Month: October 2020

Of all the harsh immigration policies the Trump administration has enacted, from slashing America’s refugee resettlement program to building “The Wall,” taking thousands of children away from their parents is by far the worst. The “zero tolerance” policy of separating families at the border drew so much international outrage that the administration eventually abandoned it and was ordered by the courts to reunite the families. In some cases, that process took far more than a year.

Now, an investigation shows that the implementation of the policy was even more inhumane than we knew.

According to the New York Times, five prosecuting attorneys who were told about the new policy in May of 2018 “recoiled” when Attorney General Jeff Sessions told them “We need to take away the children.” The attorneys told officials in the Department of Justice that they were “deeply concerned” about the welfare of the children subject to that policy.

A week later, deputy attorney general Rod J. Rosenstein told the prosecutors on a call that it didn’t matter how young the children were. Government attorneys had apparently refused to prosecute two cases in which the children were barely more than infants, and it was made clear that they should not have done that.

“Per the A.G.’s policy, we should NOT be categorically declining immigration prosecutions of adults in family units because of the age of a child,” John Bash, the departing U.S. attorney in western Texas, wrote to his staff immediately after the call. Bash was the one who had declined the cases involving babies, but Rosenstein overruled him.

This information comes from a draft report of a two-years investigation by the DOJ’s inspector general, which included more than 45 interviews with key officials in addition to emails and documents. Officials say the final report could change, but what was revealed is shocking, even for those who are familiar with the policy and its implementation.

ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt expressed his shock at the report on Twitter.

Among the revelations in the report:

– A secret pilot program in 2017 along the Mexico border in Texas alarmed government attorneys. “We have now heard of us taking breastfeeding defendant moms away from their infants,” one government prosecutor wrote to his superiors. “I did not believe this until I looked at the duty log.”

– Border Patrol was stretched so thin from the family separation prosecutions that they missed serious felony cases, with one Texas prosecutor warning the DOG that “sex offenders were released” as a result.

– U.S. Marshals had no warning before the policy was announced, which led to overcrowding and budget overruns because there was not preparation for it.

– DOJ officials have long claimed that they thought children would be reunited with their parents within hours, but there was no actual plan in place to get families reunited. “We found no evidence, before or after receipt of the memorandum, that D.O.J. leaders sought to expedite the process for completing sentencing in order to facilitate reunification of separated families,” the inspector general wrote.

Reading the NTY report, when confronted with who was ultimately responsible for the welfare of the children and for reuniting the with their parents, the officials involved in the policy either refuse to comment or point fingers elsewhere. No one wants to be the one to say, “I’m the monster,” and of course the individual ultimately responsible for all federal policy is the president himself.

In fact, according to the Times:

“Gene Hamilton, a top lawyer and ally of Stephen Miller, the architect of the president’s assault on immigration, argued in a 32-page response that Justice Department officials merely took direction from the president. Mr. Hamilton cited an April 3, 2018, meeting with Mr. Sessions; the homeland security secretary at the time, Kirstjen Nielsen; and others in which the president ‘ranted’ and was on ‘a tirade,’ demanding as many prosecutions as possible.”

When “Prosecute ’em all!” becomes the policy or even misdemeanor illegal entry cases of asylum-seekers crossing the border in an area other than a port of entry, and no one plans for the fallout, chaos is inevitable and children ultimately pay the price.

“The department’s single-minded focus on increasing prosecutions came at the expense of careful and effective implementation of the policy, especially with regard to prosecution of family-unit adults and the resulting child separations,” the draft report said.

And what of the Border Patrol agents charged with carrying out the assignment of taking babies out of their parents’ arms? One of them spoke to PBS Frontline about what that was like:

Make no mistake—children were traumatized by this policy. How could they not be? And that cruelty was exactly the point. Our government decided that punishing parents by traumatizing children would be an effective deterrent for people trying to enter the U.S., no matter what their circumstances.

There are certain lines that we, as a civilized society, simply should not cross. Knowingly causing harm to children is one of those lines. And the U.S. not only crossed that line, but hurdled over it with Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy. Our own “of the people, by the people” government deliberately hurting babies and children is what we should truly have zero tolerance for. Not in our name. Not our watch.

It’s safe to say we’re in the holiday shopping season. To mark the occasion, various brands are beginning to unload some truly coveted colorways, designs, and high-profile collaborations. Whether you’re trying to rep Paris St-Germain with some Bordeaux-toned Jordan 4s, adding to the lineage of the Jordan 3 Cements with a brand new iteration, or you want to close out the year repping Kobe with Los Angeles-based label RHUDE’s newest capsule collection, this week has the sorts of sneaker and apparel drops that people base their entire personalities around.

