Tag Archives: harassment

Library Cancels LGBT Prom After ‘Activist Mommy’ Launches Anti-Gay ‘Perversion’ Attack Campaign Using Facebook

Library Cancels LGBT Prom After ‘Activist Mommy’ Launches Anti-Gay ‘Perversion’ Attack Campaign Using Facebook

The Florida Times-Union reports:

Beatrice Palmer cleared her schedule for Friday evening. Among a typical busy week of drag gigs, she planned to make an appearance at a prom night before her next show. The local drag entertainer and producer wanted to be there for the 100 teenagers who signed up to attend the Storybook Pride Prom at Riverside’s Willowbranch Library dressed as their favorite book characters or in drag Friday night.

After the Jacksonville Public Library canceled the night of music, dancing and costumes Monday morning, Palmer wants to reschedule the event. The decision came Monday morning after the library received hundreds of phone calls supporting and protesting the Storybook Pride Prom. Hundreds commented on and shared the library’s Facebook post canceling the dance to express their disappointment.

Elizabeth Johnston, a popular blogger and author who goes by “The Activist Mommy,” asked her hundreds of thousands of Facebook followers in a post Friday to call Willow branch and “express your disgust that this perversion is taking place in a taxpayer funded library.” Johnston did not return the Times-Union’s request for comment before publication.

Johnson used Facebook as a major tool in her attack by doxing the library and publishing its phone number . Facebook would not respond or remove the reported posts from Back2Stonewall. Harassment, bullying, and hate speech are all against Facebook’s terms of service.

Said Johnson:

Christians have been complacent, tolerant, and silent for far too long. If you love the citizens of our nation, if you love the children and the drag queens and the gay pride dancers, then you will fight for a world where this sin is no longer promoted.

YouTube Refuses To Removes Steven Crowder's Anti-Gay Harassment Videos Against Journalist Because It's Just "Debating"

YouTube Refuses To Removes Steven Crowder’s Anti-Gay Harassment Videos Against Journalist Because It’s Just “Debating”

On Monday we reported about extremist right-wing journalist/comedian  Steven Crowder‘s anti-gay abuse of Vox journalist Carlos Maza.

Crowder repeatedly posted videos harassing Maza with derogatory, anti-gay, and racist statements, which Maza says resulted in hordes of Crowder’s fans doxxing him.

For example  in Crowder’s videos has called Maza a “lispy queer,” a “token Vox gay atheist sprite,” and a “gay Mexican.” Other attacks included an offensive pantomime of Maza’s voice in which Crowder pretended to eat chips and exclaimed “just can’t eat one, like dicks.

For over a year Maza had reported the offensive videos to YouTube who did nothing.  Then Maza took to Twitter to complain and the YouTube finally noticed and promised to look into the offensive videos.

YouTube’s hate speech policy page specifically bars “content promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups” based on a number of attributes including ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation.

YouTube specifically writes creators cannot:

Use racial, ethnic, religious, or other slurs where the primary purpose is to promote hatred.

Use stereotypes that incite or promote hatred based on any of the attributes noted above. This can take the form of speech, text, or imagery promoting these stereotypes or treating them as factual.”

On Tuesday YouTube responded saying it would not take any action on the videos involved. After claiming YouTube takes “allegations of harassment very seriously” and that they had spent days “conducting an in-depth review of the videos flagged to us,” the Team YouTube Twitter wrote that while Crowder’s language was “clearly hurtful,” “the videos as posted don’t violate our policies” and will “remain on our site.”

The website Gizmodo asked YouTube and its parent company, Google, via email why the specific language used by Crowder and highlighted in Maza’s videos did not constitute a violation

YouTube responded:


We have strict policies that prohibit harassment on YouTube.
 
In the first quarter of 2019 we removed 47,443 videos and 10,623 accounts for violation of our policies on cyberbullying and harassment.
 
We take into consideration whether criticism is focused primarily on debating the opinions expressed or is solely malicious. We apply these policies consistently, regardless of how many views a video has.
In videos flagged to YouTube, Crowder has not instructed his viewers to harass Maza on YouTube or any other platform and the main point of these videos was not to harass or threaten, but rather to respond to the opinion.

