#knighted

[just-floetcoeur]

“Gather the soldiers, the heir to enfold. Crown him and give him a sceptre to hold.”

@cuppochino

[lewisarchive]

Sir Lewis Hamilton and his mother, Carmen, on the day Lewis was knighted (2021)

[illustratus]

[itsmythang]

Idris Elba has officially been knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle. He is now Sir Idris Elba.

The honor recognizes not only his acclaimed acting career but also his charitable work and advocacy for young people and opportunities in underserved communities.

[smbhax]

Action Comics #106, March 1947. Wayne Boring cover pencils, Stan Kaye inks.

Info from Grand Comics Database

[100gayicons]

I started this tumblr in 2021, a little over 4 years ago, posting about diversity of LGBT People. The thing I’ve learned by researching the lives of others, is that we achieve greater happiness outside the closet. And our strength in numbers helps to oppose the homophobia in the world.

I thought Chris Bryant was a fitting person for my 300th post. He delivered a powerful speech the importance of Gay Pride to Parliament on Monday June 23, 2025.

“People ask me, “Why on earth do you need a Pride Month? Do you really need LGBT History Month? What’s the point of Pride marches and Pride flags? Hasn’t the world changed? Haven’t you already got same-sex marriage and adoption, gays in the police and the military, and laws that protect people from discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender reassignment? What more do you want?” That is what I hear all the time, even from really well-meaning, liberal souls.

But we have always needed Pride. We needed it when people lazily assumed that a short haircut meant that you were a lesbian or a lisp meant that you were gay. We needed it when people laughed at Larry Grayson and John Inman but forced them to hide their sexuality. We needed it when people said that we should be harassed, arrested and locked up for loving who we wanted. We needed it when the police wore rubber gloves to arrest us, just in case we gave them AIDS. We needed it when we were called queer, faggot and arse bandit at school. We needed it when we were sneered at, spat at, punched, kicked and beaten up.

And we need Pride now—when kids are still bullied because they are camp or butch; when families still throw their LGBT children out of the home; when many are so worn down by abuse that they take their own lives; when so many are so terrified of coming out that they live lives of terrible, crushing loneliness; when people are abused for wanting to transition; when our cousins in Hungary are denied the right to demonstrate; when the state police in many countries deliberately entrap homosexuals; when trans people are treated as less than human; and when homosexuality is still illegal in 63 countries, including 38 that apply those rules to women, and including more than half the Commonwealth. Yes, we still need Pride.”

Chris Bryant was knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for political and public service.

Bryant entered into a civil partnership with Jared Cranney in 27 March 2010. The ceremony was the first civil partnership ever held in the Houses of Parliament. On their 10th anniversary they got married.

“The Daily Mail once referred to me as an “ex-gay vicar”. I am an ex-vicar, but the other stuff is coming along quite nicely. In fact, I am a practising homosexual—one day I will be quite good at it.”

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[jhaelune]

@daily-writing-challenge August 2025 Day 5 "Attack"

Adronis grinned and pulled his shield from his back. "You're gonna roll way farther than that wheel did!" The burly squire drew his mace and took a few paces away from everyone else, rolling his shoulder and getting into a stance.

Tyelin rolled his eyes and turned dramatically away from the others as well. "This isn't fair you know he should be paired with someone his own size!" He pushed a few loose chestnut curls out of his face and likewise readied his shield and sword. "Let's get this over with."

The usually languid and distractible squire leapt into action, spinning with a side swipe to his larger opponent.

"One!" Jhaelune called, grinning at this burst of initiative from Tyelin. She pushed her hood back to have her full peripheral vision and revealed the tightly wound topknot bun of warm ginger hair she usually sported.

Adronis grunted at the strike. "It's even because you cheat," he counted and easily pushing his opponents sword wide, got a heavy hit with his mace to Tyelin's chest.

"One-one!" Came the call from their mentor. She began to circle the pair, watching their feet and their posture. Lorien stood closer to the river, only half paying attention. His gaze kept returning to the rest of the length of the Dead Scar ahead of them to the south.

Trying to hop forward for a feint, Tyelin was knocked back again with a heave of Adronis' shield. The younger squire stumbled back a bit and didn't pull his own shield up in time to block another strike from the mace. "Oh come on!" He shouted and twisted away to square his footing again. "One-two!"

With his bearings back it was time for Tyelin's signature footwork. He danced up to his opponent, coming in at his shield side and then with a quick sidestep and twist, swung his sword to connect near Adronis' hip.

"Two-two!" Jhaelune folded her arms watching the match with amusement. It was rare for the pair to be so evenly matching and even Lorien was pulled from his troubled thoughts to watch his fellow initiates.

The fair-haired pair circled each other and Adronis spun his weapon in hand for a flourish before swinging in from above where he had the advantage of height. Tyelin kept his loose, fluid stance that made him hard to predict but he was ready for the strike, shield snapping up to stop the mace from striking him. He tried to press the advantage and swung in with his sword only for Adronis' own shield to glide in to intercept.

The larger elf was undeterred and with a heave of his shield shoving Tyelin back he swung overhand again and this time the blow connected at his opponents shoulder. Tyelin staggered back with a defeated grunt, pushing a few stray sweaty curls off his forehead.

"Two-three, Adronis! Well done." With a small clap, Jhaelune held out each of their waterskins from the hawkstrider saddles. She moved then to where Lorien stood, still nearer the water and mostly looking south.

