Category Archives: Gay News From Around The Globe

WALMART: Retail Giant Will Not Drop LGBT+ Pride Month Merchandise.

WALMART: Retail Giant Will Not Drop LGBT+ Pride Month Merchandise.

Retail giant Walmart said on Wednesday that it has no plans to discontinue or remove LGBT-Pride Month merchandise, a week after rival Target pulled some LGBTQ-themed products following backlash organized by CPAC and the GOP.

Walmart’s Pride-themed merchandise tied to Pride Month includes rainbow-adorned flags, clothing, and accessories. Its “Pride & Joy” collection includes a $7.98 set of enamel pins with messages such as “Be you. Be Proud.” and “You are enough.”

“We haven’t changed anything in our assortment,” Latriece Watkins, Walmart’s chief merchandising officer, said.

Last week, Target pulled some Pride-related merchandise, including items by transgender designer Erik Carnell, saying the products led to “volatile circumstances,”.

The GOP-led attack on Target and LGBT Pride Month is now including Kohl’s as its next victim.

Will they take on Walmart? Doubtful, it’s far too big.

But what about one of the other the right-wing ‘s favorite weekend shopping hangouts?

TALLAHASSEE: Car Repair Shop Posts Hateful Anti-Gay Sign In Public.

TALLAHASSEE: Car Repair Shop Posts Hateful Anti-Gay Sign In Public.

Florida: The HATE state.

A homophobic sign outside Rick’s Auto Repair Shop in Tallahassee, Florida (850) 385-7425 has ignited a backlash in the local community and among social media users.

The sign reads:

 “VETERANS GET A DAY. FAGS AND CHILD MOLESTERS GET A MONTH. WHY.”

Records indicate the auto repair shop is owned by one Rick Hughes. The shop’s sign is known for displaying attention-grabbing, and sometimes controversial messages.

Tallahassee City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow also criticized the business, sharing Peel’s tweet and writing, “I’m not sure the sad, miserable place a person must be in to take the time to put this up, but I do know the majority of folks in Tallahassee reject this hatred and respect the freedom to be who you are, love who you want and support LGBTQ rights every month of the year.”

Jackson Peel, communication director for the Democratic Caucus of the Florida House of Representatives.

“I understand that we are a community with diverse beliefs and opinions, but this crosses the line. It’s offensive, wrong, and meanspirited. Pedophilia and homosexuality are not connected,” Peel told the Democrat. “I think this is wrong and sends the wrong message about our community. We are not this. Implying that LGBTQ people are a danger to our children is an old trick used to justify persecution. Why would the people at a business think this kind of language is ok?”

Perhaps because Ron DeSantis said it was?

The White House: A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month, 2023 - FULL TEXT

The White House: A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month, 2023 – FULL TEXT

In June 1969, a courageous group of Americans rose up to protest the violence and marginalization they faced in what became known as the Stonewall Uprising.  Police had raided the Stonewall Inn — a gay bar located in New York City — and for the next six days they clashed with LGBTQI+ protestors, who bravely stood their ground.  Their courage sparked a civil rights movement for the liberation of the LGBTQI+ community and changed our Nation forever.  

     During Pride Month, we honor a movement that has grown stronger, more vibrant, and more inclusive with every passing year.  Pride is a celebration of generations of LGBTQI+ people, who have fought bravely to live openly and authentically.  And it is a reminder that we still have generational work to do to ensure that everyone enjoys the full promise of equity, dignity, protection, and freedom.

     Today, our Nation faces another inflection point.  In 2023 alone, State and local legislatures have already introduced over 600 hateful laws targeting the LGBTQI+ community.  Books about LGBTQI+ people are being banned from libraries.  Transgender youth in over a dozen States have had their medically necessary health care banned.  Homophobic and transphobic vitriol spewed online has spilled over into real life, as armed hate groups intimidate people at Pride marches and drag performances, and threaten doctors’ offices and children’s hospitals that offer care to the LGBTQI+ community.  Our hearts are heavy with grief for the loved ones we have lost to anti-LGBTQI+ violence. 

