Shakespeare's birthplace, collections to be 'decolonized' over fears his genius evidences British 'cultural supremacy'



The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is an independent charity that cares for the Shakespeare family houses in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, as well as for archival collections relating to his life and works.

Fearful that Shakespeare's globally recognized genius might lead some readers to suspect that not all cultures were created equal, the organization has committed to the process of "decolonizing" its collections and organizational practice to help "create a more inclusive museum experience."

The trust, which came into existence in 1847, acquired early Shakespeare collections from local antiquarians and others from the Stratford-upon-Avon Borough Council and Guild of the Holy Cross. Since appointing its first librarian to catalogue its library and archival materials in 1877, the organization has grown its collection with the help of donations and long-term deposits.

For much of its history, the trust appeared to understand that its function was to preserve Shakespeare's reconstructed birthplace, extol his works, and share England's cultural inheritance with the world. It appears, however, that post-colonialist, post-modern, and other varieties of radical leftist thought have poisoned its mission.

The organization has, for instance, tried to distance itself from the content it is supposed to champion as well as from the hardworking staff who kept the trust going in ages past, noting:

We recognise that the historical materials we hold may represent positions, language, values, and stereotypes that are not consistent with the current values and practices of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. People accessing our collections may encounter language or depictions that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise harmful. Some descriptions may have been written by staff, others may have originated from the individuals and organisations that created the records.

The trust appears to have also embarked on a mission of iconoclasm partly as a result of its receipt of funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is a leftist grant-making organization committed to "racial justice," "migrant justice," and "gender justice." It is also committed to socially re-engineering Britain's arts scene, specifically by "creating a cultural workforce that is more reflective of UK society, by enabling more people to progress in their career in the arts who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, are from communities experiencing racial inequity, or who are economically disadvantaged."

'Purge the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's interpretative policies and brand narratives of Anglocentric and colonialist thought.'

According to the page for a recent "Global Shakespeare" project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is working with elements of the South Asian immigrant communities in the West Midlands to "uncover the hidden stories linked to specific objects and re-examine what they can teach us about the impact of colonialism on our perception of history of the world and the role Shakespeare's work has played as part of this."

The Telegraph reported that the iconoclastic initiative comes in the wake of concerns expressed by academic Helen Hopkins that Shakespeare's unparalleled literary genius might be used to push "white supremacy," and that in order to be globalized, Shakespeare must effectively be stripped of his national character.

Hopkins, who collaborated with the trust as an embedded researcher, suggested in 2022 that in the interest of "implementing positive change at the heart of Shakespeare's cultural iconography," namely the trust's museum, it was necessary to "recognise the role Shakespeare has been forced to play in establishing and upholding imperialistic narratives of cultural supremacy; to purge the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's interpretative policies and brand narratives of Anglocentric and colonialist thought; to institute new communicative strategies to address societal inequities that are embedded in imperialism and associated with Shakespeare’s global cultural status."

'They cannot stand that an Englishman is the greatest writer that the world has ever produced.'

Hopkins noted further that it was a tragedy that the trust prioritized Shakespeare over its sub-collection of objects related to the 19th-century Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore but expressed hope that the trust could engage in "decolonial work" and "mark the beginning of a new relationship between itself and the multicultural and global communities it serves." To Hopkins' likely delight, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has made sure to start hyping the foreign poet in the time since.

The trust told the Telegraph in a statement, "As part of our ongoing work, we’ve undertaken a project which explores our collections to ensure they are as accessible as possible."

Critics have rushed to defend Shakespeare following reports of the efforts to downplay the Bard's greatness and identity and the trust's efforts to effectively globalize his town.

"For the last 300 years, Europe and the West have stood head and shoulders above every other civilization," historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told GB News. "The most profound and sophisticated music, art, and culture has come from the West, and we need to lose the embarrassment and be proud to admit the genius of the West and celebrate that Shakespeare was an Englishman."

"That's what sticks in the craw of the anti-Western ideologues that run our cultural institutions," continued Heydel-Mankoo, "because they cannot stand that an Englishman is the greatest writer that the world has ever produced, and they will do anything to diminish and downplay that achievement."

