By Emily Cooper for the Scottish Daily Mail

Published: 8:56 PM EST, March 8, 2024 | Updated: 06:07 EST, March 9, 2024

Eternal sisters Vernie and Easther Bennett have revealed their new bandmate after former members Louise Redknapp and Kelle Bryan left the group.

Vernie and Easther want to continue with the band’s reunion and have enlisted the help of new singer Christel Lakhdar.

In September 2023, Louise, 49, and Kelle, 48, pulled out of an Eternal reunion tour after Vernie and Easther refused to play any of the LBGTQ+ gigs they had planned amid claims the community is being ‘hijacked’ by the trans movement.

Who exactly is Christel Lakhdar? Read on below for everything you need to know about Eternal’s newest member.

Who is Christel Lakhdar?

Although she joined a pop group that enjoyed great success in the 1990s, Christel Lakhdar has had a relatively quiet career in comparison.

The singer-songwriter and actor has just over 2,400 followers on her Instagram account, with only three videos on her YouTube channel, one of which was a showreel uploaded in March 2018.

Speak with The mirrorChristel said: ‘I’ve been singing these songs ever since [I was] at a young age and feel like pinching myself as I take it all in.”

On New Year’s Day, Christel welcomed 2024 by outlining her goals for the year in a post on her Facebook page.

She wrote to her followers: ‘May this year be gentle, soothing and healing [and] full of laughter despite the storms (because there are always many)’.

“Be thankful for those who are happiest among us. Let us seize happiness’.

In another previous Facebook post on August 4, 2023, Christel revealed that she had not smoked in a year.

She wrote: ‘In the beginning there was chaos, as is often the case before profound transformations.

‘Smoking was just a symptom…And today I’m so damn proud of myself’.

The singer added that she was focused on ‘[rebuilding] on better foundations and [growing] with stronger roots.’

After planning an Eternal reunion last year with all four members, Vernie and her sister Easther had refused to play any of the LBGTQ+ gigs they had planned, claiming the community was being “hijacked” by the transmovement.

Shortly afterwards, Louise was accused of trying to get her former bandmates canceled by ‘misrepresenting’ their views.

Still, in a telling statement, Louise said: “I had always wanted to do a reunion with the girls. I have a lot of love for what we did together and me and Kelle are still the best of friends.”

Standing by her friend, Kelle added of her time in the band, “It changed my life. Obviously the music and the fans are so important.’

A transgender blogger from New Jersey and her wife have been accused of endangering the welfare of children after allegedly keeping their 10-year-old autistic son in a “filthy house” covered in feces.

Kirstyn Piper, 45, who identifies as a transgender woman, and her wife Amy Plummer, 46, were arrested in Ocean County, New Jersey, as reported by Reduxx.

The 10-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with autism in 2016, was found in December last year in a house with rubbish strewn about and the bathroom covered in faeces.

He later revealed to detectives in an interview that he had been living in those “deplorable conditions” for a year.

The child was immediately removed from the home. Piper and Plummer were taken into custody on December 12 and released a week later pending trial.

A nurse at Lanes Mill Elementary School reported to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) that there were “ongoing concerns” about the boy’s hygiene and appearance, according to an affidavit obtained by Reduxx.

Upon arrival at his home, DCPP workers found the home in deplorable conditions and immediately alerted police.

‘The bathroom of the house was covered in feces. There were several Home Depot buckets around the residence… containing feces,” the statement said.

“DCPP also reported that trash, empty bottles/cans and recycling items were strewn throughout the residence.”

During an interview with detectives, the child said his home had a sewage problem that prevented fecal matter from being flushed down the drain.

Plummer, the child’s mother who graduated from Kean University last year, said the plumbing problems have persisted since March 2022.

According to Plummer, Piper, who is also the child’s biological parent, had “taken over” the issue and refused to seek help from anyone.

She added that physical disabilities had prevented her from walking too far, and she had no income to hire a plumber.

The 10-year-old reportedly told officers that his parents transported feces in an orange Home Depot bucket when the toilet was full.

He could not bathe because the bathtub was also filled with feces and was bullied at school for his poor hygiene, he said.

Piper runs a photography service called Puzzling Moment and is an LGBTQ activist on several social media platforms.

Until July 2023, she posted content advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and transgender rights with hashtags such as #lesbianpride, #transpride, #transgirl and #savetranskid.

In addition to her photography business, Piper also designed and sold “trans kids” and “trans girls” stickers at local night markets.

In social media posts Piper has shared over the years, her child has been captured at various LGBTQ events with his parents.

In some photos, the boy is wearing a T-shirt with the slogan ‘I love my 2 mommies’ and appears to have dyed his hair in rainbow colours.