There is certain behavior that is never ok: that includes encouraging viewers to harass others online and offline, or revealing nonpublic personal information (doxxing).

None of Maza’s personal information was ever revealed in content uploaded by Crowder and flagged to our teams for review.

A bizarre and tonedeaf response from YouTube since Maza flagged the posts about Crowder’s language being in violation of its hate speech policy which Crowder’s videos clearly are.

Latina GOP Candidate Jazmina Saavedra Harasses and Films Trans In California Denny's Bathroom

Latina GOP Candidate Jazmina Saavedra Harasses and Films Transgender Woman In California Denny’s Bathroom

Jazmina Saavedra, who is currently running for Congress in California, and a spokesperson of Latinos For Trump California filmed herself harassing a transgender woman using the women’s bathroom at a Denny’s in Los Angeles.

Saavedra, is campaigning for a seat in California’s 44th District challenging incumbent Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.)., live-streamed the incident on Facebook Live on Tuesday

Via The Hill:

“I’m trying to use the ladies’ room and there is a man here claiming that he is a lady,” Saavedra said, entering the bathroom and filming outside the stall.

“You’re invading my privacy,” the transgender woman inside the stall said.

“You’re invading my privacy because I’m a woman and I deserve to use the woman, the ladies’ room,” Saavedra responded.

She then left the restroom and waited outside for the individual to exit.

“So, that guy is violating my right to use the ladies’ room here, and he’s saying he’s a lady! Stupid guy,” Saavedra said.

She then confronted the transgender woman as she left the restroom.

“Excuse me, I was using the toilet. … Why are you singling me out, lady? And I see you yesterday following me,” the woman responded.

“I was with my pepper spray ready and I called the manager so he helped me,” Saavedra filmed herself saying after the woman departed. “How can I be with a man inside of the ladies’ room just because he thinks he’s a lady? This is unbelievable. Only in California this happens.”

Rep Barragán issued a statement criticizing Saavedra and the incident at the Denny’s.

“I was appalled by the treatment that this woman received for simply trying to use the restroom. Everyone has the right to their own identity, and the right not to be discriminated against for who they are.”

Google Appoints Right-Wing Extremist Heritage Foundation President To It's Advisory Council

Trans Man Files Lawsuit Against Google, Alleges Company Fired Him For “Pro-Diversity” Posts

A lawsuit has been filed against Google by former software engineer Tim Chevalier for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Chevalier who is transgender claims that Google fired him when he responded with internal posts and memes to racist and sexist encounters within the company.

Chevalier said in a statement to The Verge, “It is a cruel irony that Google attempted to justify firing me by claiming that my social networking posts showed bias against my harassers.” Chevalier, who sufferers PST and is transgender, alleges that his internal posts that defended women of color and marginalized people led directly to his termination in November 2017. He had worked at Google for a little under two years.

“Google’s internal social networking platforms were widely used to belittle and harass women, people of color, LGBTQ employees, and other underrepresented groups,” Chevalier alleged in the lawsuit filed in California state court in San Francisco.

Chevalier claims that his supervisors were critical of his efforts to change the company’s culture, he said in the suit.

“Human Resources explicitly told Chevalier that Google was ending his employment because of his political statements in opposition to the discrimination, harassment, and white supremacy he saw being expressed on Google’s internal messaging systems,” the suit said.

One of the internal memes Chevalier created was inspired by a black Google employee, who wrote in an internal Google Plus post that she was being asked to present her ID badge more often than her white co-workers. If you’re looking for a good and experienced lawyer for your case just visit Amy & Barbara Witherite. A Google employee allegedly responded to the post by noting that asking for ID was just part of the job, Gizmodo reported. Chevalier then made a privilege-denying dude meme using Google’s internal meme generator with the caption, “I have opinions about forms of oppression that don’t affect me.”

Chevalier’s acting manager told him repeatedly he was engaging in too much “social activism”.

