Censorship of LGBT issues

# Censorship of LGBT issues

## Abstract

Censorship of LGBT issues is practised by some countries around the world. It may take a variety of forms, including anti-LGBT curriculum laws in some states of the United States, the Russian gay propaganda law (on "promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships"), and the Hungarian anti-LGBT law (on "content portraying or promoting sex reassignment or homosexuality"), and laws in Muslim-majority states such as Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Malaysia prohibiting advocacy that offends Islamic morality.

## Current laws

### Afghanistan

On 21 November 2021, Afghanistan's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice promulgated an order prohibiting TV channels from broadcasting media that are against the Taliban 's interpretation of Sharia and Afghan culture.

### Algeria

Article 333 bis of the Penal Code, as amended on 13 February 1982 by Law n° 82-04, criminalizes the distribution of anything against "decency" with up to 2 years in prison and a fine up to 2,000 dinars. Article 333, also amended in 1982, criminalizes indecent exposure of any "act against the order of nature with an individual of the same sex" with up to 3 years in prison and a fine up to 10,000 dinars.

### Brazil (sub-national)

Since 2014, at least 217 bills have been introduced at the federal, state, and municipal levels in Brazil to ban teaching " gender ideology ", "information on sexual orientation", "information on sexual diversity", "orienting the sexuality of students" and "ideological indoctrination" in Brazilian schools. At least 47 of these bills were passed into law, but many of them were struck down by the courts. As of 2022, 21 laws, including 1 on state level and 20 on municipal level, remain in force.

### Bulgaria

On 7 August 2024, Bulgaria's parliament approved an amendment to the education law that prohibits the “propaganda, promotion, or incitement in any way, directly or indirectly, in the education system of ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or gender identity other than the biological one”. The amendment was introduced by Revival party. It defines "non-traditional sexual orientation” as "contrary to Bulgaria's legal concept of emotional, romantic, sexual or sensual attraction between persons of opposite sexes", alluding to Bulgaria's constituion which defines marriage as a heterosexual union. The amendment was supported by most of the MPs from GERB party, as well as all MPs from the Bulgarian Socialist Party and There is Such a People party. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms was split over the vote. On 15 August, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has signed the bill into the law.

### China

On 31 December 2015, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) of the People's Republic of China announced a new rule that banned any television show and film depicting "unnormal sexual relationships", including homosexuality. As a result of this new rule, many popular web television series at the time like Addicted and Go Princess Go were immediately pulled from broadcasting. Online streaming services including LeTV and Tencent Video followed the new rule by deleting or censoring web series with LGBT characters.

In 2017, an LGBT conference was scheduled to be held in Xi'an. Western reports, using the organisers blog as their source, claimed the police had detained the organisers and threatened them.

In March 2018, Oscar-winning drama Call Me By Your Name has been pulled from the Beijing International Film Festival 's lineup. It was widely speculated that the organizer of this festival was under political pressure to not show the film.

On 14 April 2018, Sina Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter in China, announced a crackdown on LGBT content, as pursuant to the China Internet Security Law and other government regulations.

In May 2018, the European Broadcasting Union blocked Mango TV, one of China's most watched channels, from airing the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 after it edited out Irish singer Ryan O'Shaughnessy 's performance, which depicted two male dancers, and blacked out rainbow flags during Switzerland's performance.

Days before the International Day Against Homophobia in 2018, two women wearing rainbow badges were attacked and beaten by security guards in Beijing. The security company dismissed the three guards involved shortly thereafter.

Mr. Gay China, a beauty pageant, was held in 2016 without incident. In 2018, the event host passively cancelled their engagement by not responding to any communications. Mr Gay World 2019 announced the cancellation of the Hong Kong event after communication began to deteriorate in early August. No official censorship notice was issued but some articles blamed the Chinese Government for the cancellation. That same year, a woman who wrote a gay-themed novel was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison for "breaking obscenity laws".

### Georgia

On 4 June 2024, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament and one of the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party Shalva Papuashvili said that the party initiated a package of legislation called, "On Family Values and Protection of Minors", consisting of one main law and 18 related draft laws that amend the Civil Code, the Labor Code, the legislation on education, and other codes. Proposed changes in the package included outlawing the registration of any union other than between a man and a woman, adoption of a minor to people who do not identify "as their gender" or are not heterosexual, all surgical operations or medical interventions for gender reassignment, and putting any gender "different from his own" on any state or identity documents. The changes also included restrictions on media and publishing, outlawing the radio or television broadcasting of information, programs, advertising, or "propaganda" aimed at "promoting a person's belonging to a gender different from his or her gender, same-sex relationship or incest", including sexual acts with "members of the same sex or a scene of incest", outlawing public gatherings or demonstrations aimed at promoting gender identity, non-heterosexual relationships, or incest, and voiding any public or private institution labor obligations "aimed at neglecting biological sex". The package would also designate May 17th as a holiday for the "sanctity of the family and respect for parents". On 27 June 2024, the Parliament of Georgia passed the proposed bill in the first reading.

On 4 September 2024, the Parliament of Georgia voted 81-0 for the proposed bill in the second reading. The Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Georgia made several changes to the legislative package, including a new article defining the "popularisation of queer relationships or of gender transitioning" and a prohibition on adopting to any "person who does not assign themself to any biological sex".

The bill was supported by the Georgian Dream and People's Power parties, which make up parliamentary majority. The opposition For Georgia party said that although it did not attend the vote, it still opposes the "propaganda directed at children, especially LGBT propaganda". The Girchi party expressed its opposition to the bill. Other opposition parties did not vote or take part in the parliamentary discussions.

### Hungary

In June 2021, the government of Hungary introduced a bill prohibiting the showing of "any content portraying or promoting sex reassignment or homosexuality" to minors, similar to the Russian gay propaganda law. On 15 June, the National Assembly approved the law by a vote of 157–1. The President of Hungary signed the bill into law on 23 June.

### Indonesia

On 23 February 2016, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) released the "Circular to All Broadcasting Companies on Effeminate Men", banning the portrayal of sexual and gender diversity in men by the broadcasting companies. In the same month, the KPI also banned TV and radio programs that "promoted homosexual lifestyle" claiming that they constituted a violation of the 2012 Broadcasting Program Standards.

### Iran

Iran has extensive public morality law which is used against newspapers and websites with the content related to the sexual orientation. Article 6 of the 1986 Press Law bans press which "undermines Islam's bases and commandments", including the spread of "fornication and forbidden practices" and "publishing photographs, pictures, and material which violate public chastity". The violation of this provision is punished under the Article 698 of the Islamic Penal Code with imprisonment of between two months to two years and flogging of up to74 lashes. Article 14 of the 2009 Law on Computer Crimes (Law No. 71063) punishes with imprisonment and fines the use of computer systems, telecommunications systems or data carriers to publish or distribute "immoral content", or storage of such material "with the intention of corrupting society". Article 640 of the Penal Code bans public display, production or storage of "any writing or design, gravure, painting, picture, newspapers, advertisements, signs, film, cinema movie" which corrupts "public prudency and morality".

Under these laws, operators of the website of Avizoon were arrested and charged with "pornography and publishing sexual ideas including homosexuality". The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which enforces the press laws, bans any positive portrayals of homosexuality. Publishers are not allowed to obtain licences to publish such material since gay and lesbian acts are considered as corrupt and morally bankrupt.

In 2002, a book entitled Witness Play by Cyrus Shamisa was banned from shelves (despite being initially approved) because it said that certain notable Persian writers were homosexuals and bisexuals.

In 2004, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art loaned a collection of artwork that formerly belonged to Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi that had been locked away since the Revolution in 1979 to the Tate Britain. The artwork included explicit homoerotic artwork by Francis Bacon and the government in Iran stated that upon its return, it would also be put on display in Iran.

In 2005, the Iranian Reformist paper Shargh was shut down by the government after it interviewed an Iranian author, living in Canada. While the interview never mentioned the sexual orientation of Saghi Ghahreman, it did quote her as stating that, "sexual boundaries must be flexible... The immoral is imposed by culture on the body". The conservative paper Kayhan attacked the interview and the paper, " Shargh has interviewed this homosexual while aware of her sick sexual identity, dissident views and porno-personality." To avoid being permanently shut down, the paper issued a public apology stating it was unaware of the author's "personal traits" and promised to "avoid such people and movements."

### Iraq

LGBT issues could be censored in Iraq under extensive public morality law namely, paragraph 215, 220, 376, 401, 402, 403, 404 and 408 of the Iraqi Penal Code.

In August 2023, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission issued the directive which banned media outlets from using the terms "homosexuality" and "gender". Instead, they must use the term "sexual deviance".

### Kuwait

Article 21 of the Press and Publications Law (Law No. 3) (2006) bans publishing content which is deemed as insulting to public morals.

A Disney movie The Beauty and the Beast has been banned in Kuwait for containing "an exclusively gay moment".