If you like style and streetwear at all, you definitely know someone who would absolutely flip to receive at least one of the releases from this week. If you are the person flipping over these drops, well… here you go! Let’s dive into the best sneaker and apparel releases of the week!

ASICS GEL-Lyte III OG

Like the Air Max 90, ASICS’ GEL-Lyte III turns 30 this year. To celebrate, ASICS is dropping the GEL-Lyte III in some of its OG colorways. If there was ever a time to pick up some GEL-Lytes, that time is now!

Originally designed by Shigeyuki Mitsui, the GEL-Lyte III features a mesh fabric and synthetic suede upper with GEL cushioning at the heel for a performance-based fit. Thanks to these OG colorways, the silhouette hasn’t looked this dope all year.

The ASICS GEL-Lyte III OG is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair at the ASICS web store or select ASICS retailers.

Aimé Leon Dore New Balance 550

Young, hungry, Queens-based label Aimé Leon Dore always nails their sneaker collaborations and this week’s New Balance 550 collection is probably their best of 2020. The four colorway set features full-grain leather uppers with mesh underlays, rubber outsoles, a textured “N,” and dual branding.

They’re simple, super clean, and classic enough to never go out of style. New Balance has been absolutely killing it this year, throwing down at a level only seen by the likes of Nike and Adidas. That’s a serious claim and we stand by it.

The Aimé Leon Dore New Balance 550s are set to drop on October 9th for a retail price of $130. Join the raffle to grab a pair at the Aimé Leon Dore webstore.

Adidas YEEZY QNTM Teal Blue

If we had to grade the output coming out of YEEZY Supply this year, we’d give them a solid B. While Kanye has been making headlines for his usual manic reasons, YEEZY Supply has been churning out a steady stream of sneakers giving the brand its most consistent and active year ever.

The YEEZY QNTM features a Primeknit upper with suede accents and a translucent midsole with a colorway of gray, black, and teal.

The Adidas YEEZY QNTM in Teal Blue is set to drop on October 10th for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair at the Adidas online store or through YEEZY Supply.

Air Jordan 3 Blue Cement

If you’re a hardcore sneakerhead the Air Jordan 3 Blue Cement has probably been on your radar for a while, as it previously dropped in the European market. A remix of a classic colorway, the Blue Cement features a premium leather upper dressed in Nike’s iconic Game Royal colorway.

The Blue Cement follows this year’s Red Cement colorway — which suggests that Nike is turning this into a Cement series. If so, we’re all for it!

The Air Jordan 3 Blue Cement is set to drop on October 10th for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app or select Nike retailers.

Air Jordan 4 Paris Saint-Germain

If watching Netflix’s Sneakerheads has you itching for a pair of Jordan 4s, we feel you. Yet another reason why we can’t recommend this Paris Saint-Germain celebrating colorway enough. You don’t have to be a fan of elite soccer clubs to dig this iteration of the Jordan 4 — the upper’s colorway of white, black, and Bordeaux are reason enough.

While non-soccer fans will have to settle for a heel that reads “Paris” at least Nike had the good sense to swap the team’s Eiffel Tower icon for the classic Jumpman logo. The result is one of the best Jordan 4 drops of the year.

The Air Jordan 4 Paris Saint-Germain is set to drop on October 10th for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app.

Teddy Fresh Splatter Print Set

Following a drop full of fall and winter essentials — like the embroidery-assisted Barbed wire sweat set and some fresh looking jacquard knit tees — Teddy Fresh is back this week with a mini-drop consisting of a paint-splattered hoodie and matching pants in your choice of black or white.

The hoodies feature a Pollock-esque splattering of colors with wavy Teddy Fresh branding at the left breast.

The Teddy Fresh Splatter Print will drop on October 8th exclusively at the Teddy Fresh online store.

RHUDE LA Lakers Capsule Collection

This week Los Angeles-based label RHUDE will drop a collection celebrating hometown heroes, The Los Angeles Lakers. While any Lakers collaboration makes us nervous — purple and gold say little else besides “Lakers” — this collaboration is pretty tasteful, with workwear-inspired muted colorways that recall the basketball franchise without hitting you over the head with its imagery.

Highlights from the collection include lightning-bold adorned bomber jackets, quarter-zips, knit sweaters, and the signature RHUDE Logo Hat.

