upworthy

Heidi Lux

Culture

Chris Pratt’s Avengers co-stars came to his defense after attacks on his religion

Lately, Twitter has been a rough place for famous Chrises. First Evans had his day on the trending side bar, and now it's Pratt's turn. With the way things are going, we cringe for what's in store for Hemsworth.

In October 2020, Warrior Nun writer Amy Berg posted a photo on Twitter of four famous Chrises - Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, and Chris Pratt. "One has to go," Berg captioned the photo.

Pratt started trending as he was quickly dubbed the "worst Chris." And things just got worse from there. Until some real-life heroes stepped in and tried to address the situation, defending their co-star and friend.






No, it's not because that many people all strongly hated Passengers. Pratt's political and religious beliefs were the issue Pratt is a practicing Christian, and allegedly attends a church with ties to Hillsong, a megachurch Ellen Paige called "infamously anti-LGBTQ." Pratt has denied he attends an anti-LGBTQ church, saying, "It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which 'hates a certain group of people' and is 'infamously anti-LGBTQ.' Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone."

Additionally, Pratt is suspected of being a secret Trump supporter. Pratt follows some conservatives on Twitter, and he didn't attend a virtual fundraiser for Joe Biden which many of his Avengers co-stars attended. But to be fair, Pratt has never spoken out about his political beliefs one way or the other, and has donated to both Republicans and Democrats in the past.

All the speculation about who he's secretly voting for is just that - something which his Marvel co-stars pointed out. Pratt's fellow Avengers came to his defense on social media, saying that those who were quick to criticize don't really know what he stands for.



Mark Ruffalo called the poll a "distraction." Because it's not like we don't have more important things to worry about right now than which Chris we hate.

This article originally appeared on 10.23.20

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Most men are fine with women running companies but not the government, study says

We've still got a way to go.

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Women can run businesses but Americans don't want them in office.

Back in 2018, a survey found that Americans are more in favor of a female CEO than a female head of government. According to the TheReykjavik Index for Leadership, which was conducted by data and consultancy company Kantar in order to measure how people feel about women in leadership, 65 percent of Americans feel “very comfortable with the idea of a female CEO, but only 5 percent feel the same way about a female head of government.

The survey also highlighted the difference in opinion between genders. Not surprising, more women were in favor with a woman in power, with 70 percent of women stating they felt “very comfortable” with a female CEO, and only 55 percent of men stating the same thing. Only 45 percent of men expressed they felt this way about a female head of government.The results were published at the Women Political Leaders Global Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The study was conducted between September and October, and interviewed over 10,000 people in each of the G7 countries.

Interestingly, the United States ranked third in comfortability with a female head of government, but first with a female CEO.

Here’s how the G7countries ranked in terms of feeling “Very comfortable” with a female head of government:

1. United Kingdom, 58percent

2. Canada, 57 percent

3. United States, 52 percent

4. Italy, 42 percent

5. France, 40 percent

6. Germany, 26 percent

7. Japan, 23 percent

And how the G7 countries ranked in terms of feeling “Very comfortable” with a female CEO:

1. United States, 63 percent

2. Canada (tied), 59 percent

3. United Kingdom (tied), 59 percent

4. France, 44 percent

5. Italy, 42 percent

6. Germany, 29 percent

7. Japan, 24 percent

It looks like your daughter stands a chance of becoming the next Theresa May in England, but in America, she’d be better off striving to become the next Indra Nooyi.

With that said, the study has been lauded as a step in the right direction for increasing the transparency of public opinion.

23%of german men feel comfortable with having a womanceo...

THIS IS SO 1950

Check out theReykjavik Index for Leadership.#PowerTogether#WomenLeadersIceland@WPLGlobalForum@Kantarpic.twitter.com/Q2y8Stz1AW

—Henrike von Platen (@henrikeVplaten) November27, 2018

This article originally appeared on 12.23.18


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Study shows the specific barriers female business owners face—even those at the very top

30 women who own businesses that make more than $5 million in annual revenues, and the discussions were very revealing.

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Running multi-million dollar businesses doesn't exclude women from gender prejudice.

Many studies on the state of women in the workplace seem to reinforce the doom and gloom of modern women's experience. They tell us something we already know – that you're going to have to speak ten times louder to be heard half as often, and there's no amount of leaning in or wearing shoulder pads that can fix that.