     Despite these attacks, the LGBTQI+ community remains resilient.  LGBTQI+ Americans are defiantly and unapologetically proud.  Youth leaders are organizing walkouts at high schools and colleges across the country to protest discriminatory laws.  LGBTQI+ young people and their parents are demonstrating unimaginable courage by testifying in State capitols in defense of their basic rights.

     They are not alone:  My entire Administration stands proudly with the LGBTQI+ community in the enduring struggle for freedom, justice, and equality.  And we are making strides.  On my first day in office, I signed a historic Executive Order charging the entire Federal Government with protecting LGBTQI+ people from discrimination — from health care to housing, education, employment, banking, and the criminal justice system.  Last December, surrounded by dozens of couples who have fought for marriage equality in the courts for decades, I had the great honor of signing into law the landmark Respect for Marriage Act.  This bipartisan law protects the rights of same-sex and interracial couples — like caring for one’s sick partner and receiving spousal benefits.  Deciding who to marry is one of life’s most profound decisions, so we etched a simple truth into law:  Love is love.

     Meanwhile, I have taken unprecedented steps to support LGBTQI+ youth.  During Pride Month last year, I signed an Executive Order charging Federal agencies with combating the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy.”  I also directed agencies to help end the crisis of homelessness among LGBTQI+ youth and adults and to address discrimination that LGBTQI+ kids face in foster care.  The Department of Justice is combating laws that target transgender children, and the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have proposed new rules to protect LGBTQI+ Americans from discrimination in health care, at school, and in sports.  I also established the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse to develop concrete actions to prevent and respond to online harassment and abuse, which disproportionately target LGBTQI+ people.  Additionally, my Administration made it easier for LGBTQI+ youth to access vital mental health support.  Now, by calling the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and dialing the number 3, LGBTQI+ youth can speak to counselors who have been specifically trained to support them. 

     This country is stronger and more just when America’s leaders reflect the full diversity of our Nation, so I have appointed a historic number of highly qualified openly LGBTQI+ judges and public servants at all levels of the Federal Government.  Our Armed Forces are most capable when all patriots can serve their country, so I protected the right of transgender people to once again serve openly in the military

     But there is more to do, like passing the bipartisan Equality Act, which would strengthen civil rights protections for LGBTQI+ people and families across America.  We must also address the disproportionate levels of homelessness, poverty, and unemployment in the LGBTQI+ community and end the crisis of violence against transgender women and girls of color.  We must support LGBTQI+ activists around the globe who are standing up for basic human rights and LGBTQI+ survivors of gender-based violence.  And we must end the HIV/AIDS epidemic once and for all.  Our collective freedoms are inextricably linked:  when one group’s dignity and equality are threatened, we all suffer.  This month and every month, let us celebrate the pride that powers the movement for LGBTQI+ rights and commit to doing our part to help realize the promise of America, for all Americans.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2023 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQI+ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh
.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

TWITTER: Social Media Site Now Only Valued At 1/3 Of What Elon Musk Paid For It.

TWITTER: Social Media Site Now Only Valued At 1/3 Of What Elon Musk Paid For It.

Seems that hate speech doesn’t pay. Eh, Elon?

According to Fidelity: Twitter is now worth just one-third of what Elon Musk paid for the social-media platform.

Twitter is now worth just one-third of what Elon Musk paid for the social-media platform, according to Fidelity, which recently marked down the value of its equity stake in the company.

Musk has acknowledged he overpaid for Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion, including $33.5 billion in equity. More recently, he said Twitter is worth less than half what he paid for it.

It’s unclear how Fidelity arrived at its new, lower valuation or whether it receives any non-public information from the company. Fidelity first reduced the value of its Twitter stake in November, to 44% of the purchase price. That was followed by further markdowns in December and February.

Yahoo FINANCE

Twitter in reality was never “worth” $40 billion. Elon Musk grossly overpaid for a company that had no long-term strategy for making a profit except to allow hate speech and the expectation of millions of former right-wing hate mongers to return.