The RHUDE LA Lakers Capsule collection is out now, shop the looks at the RHUDE or the LA Lakers webstore.

Supreme Fall/Winter 2020 Drop 7

The big collaboration for Supreme’s seventh drop is Fox Racing and, honestly, we’re not digging on it. Luckily, the rest of the Fall/Winter 2020 drop is pretty solid — consisting of winter-focused apparel like sweaters, long sleeves, and rain-ready Technical Field Jackets.

Highlights from the collection include Supreme-branded beanies, the camo-inspired Field Jacket, and the variety of multi-colored crewnecks with alterations on the Supreme lettered logo. This drop consisted of just one gimmick product, a Supreme branded tube of Colgate — who are these gimmick products even for anymore?

The seventh Supreme Fall/Winter 2020 collection is set to drop on October 8th. Shop the looks at the Supreme online store.

The Lakers and Heat will face off on Friday in a Game 5 matchup that will determine whether the 2020 NBA Finals continue in Orlando, or if the Lakers will return to Los Angeles as champions.

Over the past three-plus months, players have dealt with the unique challenges of the NBA Bubble, as they have gone through a playoffs unlike any other. They have spent significant time away from loved ones, home arenas, and anything resembling their typical routine. On top of all of that, players have been vocal throughout their time in Orlando in speaking out about issues facing their communities, from police violence, to voter suppression, to the systemic inequality that has put Black Americans at an inherent, structural disadvantage. Their organizations have followed suit, with the Heat making a pledge to be more vocal and active in supporting the Black community and the fight for social justice, while the Lakers Foundation has expanded its efforts, particularly in the area of education and trying to bridge the digital divide in low-income communities in L.A.

There is little in the way of normalcy for the NBA — and, really, everyone — in 2020, but despite neither team being in Miami or Los Angeles during the Finals, both organizations made sure to continue the tradition of completing a Finals Legacy Project in their home communities during the series. It’s an annual tradition, but one that is even more acutely important in 2020, given the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the disadvantaged. As such, both teams targeted significant areas of need in their cities for their Legacy Projects which continue their efforts to expand their community work prior to the Bubble beginning.

The Lakers partnered with Challengers Clubhouse at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro L.A. to create a new Makers Space STEM lab that will help bridge the digital divide. The lab, which will be finished after the Finals end, provides kids with equipment like dozens of Chromebooks and iPads, as well as a safe space to go to school, have proper resources and internet access, and receive assistance as they go through remote learning. As the Lakers Foundation’s Kiesha Nix, who was joined by Robert Horry for the reveal of the plans for the new Makers Space prior to Game 2, told Dime, conversations with local organizations helped them realize the issue of children not having proper equipment, internet access, or a place to do remote learning in Los Angeles.

“Having a safe space for the kids – it’s one thing giving kids a device, which we learned, and then having them having access to the wifi, so we learned that too, but a lot of the kids have parents who are first responders or their job entails them going into a location, so they need a place for the kids to go,” Nix says. “So we were excited when the Boys and Girls Clubs we support, specifically Challengers, were able to open back up. That meant they had somewhere to take the kid, a safe space, socially distant, making sure they were adhering to appropriate protocols. So if the kids are there, we need to make sure they have all the resources there to be able to do their work and keep up with everyone. So this Makers Space is twofold. It definitely gives the technology needed, but it also gives a safe environment for the kids to come and have interaction with others, as long as it’s socially distanced and safe.”

The Heat worked with Feeding South Florida and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition for their Legacy Project. Former Heat standout Glen Rice joined the organization for a drive-thru food drive on Monday at Gwen Cherry Park that provided 600 families in need with boxes with milk, water, protein, produce, non-perishable goods, hand sanitizer, and team gear. They also joined the league and State Farm in providing a $45,000 donation to the FRRC’s Fines and Fees Program, which has also received support from LeBron’s More Than A Vote campaign, to help pay fees to remove the final barrier from citizens who have served time for felonies and otherwise had their rights fully restored, but faced financial obligations to the state that prevent them from being able to register to vote.

As Heat CMO Michael McCullough told Dime, this was an extension of their Juneteenth pledge to involve themselves even more in the fight for racial equality and work with two organizations they’ve aligned themselves with for some time. The events of Monday in Florida, in which the voter registration site crashed on the last day for people in Florida to register (the deadline was later pushed to Tuesday at 7 p.m.) only further cemented the importance of working with an organization like the FRRC to fight voter suppression and help communities still reeling from the impacts of the pandemic, even as attention shifts elsewhere.