A report conducted in 2019 by Babson College and Bank of America found that female business owners don't feel like they're being taken seriously, which is pretty much old news at this point. But the report also explored the specific barriers women business owners feel like they're facing so we can jump over those barriers, no shoulder pads needed.

Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 30 women who own businesses that make more than $5 million in annual revenues, and the discussions were very revealing. "[W]omen who have built successful companies had to navigate significant gender-based obstacles. In doing so, these women created alternate paths to success for themselves, and for other similarly unstoppable female entrepreneurs," Bank of America said in a release. The study found that there were three main misconceptions: market misperceptions, network exclusions, and managing expectations while underfunded.

Many women felt that they "had their leadership position questioned due to their gender." Raegan Moya-Jones, co-founder of baby products manufacturer Aden & Anais, said the fact that she was a mother was a positive in the eyes of the consumer, however she found that business people weren't taking her seriously because of it.

Other female business owners found that some people had misconceptions as to why the woman founded her business in the first place. "When a woman starts a business, some potential backers may assume that she is running the business out of her home, for fun, or just to supplement her family's income," the report said. "Backers may then fail to see the business as growth-oriented and worthy of investment."

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Potential backers may assume that a woman could only run a business from her home.

Photo from Pixabay

More importantly, the report laid out how women can bust through the barriers to success. The report recommended we "capitalize on personal insights and experiences," because the female experience is actually an advantage. "Women entrepreneurs have an opportunity to leverage their personal experiences and serve the emerging needs and trends for female consumers," the report said. "Because they understand the market, they are well suited to communicate their value proposition and reach their target clients." In other words, being a woman isn't something that has to hold you back — it can propel you forward.

This article originally appeared on 10.24.19



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Elephants in India can find care and compassion from humans in their very own hospital

“We can offer them a place where we can heal them."

Photo pulled from Youtube video

With numbers dwindling conservationist take amazing action.

India’s first elephant hospital, the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital, opened in the Hindu holy town of Mathura, located in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Injured, sick, rescued, and elderly elephants now have a home to receive the care that they need. The facility is run by non-profit Wildlife SOS. Wildlife SOS also runs a conservation and care center near the newly opened hospital, and is currently home to 22 elephants.

The Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital was designed with the needs of our four-legged friends in mind. The 12,000-square ft. facility contains x-ray, thermal imaging, and ultrasound machines, tranquilization devices, a hydrotherapy pool, an in-house pathology lab, and quarantine facilities.

The hospital will even enable remote patients to receive care. “Our hospital has center with very portable kind of machinery,” explains Geeta Seshamani, Wildlife SOS co-founder. “So if an elephant is hit-and-run very far away anywhere in North India, we can go there and we can take care of it on site itself.”

“The hospital is something really special because for centuries India has used its elephants and abused them,” added Seshamani. “Today, for the first time, we can offer them a place where we can heal them and take very good care of them.”

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Over 50 percent of Asia's wild elephants reside in India.

Photo pulled from Youtube video

Among those abused elephants who will find a safe haven at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital will be elephants who were abused in captivity, elephants who were turned into tourist attractions, and elephants who were involved in freeway accidents.

“These elephants go through a lot of abuse, brutality, cruelty in order to be ridden,” Wildlife SOS co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan said in a BCC interview. “And through that process, they develop abscesses, internal problems, back problems, all kinds of health issues that need to be addressed.”

Between 50 and 60 percent of Asia’s wild elephants reside in India. Just 20 percent of domesticated elephants call the country home. With such a large elephant population, conservation should be at the forefront, especially since India’s elephant population is on the decline. In 2012, India’s elephant population was 29,391 – 30,711. By 2017, it had fallen to 27,312. World Wildlife Organization estimates there are as few as 20,000 in 2022.

Elephants are highly revered as both cultural and religious symbols in India, however they have been subjected to brutal mistreatment.

Some fall victim to the wildlife trade, while others are mistreated by mahouts (caretakers). Others are poached, poisoned, or electrocuted.

“I think by building a hospital we are underlining the fact that elephants need welfare measures as much as any other animal,” Seshamani told Reuters TV. “That captive elephants are not meant to be used and abused but instead have to be given the respect which an animal needs if you are going to be using the animal.”

You can watch the BBC News story on YouTube below:

This article originally appeared on 11.27.18

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