### Kyrgyzstan

On 14 August 2023, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a law which banned promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships among minors.

### Lebanon

The Lebanese Penal Code contains many articles which are used against homosexuality, including Article 209, 521, 526, 531, 532, 533 and 534. Article 531 and 532 ban violating public morals by public actions, movements, speaking and screaming. Article 533 bans manufacturing, exporting, supplying, or acquiring "writings, drawings, manual or photographic images, suggestive films, or other indecent items with the intention to trade or distribute them, or announce or inform how to obtain them".

Several films have been banned in Lebanon for LGBT content.

In 2018, prosecutor of Beirut suspended the scheduled activities of Beirut Pride, and initiated criminal proceedings against its founder Hadi Damien for organizing events "that incite to debauchery".

### Lithuania

On 16 June 2009, the Lithuanian Parliament approved an amendment to the Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effects of Public Information (Lithuanian: Nepilnamečių apsaugos nuo neigiamo viešosios informacijos poveikio įstatymas), which would have effectively banned the "promotion of homosexual relations". The amendment was scheduled to go into effect on 1 March 2010. Even though it was vetoed by the President citing "lack of definitions", the veto was overturned by the Parliament. The wording of the law forbade the "propaganda of homosexual, bisexual or polygamous relations". According to some politicians who voted in favor, the possibility of defining "propaganda" should be left to lawyers.

On 17 September 2009, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the law and requesting the EU Fundamental Rights Agency issue a legal opinion on it. On 10 November 2009, the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) answered by adopting a resolution requesting the Government to seek the invalidation of the EP Resolution, which it condemned as an unlawful act. The EU Fundamental Rights Agency wrote to the European Parliament that it was not going to submit the requested legal opinion, given that it had no mandate to evaluate the legislation of member states.

Newly elected President Dalia Grybauskaitė expressed her strong disapproval of the law and formed a commission to elaborate a draft to repeal the discriminatory provisions. On 22 December 2009, the clauses banning the promotion among minors of "homosexual, bisexual, and polygamous relations" were eliminated, but as a compromise, the paragraph was replaced by a "ban to spread information that would promote sexual relations or other conceptions of concluding a marriage or creating a family other than established in the Constitution or the Civil Code". It has been argued that this provision is the first step towards instituting a ban on criticizing the Government and its decisions and thus – a menace to democracy in the country. Proponents of the law claimed to be led by a desire to protect traditional family and children, some of them have expressed an opinion that the law would ban any information in public about homosexuality, regardless of its accessibility to minors or ban any public discussions and LGBT-related events. (So we propose to establish a limit that the promotion in public places is not possible to protect the mentioned three articles of the Constitution, but without doubt in some interior premisses those people have the right to organize events, to promote, to discuss) The new version was signed by the President, satisfied that "the homophobic provisions been repealed".

Significantly, the same law forbids mocking and bullying on the grounds of sexual orientation. It also possesses a number of other amendments, such as prohibiting the promotion of unhealthy nutrition to minors, a ban on information that "profanes family values", the depiction of hypnosis, etc.

The amendment has been sometimes compared to Section 28, the act which prohibited discussion of homosexuality in British schools.

Since coming into effect, there have been several attempts to apply the law. It has been unsuccessfully cited to ban the Gay Pride parade in 2010, and in 2013, and successfully referenced to declare one advertisement related to the Vilnius Gay Pride 2013 as appropriate to be broadcast at night time only and with the adult content logo. The reason given by the Board of Experts of Journalism Ethics Inspector Service was that one person in the advertisement had a T-shirt with an inscription in Lithuanian "For the diversity of families". In their opinion, it encourages a different conception of family and marriage than established in Lithuanian laws.

In 2014, based on similar grounds, the same institution recommended restricting the distribution of a children's book of tales titled "Gintarinė širdis" ("Amber Heart") published by the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, because two stories in it were related to same-sex relationships. The Board ordered the book to be labelled "Not suitable for children under 14 years" and referring to this recommendation, the Ministry of Culture banned the book altogether. The case have been escalated to the European Court of Human Rights in November 2019, and was heard by the Grand Chamber on 23 March 2022. In January 2023, the Court ruled that the government's actions were in violation of article 10, the right to freedom of expression, of the treaty.

In 2014, a video clip of a gay rights organisation promoting tolerance towards LGBT people was refused to air by all major Lithuanian TV stations despite not having any overt sexuality-related content, fearing a potential breach of the Law on the Protection of Minors. The breach was later unanimously confirmed by the Board of Experts of Journalism Ethics Inspector Service.

### Malaysia

Malaysia has laws which prohibit distributing, displaying or creating materials which are considered as "obscene" or "against public decency". Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 confers to Minister of Home Affairs absolute discretion to censor publications which are prejudicial to public order, morality, security, public or national interest, may "alarm public opinion" or are contrary to any law. This provision has been used to ban at least six LGBT-themed books.

Pro-LGBTQ+ demonstrations are banned as "insulting behaviour" and "contradictory to Islamic morality". Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, which prohibits "insulting behaviour", has been used against pro-LGBTQ+ protesters.

In 2023, Malaysian authorities seized Pride-themed watches made by Swatch. Eleven shopping malls with Swatch outlets around Malaysia, including in the capital Kuala Lumpur, were raided in May. Home Minister cited Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984 and said that "the Malaysian government is committed to preventing the spread of elements that are harmful or may be harmful to morals".

In 2010, the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia announced it would only allow depiction of homosexual characters as long as the characters "repent" or die. In 2017, Malaysia tried to censor Beauty and the Beast over some gay moments but eventually relented and let the movie be shown. The censorship board also had no objections to the screening of Power Rangers even with a lesbian scene in the movie.

### Moldova (sub-national)

Since 2012, several cities have enacted bans on "propaganda" of homosexuality (which do not include any kind of administrative sanctions or fines). These cities are:

- Bălți, enacted on 23 February 2012, and struck down on 28 February 2013

- Drochia, enacted on 27 March 2012

- Cahul, enacted on 29 March 2012

- Ceadîr-Lunga, enacted on 10 April 2012

- Glodeni, later repealed

- Rîșcani, later repealed

- Soroca

Similar bans were also enacted in the following districts:

- Anenii Noi, enacted on 1 March 2012

- Basarabeasca

- Fălești

Similar provisions were enacted by the following villages of Făleşti District:

- Bocani, later repealed

- Chetriș, repealed on 22 February 2012

- Hiliuți

- Pîrlița, later repealed

#### Gagauzia

On 30 April 2013, the Parliament of Gagauzia approved a bill to forbid the "propaganda" of homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism such as same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. The bill didn't include any kind of administrative sanctions or fines but some of its provisions banned any LGBT-related organizations from being registered in the region. Another provision was intended to ban any LGBT-related clubs and entertainment establishments. On 20 June 2013, these provisions were invalidated by a court decision, which held that these laws violated freedom of speech and human rights.

In May 2022, the People's Assembly of Gagauzia adopted a resolution banning "propaganda of non-traditional relations". The bill states that the "traditional family" is the basis of Gagauz society and bans local media from publishing anything that promotes same-sex couples. The Coalition for Inclusion and Non-discrimination has taken the resolution to the court, saying that it violates Moldova's constitution.

### Oman

Articles of the Publications and Publishing Law (1984) ban any publication which "calls people to embrace" or "promotes" anything against Islam, or might prejudice "public code of conduct" or "moral norms". The use of telecommunication services with information "contrary to the public order or morality", infringing "religious practice" or "promoting" anything against the law, is outlawed by the regulations passed under the Telecommunications Regulation Law (2002).

In 2013, The Week newspaper was shut down for one week after publishing article about Oman's LGBT community.

### Pakistan

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has authority to remove or block any content if it is "in the interest of the glory of Islam, public order, decency, or morality" under the Section 34 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (2016). The law has been used to ban LGB-related content online and in the media.

### Paraguay

On 5 October 2017, the Minister of Education and Science Enrique Riera signed Resolution N° 29664, which prohibits the use of printed and digital materials referring to " gender theory and/or ideology " in educational institutions. Enrique Riera later said he would volunteer to "burn the books in a public square if they contained gender ideology".

### Russia

In Russia, the Law for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values was unanimously approved by the State Duma on 11 June 2013 (with just one MP abstaining— Ilya Ponomarev), and was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin on 30 June 2013.

The Russian government's stated purpose for the law is to prevent children from being exposed to homosexuality—content presenting homosexuality as being a norm in society—under the argument that it contradicts traditional family values. The statute amended the country's child protection law and the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, to make the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships " among minors, an offence punishable by fines. This definition includes materials that "raises interest in" such relationships; cause minors to "form non-traditional sexual predispositions"; or " distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and non-traditional sexual relationships." Businesses and organisations can also be forced to temporarily cease operations if convicted under the law, and foreigners may be arrested and detained for up to 15 days then deported, or fined up to 5,000 rubles and deported.