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Putting the Thrill Back in the Spy Thriller

Roughly up until the heyday of John le Carré, the British spy novel tended to follow an approved pattern. A well-educated but bored man, somewhere between youth and middle age, would find himself caught up in an international conspiracy that would involve some, or all, of the following: duplicitous intelligence officers, untrustworthy foreign powers, a very great consumption of expensive food and wine, a MacGuffin that everyone wants to lay their hands on, and, last but not least, a love interest whose loyalties remain ambiguous right up until the final page.

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Transgender athletes now banned from women's field hockey in England



England Hockey has banned men who identify as women from playing in the women's category.

The field hockey governing body has seemingly created a clever workaround, implementing a "female" category and an "open" category but no category for men.

This effectively forces all biological men into the open division to ensure the women's sport is unaffected.

"England Hockey recognises that this is an evolving landscape of both policy and research and that societal attitudes are ever-changing," England Hockey said in a press release.

"Based on the current available evidence and that hockey requires the physical capabilities of strength, endurance, speed, and acceleration as key factors for success, hockey is considered a gender-affected sport," the governing body admitted. "Based on this evidence (which can be found in the policy), we have determined that the Trans and Non-Binary Participation Policy should restrict trans participation in order to secure fair competition."

The policy will go into effect at the start of the 2025/2026 field hockey season on September 1, with all previous guidance still in place until then.

The sporting group said it launched a review in July 2023 and took guidance from the Sports Councils' Equality Group, a group of sports representatives in the U.K. that provides insight for these types of policies.

'Discussing a young person's trans status with their parents ... would constitute a breach of confidentiality.'

At the same time, England Hockey provided a plethora of resources that align with transgender ideology and seemingly act as paragraphs upon paragraphs of apologies.

The group included a page of terms, which provided colloquial definitions of transgender-related words.

"Gender identity" is described as "a person's sense of self as a man, woman, non-binary person or other sense of gender."

It added, "A person’s gender may match the sex they were recorded at birth, or it may be different."

"Transphobia" is described as "deliberate behaviour aimed at disrespecting a transgender person’s identity or expressing irrational fears about transgender people."

On a page titled, "How to support trans and non-binary participants," England Hockey informs athletic directors that a child's gender identity should not be shared with their parents.

"Discussing a young person's trans status with their parents or carers without their prior consent would constitute a breach of confidentiality."

The move by England Hockey follows the Lawn Tennis Association, Britain's governing body for tennis, which decided in December to bar "transgender women" from playing in the top women's tournaments.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association went a similar route a week prior, stating that only athletes who are "assigned female at birth" are eligible for competitions, including the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and all other "elite LPGA competitions."

While the trend of protecting women's sports is moving forward quickly, governing bodies appear to be doing so apologetically at the same time.

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Getting a Handel on Success

Although he wrote it for Easter, George Frideric Handel's Messiah is a December fixture in concert halls across the country. According to legend, King George II was so moved during the Hallelujah chorus that he leapt to his feet, thus starting the tradition of the audience standing for the choral showstopper. Handel composed some of the greatest treasures of Baroque music. His career, however, shows off the Anglo-American strategy for world domination.

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Same Day UK Bans Puberty Blockers, Red State Court Allows Medical Experimentation On Minors

'Puberty blockers are powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks'

Christian soccer player who wrote 'I love Jesus' on Pride armband breaks silence, says his message is clear



English soccer player Marc Guéhi spoke publicly about his decision to write a religious message over a gay-pride armband, saying his message was also one of "inclusivity."

Guéhi, who was born in the Ivory Coast, is a devout Christian who plays for Crystal Palace, a soccer team in England's top-tier Premier League.

Guéhi agreed to wear a rainbow armband, which was issued to team captains in the league by Stonewall, a gay English charity that says it stands for "lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere."

However, Guéhi sparked headlines when he chose to write "I love Jesus" on the armband, which is against the English Football Association's rules.

'I think the message was pretty clear, to be honest.'

Although the FA did not punish the player, it issued a warning about the guidelines surrounding armbands.