The family are also seen in a series of photos from June last year, showing Plummer kneeling and proposing to renew their wedding vows to Piper.

According to Reduxx, Piper wrote a blog article in February last year about introducing LGBTQ issues and transgender rights to children from a young age.

“As caregivers, it is our responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive environment for our children, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation,” Piper wrote in the now-deleted blog.

“By exposing them to diverse perspectives and experiences, we can help them understand and appreciate the unique struggles that people from different communities face,” Piper wrote.

The next hearing for Piper and Plummer is scheduled for March.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for more information.

New York's iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral has claimed it was tricked into holding a “scandalous” funeral service for a transgender activist who was celebrated at mass as “the great whore.”

The Catholic cathedral, which bills itself as 'America's parish church', has been ordered to hold a 'restoration mass' after hundreds of scantily clad admirers danced in the aisles for former sex worker Cecilia Gentili.

The self-described atheist died on February 6 at the age of 52, and organizers have admitted they kept her identity 'a bit hidden' when they booked the mass with cathedral authorities.

Now the cathedral's pastor has issued a groveling apology to his parishioners, thanking the “many who have let us know that they share our outrage.”

“The cathedral only knew that family and friends were requesting a funeral mass for a Catholic, and had no idea that our reception and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive manner,” Father Enrique Salvo said in a statement.

'The fact that such a scandal has occurred at 'America's Parish Church' makes it even worse.

“That it occurred as Lent began, the annual forty-day battle with the forces of sin and darkness, is a powerful reminder of how much we need the prayer, restoration, repentance, grace, and mercy that this holy season invites. us.'

Born in Argentina, Gentili began sex work in New York City after moving illegally to the US and struggling to find a job in Miami.

In 2009, she was arrested on drug possession charges and imprisoned on Rikers Island, but released with an ankle monitor after a judge ruled she could not be safely confined with men or women without risk of attack.

But she was granted asylum in 2012 and became a prominent advocate for LGBT rights and HIV prevention.

Just days before her death, Gentili was successful in winning a $540,000 grant from the CDC for her trans outreach program aimed at combating community transmission of HIV.

Funeral organizer Ceyenne Doroshow said she chose St. Patrick's for the Feb. 15 funeral because “it's an icon, just like them.”

The pews were packed with about a thousand mourners, many dressed in revealing outfits, including one wearing a feather boa made from $100 bills.

A photo at the altar showed a haloed Gentili surrounded by the Spanish words for “transvestite,” “whore,” “blessed” and “mother” above the text of Psalm 25.

Actor Billy Porter kicked off the “political theater” with a performance of “This Day,” before Father Edward Dougherty gave the service and declared that “Cecilia died with Christ.”

“This great whore, Saint Cecelia, mother of all whores,” declared a mourner from the pulpit.

“Today we say that we will see you soon and that you will give us the strength and courage to continue your legacy, to continue the challenges ahead.”

A priest singing “Ave Maria” was unexpectedly joined by a mourner singing “Ave Cecilia” as they danced down the aisles, twirling a red scarf.

New York City is home to at least ten gay-friendly Catholic parishes, but St. Patrick's Cathedral is not one of them.

Father Dougherty has previously written lovingly about his first ministry in Tanzania, where gays face life in prison and lawmakers have pushed to make gay sex a capital crime.

Gentili, who faced abuse from her family and neighbors after coming out as gay at age 12, became a U.S. citizen in September 2022 and released a book that year titled Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn't My Rapist.

She also worked as a stand-up comedian and appeared in the critically acclaimed FX series “Pose,” playing Miss Orlando, a New York City woman who performed discount plastic surgery.

Organizers believe hers may have been the first-ever funeral service for a trans person in the 19th-century cathedral.

Gentili died at home in Brooklyn, not far from Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, where priest Jamie J Gigantiello issued a groveling apology and was fired as church administrator in November after allowing singer Sabrina Carpenter to make a “sacrilegious” pop video filming on the altar.

The video showed 24-year-old Carpenter arriving at the church dressed provocatively in a pink hearse for the “funeral” of ex-boyfriends, in front of an altar decorated with their pastel coffins, one of which was inscribed “RIP B* ***' contained. .

“I agreed to the recordings after a general search of the artists involved revealed nothing questionable,” Gigantiello wrote in a letter to parishioners.

An Australian father has set fire to his treasured board shirts in an angry protest against Rip Curl over their use of a transgender woman to promote the iconic brand.

Western Australian longboarder pro and transgender woman Sasha Lowerson became the face of women's surfing in a company Instagram post last week.

Lowerson, 44, was featured in the company's Meet The Local Heroes of Western Australia social media campaign on Thursday.