The Kremlin's backing of the law appealed to the Russian nationalist far-right, and also gained broad support among the Russian public and the Russian Orthodox Church, with 70% of Russians officially being Russian-Orthodox. The law was condemned by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe (of which Russia is a member), by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and by human rights groups, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The statute was criticised for its broad and ambiguous wording (including the broadly worded "raises interest in" and "among minors"), which critics described as an effective ban on publicly promoting the rights and culture of the LGBT community. The law was also condemned for leading to an increase in, and justification of, homophobic violence, while the implications of the law in relation to the then-upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics being hosted by Sochi were also cause for concern, as the Olympic Charter contains language explicitly barring various forms of discrimination.

### Saudi Arabia

The Saudi government censors the media with fines, imprisonment and, for foreigners, deportation for any person possessing, importing, distributing or producing media without governmental approval. Media content, including advertising, cannot be seen as insulting the royal family or conflicting with Islamic teachings and values.

Radio and TV programs are banned from expressing support for LGBT rights, but homosexuality and cross-dressing can be discussed as long as the negative attitudes and biases are reinforced. A call-in TV show may feature a discussion about the immorality or "illness" of homosexuality, or, as in the case of Mirel Radoi, coverage may focus on a celebrity, in this case a Romanian-born football player, implying, as a false insult, that another football player was gay.

The government does allow public movie theaters to exist, since 2018, but the films are censored, as are the DVDs purchased in many retail stores. LGBT themes are generally one of the themes edited out of movies. Customs agents keep a list of films or TV shows that are not allowed to be brought into the kingdom.

Government regulation of the Internet generally falls under the Royal Decrees on Anti-Cyber Crime (2007). Article 6 prohibits creating, distributing or accessing online content or webpages that the government deems to be pornographic or in violation of religious values or public morals or is a threat to public health, safety or order.

The Saudi government has frequently blocked Internet users in the kingdom from accessing web pages or other online content that express support for LGBT rights. The restrictions on the Internet extend to blogs, social media and video upload webpages.

In 2010, a 27-year-old Saudi man was charged with homosexuality and impersonating a police officer when he posted a comical video of himself online, where he discusses popular culture, shows off his chest hair and flirts with the camera man. He was sentenced to a year in prison, with 1,000 lashes, and ordered to pay a fine of 5,000 rials (US$1,333).

In a crackdown across stores in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, according to the Saudi state-run TV channel al-Ekhbariya, government officials seized rainbow-colored clothing, products, toys, etc. The officials claimed that the June 2022 move was aimed at curbing the direct and indirect promotion of homosexuality in the country. An unnamed official from the Ministry of Commerce claimed that they were looking out for "slogans that violate the rules of Islam and public morals like promoting homosexuality colors, targeting the young generation." The items seized in the crackdown included hair accessories for children, backpacks, pencil cases, and rainbow stripes featured on crayon packs. When asked for comments from the Saudi authorities, none were received. In December 2022, authorities in neighboring Qatar carried out a similar purge.

### Singapore

Singapore has a series of laws and regulations that restrict LGBT topics in the media. The Infocomm Media Development Authority bans any film, television program, advertisement or video game which "promote or glamorize homosexuality", if the "homosexual content is discreet in treatment and not gratuitous" they can instead be classified as restricted to people aged 18 or over. Films can also be restricted to people aged 21 or over if their main themes are same-sex marriage or parenting.

### Turkey

In December 2020, the Advertisement Board of Turkey's Trade Ministry ruled that LGBT-themed merchandise that is sold online has to bear 18+ rating. Article 24 of Turkey's 2015 Regulation on Commercial Advertisement and Unfair Commercial Practices protects children from material that would "negatively affect the physical, mental, moral, psychological and social development characteristics of children" and that items "cannot contain elements to disrupt, change or denigrate cultural, moral and positive social behaviours".

Even though there are not any laws explicitly forbidding LGBT-related protests, the Istanbul Pride parade has been banned by the Istanbul governorship several times: in 2015, 2016, 2017, and in 2018, where people held an event regardless and some were arrested. It was banned again in 2019. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was held online with no official interference.

In 2017, the capital city of Ankara banned all LGBT or LGBT rights related events, under the pretext of providing "peace and security", with officials saying that such "exhibitions" could cause different groups of society to "publicly harbor hatred and hostility" towards each other; on the other hand news media noted that the ban came in the context of the steady erosion of civil liberties in Turkey following the failed 2016 coup attempt.

In Ankara, all public LGBTI -related discussions are banned. In November 2017, the Ankara governor's office under state of emergency imposed an indefinite ban on LGBTI-focused public events. The emergency rule ended in July 2018; however, the ban was still not lifted. In October 2018, the government extended the ban to LGBTI-focused events generally without giving any idea about the end date. In May 2019, police in Ankara violently ended a student-led Pride march at the Middle East Technical University (METU). According to a report from Amnesty International, authorities arrested 25 students during that.

In June 2019, the 7th Izmir Pride, the 3rd Antalya Pride and the 27th Istanbul pride were banned by the cities governors. Amnesty International last week called for Turkey to lift the Pride bans. However, days later a court suspended Izmir pride week ban. In June 2019, 17 people were detained during press statement over Pride ban in Turkish police dispersed a crowd gathered in the city of Izmir for a public press statement over the governorate's pride parade ban and detained 17 people, after the group read their press statement.

On 25 June 2019, the Governorship of Mersin banned all LGBT events to be held in the province for 20 days under the Turkish Law on Meetings and Demonstrations "with the aim of maintaining public well-being and public peace, preventing crimes and protecting public health, public morality and safety of life and property of citizens." The ban went in effect in the 5th Mersin Pride Week, which was to be held between 1–7 July.

### Uganda

In 2023, Uganda passed Anti-Homosexuality Act ("An Act to prohibit any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; to prohibit the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; and for related matters") which makes the promotion (including normalisation) of homosexuality punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years and fines.

### United Arab Emirates

The Government in the United Arab Emirates has restricted access to various websites and monitors chat rooms, instant messages and blogs. There were only a few reports of prosecutions and punishments but many people on the internet have been censored their conversations and identity in gay chat rooms. The country's only internet service provider has a proxy server which blocks any website that goes against the country's moral values. Sites regarding dating or marriage, LGBT issues, the Bahá’í Faith or sites related to unblocking the censorship are all inaccessible. Some reports or sites related to unblocking the censorship are all inaccessible. Reports even suggest that any site with the word "gay" or "sex" is blocked.

The UAE's Media Regulatory Office banned the screening of Pixar's Lightyear in cinemas in June 2022, stating that the movie violated the Emirates' media content standards. The movie was opposed for depicting a same-sex relationship. Later that month, Majid, a popular Arabic-language comic book series for children, came under investigation by the UAE authorities for allegedly promoting homosexuality. The magazine withdrew its May 2022 edition, which depicted a multi-colored character. In one dialogue the character said, "Amazing, I have the capability to colour things... Ali will wish to become like me." According to The New Arab, a number of social media users had complained that Majid had intentionally used the Arabic word مثلي (mithli) in this character's speech, a word which means both a "homosexual" and "like me".

In June 2023, the UAE banned Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a week ahead of its expected release in the region. The movie failed to pass the Emirates' censorship requirements, due to a scene that depicted a glimpse of a transgender flag displaying the words "Protect Trans Lives".

### United States (sub-national)

Several U.S. states have laws which prohibit or limit the mention or discussion of gay and transgender issues in public schools. In theory, these laws mainly apply to sex education courses, but they can also be applied to other parts of the school curriculum as well as to extracurricular activities and groups such as gay–straight alliances.

These explicit anti-LGBT curriculum laws can be found in six US states, namely Florida (for kindergarten to grade 3 and instruction that is considered "not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students" in any grade), Alabama (For kindergarten to grade 5), Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Five other states (Montana, Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida) require parental notification of instruction on LGBTQ issues and allows parents to opt-out of such instruction.

They are similar to the now-repealed section 28 of the British Local Government Act 1988, which prohibited local authorities from "intentionally promoting homosexuality, publishing material with the intention of promoting homosexuality, or promoting the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship."

States that have repealed their anti-LGBT curriculum laws include Alabama (since 29 April 2021), Arizona (since 1 July 2019), North Carolina (since 2006), South Carolina (since 12 March 2020) and Utah (since 1 July 2017).

### Yemen

The government blocks access to webpages that express support of LGBT rights. This policy of censorship also extends to publications and magazines in Yemen.

In 2012, the magazine Al Thaqafiya was shut down by the government for publishing a review of the Egyptian film titled, Heena Maysara (translates to "Till things get better"). The reviewer, a Yemeni filmmaker named Hamid Aqbi, expressed some support for LGBT rights while discussing the film.

In 2004, the Yemem Times, an English-language magazine, was allowed to publish an opinion piece opposing legal recognition of gay marriage.