A few days later, Guéhi spoke to Sky Sports about the controversy and provided an interesting statement.

"I think the message was pretty clear, to be honest," Guehi said, per the Daily Mail. "It was a message of love and truth, as well, and a message of inclusivity, so I think it speaks for itself."

Guidelines state players must "wear an armband, which is simple and conforms to the requirements ... relating to slogans, statements, images, and advertising."

At the same time, uniform rules state "any political or religious message" is forbidden and "disciplinary action may be taken" for any breach of the rules. This does not apply to messages that are inherent with the rainbow armband, it seems.

'Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.'

Guéhi was the only player to protest in a sense; however, another captain, Sam Morsy of Ipswich Town, refused to wear the rainbow armband as he is a practicing Muslim. He instead wore the typical black captain's armband without any special markings.

Morsy did not receive a warning from the FA, however, causing Guéhi's father to speak out about the apparent double standard.

"I am saying, did he offend anyone?" John Guéhi said about his son. "I don't think so. I do believe in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my opinion, Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote."

"I really don't see what is offensive and what the problem is," he added.

The father called the rainbow armband an imposition of belief in its own right, saying the "LGBT community ... are trying to impose on others what they believe in."

He continued, "At the end of the day, everyone has the right to an opinion. But if that opinion's aim is to offend you, then there is a problem, but if my opinion is just to express what I feel, then I think that is fine, and I don't think what Marc wrote on that armband is offensive."

Aside from the very English remarks on offensive speech, the soccer dad said the focus should be on Morsy, instead.

"People should pay more attention to the person who refused to wear it."

"Marc said 'Yes' and did the right thing by wearing it, but people are having a go at him for what he wrote, he accepted to wear the armband, he was just trying to balance the message."

John Guéhi concluded by saying it is a "problem" that soccer players are being used as spokespeople for different beliefs.

"It is still a Christian country. Therefore, I don't see what is offensive."

While Guéhi has avoided a fine, his Crystal Palace manager has affirmed that his team stands for "integration."

"Everyone now is about integration, no discrimination and Marc as well," Oliver Glasner said.

The manager added that he discussed the issue with the player, saying, "He's no child, he's an adult, he has his opinion, and we respect it."

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England legalizes assisted suicide — former prime minister says government abuse will be prevented



Members of Parliament have voted to pass legislation that makes assisted suicide legal in England and Wales.

The new legislation will allow for the death of those in the two countries who are over the age of 18 and are registered with a general practitioner for at least 12 months.

The bill passed with a vote of 330 to 275 and will allow patients to expect to be killed within six months of their request.

'As a religious person, I understand and appreciate the deep moral and philosophical concerns that many people have about this issue.'

Other parameters, the BBC reported, included making sure the patient has the mental capacity to make the decision in a clear, settled, and informed manner that is free from coercion.

Two separate declarations must be made by the patient, with two "independent doctors" declaring the patient is eligible at least seven days apart.

Additionally, a High Court judge would have to rule each time a person makes a request to die, after which the patient has to wait another 14 days after the ruling to reflect on whether they want the government to kill them.

A doctor would reportedly prepare a substance that would kill the patient, but the patient has to ingest the substance themselves.

Conservative former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote in the Darlington and Stockton Times that he agrees with the decision and voted in favor of it.

The "bill is sufficiently tightly drawn to prevent" abuse of the law by the government, Sunak wrote. "Pressuring someone into ending their life will be a criminal offence."

He added, "As a religious person, I understand and appreciate the deep moral and philosophical concerns that many people have about this issue."

Blaze News previously reported on the rise of government-assisted suicide across the world.

In the United States, euthanasia was first made legal in Oregon in 1997. California, Vermont, and Washington have also approved the death method, but it is not federally legalized.

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ecuador, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland have all legalized assisted suicide. Switzerland has made headlines as of late due to an ongoing debate and investigation surrounding the use of suicide pods in the country.

In the Netherlands, assisted suicide is allowed for terminally ill children ages 1-12. Those who are 5-10 years old can be killed if they are determined to be suffering unbearably or have no hope of improvement.