It comes just months after Rip Curl cut ties with pro surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton – one of the world's most famous surfers.

The split was reportedly caused by her opposition to transgender people competing in women's sports.

The move has angered many Aussies, including an outraged father who burned his Rip Curl shorts in an angry response to the social media campaign.

“Wake up, go broke – fuck you, Rip Curl,” he said to the camera before throwing his board shorts into the fire before they were engulfed in smoke and flames.

Another man, Tomislav Stojanovic, filmed himself throwing his reef boots in the trash.

“I'm in Bali, I just heard about Rip Curl… F*** you Rip Curl,” he can be heard saying in the footage.

The posts included the hashtags #GoWokeGoBroke #savewomenssports #StopReplacingWomen and #boycotttripcurl, as commenters called on Australians to cut ties with the surfing brand.

“Taking my money elsewhere. Why do you hate women?' one follower asked.

“Rip Curl was always one of my favorite brands in this industry – shame, I'll never spend a penny on them again,” another posted.

'RIP to me, Rip Curl!!! I don't support anymore!' added another.

There were also several expressions of support for Hamilton in the list.

'Bethany is an icon. She is better without this company,” said one follower.

“There will be no one better than Bethany to represent women in women's surfing – RIP Rip Curl,” another added.

One commenter even accused Rip Curl of removing comments because it limits damage.

'Why are you deleting comments? Delete as much as you want, people already know where you stand when it comes to biological women,” they posted.

Rip Curl has not yet made a public statement regarding the removal of the Lowerson promotion.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Rip Curl for comment.

Surfing, which will feature as a new sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics, adopted the International Surfing Association's policy for transgender participation in early 2023.

The policy is recognized by the Olympic Committee and states: 'The eligibility criteria applicable to transgender (trans) people and/or people with gender variations must be evidence-based, rights-respecting and developed on a sport-by-sport basis.'

It states that surfers born as biological males must meet a fixed testosterone level continuously for 12 months to be eligible to compete in a women's event.

Hamilton and fellow Australian surfing legend Kelly Slater have previously called for a separate transgender division in the sport.

Hamilton also previously threatened to boycott the sport because of his transgender policy.

Although many followers support her position, she has also been labeled as 'homophobic' and 'transphobic' on her Instagram account.

Last year, Lowerson told Daily Mail Australia that she has received support from top surfers that has helped me “regain my faith in humanity.”

'The current world number six, who I hadn't seen since my transition, paddled over and she saw me and said, “Look at you, you look great.”

'The 2016 world champion, Rachael Tilly [also] came up and said hello, she said, 'It's so good to see you here,'” Lowerson said.

“I initially had a lot of fear for my safety, but there were little things, little acts of kindness.”

Lowerson's own personal Instagram account – where she says she is a 'West Aus Girl always wanting to have more surfing adventures' – is set to private.

Transgender athlete Hailey Davidson must recognize that golf is a game of integrity and withdraw from female competition.

Then the Ladies Professional Golf Association must follow suit and seize this opportunity to undo their grave mistake – and restore the spirit of one of the longest-standing women's professional sports associations in the world.

Let me be clear: I do not come to these conclusions easily.

As the world's greatest athlete at age 26, a lifelong news and sports commentator, and the patriarch of one of the world's most famous families, I have a duty to lend my voice to the furious, evolving debate over transgenderism and elite sports competition .

This divisive issue has exploded again as the 30-year-old Davidson battles to earn a spot on the LPGA tour after winning the NXXT Women's Classic last week.

Today, far too many people are afraid to speak out at all, for fear of cancellation or retaliation.

Well, I'm not afraid – and my perspective can, humbly, cut through so much noise.

When I competed in the Olympics, the only thing on my mind was my competition. I had great respect for them and of course dedicated every fiber of my being to beating them on a level playing field.

But with all due respect, Davidson (who asks to be addressed by his/her pronouns) can't claim to compete with that same esprit de corps.

I am a transgender person who picked up the game of golf in my 50s, and played as an amateur, non-competitively, alongside men and women of all ages. I am sure there are physical differences between men and women that cannot be erased by modern medicine – especially after individuals go through male puberty.

And Davidson, who began gender transition in his early 20s and underwent gender reassignment surgery six years later, is stronger than the rivals.

Davidson has responded to some of this criticism by claiming that their strength has diminished significantly since the 'transition'.

“It's crazy how much misinformed hate I've received so far today,” Davidson wrote on Instagram. “All these people (think) I hit it 300 yards or even 280 yards. How about 250 on a good day.'

Maybe that's true. But a 250-yard drive would put Davidson in the top 13 longest running LGPA players today.

Davidson has never been more dominant as a male athlete.