In 2003, the Week, an Arabic-language magazine, published an article that included interviews with Yemeni men imprisoned for homosexuality. The three journalists involved with the article were convicted by the government.

## Repealed laws

### Australia (sub-national)

In December 1989 in the state of Western Australia, the Parliament of Western Australia passed the Law Reform (Decriminalisation of Sodomy) Act 1989 which decriminalised private gay sex while making it a crime for a person to "...promote or encourage homosexual behaviour as part of the teaching in any primary or secondary educational institutions..." or make public policy with respect to the undefined promotion of homosexual behaviour. It was repealed in 2002 via the Acts Amendment (Gay and Lesbian Law Reform) Act 2002, which also repealed the laws with respect to promotion of homosexual behaviour in public policy and in educational institutions.

### Romania

"Article 200" (Articolul 200 in Romanian) was a section of the Penal Code of Romania that criminalised homosexual relationships. It was introduced in 1968 under the communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. Under pressure from the Council of Europe, it was amended on 14 November 1996, when homosexual sex in private between two consenting adults was decriminalised. However, the amended Article 200 continued to criminalise same-sex relationships if they were displayed publicly or caused a "public scandal". It also continued to ban the promotion of homosexual activities, as well as the formation of gay-centred organisations (including LGBT rights organisations). It was repealed by the Năstase government on 22 June 2001.

In June 2023, the Romanian Senate approved the draft law prohibiting spreading a theory that gender is different from biological sex and that there are more than two genders, but the President of Romania appealed to the Constitutional Court to review the draft law.

### South Korea

In 2001, South Korea 's Ministry of Information and Communication 's Information and Communications Ethics Committee began censoring online LGBT content, but it stopped the practice in 2003.

### United Kingdom

"Section 28" or "Clause 28" of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the addition of "Section 2A" to the Local Government Act 1986, which affected England, Wales and Scotland. The amendment was enacted on 24 May 1988, and stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

The law's existence caused many groups to close or limit their activities or self-censor. For example, a number of lesbian, gay and bisexual student support groups in schools and colleges across Britain were closed owing to fears by council legal staff that they could breach the act.

It was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the United Kingdom by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.

## Rejected proposals

### Armenia

In August 2013, Armenian police briefly introduced a bill which would have banned "public promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships". According to Armenian police, "preserving the traditional Armenian family represents the pillar of national survival". The bill was removed from consideration after several days.

### Kazakhstan

On 26 May 2015, the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan declared a pending bill, which would have banned the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation", unconstitutional. The council rejected it because of its vague wording. The bill passed the Senate, Parliament 's upper house, in February 2015 and was sent to President Nursultan Nazarbayev for signature. It had already been approved by the lower house.

### Moldova (national)

On 23 May 2013, the Parliament of Moldova passed a bill which bans the propaganda of prostitution, paedophilia and "any other relations than those related to marriage and family in accordance with the Constitution and the Family Code". The bill also includes fines. The bill was signed into law on 5 July 2013 and came into effect on 12 July 2013. The law did not explicitly prohibit the "propaganda" of homosexuality, but it could have been interpreted as such by judges. On 11 October 2013, the Parliament passed a bill intended to remove the content which could have been interpreted as a ban on "homosexual propaganda".

In April 2016, lawmakers introduced a similar bill, which was approved in committee in May 2016. The bill would amend the Law on the Rights of the Child and the Code of Administrative Offenses and ban spreading "homosexual propaganda" to minors "through public meetings, the media, the Internet," and other means. The second draft law of 24 March 2017 envisaged amending the Law on Protection of Children from the Negative Impact of Information with a view to censor public dissemination of information about non-heterosexual relations/persons. The parliament refused to adopt the amendments in both cases.

### Ukraine

A draft law that would make it illegal to talk about homosexuality in public and in the media and to import, distribute, and broadcast video, photo, and audio products that "encourages homosexuality" (with penalties of up to five years in prison and fines for up to ₴ 5,000 (US$616)) was passed in first reading in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) on 2 October 2012. An estimated 20 community activists representing several organizations protested outside of the Verkhovna Rada building during the vote. On 4 October 2012, a second vote was tentatively scheduled for 16 October. In January 2015, the bill was removed from the agenda.

A petition was subsequently started by anti-gay groups, calling for "measures to be taken to stop the propaganda of homosexuality and for defending family values". In March 2018, Ukraine's Anti-Discrimination Ombudsperson removed the petition from the electronic petitions section. By then, the petition had received 23,000 signatures and support from various religious organisations. The Ombudsman described the petition as "anti-freedom", and deleted it due to "containing calls to restrict human rights".

### Haiti

In August 2017, a bill to jail same-sex couples who get married for three years, with a fine of $8,000, passed the Haitian Senate, but never became law. In 2017, the Senate voted to ban "any public demonstration of support for homosexuality and proselytizing in favour of such acts". The fate of this bill remains unknown.

## Legal restrictions on LGBT expression by jurisdiction

The data is provided by ILGA (with the exception of data on Kyrgyzstan and Iraq) and highlights the legal restrictions on LGBT expression by jurisdiction.

The ILGA classifies laws as the ones which explicitly censor LGBT issues and the ones which censor them non-explicitly. Countries without restrictions include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand and the United States. Countries where the censorship is unclear include South Korea and the United Kingdom. Countries with explicit restrictions include Algeria, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey.

In addition, Spartacus International Gay Guide also includes a censorship section on their index.


2024 LSU Tigers football team

# 2024 LSU Tigers football team

## Abstract

The 2024 LSU Tigers football team represents Louisiana State University (LSU) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers are led by Brian Kelly who is in his third year as LSU's head coach. The Tigers play their home games at Tiger Stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

## Offseason

On December 27, 2023, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock was announced as the new offensive coordinator at Notre Dame after two seasons at LSU.

On January 3, 2024, Kelly announced that LSU would part ways with defensive coordinator Matt House, cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples, safeties coach Kerry Cooks, and defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey prior to the 2024 season.

On January 5, 2024, Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker was hired by LSU to become their new defensive coordinator after two seasons at Missouri, replacing House. Baker was previously the linebackers coach at LSU in 2021 prior to his hiring by Missouri.

## Schedule

LSU and the SEC announced the 2024 football schedule on December 13, 2023. The Tigers will not play Auburn for the first time since 1991 and Mississippi State for the first time since 1943, when the latter did not field a team during World War II, and the first time in a season when both teams fielded a team since 1925.

## Personnel

## Game summaries

### vs. No. 23 USC

at Allegiant Stadium Paradise, Nevada

- Date: September 1

- Game time: 6:44 p.m.

- Game weather: Indoor

- Game attendance: 63,969

- Referee: Kevin Mar

- TV announcers (ABC): Rece Davis (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)

### vs No. 22 (FCS) Nicholls

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: September 7

- Game time: 6:30 p.m.

- Game weather: Sunny Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) Wind: NE 7 mph

- Game attendance: 100,242

- Referee: Jeff Heaser

- TV announcers (SECN+ / ESPN+): Matt Schumacker (play-by-play), Dustin Fox (analyst), and Alex Chappell (sideline reporter)

### at South Carolina

at Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, South Carolina

- Date: September 14

- Game time: 11:00 a.m.

- TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)

### vs UCLA

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: September 21

- Game time: 2:30 P.M.

- TV: ABC

### vs South Alabama

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: September 28

### vs Ole Miss

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: October 12

### at Arkansas

at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, Arkansas

- Date: October 19

### at Texas A&M

at Kyle Field College Station, Texas

- Date: October 26

### vs Alabama

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: November 9

### at Florida

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, Florida

- Date: November 16

### vs Vanderbilt

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: November 23

### vs Oklahoma

at Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, Louisiana

- Date: November 30


Clifford Taubes

# Clifford Taubes

## Abstract

Clifford Henry Taubes (born February 21, 1954) is the William Petschek Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University and works in gauge field theory, differential geometry, and low-dimensional topology. His brother is the journalist Gary Taubes.

## Early career

Taubes received his PhD in physics in 1980 under the direction of Arthur Jaffe, having proven results collected in (Jaffe & Taubes 1980) about the existence of solutions to the Landau–Ginzburg vortex equations and the Bogomol'nyi monopole equations.

Soon, he began applying his gauge-theoretic expertise to pure mathematics. His work on the boundary of the moduli space of solutions to the Yang-Mills equations was used by Simon Donaldson in his proof of Donaldson's theorem on diagonizability of intersection forms. He proved in (Taubes 1987) that R has an uncountable number of smooth structures (see also exotic R), and (with Raoul Bott in Bott & Taubes 1989) proved Witten's rigidity theorem on the elliptic genus.

## Work based on Seiberg–Witten theory

In a series of four long papers in the 1990s (collected in Taubes 2000), Taubes proved that, on a closed symplectic four-manifold, the (gauge-theoretic) Seiberg–Witten invariant is equal to an invariant which enumerates certain pseudoholomorphic curves and is now known as Taubes's Gromov invariant. This fact improved mathematicians' understanding of the topology of symplectic four-manifolds.

