LGBTQ news and entertainment
The Human Rights Campaign is calling on NBC, the official broadcaster of the Olympic Games, to call out Russia’s anti-gay policies during their telecast.
Chad Griffin says “NBCUniversal, which has the exclusive rights to broadcast the Olympics in the United States, has a unique opportunity — and a responsibility — to expose this inhumane and unjust law to the millions of American viewers who will tune in to watch the Games.’
Read the full letter here
(via TheBackLot.com)
The anti-gay National Organization for Marriage thinks so highly of the Human Rights Campaign’s work with Facebook and their logo that they’ve had a great idea – copy it!
Wow. Original. Marketing fail….
As Jeremy Hooper at NOM Exposed points out, negative/hateful energy may not get the same embrace at the fight for equal rights…
The Human Rights Campaign has put together an infographic detailing some of what the HRC feels are the more likely outcomes from the Supreme Court arguments in the Prop. 8 and DOMA cases. Click the graphic to view larger.
The Human Rights Campaign has released a new Municipal Equality Index designed to rate cities much like the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
The index rates 137 cities, including the country’s 50 largest cities, the 50 state capitals, and 75 municipalities with a high proportion of same-sex couples.
From ThinkProgress: The index measured cities according to non-discrimination policies and partnership recognition, as well as LGBT inclusion in civil services and law enforcement. Eleven of the cities scored a 100 percent rating, while 25 percent had at least 80 points. Here are the cities with the perfect scores:
- Long Beach, California
- Los Angeles, California
- San Diego, California
- San Francisco, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- St. Louis, Missouri
- New York, New York
- Portland, Oregon
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Seattle, Washington
ThinkProgress points out that the index doesn’t necessarily rate a city’s “welcoming climate” but helps to point out where cities are making an effort to be inclusive of LGBT folks. And, it goes without saying, inclusiveness and equality makes for better business for attracting business talent and economic growth.
Check out the index at Human Rights Campaign.
Sally Field (Places in the Heart, Steel Magnolias, Norma Rae, Brothers & Sisters) talked about being the proud mom to a gay son as she accepted the Human Rights Campaign’s Ally for Equality Award on Saturday in Washington, D.C.
Field spoke of how her youngest son Sam, who introduced his mother at the event, was different from his two older brothers and how she supported Sam on his journey to come out, which he did at age 20.
“Nature made Sam, it wasn’t a choice,” Field said.
Watch the video. Pretty fab.
Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diego, California speaks out about his support for marriage for gays and lesbians, and encourages others in his party to do the same.
The Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry are running this ad in Tampa during the Republican National Convention.
Wow. I think this is very effective. Great message to send that, yes, marriage equality IS a family value.
The newest video in HRC’s ‘Americans for Marriage Equality’ campaign featuring fun. guitarist and vocalist Jack Antonoff.
Fun’s “We Are Young (Feat. Janelle Monáe)” is the highest-selling single so far in 2012.
Says Antonoff:
“Hey! I’m Jack Antonoff from the band ‘fun.’ Touring around the country my bandmates and I are completely blown away by the love and support we get from our fans. And it’s completely insane to us that some of them aren’t afforded the same rights simply because they’re gay or lesbian. Join me, my band mates and the majority of Americans in the fight for marriage equality nationwide.”
Approximately 53% of the American public supports marriage for same-sex couples, according to a number of nonpartisan polls, including Gallup, CNN, and Washington Post/ABC News.
According to reports, the D.C. office of the Human Rights Campaign and the office for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force were evacuated after police passed along credible bomb threats.
Staff have since returned to the HRC office following the “all clear” from D.C. police, but the story concerning the NGLTF is still developing.
(source)
The National Organization for Marriage claims either Human Rights Campaign or an IRS official broke the law by releasing and disseminating the hateful group’s 2008 tax returns listing their major donors, including Mitt Romney. Now NOM president Brian Brown is floating the threat of a federal investigation.
“The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), today demanded a federal investigation of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to determine who was responsible for releasing NOM’s confidential federal tax return information to the Huffington Post,” the group wrote on their blog.
From Brian Brown:
It appears that someone with either the IRS or the HRC may have committed a federal crime by illegally obtaining and then releasing a confidential tax return of the National Organization for Marriage.
It’s clear that the tax return was stolen, either from NOM or from the government. The Huffington Post article says that HRC claimed they received the document from a ‘whistleblower.’ But the term ‘whistleblower’ is completely inapt. We’re talking about a criminal who has stolen confidential tax return information. We demand to know who this criminal is, whether they work for the HRC or the IRS, and how they obtained confidential tax information filed only with the US government.”
I would like to know what the HRC knew and when did they know it. It certainly appears that either the HRC was involved in illegally obtaining this tax return themselves, or they worked with a criminal who stole it from NOM or the IRS. Either way, it appears that a federal crime may have been committed.
Yes, Brian. The Human Rights Campaign broke into your “offices” and stole the documents and then leaked the docs to themselves. Santa Claus kept watch while the Easter Bunny drove the getaway car.
But great way to deflect from the issue of your organization’s divisive race baiting strategies.
From The Republic.com: The Omaha City Council has just approved a city law by a vote of 4-3 protecting LGBT people from employment discrimination.
The proposal, put forward by Councilman Ben Gray, would apply to employers, employment agencies, job training programs, labor groups, public accommodations and businesses that contract with the city. It also would provide exemptions for religious organizations.
A similar proposal failed to pass in October 2010 on a 3-3 vote. Nebraska’s anti-discrimination laws and federal regulations don’t extend protection to gay and transgender people.
The Human Right Campaign reacts via press release.
“Omaha is a world class city that now joins the ranks of other major American cities standing strong for fairness,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The city council should be proud for affirming the principle that what matters is how you do your job, not who you are.” HRC is proud to have partnered with Equal Omaha in advocating for the ordinance. The organization activated its local members and supporters as well as provided local leaders with strategic advice and financial support. HRC also provided data from its workplace project that shows 86 percent of Fortune 500 companies have their own policies against sexual orientation non-discrimination and nearly half cover gender identity.”