“The end of life for this group is the only reasonable alternative to the child’s unbearable and hopeless suffering,” the government said in 2023, per the Guardian.

Canada, which boasts a robust suicide system, paused its program for those who are mentally ill in February 2024. In August, state-facilitated suicide was the leading cause of death in Canada.

In November 2011, Russia passed a law banning euthanasia, making it the only country in the world in which all forms of euthanasia are illegal.

As for the English and Welsh legislation, it will be illegal to use dishonesty, pressure, or coercion to encourage someone to end their life, with a 14-year prison sentence for those found guilty of doing so. It is unclear how that would be determined.

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Elizabethan Drama

The British author and satirist Craig Brown deserves credit for inventing a new style of royal biography in 2017 with his irresistibly readable Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret. (In his native country, it had the superior title Ma’am Darling.) This new genre, which might be called pointilliste biography, took its subject and, through a series of short, at times oblique essays and sketches, painted a picture that was far more revealing and humorous than a conventional cradle-to-grave life would have been.

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UK men get over 2 years in jail for social media posts deemed 'racist' — apparently in wake of deadly child stabbings



A pair of men in the United Kingdom each were sentenced to over two years in jail for posting what officials deemed "racist messages" on social media, the Cheshire Constabulary said Tuesday.

Officials said 36-year-old Christopher Taggart of Caesars Close, Runcorn, and 34-year-old Rhys McDonald of Oxford Road, Runcorn, appeared Tuesday at Chester Crown Court.

'This should serve as a stark reminder against posting abusive messages online — we are all responsible for our actions, including what we post on social media.'

Taggart was sentenced to 32 months — just four months shy of three years — and McDonald was sentenced to 28 months, officials said, adding that they both pleaded guilty to "publishing written material to stir up racial hatred." Officials also said Taggart pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

Cheshire Police on Aug. 5 became aware of "concerning messages that were openly available to view on Facebook" that Taggart and McDonald posted, officials said, adding that multiple posts contained "racial abuse" and encouraged people to "engage in racial hatred."

Taggart posted messages between July 29 and Aug. 6; McDonald posted messages between July 29 and Aug. 5, officials said, adding that they were arrested Saturday. Officials added that officers found brass knuckles in Taggart’s home during a search.

July 29 was the day of a deadly mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed children's dance class in Southport. A 17-year-old male was accused of killing three and injuring numerous other victims in the attack.

Pallbearers carry the coffin of 9-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar from St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Southport, Aug. 11, 2024, following a funeral service for her. Alice and Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe were murdered during a July 29 knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party that also left another 10 people injured.Photo by ANNABEL LEE-ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Officials initially said there was no evidence that terrorism was a motive in the deadly knife attack, which angered many who accused the government of covering up evidence. Police identified suspect Axel Rudakubana and charged him with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Officials identified him as being from Cardiff but also noted that his parents are Rwandan.

Unrest and violence erupted the day after the stabbings and have spread across the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the violence and blamed "far-right thuggery."

Counter-demonstrators march against an anti-immigration protest in London, Aug. 7, 2024. Nightly riots erupted after three children were murdered in Southport on July 29.Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images

However, now-suspended U.K. Labour Party Councillor Ricky Jones reportedly was arrested last week on suspicion of encouraging murder of anti-immigration protesters after an outdoor speech in London in front of a rabid, far-left crowd during which he hollered, "They are disgusting, nasty fascists, and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all!" A video of the speech shows him sliding his finger across his neck as he spoke; he then led a “free, free Palestine!" chant.

Radio host Glenn Beck, co-founder of Blaze Media, last week opined that "two-tier justice" — in which police more or less ignore Muslim immigrant crime but come down hard on non-Muslims — has been laid bare in the U.K. in the wake of the deadly knife attack.

Also last week, Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, said "we will come after you" — even if you live in another country — if you post material online about the rioting in England that officials say incites racial hatred.

Indeed, U.K. police last week said they arrested a 55-year-old woman in connection with an "inaccurate social media post" in regard to the "identity of the attacker in the Southport murders," the Cheshire Constabulary said in a separate report.