More recently (in Taubes 2007), by using Seiberg–Witten Floer homology as developed by Peter Kronheimer and Tomasz Mrowka together with some new estimates on the spectral flow of Dirac operators and some methods from Taubes 2000, Taubes proved the longstanding Weinstein conjecture for all three-dimensional contact manifolds, thus establishing that the Reeb vector field on such a manifold always has a closed orbit. Expanding both on this and on the equivalence of the Seiberg–Witten and Gromov invariants, Taubes has also proven (in a long series of preprints, beginning with Taubes 2008 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFTaubes2008 (help)) that a contact 3-manifold's embedded contact homology is isomorphic to a version of its Seiberg–Witten Floer cohomology. More recently, Taubes, C. Kutluhan and Y-J. Lee proved that Seiberg–Witten Floer homology is isomorphic to Heegaard Floer homology.

## Honors and awards

- Four-time speaker at International Congress of Mathematicians (1986, 1994 (plenary), 1998, 2010 (plenary; selected, but did not speak))

- Veblen Prize (AMS) (1991)

- Elie Cartan Prize (Académie des Sciences) (1993)

- Elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1995.

- Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1996.

- Clay Research Award (2008)

- NAS Award in Mathematics (2008) from the National Academy of Sciences.

- Shaw Prize in Mathematics (2009) jointly with Simon Donaldson

## Books

- 1980: (with Arthur Jaffe) Vortices and Monopoles: The Structure of Static Gauge Theories, Progress in Physics, volume 2, Birkhäuser ISBN 3-7643-3025-2 MR 06144447

- 1993: The L Moduli Spaces on Four Manifold With Cylindrical Ends (Monographs in Geometry and Topology) ISBN 1-57146-007-1

- 1996: Metrics, Connections and Gluing Theorems (CBMS Regional Conference Series in Mathematics) ISBN 0-8218-0323-9

- 2008: Modeling Differential Equations in Biology ISBN 0-13-017325-8

- 2011: Differential Geometry: Bundles, Connections, Metrics and Curvature, (Oxford Graduate Texts in Mathematics #23) ISBN 978-0-19-960587-3


The Double (2013 film)

# The Double (2013 film)

## Abstract

The Double is a 2013 British black comedy thriller film written and directed by Richard Ayoade and starring Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska. It is based on the 1846 novella The Double by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, about a man driven to breakdown when he is usurped by a doppelgänger. It was produced by Alcove Entertainment, with Michael Caine, Graeme Cox (Attercop), Tessa Ross (Film4) and Nigel Williams as executive producers.

## Plot

Downtrodden Simon James has worked at his office for seven years, but he is ignored by his boss, named The Colonel, and colleagues. From his apartment he spies on a beautiful co-worker he admires, Hannah, who lives in the apartment opposite him. He sees her throwing away art and secretly retrieves and admires it. One night, Simon sees a man jump to his death from the floor above Hannah's apartment. He talks to detectives, who explain that if the man had jumped a few feet to the right, he would have been badly hurt but would have survived. Simon takes Hannah to a restaurant where the waitress, Kiki, informs him that he has a call from his mother. When he returns to the table, Hannah is gone. Simon then trades his television in for money and buys a gift for Hannah.

At work, Simon's boss announces the arrival of a new employee, James Simon, who looks identical to Simon, which causes Simon to faint upon first glance. Assertive and charming, James is Simon's polar opposite. Much to Simon's annoyance, James not only gets respect from their co-workers but no one seems to notice that they are identical in appearance. James, on the other hand, does notice this and sees Simon's pain. Out of pity, he decides to buddy-up with Simon and the two have breakfast at Kiki’s restaurant. Later, they go to a bar where James gives Simon advice about how to seduce Hannah. Hannah then asks James on a date through Simon. On the date, Simon pretends to be James, with the real James giving him instructions via earpiece. When Simon becomes nervous, the two swap places and James kisses Hannah, angering Simon. James asks Simon to take an aptitude test in his place and seduces their boss's surly, rebellious daughter, Melanie, whom Simon was instructed to tutor, something he is reluctant to do.

Simon gets his revenge on James by revealing to Hannah that James is cheating on her with Melanie. Furious, James blackmails Simon for his apartment keys using explicit photos he took of himself with Melanie, knowing their boss will believe it is Simon in the photos. At work, Simon accuses James of being an imposter and is fired after going on a maniacal tirade. As he is about to kill himself, he sees Hannah lying unconscious in her apartment. He calls an ambulance and accompanies her to the hospital, where it is revealed that she not only overdosed but also miscarried (she had become pregnant after a sexual encounter with James). Simon then takes Hannah back home, relieved that she has survived. Still upset, however, Hannah states that she wanted to die and she suggests that Simon kill himself. She goes through Simon's jacket pockets and discovers earrings he had bought for her and her salvaged art.

Simon learns his mother has died and finds James at her funeral. Simon punches him and discovers that they share injuries; as James's nose bleeds, so does Simon's. He finds Hannah and tells her he wants to be noticed. He goes to his apartment and handcuffs the sleeping James to his bed, then goes to the ledge above Hannah's apartment, steps to the right, and jumps. He is badly hurt. Hannah runs to him and an ambulance arrives. Lacking medical attention, the handcuffed James appears to be on the brink of death as he lies motionless on the apartment floor.

Inside the ambulance, The Colonel and Hannah watch over Simon. The Colonel tells Simon that he is "special", to which the latter responds with a half-smile, "I'd like to think I'm pretty unique".

## Cast

## Production

In February 2012 it was reported that Richard Ayoade would direct The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska, in the United Kingdom. Principal photography began on 20 May 2012 in London.

## Soundtrack

The score by Andrew Hewitt features a recurring progression of heavy chords played by strings. The chord progression comes from the song " Der Doppelgänger " by Franz Schubert.

## Release

The Double premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2013. On 15 October 2013 it was announced that Magnolia Pictures had acquired the US rights for a 2014 release.

### Box office

The film opened in two cinemas in the United States and grossed $14,646. It ended up grossing $200,406 in North America and $2,065,775 internationally for a total of $2,266,181.

### Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from critics and has a rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 131 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The consensus states "Hauntingly bleak and thrillingly ambitious, The Double offers Jesse Eisenberg a pair of compelling roles while reaffirming writer-director Richard Ayoade's remarkable talent." The film also has a score of 68 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 31 critics.

Jon Espino from TheYoungFolks.com gave the film nine out of ten, stating:

Writer/Director Richard Ayoade had really outdone himself. The way he re-imagined and modernized Fyodor Dostoevsky 's novella The Double, is a pure artistic vision. The dark tones are only enhanced by the light notes of humor throughout the film. Ayoade's avant garde, experimental style and minimalist set design sound like an odd couple, but they actually work great together.

He also goes on to praise Eisenberg's performance, saying:

In his best work since The Social Network, Eisenberg portrays the polarized personalities of Simon and James with such ease. The story basically rests on his shoulders as we follow him on his descent into madness. In between the fast-paced dialogue and front-lit shots there is also a very complex story that leaves the ending open to interpretation.


The Dry Land

# The Dry Land

## Abstract

The Dry Land (also known as American Tragic) is a 2010 American drama film written and directed by Ryan Piers Williams. The film stars Ryan O’Nan, America Ferrara, Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Ritter, and Melissa Leo. It premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and opened in limited release on July 30, 2010.

## Plot

James returns from Iraq to face a new battle readjusting to small-town life in Texas. His wife, his mother, and his friend provide support, but they cannot fully understand the pain and suffering he feels since his tour of duty ended. Lonely, James reconnects with an army buddy, Raymond, who provides him with compassion and friendship during his battle to process his experiences in Iraq. But their reunion also exposes the different ways that war affects people, at least on the surface.

## Cast

- Ryan O'Nan as James

- America Ferrera as Sarah

- Wilmer Valderrama as Raymond Gonzales

- Jason Ritter as Michael

- Ethan Suplee as Jack

- Melissa Leo as Martha

- June Diane Raphael as Susie

- Evan Jones as Joe Davis

- Ana Claudia Talancón as Adriana

- Sasha Spielberg as Sally

- Barry Shabaka Henley as Colonel Stephen Evans

- Benito Martinez as David Valdez

- Diego Klattenhoff as Henry

- Misty Upham as Gloria

- Jenny Gabrielle as Tina

- Jeremiah Bitsui as Luis

## Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoesl, 64% of 25 critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 5.52/10. Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 47 based on 10 reviews signifying "mixed or average reviews".

Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B" grade and praised Ryan O'Nan 's "quietly riveting performance as an Iraq-war veteran who comes undone after he returns home to dusty Texas (the filmmaker's home turf)".

The film received Imagen Awards nominations for best feature film and for America Ferrera as best actress.