"Are you ready?" She asked and put a hand on his shoulder. The curtain of shaggy dark hair that often hid his features was a small wall between them for a moment.

"I suppose." He turned his head slightly to look at her, only one of his eyes visible to meet her gaze.

"It's hard," she offered quietly, knowing all too well that the squire wondered exactly what she had wondered many times in this area.

Was my father here? Did he leave footprints here for me to fill? Did he leave a trail of vanquished Scourge through this spot? Did he die here? Did he suffer?

"You know better than some," she continued and gripped the shoulder of his armor tighter to give him a light shake. "Come then."

The Blood Knight and her initiate turned to rejoin the other two, with Tyelin having already plopped down to sit on the grassy ledge above the still darkened earth of the Dead Scar. Adronis lifted his waterskin in cheers to the other two and a grin spread across his wide face.

"Finally ready Lorien? If I best you as well, do we have to have a loser round to see who buys the ale?" He let out a big, loud laugh before tossing his water up onto the grass near Tyelin and then squared up with his weapon and shield.

Lorien drew his weapon at last, a long and well-forged greatsword he wielded in both hands. The weapon marked him immediately as being from either wealth or a military family with its impeccable craftsmanship. Lorien was the latter, though his remaining family was financially comfortable as well. It was the pressures of living up to the legacy that caused most of the squire's discomfort.

The pair circled each other for a few beats and though they were familiar enough with the other's fighting style they took the fight seriously enough to size each other up anew. Soon bored with this however, Adronis barreled forward, leading with his shield. He closed the distance before Lorien could stop him and swung underhanded from below his waist to hit the swordsman in his hip, knocking him back a few paces.

"One," Jhaelune called with another loud, single clap of her hands. "Adronis is running hot today, you'll have to work to keep up!"

The few steps the smaller elf had put between him and his opponent were all to his advantage however and he swung the blade low, striking at Adronis' calves. Too much reach and speed for the shield to get in his way this time.

"One-one! He's warming up!"

Adronis charged in, not to be outdone, this time leading with his weapon instead. Lorien was ready and parried the blow with his sword but they were then too close for him to make an attack of his own. The pair struggled there for a moment, Adronis trying to bring his shield up to push and Lorien trying to make an upward slash with his weapon.

With one last heave of his bulkier frame, Adronis shoved Lorien back and whacked solidly at his shoulder with the mace. The blow was quickly repaid with Lorien shrugging it off into a spin to swing his sword around to strike his opponent's back.

"Two- Oh! Two-two! Good movement Lorien!" Jhaelune had resumed her circling, watching the fight with great interest. Tyelin lounged on the grass and while not a poor fighter, his strength lied far more in his mastery of the Light and in helping the other two come together. In Lorien and Adronis, Jhaelune was always eager to see if sheer power or dedicated study would win the day.

Growling in frustration, Adronis barreled toward the other squire again, dipping low on his approach to try and catch Lorien under the guard of his longer weapon. With practiced grace that bordered on ease, the smaller elf tipped his blade down to deflect the swing. He then brought it up, trying to get in an attack of his own. The other squire wasn't deterred and brought his shield down on the tip of Lorien's sword, pushing in closer. This put them nearly face to face both breathing heavily as they strained to try and gain an advantage without pulling back.

Finally Adronis reared his head back and cracked his forehead against Lorien's from above. He barked out a triumphant laugh as the other squire staggered back and he pressed the attack, swinging his mace forward from where it had been pushed back to his hip.

For Lorien even ground that seemed lost could be used to his advantage and with a couple feet between them he spun himself and the greatsword toward his opponent's weapon arm to strike at Adronis' back. He leaned far to his left to ensure the oncoming mace didn't' connect with his belly in the exchange.

"Two-three, Lorien," Jhaelune called the score as the pair caught their breath. She passed them their respective waterskins and gave each a solid pat to their backs.

"Adronis you use your power to your advantage and I love your aggressive confidence but you need to think more about their next move. That's when you'll break into your next level."

The initiate only grunted, pouring some water into his hand to rub over his chiseled face and into his hair. After a moment of this he looked to Tyelin and the wide grin returned. "So are you going to challenge The General to win back some honor and keep your coin?"

Lorien rolled his eyes at the nickname and took slow, restoring sips of his water. Tyelin for his part, laughed and shook his head. Putting both palms to the grass behind him he pushed himself to sit up straighter.

"Absolutely not. I would pay to not have to do that. I'm parched." He got to his feet quickly, reminding Jhaelune that he really could move if he would just apply himself. "Besides," Tyelin continued in his casual, teasing tone as he shouldered himself in between the other two initiates. "My job is a lot more of just taking care you two," he declared and threw his arms around their shoulders. "Patching up this hunk of meat and making sure you don't get left behind all lost in thought."

The other two quickly shrugged out of the embrace and with the briefest glance between them, Adronis and Lorien both poured a splash from their water onto their companion's head.

"And to think! I was going to buy the first round!" Tyelin announced indignantly. He tugged part of his cloak up to try and dry his hair before flouncing off to climb back into his saddle.

"We could always make it a race," Jhaelune suggested, a wicked grin of her own coming into her face as she climbed into her saddle.

"If we did it that way, you'd never pay! And that's not fair, some of us are poor!" Regardless of if the others agreed to race, Tyelin urged his hawkstrider into a quick trot towards the road to get a head start.

Musical Accompaniment