I have had several off-the-record conversations with people in the competitive golf world, including those with the PGA, LPGA, LIV, Aramco, ownership groups and sponsors.

Their private feedback is overwhelmingly consistent.

Davidson was a mediocre male golfer who never had a real chance of making it to the PGA. But now Davidson has a shot at one of the most coveted spots in women's sports.

How is that fair to women?

Why can't Davidson, who earned a scholarship as a male athlete, compete against men?

The telling answer that some trans athletes in golf – and beyond – will never admit is that they would never make it.

Davidson has become illustrative of what many trans people and allies fear: a seemingly self-centered individual who does not think about the consequences of his actions and may actually harm others.

Finally, I ask the LPGA: Isn't it time you admit you made a mistake?

The LPGA was founded in 1950 by 13 ambitious women who wanted to give women's golfers a space in which they could compete and win. Founded about 30 years ago, the PGA tour has always been open to men and women. But the only time a woman ever broke through at a PGA tour event was in 1945 at the Los Angeles Open.

It wasn't until 1981 that Kathy Whitworth became the first female player to earn $1 million in career earnings. Today, professional female golfers play on the LPGA tour for a total of $118 million in prize money.

That is an incredible achievement.

The LPGA tour has also been at the forefront of the fight for equal rights, notably rejecting a “Caucasians Only” policy before the tour's first black member joined in 1963.

To the tour's credit, I believe the LPGA's heart was in the right place. However, when the association voted in 2010 to remove the gender “at birth” requirement from their bylaws and allow transgender people who had undergone gender reassignment surgery to compete, they made a mistake.

The LPGA's fateful decision put the company on a slippery slope. It is likely that more opportunities will be denied to women, further undermining the LPGA's mission and casting a negative light on transgender people.

This is not about one person, one governing body or one sport.

This is a simple matter of honesty… and integrity.

Golf must take the lead.

A transgender activist whose city funding was stripped from Canada’s oldest rape shelter has been awarded a medal as a “champion of diversity.”

Morgane Oger, a transgender woman, received a Meritorious Service Medal from Canadian Governor General Mary Simon on December 7.

Official photos show her receiving the award along with dozens of other Canadians being honored for their “exceptional actions.”

Oger said she was “so grateful” to receive a medal for “advancing legal protections for transgender Canadians.”

In an awards ceremony, Oger was called a “champion of diversity” who changed perceptions of LGBTQI+ rights and worked “tirelessly” to create these laws.

“She forged alliances across party lines that brought about changes in provincial and federal legislation that protected individuals from discrimination based on gender identity or expression,” it said.

“Her courage, vision and perseverance helped redefine the fundamental issue of equality and advanced inclusivity for gender-diverse Canadians.”

Oger was chosen for the award in 2018 and it was unclear why it took five years for her to actually receive it.

‘It feels very, very, very nice. “We don’t live in a time where medals are awarded very often, and the campaign to achieve equality still has a long way to go,” she said at the time.

At the time, Oger led an effort to strip Vancouver Rape Relief of city funding because it refused to accommodate transgender women.

The Vancouver City Council in March 2019 revoked the CAN$34,000 annual subsidy for 2020 unless the shelter, the oldest in Canada that started in 1974, changed its policies.

‘Trans women are women and sex work is work. Trans women and sex workers deserve care and protection,” Councilor Christine Boyle said at the time.

“I cannot support organizations that exclude them, so I will not support municipal funding for Vancouver Rape Relief.”

Councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung said: “They have done a fantastic job and are a valuable service, but we wanted to make sure they provided it for everyone. When we give public resources, we should give them to organizations that are inclusive.

“I don’t want to live in a community that is not inclusive and rejects people, especially if someone is going through trauma.”

Oger told the council during its deliberation that the shelter violates the city’s trans equity and inclusion criteria, adopted in 2016, and said transgender women are men, not women.

The shelter said depriving it of funding was “discrimination against women in the name of inclusion” and accused the city of “forcing us to change our position.”

Vancouver Rape Relief argued that the women it sheltered did not feel safe with anyone who was not “born female” after being abused by their male partners.

‘Being born a woman still means being trained, socialized and forced to submit to male domination. “The fact that we are born female and raised as girls to adulthood shapes our lives in profound ways,” the report said.

‘We don’t have the experience to offer services to people without the same life experience… this is not our job.’

It also said city funding was only used for education, which was open to all.

VRR has an annual budget of about $1 million, much of it from the province of British Columbia, and made up for the city’s deficit with increased donations.

“Corrosive hands that feed it: Tax-funded Vancouver Rape Relief pushes prejudice in an outraged online tirade about discrimination, despite a one-year grace period to comply with Canada’s discrimination laws,” Oger wrote after the council’s decision.