Stephen Parkinson — director of public prosecutions of England and Wales — also said, "We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media. Their job is to look for this material, and then follow up with identification, arrests, and so forth."

In regard to the two jailed men, Chief Superintendent Alison Ross said, “Since the start of the recent disorder in other areas of the UK, we have been clear that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior in Cheshire, including those who post racial abuse online. Much of the violent disorder which has taken place across the UK in recent weeks has been fueled by malicious communications online, something which Taggart and McDonald decided to take part in. But they were not able to hide behind their devices and online accounts — they were soon identified and are now being held accountable. This should serve as a stark reminder against posting abusive messages online — we are all responsible for our actions, including what we post on social media.”

Anything else?

A 32-year-old Romanian citizen with no fixed address was charged last week with attempted murder after an 11-year-old girl was repeatedly stabbed in London's Leicester Square. She survived but needed plastic surgery. Officials said the attack was not terror-related.

Three males were arrested last week in connection with what Austrian officials said was a foiled terror plot targeting Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna — apparently fueled by radical Islam.

Swift is expected to perform five concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium starting Thursday through Aug. 20 to close the European leg of her Eras Tour.

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'I'm not as fat as I have been': UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett puts on impressive 42 pounds in just a week after victory



Newly ranked UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett showcased a remarkable weight gain within about a week of an impressive showing at UFC 304.

Pimblett choked out opponent Bobby Green in just three minutes and 22 seconds at the Manchester, England, event and noted that he quickly got to work putting weight back on after fighting at 156 pounds.

Sitting down at a restaurant with his wife, Pimblett admitted that the night of the fight he had a roast dinner at a birthday party just a few hours after his submission victory.

It should be noted that UFC 304 went past sunrise after the Pay-Per-View began at 3 a.m. local time to line up with the eastern time zone.

'Hopefully I'll never go above 90 kilos again.'

Pimblett said the feast happened after he took a one- to two-hour nap.

At breakfast, he ordered iced tea, a chicken wrap, a breakfast wrap, and two full plates of curly fries followed by a giant plate of pancakes covered with white chocolate, Nutella, Biscoff, and pistachios.

Following his family vacation, cameras caught up with Pimblett a week later on the way to his gym. His training partners and coaches quickly noticed his accelerated weight gain that was apparent on his face.

"He was having a meal, two desserts, and then an ice cream on the way home," one of his coaches said in the video.

Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage

Pimblett then remarked on how his teammates tease him after every fight.

"Probably start getting called fat f*** by everyone. Didn't do too bad. Didn't do great, though, at the same time. Still a bit chubby. I'm not as fat as I have been but I'm still a bit chubby," the Liverpool native explained.

"We were eating all sorts, Chinese, Thai, steaks, burgers, and s***. But I just need to train, that's the main thing, lad. Obviously, eating copious amounts of food doesn't help with your weight, but when I don't train, I put weight on," he added.

The fighter was then forced by his friends to weigh himself, which revealed that he weighed 89.8 kilograms, or about 198 pounds. The shocking 42-pound increase is remarkable for such a short time, and critics often warn Pimblett that cutting weight will only get harder as he ages.

In July 2023, Pimblett actually remarked that he was going to slow down his eating between fights:

"Now I'm just walking around at about 84-85 kilos and not really watching what I'm eating, I'm just hobbling around at that weight, which is nice," he said, per TalkSport. "It plateaued around this weight, which is nice. Hopefully I'll never go above 90 kilos again."

It seems Pimblett was correct in his assessment, while also having predicted that he would become a ranked fighter before the end of 2024; he is now No. 15 in the world.

The 29-year-old explained that he tends to look heavier than he is because the weight seems to go right to his face.

"All to my face, though. That's why everyone does call me Chris Griffin. Right to my face. Know what did my head in the other day? Someone calling me a weight bully. 'He should move up in weight. He's a weight bully.' Are you mad?" Pimblett exclaimed.

Chris Griffin from "Family Guy"Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

Pimblett added that fighters in the next highest weight class, 170 pounds, are far too big for him to compete against.

"They f***ing massive!" he said.

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