“The fact that we were doing what we’re doing yesterday and that system crashed — and thankfully they extended the registration deadline to today at 7 — it just served to reiterate why we’re doing what we’re doing,” McCullough said. “Again, computer systems crash all the time, I think we understand that, but the timing is very peculiar and it just is another reason why us partnering with the FRRC makes sense, because regardless of which way you lean, the fact that we have people who have served their debt to society who are reentering back into society have another hurdle placed in front of them to be fully functioning members of society, that is not their fault. So that’s what the FRRC is trying to eradicate and we’re really proud to be partnering with them.

“And Feeding South Florida, we’ve been partnering with them on a number of things, not only since the pandemic, but in years prior,” McCullough continued. “All those cars that came through yesterday those folks were so appreciative of the help and support they were receiving, because the longer this pandemic goes on, people start to lose a little of their fervor to forgive and to remember there’s a bunch of people who are still hurting. Now that things are slowly opening back up, there’s a whole group of people who they’re not opening back up for, or those jobs they had aren’t there anymore. So the group at Feeding South Florida, the group at Health in the Hood that we partnered with, these people are doing great work and putting food on the table for families that don’t have an option right now.”

Along with those events, the teams invited members of each organization to be virtual fans for a game during the Finals, with kids from the Challengers Clubhouse attending Game 2 and members of the FRRC and Feeding South Florida attending Game 4, which only further brought them into the Finals experience.

“The kids at the club really feel like they were a part of the NBA Finals,” Nix said. “Like, Zooming them into the game was awesome. Some of the Club members even tuned in super early because they didn’t want to miss their opportunity.”

The Heat and Lakers are two franchises that pride themselves on organizational culture, and that extends beyond the walls of their facilities. Both Nix and McCullough stressed the importance of uplifting their communities to both organizations, noting it’s vital to help the people feel connected to the organization and to give back to the cities that support them so much.

“We have this organizational culture that everybody has come to recognize, but it’s not just what happens on the court,” McCullough said. “The way we look at it is, we have this incredible position of trust and respect that we’ve earned in this community and they’ve bestowed on us, but that also means we have an obligation and a responsibility to that community. Being in this position gives us the chance to do things that maybe other businesses in this town can’t do or aren’t expected to do. So when we see an opportunity like we saw yesterday with Feeding South Florida or the FRRC or to align with Black Girls Code, we see that and we’re like, this is where we’re supposed to be. It’s what people expect of us, and we appreciate that. That’s how we want to be. We look at ourselves as a community asset.”

The NBA, its teams, and its players have been adamant about the need to keep focus on issues beyond the court throughout the Bubble, and even as the Finals reach its potential conclusion, the Heat and Lakers made sure to follow through on that promise with their Legacy Projects. It’s an annual tradition in the NBA, and in 2020, even with teams away from those communities, those efforts are as important as ever.

Since returning home to the White House on Monday evening after being treated for COVID-19 at Walter Reed Medical Center, Donald Trump has been tweeting more than ever, which is a lot if you’re at all familiar with the President’s Twitter habit. However, this time, Trump stepped on a land mine when he decided to insult GOP strategist Steve Schmidt, who famously ran John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and is a co-founder of The Lincoln Project, a newly-formed political team consisting of “Never Trump Republicans.” Their aggressive attack ads have consistently gone viral and are clearly getting under the president’s skin based on this latest dust-up.

The situation began when former Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren chastised Schmidt for calling Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn a “five star fool.” Van Susteren’s tweet caught the President’s attention, and he saw an opportunity to take a crack at The Lincoln Project co-founder. In a boastful tweet, Trump wrote, “I’ve beaten him and his very few remaining clients so much, and so badly, that he has become a blathering idiot.”

This information was not only false, but the attack proved to be a mistake as it provoked Schmidt into unloading a massive Twitter thread taking the president to task for everything from his low SAT scores to his COVID diagnosis to his alleged $500 million debt.

Schmidt also made constant references to “Covita” the latest attack ad from The Lincoln Project. Released on Wednesday morning, the new spot parodies the hit musical “Evita” while criticizing Trump for his lack of concern for White House staffers after he immediately took off his mask before entering the residence despite being infected with COVID.

Judging by his tweet lashing out at Schmidt, it would seem Trump was not a fan. Then again, this could just be another example of Trump being Trump.