The shelter won a long-running civil rights lawsuit in 2005 brought by transgender woman Kimberly Nixon after she was rejected from a training program for volunteer counselors.

It was argued that because she had grown up with the privileges of being a man, she would not be able to provide effective guidance to women.

“Even deep voices and masculine insignia like baseball caps and boots can make women nervous,” Lee Lakeman, the center’s founder, wrote in 2006.

The shelter was originally ordered to pay Nixon $7,500, but this was overturned by the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Months after funding was removed, the shelter was repeatedly vandalized in August 2019 and a dead rat was nailed to the front door.

“Kill TERFS, trans power,” was written on the windows, referring to “trans-exclusionary radical feminists,” who reject the concept of transgender identity.

Oger suggested at the time that while the vandalism was unacceptable, the shelter itself had caused it.

“Unfortunately but predictably, VRR’s choice to ignore Canada’s civil rights laws is causing backlash,” she wrote.

‘I understand that VRR feels threatened by the predictable reaction to their behavior. As I have offered before, I am willing to help VRR out of trouble if that is what they want.”

It’s the trans rights row that has gripped Ireland for well over a year – putting an otherwise unremarkable history teacher at the heart of the country’s culture wars for his refusal to use a trans pupil’s pronouns. 

Enoch Burke – who taught History and German – refused to refer to a transitioning transgender student as ‘they’ rather than ‘he’ in May last year.

It sparked a chain of events that has led to him being jailed for repeatedly showing up at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath after being sacked, and entering the staff room saying he was there to do his job. 

Now he remains in Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison with no prospect of release because he refuses to comply with a court order to stay away from the school premises. 

Meanwhile, Burke’s loyal family continue to protest at the school, maintaining he’s being persecuted for his Christian beliefs – while supporters insist the whole ‘country is behind him’. 

However, others less sympathetic to the cause view his stubborn refusal and his family’s protests as attention seeking, with one newspaper columnist pointing out that the Burkes ‘like to get their own way’.  

The row broke out more than a year ago, when during a meeting with the headteacher and his deputy, Burke said that his Evangelical Christian beliefs meant he ‘opposed transgenderism’.

Following this, Burke publicly criticised the headteacher’s ‘demand’ that staff use students’ chosen pronouns, following a service at the Church of Ireland school to celebrate its 260th anniversary

Burke was accused of ‘breaching the confidence’ of the transitioning student, and as a result, the teacher was suspended with pay and later fired for gross misconduct in August last year.

However, Burke continued showing up at the school – prompting his former employer to obtain a court order to get him to stay away.

In September last year, Burke was jailed for 100 days for ignoring the court order.

During an appeal, the teacher argued that he was being imprisoned because of his Christian beliefs.

After being released, Burke was imprisoned for the second time in September this year for refusing to stay away from the school again – and has been told he will remain in prison indefinitely until he agrees to comply with the court order.

Here FEMAIL delves into the case that has gripped Ireland – as Burke’s family campaigns for his release without having to ‘endorse transgenderism’.

Beginning of trans row

Last Spring, headteacher Niamh McShane sent an email to her staff informing them of the student’s new name and pronouns.

After receiving the email, Burke is said to have raised his issue with the change of pronouns during a staff meeting on May 10 last year. 

While giving evidence in a later trial, deputy headteacher John Galligan said that Burke ‘erupted’ during the meeting and ‘changed colour completely’.

According to the former deputy head, Burke – whose ‘forte’ was said to have been extracurricular debating – spoke for a ‘good five to eight minutes’.

After this, guidance counsellor Freda Malone told a court that she approached Burke to tell him she was sorry he was so upset and noted that he had tears in his eyes. 

In a follow-up meeting between the headteacher, her deputy and Burke, Mr Galligan claimed the jailed teacher repeated how he was ‘opposed to transgenderism’ as a result of his religion. 

Following this, Burke is said to have publicly interjected after a religious service celebrating the school’s 260th anniversary to criticise Ms McShane’s supposed ‘demand’ that staff refer to the student by their chosen pronouns.

Following the chapel service, Burke is alleged to have approached the headteacher at a meal where he asked her to withdraw her ‘demand’ again.

As a result of this, the headteacher believed Burke was guilty of gross misconduct – as other students may not have been aware the student was transitioning. 

Ms Freda Malone, who worked at the school as a guidance counsellor, claims Burke ‘breached the confidence’ of the student on two occasions during that occasion.

Speaking at a High Court hearing in March this year, Ms Malone said the headteacher was escorted home by other guests at the event and they later ‘formed a ring’ around her home out of concern for her safety.