SOME came back. But only enough to make the social media site a dangerous place and forced more to leave than return.

*Beginning today, Back2Stonewall will no longer link to any Twitter posts unless it’s a last resort to verify a story.

LA Dodgers Apologize, Re-Invite Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We “Sincerely Apologize”.

LA Dodgers Apologize, Re-Invite Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We “Sincerely Apologize”.

As we reported last week. Ahead of its June 16 Pride Night, the Los Angeles Dodgers officially removed The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from their Pride Night honoree list after being duped by two “Catholic” hate groups; CatholicVote.org and Bill Donoghue of the Catholic League that has no affiliation to the Catholic church and who bombarded the team with messages because they were honoring a ” blatantly perverted, sexual and disgusting anti-Catholic hate group.”

After the Sisters were removed from the Dodgers’ Pride Night, LA Pride dropped out of the event in solidarity, writing, “Pride is a fight for equality and inclusion for the entire LGBTQ community and we’re not going to stop now.” At the time, the Sisters wrote that they were “offended and outraged” by the team’s decision to rescind their invitation and succumb to “pressure” and “misleading information.”

Well the LA Dodgers have finally done their due diligence after much blowback and complaints and have apologized to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

“After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence … the Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies,” the team said in a statement Monday afternoon after meeting with leaders of the group. (see below)

The Sisters have graciously accepted.

“A full apology and explanation was given to us by the Dodgers staff which we accept,” the Sisters said. “We believe the apology is sincere because the Dodgers have worked for 10 years with our community and as well they have asked us to continue an ongoing relationship with them.”

The Sister of Perpetual Indulgence is a non-profit whose decades of service in the community have been well-documented, and many viewed the Dodgers’ decision as being duped and caving to right-wing fundamentalists. hate groups.

Pressure and Boycotts DO WORK.

Bud Light Announces Partnership With LGBT+ Business Owners Despite The Dylan Mulvaney Debacle.

HRC Lowered Bud’s Corporate Rating for Not Protecting Dylan Mulvaney. Meanwhile HRC Has Not Protected Us From Florida and the GOP.

So who’s going to downgrade HRC as the most do nothing and vapid LGBT org on the planet? WE MUST.

The Human Rights Campaign has given gave Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch top ratings for LGBTQ+ equality and diversity for decades. But now that has all changed.

The Human Rights Campaign informed Anheuser-Busch of its decision in a May letter after previously writing to the company in April, criticizing its response. 

In a nutshell: Dylan Mulvaney a trans influencer said in a Vlog post that she liked Bud Light. Bud Light heard about it and sent her several souvenir 6 packs with her face on them as a thank you. Mulvaney then uploaded a vlog post showing the cans and not explaining anything. There was no advertising or spokesperson contract. Just some free 6 packs with her face on them. Cut the right-wing/propaganda sites that ran with it. And since most right-wing media is bankrolled by the GOP, unlike the stingy Dems and skinflints at HRC. The are numerous more websites to push anti-LGBT propaganda than to fight it.

“When we saw the company working with Dylan, that was a good sign. It was a sign of inclusion,” Jay Brown, SVP of programs, research, and training at HRC, and the signatory of both letters, told CNN. “What we were disturbed by was the company’s reaction once the backlash started happening.” But in reality, the company was not really “working with her”. And to be truthful Mulvaney never came forth with that information.

“At this moment, Anheuser-Busch must stand in solidarity with Dylan and the trans community,” he wrote at the time. “However, when faced with anti-LGBTQ+ and transphobic criticism, Anheuser-Busch’s actions demonstrate a profound lack of fortitude in upholding its values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Annheiser Busch responded

“We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations to drive economic prosperity across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said in response to a request for comment for this story.

Since the 1980s, Anheuser-Busch has been a major supporter of the LGBT community. The company has been a long-time sponsor of Pride events across the country n recent years, Budweiser has taken its support of the LGBT community a step further by becoming a major sponsor of the Equality Act, which would provide nationwide protections for LGBT people. In 2017, Budweiser even released a limited-edition Pride Can in support of the LGBT community. 