In September, Chevalier was called into a meeting by HR and told that a complaint had been made about another post in which he said he would not work with people who shared James Damore’s views.  Darmore authored a 10-page screed condemning the company’s diversity efforts in July of 2017 claiming that men are biologically more predisposed to working in the tech industry than women. Darmore was subsequently fired by the tech giant..

Google spokesperson Gina Scigliano says that in Chevalier’s case Google was enforcing its policy against the promotion of harmful stereotypes. “An important part of our culture is lively debate. But like any workplace, that doesn’t mean anything goes. All employees acknowledge our code of conduct and other workplace policies, under which promoting harmful stereotypes based on race or gender is prohibited” Scigliano says. “This is a very standard expectation that most employers have of their employees. The overwhelming majority of our employees communicate in a way that is consistent with our policies. But when an employee does not, it is something we must take seriously. We always make our decision without any regard to the employee’s political views.”

Tim Chevalier v. Google by Nick Statt on Scribd

North Carolina Waiter Fired After Sharing Anti-Gay Comments Written On Credit Card Receipt

Adding insult to injury the restaurant chain Hickory Tavern fired a gay waiter from its  in Indian Trail restaurant in Union County, NC after the waiter shared a copy of a check receipt that had anti-gay comments scrawled on it despite the fact that all of the customer information was redacted.

““Our gay waiter made me wanna throw up my food!” the patron wrote on the Nov. 30 receipt “Ruined my experience tonigth. Will not be back!”

Via The Observer:

After the Observer emailed the restaurant chain on Tuesday to confirm the authenticity of the receipt and that the server had been fired, Hickory Tavern released a statement confirming the firing and that “insults” aimed at the server had been left on a receipt.

“We strongly condemn the insults directed at one of our team members in remarks left by a patron on their credit card receipt,” Hickory Tavern said. “We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation or for any other reason. We also value the privacy of our patrons, and posting of credit card receipts violates our confidentiality policy.

“Although the team member was initially terminated for violating this policy, after further discussions with the team member, we made the decision to offer his job back. We strive to strike the right balance between supporting our team members and protecting the private information of our guests.”

Lucia Stetson, another patron of the restaurant also posted a copy of the receipt on Facebook on Sunday, saying: “A sweet young man was fired from his server job at Hickory Tavern after sharing a bigoted note left by a customer. Let’s help him find a new job.” Her post has been shared over 1600 times.

Here is the LINK for Hickory Tavern’s Corporate Comment/Complaint section.  Please use it.

 

 

 

New Poll Shows Almost 50% of LGBT Workers Report Feeling Bullied in the Workplace

 

Numbers have been released that state four out of 10 LGBT workers report feeling bullied at their place of employment because of their sexual orientation. This is  11 percentage points higher than the national average of all workers combined, according to a Harris Poll for CareerBuilder., which surveyed 3,420 employees, including 238 LGBT workers.

The findings state that the LGBT workers say that  they were picked on for their personal attributes, such as their appearance or gender, while 47 percent said they were gossiped about. LGBT workers also said they were ignored, falsely accused of mistakes or judged on different standards than other workers. 

The number of LGBT workplace bullying has grown since the 2016 election, said David Kilmnick, CEO of The LGBT Network.

“It has such a negative impact, not only to the LGBT person, which is a given. If you’re being bullied for who you are, it will impact how one feels safe in one’s workplace.  Taking the issue to HR might not always solve the problem because not all employers are prepared to handle workplace bullying, Kilmnick said. He added that his group is stepping up workplace training to help businesses build a more inclusive workplace.”

The impact on workers can be long-lasting, CareerBuilder said. About one out of five LGBT workers who said they were bullied at work had health-related problems because of it, while 15 percent said they had called in sick because of the bullying. 

Workers who are experiencing bullying should take notes to document their interactions with the bully and keep them in a safe place, CareerBuilder said. Sometimes standing up to the bully can work, with about 20 percent of bullied workers saying the behavior stopped after they confronted their aggressor.