Cars (franchise)

# Cars (franchise)

## Abstract

Cars is an American animated film series and Disney media franchise set in a world populated by anthropomorphic vehicles created by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft and Jorgen Klubien. The franchise began with the 2006 film, Cars, produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was followed by the sequels Cars 2 (2011) and Cars 3 (2017). The now-defunct Disneytoon Studios produced the two spin-off films Planes (2013) and Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014).

The first two Cars films were directed by Lasseter, then- chief creative officer of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, while Cars 3 was directed by Brian Fee, a storyboard artist on the previous installments. Lasseter served as executive producer of Cars 3 and the Planes films. Together, all three Cars films have accrued over $1.4 billion in box office revenue worldwide while the franchise has amassed over $10 billion in merchandising sales within its first five years.

## History

The Cars franchise began with the original Cars. At the time, it was Pixar's least well received film by reviewers.

The short Mater and the Ghostlight was released as an extra on the Cars DVD on November 7, 2006. A series of shorts called Cars Toons were produced and aired on the Disney Channel to keep interest up. The brand had sold nearly $10 billion in merchandise by the time of the release of Cars 2 in 2011.

In 2007, Cars Four Wheels Rally ride opened in Disneyland Paris.

In the summer of 2012, the 12-acre Cars Land theme area opened at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim as the main component of $1-billion park renovation.

A third film, Cars 3, was announced on October 8, 2015, and was released on June 16, 2017.

## Cars film series

### Cars (2006)

Cars is the seventh Pixar film. The story is about rookie race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), who gets lost on the way to California for a tiebreaker race in the Piston Cup, a famous race worldwide, and ends up in a little town called Radiator Springs on Route 66, that had been bypassed and forgotten when Interstate 40 was built. He accidentally wrecks the road and is sentenced to fix it. During his time there, he meets Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), who became his best friend, and Sally (Bonnie Hunt). He also comes across Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), who used to be a famous racecar called the Hudson Hornet until a career ending crash in 1954.

After Lightning fixes the road, Doc Hudson no longer wants him in town, so he secretly alerts the media about Lightning's presence, but it doesn't take long for Hudson to realize how much Lightning has helped Radiator Springs, so he goes back to being the Hudson Hornet and becomes McQueen's crew chief, while most of the Radiator Springs folks become his pit crew. Lightning is about to win the race, but helps The King (Richard Petty) cross the finish line after Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton) causes him to crash. Chick wins the Piston Cup after being in third on the last lap, but is later booed by everyone, while Lightning receives praise for his sportsmanship.

Despite his loss, Lightning is offered to be the new face and sponsor of Dinoco, but he declines and decides to stay with Rust-eze, his current sponsor. He does, however, arrange for Mater to ride in the Dinoco helicopter just as he promised. The film ends with Lightning setting up his racing headquarters in Radiator Springs, thereby putting it back on the map.

### Cars 2 (2011)

Cars 2 is the twelfth Pixar film. The story starts with Lightning McQueen competing in the World Grand Prix, organized by Sir Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard), a three-race event taking place in three countries: Japan, Italy, and England, with his racing rival being Italian formula car Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro).

Along the way, Mater is mistaken for an American spy by British spy Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), and falls in love with junior agent Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). The three uncover a plot to sabotage the World Grand Prix, which is seemingly led by Professor Zündapp (Thomas Kretschmann) and a group of lemon cars. When the event reaches its conclusion in London, Mater deduces that Axlerod is the mastermind behind the plot, as he started the event in the first place and had intended for cars everywhere to run on oil as revenge for the lemons' reputation as "history's biggest loser cars", implying that Axlerod is also a lemon.

With the plot foiled and the villains defeated, Mater is knighted by the Queen of the United Kingdom (Vanessa Redgrave), and a new race is held in Radiator Springs. Mater is invited by Finn and Holley to go on another mission, but chooses to stay in Radiator Springs. While his weapons get confiscated, he gets to keep the rocket engines he acquired, as the two agents take off in Siddeley (Jason Isaacs), the British spy jet.

### Cars 3 (2017)

Cars 3 is the eighteenth Pixar film. The story focuses on Lightning McQueen, who deals with a new generation of race cars taking over the world of racing. Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) is an arrogant high tech racer who leads the next generation. As everyone begins to ask him if he might retire, Lightning struggles with keeping up with these racers and during the final race of the season, he suffers a violent crash.

Four months later, a recovering Lightning mourns the late Doc Hudson and travels to the new Rust-eze Racing Center, now under the management of Sterling (Nathan Fillion). Sterling assigns Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo) to train him on the simulator, which Lightning accidentally destroys after losing control. Cruz's unconventional training methods and lack of racing experience frustrate Lightning, as they race on beaches and a demolition derby. Cruz reveals that she had always wanted to be a racer but never found the confidence to do so. In Thomasville, they encounter Hudson's old crew chief Smokey (Chris Cooper), who trains McQueen and explains to him that Hudson found happiness in mentoring him. Smokey's training methods inspire Ramirez as well.

At the Florida 500, Lightning begins racing, but remembers Cruz's racing dreams and has her take his place in the race. Using what she's learned on the road, Cruz found the confidence to catch up to Storm. She wins the race along with McQueen and begins racing for Dinoco, whose owner, Tex, purchases Rust-eze. Under the merged Dinoco–Rust-eze brand, Cruz becomes a racer, sporting #51, and McQueen decides to continue racing, with a new paint job in memory of Doc Hudson, but trains Cruz first for the season.

### Possible fourth film

Regarding a possible Cars 4, Cars 3 producers Kevin Reher and Andrea Warren told CinemaBlend that "If there's a good story to tell I mean our heads kinda break after having gotten this one done, like oh my God, what could you do the further adventures of? But like any sequel, from Toy Story 4 to Incredibles 2, as long as there's a good story to tell, it's worth investing; we do love these characters, we love them as much as the public does." Regarding which character would be the main protagonist in the movie, Reher and Warren stated that "if Cruz is a breakout character, kind of like Mater was", "she be involved in a 4 ". Owen Wilson stated at a Cars 3 press event that possible stories have been discussed for a Cars 4, though he would personally like for a fourth Cars movie to delve into aspects of the thriller genre, akin to Cars 2. In an interview with Screen Rant, Lea Delaria expressed interest in reprising her role as Miss Fritter while promoting the release of the short movie Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool with the Cars 3 DVD and Blu-ray release.

In December 2023, it was revealed that Pixar is working on Cars 4 and other spin-off projects related to the franchise. During a recent interview at the 2023 Porsche Rennsport Reunion Event, the creative director of the saga, Jay Ward, revealed that they are developing a new project related to the franchise: "There are more Cars things brewing, I can't say much more yet. Cars has got a life that will keep going. I am working on some real fun projects right now that you will see in a couple of years. It takes us a while to make them."

## Cars television series

### Cars Toons

#### Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales (2008–2012)

Mater's Tall Tales is a series of short animated films featuring Mater, Lightning McQueen, and their friends. The first three shorts premiered on October 27, 2008 on Toon Disney, Disney Channel, and ABC Family. Not exclusive to television, the episodes have also been released on DVDs/Blu-rays or as in front of theatrical films. A total of 11 episodes have been released with Time Travel Mater (2012) being the most recent.

All shorts in the series follow the same tall-tale formula: Mater tells a story of something he has done in the past. When Lightning questions Mater over whether the events in the story actually occurred (or in some episodes asks him what he did next), Mater always claimed that Lightning was also involved and continues the story including Lightning's sudden participation. The shorts end with Mater leaving the scene, often followed by characters or references to the story that was being told, suggesting that story might be real.

#### Cars Toons: Tales from Radiator Springs (2013–2014)

Tales from Radiator Springs is a series of short animated films featuring the various residents of the titular location. The first three two-minute episodes - Hiccups, Bugged, and Spinning - premiered on March 22, 2013, on Disney Channel, and have been available online since March 24, 2013. A fourth short in the series, titled The Radiator Springs 500 ½, was released in spring 2014 on the digital movie service Disney Movies Anywhere. It premiered on August 1, 2014, on Disney Channel. The short has a running time of 6 minutes rather than the usual two-minute running time.

### Cars on the Road (2022)

On December 10, 2020, during Disney's Investors Day event, Pixar announced that an animated series starring Lightning McQueen and Mater traveling the country while meeting friends, new and old, was in development. On November 12, 2021, it was announced that the show would be titled Cars on the Road, and that Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy would reprise their respective roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater. It was released on Disney+ on September 8, 2022, as part of Disney+ Day.

## Cars short films

### Mater and the Ghostlight (2006)

Mater and the Ghostlight is a 2006 Pixar animated short created for the DVD of the 2006 film Cars, which was released on October 25, 2006, in Australia and the United States on November 7, 2006. The short, set in the Cars world, tells a story of Mater being haunted by a mysterious blue light.

### Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool (2017)

Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool is a 2017 Pixar animated short created for the Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD of Cars 3, which was released in the United States on November 7, 2017. The short, set in the Cars world, follows the "blindsided testimonials from the Crazy 8's, touting the transformative impact Miss Fritter's Racing School has had in reshaping the direction of their lives".

### Pixar Popcorn shorts

In December 2020, two Cars short films were announced as part of Disney+'s Pixar Popcorn series, which was released on January 22, 2021. As with most of the shorts present in this series, none of the characters have voice roles.

#### Unparalleled Parking (2021)

In this short, the cars have a friendly parallel parking competition.

#### Dancing with the Cars (2021)

In this short, the residents of Radiator Springs show off their dancing skills at Flo's V8 Café.

## Planes film series

In 2013 Disneytoon Studios, Pixar's now-defunct sister company, released a spin-off film set in the Cars world titled Planes featuring planes as the main characters. The film was followed by a sequel titled Planes: Fire & Rescue in 2014.

### Planes (2013)

Planes is an animated Cars spin-off film produced by Disneytoon Studios. The first film in a planned duology where the main characters are planes, the film was released in theaters by Walt Disney Pictures on August 9, 2013. The film was directed by Klay Hall and executive produced by John Lasseter. In the film, Dusty Crophopper, a small-town cropdusting plane, follows his dreams by competing in a world air race despite his fear of heights.

### Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)

A sequel to Planes, titled Planes: Fire & Rescue, was theatrically released on July 18, 2014. This film is also produced by Disneytoon Studios. Bobs Gannaway, co-developer of Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and co-director of Mickey Mouse Works and Secret of the Wings, directed the film. Lasseter again served as executive producer. In the film, Dusty is now a world-famous air racer, but learns he will never be able to race again due to an engine problem. After accidentally starting a fire, Dusty decides to become a firefighter and trains at Piston Peak Air Attack.

## Planes short film

### Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular (2014)

A Planes short film titled Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular was released on the DVD and Blu-ray of Planes: Fire & Rescue. It was directed by Dan Abraham and executive produced by John Lasseter. In the short film, Dusty Crophopper and Chug need to replace two daredevils in an airshow Leadbottom is hosting. At first unsuccessful, Dusty and Chug accidentally start a series of events that captures the audience's attention, eventually completing the stunt.

## Cancelled projects

### To Protect and Serve

A fifth Tales from Radiator Springs short film, titled To Protect and Serve, was announced to be in development for a 2015 release. However, it was never released.

The short would have been focused on Sheriff as he takes a mandatory vacation and leaves two rookies (voiced by Wendi McLendon-Covey and Aziz Ansari) to take over his duties as police officer. This, however, causes problems in Radiator Springs as the rookies over-do every aspect of their job in an attempt to score commendations, turning the town into a hotbed of taped-off crime scenes. Sheriff soon senses an imbalance and returns home to right the "justice" that has been served.

### Untitled Planes sequel and spin-offs

At the D23 Expo held in July 2017, John Lasseter announced a third film in the Planes series. Tentatively titled Beyond the Sky, the film would have explored the future of aviation in outer space. The film had a release date of April 12, 2019. It was removed from the release schedule in March 2018, and on June 28, shortly after the announcement of Lasseter's departure from Disney, Disneytoon Studios was shut down, ending development on the film.

Prior to its closure, the studio was planning several more spin-offs of the franchise focusing on boats, trains and other vehicles. In November 2022, concept art for one of the proposed films, tentatively titled Metro, was leaked online.

## Reception

### Box-office performance

Earning over $1.7 billion, Cars, including its Planes spin-off films, is the eleventh- highest grossing animated franchise.

In its opening weekend, the original Cars earned $60,119,509 in 3,985 theaters in the United States, ranking number one at the box office. In the United States, the film held onto the number one spot for two weeks before being surpassed by Click, and then by Superman Returns the following weekend. It went on to gross $461,983,149 worldwide (ranking number six in 2006 films) and $244,082,982 in the United States (the third-highest-grossing film of 2006 in the country, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Night at the Museum). It was the highest grossing animated film of 2006 in the United States, but lost to Ice Age: The Meltdown in worldwide totals.

Cars 2 has earned $191,452,396 in the United States and Canada, and $368,400,000 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $559,852,396. Worldwide on its opening weekend, it made $109.0 million, marking the largest opening weekend for a 2011 animated title.

### Awards and nominations

The first Cars film had a highly successful run during the 2006 awards season. Many film critic associations such as the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review named it the best Animated Feature Film of 2006. Cars also received the title of Best Reviewed Animated Feature of 2006 from Rotten Tomatoes. Randy Newman and James Taylor received a Grammy Award for the song "Our Town", which later went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song (an award it lost to "I Need to Wake Up" from An Inconvenient Truth). The film also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, but it lost to Happy Feet. Cars was also selected as the Favorite Family Movie at the 33rd People's Choice Awards. The most prestigious award that Cars received was the inaugural Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Cars also won the highest award for animation in 2006, the Best Animated Feature Annie Award. The film was also nominated for AFI's 10 Top 10 in the "Animation" genre.

## Cast and characters

This is a list of characters from the 2006 film Cars, its 2011 and 2017 sequels Cars 2 and Cars 3, its 2013 and 2014 spin-off films Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue, its 2006 and 2017 short films Mater and the Ghostlight and Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool, its 2014 spin-off short film Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular, and its 2008 and 2022 television series Cars Toons and Cars on the Road.

- Note: A grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.

## Other media

### Video games

In May 2007, the Cars video game was announced to be a "Platinum Hit" on the Xbox, "Greatest Hit" on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, and Player's Choice on the GameCube. Two sequels were released, Cars Mater-National Championship and Cars Race-O-Rama. A video game based on Cars 2 was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, and Nintendo DS on June 21, 2011. The PlayStation 3 version of the game was reported to be compatible with stereoscopic 3D gameplay. In October 2014, Gameloft released Cars: Fast as Lightning, a customizable, city-building racing game for smartphone platforms. Lightning McQueen appears as a playable character in Lego The Incredibles which was released in June 2018, and Rocket League in November 2023.

### Similar films

From the start, at least two inspired or knock off direct to video series appeared, A Cars Life and The Little Cars, that amounted to being mockbusters.

It has also been noted that the plot of Cars bears a striking resemblance to that of Doc Hollywood, the 1991 romantic comedy which stars Michael J. Fox as a hotshot young doctor, who, after causing a traffic accident in a small town, is sentenced to work at the town hospital, falls in love with a local law student and eventually acquires an appreciation for small town values.

#### The Autobots

The Autobots was released in July 2015 by Chinese companies Bluemtv and G-Point. On January 1, 2017, Disney and Pixar were awarded damages in their lawsuit against the two companies. The Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court ruled that the Chinese film titled The Autobots was an illegal copy of Cars thus fined the film's producer and distributor the equivalent of US$194,000. In his defense, director Zhuo Jianrong claimed he had never seen Cars.

#### A Cars Life

A Cars Life was a series animated by the UAV Corporation, produced by Spark Plug Entertainment, and distributed by Allumination Filmworks. There were a total of four films issued from 2006 to 2015. The series included A Car's Life: Sparky's Big Adventure (2006), Car's Life 2 (2011), Car's Life: Junkyard Blues (2015), which was made for television, and Car's Life 3: The Royal Heist (2013).

#### The Little Cars

The Little Cars is a big series animated by the Toyland Video (Vídeo Brinquedo) and distributed by Branscome International. There were a total of eight films produced in 2006-2007 and released from 2006 to 2011. Toyland Video considers its "mockbuster" to be following a "Bollywood" approach of borrowing from Hollywood.

Marcus Aurelius Canônico of Folha de S.Paulo described The Little Cars series (Os Carrinhos in Portuguese), a Brazilian computer graphics film series, as a derivative of Cars. Canônico discussed whether lawsuits from Pixar would appear. The Brazilian Ministry of Culture posted Marcus Aurelius Canônico's article on its website.

## Merchandising

The Mattel -produced 1/55 scale Toy Cars were some of the most popular toys of the 2006 Summer Season. Dozens of characters are represented, with some having multiple versions available. Several stores had trouble keeping the toys in stock, and some models are still difficult to find because of being shipped in lower numbers than other characters.

Some online Disney enthusiasts are comparing it to the same shortage that Mattel faced with its Toy Story line in 1995. On August 14, 2007, the die-cast Sarge car, made between May and July 2007, was recalled due to "impermissible levels of lead" used in the paint. Another Cars product which followed the Disney-Pixar Cars Die-Cast Line were miniature versions of the characters which were painted in different colors to represent different events called Mini Adventures. Also, Lego has sets for the sequels.

On June 22, 2006, Disney Consumer Products announced that Cars merchandise broke records for retail sales based on a Disney-Pixar product, recording 10-to-1 more volume than Finding Nemo. DCP reports that product expansion will take place in the fall alongside the DVD release of the film. Mattel has announced that Cars toys will continue through 2008 with the release of at least 80 new vehicles.