Discussing the incidents in court, headteacher Ms McShane – who stepped down amid the controversy – said: ‘The public statement of his refusal to accept transgenderism in the chapel… it was as [if] the school had demanded to accept transgenderism, which was not the case, so it was a misrepresentation of what happened. 

‘What I asked is that we could support the student in their request, that is very different to ask the staff to accept transgenderism.’

Initial Suspension and Protest 

In August last year, Ms McShane submitted a stage-four report to the chair of the board John Rogers about Burke’s outbursts – which prompted the representative to arrange a meeting with the teacher.

The purpose of the meeting was to decide if Burke should be suspended or face any kind of disciplinary.

Burke’s sister Ammi is said to have joined him for the meeting – which was adjourned for 15 minutes by Mr Rodgers, who said it was ‘going nowhere’.

When the representatives returned to the meeting room, the Burkes had left.

After this, the board made the unanimous decision to place Burke on paid leave while they dealt with the misconduct allegation. 

According to Mr Galligan, there were growing concerns ‘about what [Burke’s] next protest might and the form it would take’ in the new school year.

Despite being put on leave, Burke is said to have attended a staff meeting at the start of the school year.

After repeatedly arriving on school grounds, Burke was allegedly asked to leave ‘every hour’ by the deputy head.

The ex-deputy head said: ‘[Burke] would be there for the day, standing in the room reading from a book. That’s where he remained.’

Mr Galligan says Burke refused to leave the premises – insisting he was ‘there to work and attend meetings’. 

In May 2023, the Irish High Court ruled that the school had acted lawfully in suspending Burke and said Enoch had been ‘trespassing’ on their grounds.

First prison sentence 

In an attempt to keep Burke away from the premises while they conducted the investigation, the school took out a temporary court order against the teacher – which still didn’t deter him.

In August last year, Enoch was sued by the school for his failure to comply with the court order and later arrested for being in contempt of court.

At his initial hearing on September 6 that year, Mr Burke told Judge Quinn: ‘I am a teacher and I don’t want to go to prison. I want to be in my classroom today, that’s where I was this morning when I was arrested.’

‘I love my school, with its motto Res Non Verba, actions not words, but I am here today because I said I would not call a boy a girl.’

When the case went to the High Court the following week, Burke, who was representing himself, maintained that he would not purge his contempt of court for violating the order, insisting that he was being persecuted for his faith. 

When asked by Judge Eileen Roberts if he would abide by the order, Burke said: ‘I cannot do that. I go back to jail as a law-abiding citizen of the state always. But God first.’ 

Addressing the court, Burke said: ‘The question is not will I purge my contempt but how this court order could have been granted?

‘The court is asking me to purge my contempt, but this court has robbed me of my constitutional right. It was wrong what the court did. How can I purge my contempt of that which is wrong?’

But Judge Roberts disagreed with his argument. The teacher was escorted out of the court to prison by three prison guards to loud applause from the public gallery with many hollering: ‘The country is with you Enoch.’

Dozens of people packed the public gallery shouting ‘disgrace’ and ‘shame’ following the judge’s decision.

The teacher served more than 100 days before being released on December 21 last year on an ‘open-ended- basis.

Eventual Dismissal and €15,000 fine

On January 18, Burke and his family interrupted a school board meeting, which was being held at the Mullingar Park Hotel in Westmeath.

During the meeting, the board heard Ms McShane’s report into Burke’s misconduct. 

The family took issue to the fact that chairman John Rogers – who had held the initial meeting with Burke – was not present. In a High Court hearing, it was revealed that Mr Rogers had not attended the meeting due to illness.

The Burkes could reportedly be heard chanting in the hallway: ‘It’s a sham. It’s a cover-up.’ 

Gardaí had to escort board members from a Mullingar hotel while they were being followed by members of Burke’s family 

Two days later, it was announced that Burke had officially been dismissed from his position at the school for for intimidating and harassing a colleague and breaching the confidence of the child who was in the process of transitioning.

At the time, a statement from the school read: ‘He was informed in person at 3:30pm this afternoon in the presence of chairperson of the board of management John Rogers and principal Frank Milling that he was dismissed.’ 

One week later, the High Court ruled that Burke would be fined €700 a day if he continued ignoring the court order which requires him to stay away from the school. 

Burke appealed the board’s decision to dismiss him – which resulted in the case going to the Irish High Court in March.

Mr Justice Owens excluded the teacher on the first day after he continually interrupted proceedings and refused to comply with rules.

Scenes of pandemonium broke out at the Court of Appeal, as Burke, his parents and three of his siblings were physically dragged out of the courtroom by gardaí. 

Enoch’s mother, Martina Burke, accused the judges of ‘bowing to the altar of transgenderism’ while waving a copy of the Constitution. 