You can watch “Covita” below:

Since breaking out on TikTok, Benee has been on a gradual rise. The 20-year-old New Zealand singer was recently named one of Apple Music’s Up Next artist and even caught the attention of Elton John, who named Benee the next “global smash.” Now, the singer takes her hit “Supalonely,” off last year’s Stella & Steve EP, to late-night television with a lively performance on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

Backed by a full band, Benee takes over a retro arcade for an animated rendition of “Supalonley.” Amid flashing arcade games and vintage patterned carpet, Benee delivers each verse with gusto. Mocking post-breakup blues, Benee sings: “I knew this would happen, still hard to believe it / Maybe I’m dramatic, I don’t wanna seem it / I don’t wanna panic.”

Benee’s success can be attributed in part to the app TikTok. “Supalonely” was uploaded to the platform for use in dancing videos back in March, and some of the app’s biggest stars were seen dancing to Benee’s song. Since gaining a following from the app, “Supalonely” was played 6.9 billion times in March alone and has been now been certified Platinum.

Watch Benee perform “Supalonely” on Late Night With Seth Meyers above and revisit our interview with Benee here.

As LeBron James nears his fourth NBA championship, it appears he is becoming nocturnal in an effort to remain vigilant about the task at hand of closing out the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Prior to a powerful Game 4 win, James reportedly shot his Lakers teammates a text message in the middle of the night with a simple message: That the following night’s game was a must-win.

“We see the message from our leader saying this is a must-win,” Anthony Davis told The Athletic. “and he just left it at that.”

As James would later explain it, the text was not only a byproduct of his fierce competitiveness, but also his inability to fall asleep lately. With Game 4 clinched and the Lakers on the cusp of a championship, James elaborated to reporters about his recent insomnia.

Here’s what he said:

“We understand what’s at stake,” James explained. “The job is not done. We get an opportunity to get our bodies back underneath us with an extra day of rest but also keep our minds sharp. I am looking forward, once again, to looking at the film tomorrow. Do all around the clock treatment and treating it like we play Thursday. I’m going to continue to get the work in and continue to not sleep until the job is done. So, I look forward to the next match.”

It may not seem like a great idea to play a deciding NBA Finals game having not slept in a few days, but at this point James’ judgment probably supersedes ours. If it pays off, he’ll have several months to get plenty of sleep before next season.

There are side effects to the no sleeping plan, as the King gets a little bored late at night in the Bubble. That much was clear when James posted a joking meme overnight following Game 4.

Difficulty sleeping is understandable in James’ position, but it is admittedly pretty funny that he’s actively staying awake in order to keep his game face on.

If you’ve been holding on to a pair of the original Nike Air Wovens, prepare to lose your mind. Your old woven pair of shoes just jumped up in value and sneakerhead credibility. On a new episode of Uproxx Style Editor Eli Gesner’s The Masters, Alife’s Rob Cristofaro (Rob 1970) revealed that each of the original pairs of Nike Air Woven Footscapes released through Alife’s original Orchard Street store in the Lower East Side have a one-of-a-kind tag from Philadelphia graffiti legend Espo hidden under their insoles.

“We took these sneakers and right away we gave them to Espo,” Cristofaro says at the 10-minute mark of the episode. “Espo took them all, took all the insoles out, and signed each insole. So the first Nike Air Woven sneakers that the people have in America all have messages within them, no one even know this shit… If you have the first Nike Air Wovens you can take the insole out and you will find some shit.”

While images of the original Nike Air Wovens and information about the debut colorways are scarce (the sneakers dropped 20 years ago), according to Grailed we know that one of those pairs featured an Anthracite and Neutral- Grey-Spice colorway and resold as late as two years ago for a cool $200. Congratulations to whoever scooped up that mint condition pair!

We also want to say sorry to any person who mindlessly threw their Nike Air Wovens away without ever knowing they were holding on to an Espo original — we sincerely feel for you. Why the team at Alife decided to keep this Easter egg hidden for so long, we’ll never know, but it has us wondering what else the label has been hiding throughout its storied history on the streetwear scene.

To see Eli Gesner lose his sh*t at the news of Cristofaro’s reveal, watch the full episode above.

Petey is a unique creature, combining elements of emo, electronic, and folk music into a sound that is unmistakably Petey. He dropped his short-but-sweet High Life From The Bottle On The Beach EP earlier this year, and now he’s back with more new music, the climactic “Don’t Tell The Boys.”

