Lands on Mars!’ [...] Pride and Prejudice wasn’t the most rigorous or challenging thing I’ve done.”</p> <p>What’s your favourite film or TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s books? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.</p>

You can now live in the Bennet’s home from Pride and Prejudice

<p>You could now live like the Bennet family from the BBC TV series Pride and Prejudice (yes, the one starring Colin Firth.)</p> <p>Luckington Court, home to the Bennet family in the 1995 adaptation, is on the market for the first time in 70 years. The asking price, however, is a measly £9 million (around AUD$15.7 million).</p> <p>The early-18th century manor covers 156-acres in the English countryside. It has seven bedrooms and secondary buildings that include traditional stables, five cottages and a number of modern farm buildings. </p> <p><img width="445" height="297" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/a2tcoEO2POJw32YBGuToCOqGIso=/1400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8472011/cotswold2.jpg" alt=" " class="c-dynamic-image lazy-image lazy-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><img width="440" height="294" src="https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/19IijHq-oLhHA0lWTDvcw8DmXsw=/1400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8472013/cotswold3.jpg" alt=" " class="c-dynamic-image lazy-image lazy-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p>

International Travel

“Real” portrait of Mr Darcy might just make you fall out of love

<p>If, like us, you’re a huge fan of Jane Austen’s classic novel <em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, chances are that when you think of the brooding, handsome and rich Mr Darcy, an image of Colin Firth springs to mind. If you’d like to keep that mental picture, we suggest you stop reading now. A recent, supposedly more accurate portrait of Mr Darcy has surfaced, and it might be enough to turn you off him forever.</p> <p>A panel of academics studying contemporary fashion and social history in the 19th century, have come up with a “realistic” depiction of the dashing bachelor, and we have to say, it leaves a little to be desired.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I0CjIV1oBQ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>In the book, Austin describes a “fine, tall person” with “handsome features” and an air of nobility. In 1995, casting directors for the BBC’s adaptation of the book interpreted this description as “tall, dark and handsome”, giving the role to the ruggedly charming Firth.</p> <p>However, the “real” Darcy is likely to have been almost the polar opposite of the actors that come to mind, as you can see in the video above. He would have likely had mid-length, curled and powdered hair, stood around 5 foot 11 inches, and had pale, smooth, unmarked skin – the mark of a man untouched by the perils of battle, unlike George Wickham, for example.</p> <p>“Our Mr Darcy portrayal reflects the male physique and common features at the time,” said Amanda Vickery, professor of early modern history at Queen Mary University of London and one of the academics behind the portrait. “Men sported powdered hair, had narrow jaws and muscular, defined legs were considered very attractive.”</p> <p>The result?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="293" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/35760/real-mr-darcy-in-text-_500x293.jpg" alt="Real Mr Darcy (in -text)"/></p> <p>Certainly no Colin Firth! Tell us in the comments below, what do you think about this so-called “real” Mr Darcy? </p>

Books

6 surprising facts about Pride and Prejudice

<p>More than two centuries ago, one of literature’s most ground-breaking authors, Jane Austen, released the classic novel Pride and Prejudice. To celebrate the 204th year since the book was published, we decided to learn more about it – and its author – both of which paved the way for generations of writers. Here are six things you might not have known about Pride and Prejudice.</p> <p><strong>1. Austen based the Bennet girls on herself</strong> – Like the famous sisters in the novel, Austen wasn’t considered of a high enough social (and financial) status in society to be able to marry the man she wanted. Sadly, unlike in the book, Austen never got her happy ending.</p> <p><strong>2. Mr. Darcy would be a multi-millionaire by today’s standards</strong> – In the novel, it’s stated that Mr. Darcy earns £10,000. While it mightn’t sound like much, the Telegraph <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11063670/Could-Mr-Darcy-afford-a-stately-home-today.html"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">calculated</span></strong></a> that in 2013 money, taking into account all financial factors, he would have been earning £12 million – almost $20 million!</p> <p><strong>3. Elizabeth and Jane’s relationship was based on Austen and her sister</strong> – Just like Elizabeth and Jane Bennet in the book, Jane Austen was incredibly close to her sister Cassandra. In fact, when Jane died, Cassandra wrote, “She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow.”</p> <p><strong>4. It took 14 years to be published…</strong> – Austen finished the novel when she was just 21 years old – then titled First Impressions – but it was rejected by a publisher and set it aside. After the success of Sense and Sensibility, however, she revised the story and it was released in 1813.</p> <p><strong>5. …But it was published anonymously</strong> – For the entirety of her life, Austen never once saw her name on one of her books. They were simply attributed as “by a Lady”, or “by the author of Sense and Sensibility”. After she died, her brother finally revealed her name.</p> <p><strong>6. She sold the copyright for £110 pounds</strong> – Austen originally wanted to sell the copyright for the book for £150, but her publishes offered £110 and she took it, worrying it may not be successful. Obviously, that was a mistake, as it quickly became a bestseller.</p> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite book by Jane Austen?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/books/2017/01/famous-authors-reveal-favourite-books/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 famous authors reveal their favourite books</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/books/2016/12/shortened-versions-of-classic-books/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Extremely short versions of 18 classic books for lazy people</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/books/2016/08/8-facts-about-anne-of-green-gables/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 things you might not know about Anne of Green Gables</strong></em></span></a></p>

Books

Aussie mum is proud to be “just a nurse”

<p>An Aussie mum-of-three has penned a passionate open letter on Facebook to remind the public of the incredible work nurses do.</p> <p>Queenslander Caitlin Brassington was prompted to write the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/caitlin.brassington/posts/10154663456252578:0">open letter</a></strong></span> when an acquaintance she bumped into offhandedly commented that she was “just a nurse”.</p> <p>Brassington wrote: “Wow! Over my 18-year career I have heard this phrase many, many times, but today it got to me. Am I just a nurse?”</p> <p>The nurse goes on to describe the incredible responsibilities she is required to oversee in the course of her work.</p> <p>“I have helped babies into the world, many of whom needed assistance to take their first breath, and yet I am just a nurse,” she wrote. “I have held patient’s hands and ensured their dignity while they take their last breath, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>“I have counselled grieving parents after the loss of a child, and yet I am just a nurse. I have performed CPR on patients and brought them back to life, and yet I am just a nurse.”</p> <p>The rest of the letter reads: “I can ascultate every lung field on a newborn and assess which field may have a decreased air entry, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I can educate patients, carers, and junior nurses, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I am my patients advocate in a health system that does not always put my patients best interest first, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I will miss Christmas Days, my children's birthdays, and school musicals to come to work to care for your loved one, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I can take blood, cannulate and suture a wound, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I can manage a cardiac arrest in a newborn, a child or an adult, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I can tell you the dosage of adrenaline or amiodarone based on weight that your child may need to bring them back to life, and yet I am just a nurse.</p> <p>I have the experience and knowledge that has saved people's lives.</p> <p>So, if I am just a nurse, then I am ridiculously proud to be one.”</p> <p>Brassington’s post has since received thousands of likes and shares, with countless users taking it as an opportunity to praise the nurses in their life.</p> <p>To all the nurses out there, we thank you for everything you do. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/2016/09/how-to-get-the-best-hospital-care/"><em>How to get the best hospital care</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/2016/09/tips-to-cope-with-losing-independence-with-age/"><em>Tips to cope with losing independence with age</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/2016/08/how-to-make-your-home-more-age-friendly/"><em>How to make your home more age-friendly</em></a></strong></span></p>

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