His sister Ammi, a solicitor, also attempted to argue with the judges mid-ruling, saying her brother’s constitutional rights were not being upheld.

Judge Birmingham asked her to sit down, and then requested that gardaí remove her from the courtroom.

During the hearing, Freda Malone said the school was concerned for the transgender student’s safety and feared Burke would continue making public protests in front of other students.

Meanwhile, Mr Galligan discussed Burke’s initial outburst at the staff meeting and his repeated attempts to remove the teacher from the premises during his suspension.

Following the hearing, Justice Owens made an order restraining Burke from trespassing on the school premises – but noted that this did not prevent him from being outside the gates.

In July, Burke was ordered to pay €15,000 to Wilson’s Hospital School to cover their legal fees and for damages.

Appearing before Justice Alexander Owens, Burke said that objecting to people being transgender was his right. 

Indefinite prison sentence 

In September, Burke was jailed for a second time after refusing to comply with the High Court order.

The school’s new headteacher Frank Milling said that having to lock doors was creating a health and safety issue for faculty. 

On top of this, the headteacher said he was unable to carry out some of his everyday duties as he has to monitor Burke – who has been known to follow cars through the gates.

After gaining access by following a bus in January, Mr Milling – who has expressed concern for how the situation is impacting current students – told Burke: ‘Stop. Stop. Get off the property.’  

Despite being removed from the premises by two uniformed gardaí, Burke returned to the gates following his release later that same day. 

Speaking at the gates, Burke told local press that he had been ‘wrongfully arrested’ for trespassing and insisted he has ‘broken no laws’ and ‘done nothing wrong’, the Irish Independent reports.

Justice Mark Heslin said there was ‘no dispute’ that Burke has ‘fragrantly breached’ court orders to stay away from the school.

As a result, the judge ordered that Burke remain in prison ‘indefinitely’ until he agrees to follow the court order and not return to his old workplace.

After finding Burke to be in contempt of court, Justice Mark Heslin asked the teacher on three occasions if he understood the order against him. However, Burke remained silent. 

Burke was returned to Mountjoy Prison – where he spent his first prison sentence – and was told he could be released if he agreed to stay away from the school. The former teacher has been imprisoned at the facility since September 8 and has been participating in court hearings via video link.

In November, Burke’s father Sean and brother Isaac were physically removed from the Court of Appeal for interrupting Justice John Edwards.

Last week, Burke’s mother Martina and sister Ammi were removed from the Court of Appeal after they began shouting at barristers and the judge upon entry.

The pair demanded that Eoin Lawlor BL – who is acting as the counsel for the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission – leave the courtroom.

On top of this, they accused the court of ‘making a fool’ of Enoch and said it was ‘corrupt’ that the teacher had to contribute via video-link while Lawlor was present.

Last night, Burke’s family protested outside the Wilson’s Hospital School, which was hosting their annual carol concert.

His mother held a sign reading: ‘Enoch Burke stood for school ethos and is in Mountjoy for Christmas.’

His brother’s sign read: ‘Enoch Burke jailed for his Christian belief.’ 

‘Christmas in Mountjoy for Christian teacher,’ his father’s sign read. 

A “woke-free” beer company has released a calendar for “conservative dads” featuring the “real women of America.”

Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer was launched to compete with Bud Lite after the disastrous partnership with Dylan Mulvaney.

The beverage company recently teamed up with women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines to sell a ‘Real Women of America’ 2024 calendar.

Their calendar is the first to “specifically spotlight the most beautiful conservative women in America,” the company claims.

Along with Gaines, many other well-known conservative women have agreed to appear on the calendar, posing in bikinis, wearing red, white and blue or showing off their gun collections.

Dana Loesch, Kim Klacik, Sara Gonzales, Ashley St. Clair, Josie The Redheaded Libertarian and Peyton Drew are just a few of the other “big names” the ultra-conservative beer company has on its calendar – which they market as a Christmas gift for ‘conservative fathers’.

The partnership has pledged to donate 10 percent of sales to “the Riley Gaines Center” – a foundation founded by the swimmer that aims to “protect” women’s sports from a “far-left ideology that wants to destroy women’s athletics.”

Seth Weathers, 39, founded the ‘woke-free’ American beer – he said: ‘This calendar is in no way intended to disparage trans women… because there is no such thing as a ‘trans woman’.’

“Beer companies used to be about great beer, American patriotism, fun, fast cars and beautiful real women,” Weathers said. “We’re bringing all these things back, but better than ever.

“If you know which toilet to use, you know which beer to drink,” the company’s website says. “Stop giving money to companies that hate our values.”

Weathers started his company because he was so angry about Bud Light’s campaign with Mulvaney.