The track features some characteristically silly lyrics about things like The OC, but also some more heartfelt words, including the closing lyrics, “Don’t tell the boys that we just had our little talk / You know in tougher times, us guys decide we’d rather walk the walk / I’ll always be a lending ear, I’ll be your elephant best friend / Don’t tell the boys we’ve got each other, and I’ll love you ’til the end.”

In mid-September, as part of a run of Gen-Z-themed tweets, Petey tweeted, “Hey party people. sorry to bother you… I just wanted to make an announcement that yes I am gen z. And I will be releasing lit music on spotify soon.” That same day, he noted, “I’m releasing an ep on October 9th called checkin’ up on buds.” There doesn’t appear to have been a more official announcement made about a Petey EP titled Checkin’ Up On Buds, so keep an eye on Petey this Friday in case that drops.

Meanwhile, we spoke with Petey back in May and he shared advice for his 18-year-old self that could apply to anybody at any stage of life: “Let time do its thing. Don’t be scared. Get scuba certification. Be nice. Talking sh*t is a projection of your own insecurity. Take advice with a grain of salt. Stop trying to read, just listen and look at stuff for a really long time. Trust yourself. Stop trying to focus. Keep spacing out. Don’t buy new clothes. Don’t be embarrassed. Try to make choices out of love not fear. Increase physical strength.”

Watch the “Don’t Tell The Boys” video above.

The second free Free Guy trailer (starring Ryan Reynolds as an video-game NPC character who gains awareness) debuted two days ago, and that’s notable for a few reasons: (1) The first trailer surfaced in November 2019, but you-know-what-happened to the original June 2020 release date; (2) People are truly craving new movies, and that’s reflected in the trailer’s almost absurdly huge view count. According to Hollywood Reporter, all of the platforms that are airing the trailer have gathered up a total of 55 million views so far.

Yes, people always want to see Ryan Reynolds, and this looks like a fun movie (also starring Jodie Comer as Molotov Girl, along with Taika Waititi and Alex Trebek in a cameo), but people could use a Good Guy now. And as Hollywood Reporter points out, last year’s trailer scored around 40 million views, so that’s a sizeable bump. (People are missing movie theaters, and that can’t be denied.) For comparison’s sake, the Shawn Levy-directed movie is outdoing his last wildly popular movie, and an MCU entry:

In terms of comps, this week’s Free Guy trailer surpassed Levy’s Ready Player One (44.5 million) and Marvel’s family-friendly Ant-Man and the Wasp (50 million), according to those with access to the stats.

The trailer is spread out all over the place, from Twitter and Instagram accounts to YouTube, where Reynolds’ page has scored about ten times the amount of 20th Century Fox’s page, so they definitely cast the right guy in this movie. Of course, there’s virtually no way that the film’s current release date (December 11) will actually happen in theaters, given that almost all the tentpoles have pushed into 2021. Soooo… will we see Free Guy hot-drop on VOD anytime soon? After the very welcome reception to the trailer this week, surely people would open their wallets to watch this at home (and soon).

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy is calling out Comedy Central India after the channel aired a promo for season five of the Emmy-winning series. In the clip tweeted out by the Comedy Central India account, a same-sex kiss is noticeably edited out, which did not sit well with Levy, who has championed Schitt’s Creek as a celebration of inclusivity.

“You showed the kiss between two women, you showed the kiss between a woman and a man, then removed the kiss between two men?” Levy wrote. “This is a show about the power of inclusivity. The censorship of gay intimacy is making a harmful statement against that message. #loveislove”

Unfortunately, with Twitter being Twitter, users mistakenly thought Levy was calling out the entire Comedy Central network, which forced him to issue a follow-up clarifying the target of his criticism: “I thought I made this pretty clear but for those who are confused, this is about a channel in India. @ComedyCentral in America is not censoring the show,” Levy tweeted. “They have been lovely and respectful. Thank you for your time.”

You can see the clip along with Levy’s statement below:

Of course, Levy is concerned with the representation that played a central part of Schitt’s Creek. As the show geared up for its final season, he told Uproxx that hearing how the show continues to empower the LGBT community has been a comfort to him as he moves onto the next chapter.

Because meeting people and hearing their stories, and hearing how the show has affected their lives or has changed the way they feel about themselves or other people, their kids, particularly when it comes to the LGBTQ community, it’s been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. And I think we’ll always have the show around us in some capacity. It’s just what happens when something hits like that. And in a way, that’s comforting as well.

All six seasons of Schitt’s Creek are now available for streaming on Netflix.

(Via Dan Levy on Twitter)