A 36 car pack called "Motor Speedway of the South" will feature most of the race cars seen during the opening race sequence of the film. (This is also the name for the track race in the film) Estimates from the New York Daily News indicate that sales of Cars merchandise two weeks out from the release of the film amounted to US$600 million. Estimates put out in November by the Walt Disney Company peg total sales for the brand at around $1 billion.

Kelley Blue Book, a resource for appraising values of vehicles, has humorously "appraised" four of the cars, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally Carrera, and Doc Hudson according to their make/model and personalities. The United States Department of Transportation has used scenes from the film in a commercial regarding the Click It or Ticket campaign.

In conjunction with the film's release, a chocolate ice cream on a stick resembling a car tire was released in Australia. These ice creams were called "Burnouts". The naming of the particular product sparked controversy as the name "Burnouts" was believed to have encouraged street racing and committing burnouts. These acts are illegal and heavy fines and convictions are issued to those committing these acts in Australia. It is unknown as to whether the products have been discontinued. In Norway, the candy company Nidar produced candy with the characters on the outer packaging and pictures of the characters on the packaging of the assorted candy on the inside. These bags also came with Cars themed tattoos.

In the U.S., an animated Walmart truck can be seen on a Walmart advertisements for Cars. In the Walmart TV commercial Mater was talking to the Walmart truck. In South Africa, Italy, and several other countries where Opel is present (or with Opel models under Chevrolet and Vauxhall brand), GM has a campaign featuring a General Motors Astra, an Opel Meriva, and a General Motors Zafira as characters in the world of Cars, including TV ads made by Pixar, with the Opel models interacting with Lightning McQueen, Mater and Ramone.

The first ad involved the Opels coming to Radiator Springs as tourists. The second involved their failed attempts at auditioning for Mater. In the end the Opels lost the part to the real Mater. In July 2006, greeting card giant Hallmark Cards unveiled its line of 2006 Keepsake Christmas ornaments. Among the collection was an ornament featuring Lightning McQueen and Mater. There is also a Cars children's clothing line, which produces various T-shirts and shorts.

In Japan, Disney Japan and Toyota backed racing team Cars Racing replaced its racing car " Toy Story apr MR-S" and introduced the "Lightning McQueen apr MR-S" for the 2008 Super GT season. The car was based on the Toyota MR-S and the externals of the car were modeled on its of McQueen as much as possible. This include their number change from their original No.101 to McQueen's #95. They won in Race 3 that season.

As of 2011, the Cars franchise has grossed over $10 billion in merchandise sales revenue.

## Theme park attractions

At D23 2024 on August 10, 2024, it was announced that the Magic Kingdom version of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island would be closed in 2025 to make way for a Frontierland expansion, based on the Cars franchise. As such, the Liberty Belle Riverboat, was planned to stop operating as well.

### Cars Land

Cars Land is a 12-acre land located at Disney California Adventure which contains an entire full-sized recreation of the town of Radiator Springs from the Cars franchise. The land includes restaurants, shops, and three rides: Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters, and Radiator Springs Racers, the main "E-Ticket" attraction which is one of the most expensive rides Disney has ever built at a cost of over $200 million. Radiator Springs Racers lets guests race against each other around Ornament Valley while encountering several Cars characters. Cars Land opened on June 15, 2012, with the completion of Disney California Adventure's expansion along with Buena Vista Street.

Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters opened on March 7, 2016, and replaced Luigi's Flying Tires, an original Cars Land ride which closed in February 2015 after complaints and injuries.

### Cars Four Wheels Rally

Cars Four Wheels Rally (French: Cars Quatre Roues Rallye) is an attraction in Toon Studio at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris in 2007. The ride opened one year after Cars showed its first screening on June 9, 2007. The attraction's setting is car service station in the small town of Radiator Springs located in the desert. The attraction is surrounded by boulders which imitates the rocky formations of the Grand Canyon. The ride system is a highly themed Zamperla Demolition Derby.

Riders begin the attraction by sitting down in one of the generic car-shaped vehicles. The vehicles are located on one of the four spinning plateaus. The attraction's layout is similar to "Francis' Ladybug Boogie" attraction at Disney California Adventure and the "Whirlpool" at Tokyo DisneySea, as the vehicles automatically change from one spinning plateau to the next. The vehicles change plateaus while carrying out the rotation inversion of eight separate vehicles. Cars Race Rally was the first operating Disney ride themed to the Cars franchise.

### Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy

Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy is a living character show attraction hosted by Lightning McQueen located in Sunset Boulevard in Disney's Hollywood Studios that opened on March 31, 2019. Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy is the first of many new attractions coming to Hollywood Studios, part of its shift from studio-like attractions to attractions featuring Disney properties such as Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel.

Much like the existing Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Magic Kingdom 's Tomorrowland, Turtle Talk with Crush in several Disney parks (including Epcot), and Stitch Encounter in the non-American Disney parks, Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy lets guests interact with the character. The other attractions have actors voice the characters, which are manipulated via digital puppetry — the manipulation of digital animated figures in real time.

While the other cars of the Cars films — Mater, Sally Carrera, and Cruz Ramirez, for instance — appear on screens during the show, Lightning appears in physical car form.

In September 2024, it was announced that the show will be closed on October 7, 2024, to make way for a Disney Villains-themed stage show in the Sunset Showcase Theater.


Odysseas Angelis

# Odysseas Angelis

## Abstract

Odysseus Aggelis (Greek: Οδυσσεύς Αγγελής; 12 February 1912 – 22 March 1987; also spelt as Odysseas (Demotic Greek) Angelis, though the correct transliteration is Aggelis) was a Greek nationalist military officer of the Artillery. He reached the rank of four star General and served as Chief of the Greek Armed Forces and Vice President of the Hellenic Republic. He supported the military regime that was established on April 21, 1967.

General Aggelis was born on 12 February 1912, in a hut next to the chapel of Agia Anna in the village of Halia (now called Drosia) in the prefecture of Euboea. He committed suicide by hanging on March 22, 1987, in Korydallos Prison, cell no 48, where he was serving sentence. His funeral took place at the Agioi Theodoroi cemetery in Ano Steni, Euboea (the village he grew up) and was buried in a modest grave in line with his request.

He was not married and had no descendants.

## Biography

### Early career

Angelis was born in the village of Steni on the island of Euboea in 1912. After completing his studies at the Hellenic Army Academy, he was sworn in as an Artillery Second Lieutenant on 2 August 1934. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1937 and Captain in 1940, he participated in the Greco-Italian War as a mountain artillery battery commander. Following the German invasion and the Axis occupation of Greece, in 1943 Angelis fled the country and joined the Greek Armed Forces in the Middle East, where he commanded an anti-aircraft battery.

After the liberation of Greece he was promoted to Major in 1946, and fought in the Greek Civil War in 1948 and 1949 as an artillery battalion commander. After the end of the civil war, he served in various artillery commands and completed courses at the Superior War School and the National Defence School. He served in the NATO headquarters at İzmir, as aide-de-camp to King Paul, professor at the Superior War School, chief of staff of the 9th Infantry Division, commandant of the Artillery School, Director of the 2nd Staff Bureau at the Hellenic Army General Staff, chief of staff of ASDEN, and deputy commander and commander of the 5th Infantry Division. He was promoted to Lt. Colonel in 1950, Colonel in 1958, Brigadier in 1960, and Major General in 1965.

In 1967 he was promoted to Lt. General and Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, a post he held at the time of the coup d'état of 21 April 1967.

### Under the Papadopoulos Dictatorship

After the establishment of the military regime, he was appointed Chief of the Army General Staff on 22 April 1967. He was responsible, at least officially, for the Army Decree Nr. 13, which banned the musical works of Mikis Theodorakis. On 21 April 1967 Angelis passed a series of laws limiting protest, including a ban on public gatherings of more than five people, a ban on all private gatherings of a political nature, a ban on propaganda against the generals and a ban on civilians holding guns.

During the failed royal counter-coup of 13 December 1967, Angelis remained loyal to Papadopoulos, and assumed, in addition to his post as head of the army, the position of Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff. On 19 December 1968, he assumed command of the newly formed Armed Forces Headquarters (Αρχηγείο Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων). He was promoted to full General in 1970, and retired from the army on 16 August 1973.

Personally loyal to Georgios Papadopoulos, Angelis was chosen by the latter as his Vice President during the planned transition to democratisation. Greece was declared a Presidential Republic on the first of June 1973 and, following a referendum which took place on 29 July 1973, Papadopoulos got sworn in as President and Angelis as Vice President. Angelis served in this post until 25 November 1973, when Papadopoulos lost power to a hardliner coup.

### Trial and imprisonment

Following the restoration of democratic rule in 1974, in the 1975 Junta Trials, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for high treason and mutiny. Angelis committed suicide in his cell in the Korydallos Prison on 22 March 1987.

## Sources