Mulvaney teamed up with the brewing giant in April as part of its March Madness campaign, dressed up as Holly Golightly, and was gifted a can of light beer with an image of her face embossed.

The move sparked a backlash among critics of the trans community. When singer Kid Rock opened fire on cans of Bud Light while wearing a Trump MAGA hat, a boycott caused sales to drop by more than 25 percent.

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer recently stepped down amid the company’s continued sales decline following Bud Light’s disastrous collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year.

The Georgia native hated the campaign with so much passion that he was inspired to create his own beer that was “woke-free.”

Ultra Right Beer quickly gained support — even making half a million dollars in 12 hours after it released a special edition featuring former President Donald Trump’s mugshot.

But recent price drops — from $25 in September to the current price of $10 for a six-pack — indicate the product may not taste as good as conservative dads had hoped.

The beer company’s website pledged to donate 10 percent of sales from the limited-edition mugshot beer to Georgia’s GOP defense fund.

“Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer puts our money where our mouth is – doing our part to fight back against the unjust persecution of American patriots,” Weathers said.

The cans were sold online with the caption: “Each sale defends conservatives against unconstitutional prosecution by Fulton County’s communist district attorney!”

Riley Gaines’ recent partnership with the beer company is just a small part of the work she’s done to speak out against trans athletes in women’s sports.

Earlier this week, she gave testimony before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Health, hitting back at “squad” members AOC and Summer Lee for their views on transgender athletes.

A Melbourne council is facing backlash over its new flag policy, which will see 20 minority flags, including nine different pride flags, fly alongside the Australian flag all year round.

Yarra City Council will fly the flags at the Clifton Hill depot and at three town halls in Richmond, Collingwood and Fitzroy.

Each location will fly the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flag daily, but will have a separate flagpole to ‘symbolize and celebrate its diverse community’.

The twenty flags that will be rotated on that pole include the asexual flag, the aromantic flag (for people who do not feel romantic attraction), the intersex-inclusive flag and the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic – despite not being is officially recognized as a nation. West Africa.

“Our flags represent the diverse history, identity and diversity of our community,” the Yarra Council website says.

“Yarra remains committed to flying flags that align with the Council’s values ​​and policies.

“Flying flags symbolizes identity, makes people in our community feel heard and seen, promotes respect and inclusivity for all, raises awareness and creates a sense of community pride.”

The change in flag policy, introduced by the Greens-leaning council, will see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags fly every day of the year.

However, the Australian flag will be removed three times a year – while both Indigenous flags will be flown at half-mast.

Those days include Australia Day on January 26, National Sorry Day on May 26 and April 15, which marks the anniversary of the Aboriginal deaths in custody report.

The Intersex Inclusive Pride Flag will be flown on two separate dates, while the Intersex Flag will be flown on the Intersex Day of Remembrance.

The aromantic flag, which sparked controversy after it was raised in 2021, will fly for an entire week in February.

On February 27, the Yarra Council will fly the flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, despite the West African ‘nation’ – which claims part of Morocco – not being formally recognized by the United Nations.

Revisions to the flag policy were approved in August after being discreetly included in a board report, with the details and changes separate from the main agenda.

“Our flags represent the diverse history, identity and diversity of our community,” the Yarra Council website says.

“Yarra remains committed to flying flags that align with the Council’s values ​​and policies.

“Flying flags symbolizes identity, makes people in our community feel heard and seen, promotes respect and inclusivity for all, raises awareness and creates a sense of community pride.”

Council Watch chairman Dean Hurlston described the new flag policy as ‘ridiculous’ and claimed councils needed a ‘reality check’.

“The Australian flag is the one flag we all want to keep flying,” Hurlston told Sky News Australia’s Peta Credlin on Monday evening.

“For Yarra to take him down and regularly replace him, and then leave 20 other flags flying, is just more evidence that councils, council officers, CEOs and executives are now the real woke brigade.”

“Wasting $12 million of our money, creating ridiculous policies when there are potholes everywhere, the streets are full of junk and we can’t get the basics done.”

Mr Hurlston said he also wondered where the straight pride flag was and claimed straight people were being lost in the policy.

“Somehow straight people get lost in that, and as a gay man I don’t understand any of this,” Hurlston said.

Residents branded the policy a ‘circus’ and asked why dates such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day were ignored.

Yarra Residents Collective spokesperson Adam Promnitz said the council was acting like the United Nations rather than trying to help residents with basic services such as playgrounds, roads and waste services.

“They spend more time tying flags than providing services to their residents and taxpayers,” Promnitz told the newspaper. Herald Sun.

Yarra Council is not alone in causing controversy over its flag selections. Last month, Merri-bek’s council raised the Palestinian flag in protest against Israel’s continued military actions in Gaza.