Budweiser has learned a very valuable lesson. Never gift an influencer anything.

And as for the Human Rot Campaign turnabout id fair play: “In this moment, it is absolutely critical for the Human Rights Campaign to stand in solidarity and fight with the LGBTQ communities in Florida, Texas and other GOP controlled states. However, when faced with anti-LGBTQ+ issues, HRC’s inactions demonstrates a profound lack of fortitude in upholding its values of diversity, equity, and inclusion of it’s mission. And further proves it’s worthlessness to the community. and should be gone.

HRC Corporate Rating: SUB ZERO!

MONTANA: White Supremacist Crash Bozeman PRIDE Event, One Man Assaulted.

MONTANA: White Supremacist Crash Bozeman PRIDE Event, One Man Assaulted.

About an hour into the Bozeman, Montana PRIDE event, as community organizations gathered at Soroptimist Park, a group of about 20 white supremacists showed up and started chanting anti-LGBT+ statements at the crowd. Many of them had their faces covered and held signs with racist and homophobic slogans.

The Bozeman Pride Stroll was interrupted by a group of protesters wearing masks and sunglasses to protect their identities while chanting and carrying signs promoting white supremacy and condemning the LGBTQ+ community.
The group walked up and down Main Street and other side streets while engaging with bystanders who shouted back at them. One bystander who engaged, Joseph Wood, ended up getting assaulted.
Wood said he was walking near the group when one protester handed him a flyer. He continued walking near them and another protester tried blocking his path. They ultimately got into a verbal altercation that escalated into the man hitting Wood in the face with a shield, then another man pepper sprayed him.
Montana Right Now

We’ve spent more than half a century trying to educate the general public about the fact that we gay people are not the child molesters or insane as we’ve been portrayed as since time immemorial. Now thanks to Republicans we are and in some cases like in Florida we have already lost the ground we have gained.

Be PROUD. Stand Up. Be Careful. Fight BACK!

TEXAS - GOP State Rep. Brandon Creighton Sneaks "Don't Say Gay" K-12 Law.

TEXAS – GOP State Rep. Brandon Creighton Sneaks “Don’t Say Gay” K-12 Law Into HB 890.

Florida, Texas, and Kentucky. The LGBT Community’s ‘Axis of Evil”.

During a Senate Committee on Education meeting this week, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Texas, amended HB 890, which relates to parental rights and the responsibilities of public schools. The change to bill HB 890 now includes a portion that bans the “instruction, guidance, activities, or programming regarding sexual orientation or gender identity to students enrolled in prekindergarten through 12th grade.”

The updates to the bill, critics say, are unnecessary and unfounded.

LGBT advocacy groups and organizations, like the Texas Freedom Network, say they’re outraged at the amendments made to HB 890.

It is unconscionable that lawmakers would attempt to sneak a ‘Don’t Say Gay/Transgender’ requirement into a bill that was not at all crafted for this purpose and previously received bipartisan support. Today’s committee hearing occurred without any notice given of this cruel addition. Anti-LGBTQ legislation of this nature creates an unsafe, hostile learning environment for LGBTQIA+ students, families, and educators while violating the rights of all families and parents who support inclusivity.
We’re systematically eliminating the spaces where kids can feel accepted,” said Braun. “We know from multiple studies that kids have to feel a sense of belonging and, if we’re removing the spaces where they can belong, then we’re driving them in more mental health crises than they’ve been embroiled in before.”
CBS Austin

Creighton an “alleged” homophobe and racist bill in 2019 was seeking to overturn LGBT protections enacted by Texas cities. In March 2023, he appeared here for his bill that would deny the prospect of tenure to newly-hired university professors. Creighton has spearheaded the Texas campaign to protect Confederate monuments.

In good news from Texas: (Yes, there is actually some.}

The Texas House on Saturday was required to advance bills through the committee phase by midnight. However, the House opted to not meet this weekend. The free weekend for state representatives means an untold number of bills can no longer be considered some of which focused on LGBT issues and race.

Senate Bill 16 — Banning “critical race theory” from universities, Senate Bill 1601 — Restricting libraries from hosting drag queen story hours, and Senate Bill 1029 — Holding doctors and insurers financially liable for transition-related care are all officially dead.

For now.

#OTD - Remembering The White Night Riots of San Francisco: May 21, 1979

#OTD – Remembering The White Night Riots of San Francisco: May 21, 1979

On May 21, 1979, San Francisco witnessed a pivotal moment in the history of gay and lesbian rights —the White Night Riots. These riots erupted in response to the lenient sentence given to Dan White, a former city supervisor, for the murders of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The events of that night not only showcased the anger and frustration of the gay community but also marked a turning point in the fight for equality and sparked a renewed determination for change.

To understand the significance of the White Night Riots, it is important to understand the context leading up to that fateful day. Harvey Milk, a prominent gay rights activist, had become the first openly gay elected official in California. His election symbolized hope and progress for the gay community, which had long suffered from discrimination, violence, and police brutality. However, their hopes were shattered when Milk and Mayor George Moscone were brutally assassinated by Dan White, a former police officer and colleague.

The trial of Dan White gripped the nation, as it brought to light the inequality faced by the gay and lesbian population at the time. However, the outcome of the trial was met with widespread outrage and disappointment. White was charged with voluntary manslaughter rather than first-degree murder, a decision that many believed downplayed the severity of the crime and used the infamous “Twinkie defense”. The lenient sentence handed down—a mere seven years and eight months—sparked fury among the community and their allies as a blatant miscarriage of justice.

On the evening of May 21, 1979, thousands of protesters gathered at City Hall in response to the verdict. Initially, the demonstration was peaceful, with people holding candles and mourning the loss of their leaders. However, as the night wore on, frustration turned to anger, and the situation escalated. The crowd vented their outrage by breaking windows, setting police cars on fire, and engaging in confrontations with law enforcement. The rioters’ display of anger and frustration forced society to confront the systemic biases that had allowed for the lenient treatment of Dan White. It galvanized support for gay rights and fueled a wave of activism that reverberated far beyond the borders of San Francisco.

The White Night Riots of May 21, 1979, will forever be remembered as a pivotal moment in the gay rights movement. These riots were born out of frustration, outrage, and a deep desire for justice. They served as a wake-up call to a nation grappling with inequality and discrimination.

The riots should serve as a history lesson to a new generation of activists highlighting the importance of perseverance in the pursuit of equality for all. The legacy of the White Night Riots continues to remind us of the ongoing struggle for justice and the necessity of collective action to create a more inclusive world.

Another Day, Another PRIDE Cancelled In FLORIDA.- St. Cloud PRIDE Latest Victim.

Another Day, Another PRIDE Cancelled In FLORIDA.- St. Cloud PRIDE Latest Victim.

Canceling and editing PRIDE events in Florida plays right into DeSantis’ cloven hooves.

Via ClickOrlando.com

Organizers announced on social media that the event — dubbed “PRIDE in St. Cloud” — would be canceled after months of planning. The organizers stated that recent state laws created a “climate of fear” for LGBT people in Florida.
PRIDE in St. Cloud organizers didn’t explicitly state which laws they blamed or how those laws put the LGBT community at risk. However, they did say on Facebook that drag queens, including the event’s headlining entertainment, no longer felt safe performing. They also pointed to an incident in Lake Nona where an electronic traffic sign was tampered with to say “kill all gays.” Organizers said they did not have the money to hire private security for safety concerns.
Organizers also said that refunds for the event would be processed as soon as possible

This is just one of many Pride events which have been cancelled or altered after Florida lawmakers passed SB 1438, also known as the Protection of Children Act.

Should Florida PRIDE Pride be canceled or altered to appease DeSantis and the Florida GOP?

Or should they stand up and defy the Desantis and the law and run all PRIDE events as they usually do?

Sound off below.