32 states currently DO NOT have LGBT non-discrimination and work place protection laws in place

N.J. Policeman Fired For Being Gay Will Get Job Back And A $750k Settlement

A police officer who alleged he was fired for being gay will receive $750,000 from the borough of Glen Rock, New Jersey and get his job back, North Jersey.com reported.

Matthew Stanislao (pictured above) was terminated from the Glen Rock Police Department in October 2014. One week later, a lawsuit was filed against the borough and Police Department, alleging a hostile work environment.

The lawsuit claimed that Officer Stanislao was harassed by other officers using derogatory comments and lewd gestures referring to his homosexuality. It also claimed Stanislao was never recognized for his meritorious service, which included rescuing two people from a mostly submerged car.

Stanislao will be reinstated to his position of patrol officer with back pay “on or before May 5, 2017,” said Mayor Bruce Packer in announcing the settlement on Wednesday.

A payment in the amount of $750,000 will be made to Stanislao and his attorneys; $600,000 of that will be paid by Glen Rock’s insurance carrier. The remaining $150,000 will be included in this year’s budget but will not increase taxes this year, due to offsets made in the budget, Packer said.

Other terms of the settlement include eligibility for future promotion opportunities and participation in classes at the Bergen County Police Academy as found appropriate by Chief Dean Ackermann and the academy director. In exchange, all claims made by Stanislao will be dismissed. Neither party has admitted fault or liability, said Packer.

KA-CHING!  (And he is cute!)

New Orleans Gay Bar Customers Told To “Get Ready Fags” By Passersby After Trump Election Win

Blaise Navarro of New Orleans wrote on his Facebook page that last night after work he went to The Bourbon Pub, a popular gay bar in the French Quarter right on the edge of the gay section of Bourbon Street, to watch the election results.  After heading out for a smoke he and other bar patrons were harassed by groups of  homophobes emboldened by Donald Trumps surprise presidential victory

 

Dear America,

As I got off work and went to The Bourbon Pub for a minute to greet friends and catch up on the election results the following happened.

I went outside to smoke a cigarette and sometimes, I use e liquid juice if I feel like being creative. People passing the bar on the street were jeering at my friends, acquaintances, and strangers. What were they saying? Things like, “Worried, faggots?” Or “Get ready, fags.” Or just flat out screaming, “Faggots!” And then just continued walking.

In the 8 years that I have been a regular patron of the French Quarter gay community I have never heard or experienced that on Bourbon St.I know LGBT rights were not the only thing on the line in this election. I know its selfish to assume as much. What is not selfish is knowing that as the end is drawing near in the results my life and the lives of others in many minority communities are at risk. This freely expressed hatred is the monster that is being unleashed.

So thank you. Thank you for the intolerance. Thank you for the ignorance. Thank you for the bigotry. Thank you for the hatred. Thank you for making it possible for people to no longer fear repercussions. Thank you for the fear that I and so many others will now have just to walk down the street.

Sincerely, fuck you!

Get ready people. This is only the beginning and we have have a long fight ahead of us.

So please BE CAREFUL and be prepared.

Grand Jury Indicts Rentboy CEO on Prostitution, Money Laundering Charges – #LegalizeSex

Rentboy.com Busted

 

Jeffrey Hurant the former CEO of Rentboy.com has been indicted by a grand jury in New York on charges of promoting prostitution and money laundering.

Hurant was arrested last year in a raid of Rentboy’s offices in New York City carried out by the Department of Homeland Security and the NYPD.

Said Hurant after being arraigned in court,

“Twenty years we’ve been doing it [running Rentboy.com]. And I don’t think we do anything to promote prostitution. I think we do good things for good people and we bring good people together. And I hope that justice will be done in the end.”

Many gay rights activists and newspaper outlets have condemned DHS and NYPD for pursuing charges against Hurant.

Dan Savage criticized the federal government’s involvement in the raid, writing on his blog, “Since when did it become the Department of Homeland Security’s job to protect gay men from buying and selling blowjobs?”

Even the New York Times has unleased its wrath upon the DHS for going after Rentboy:

“Gay men in the United States turn to sex work for a variety of reasons. In New York, where homeless shelters for gay and transgender youths have lengthy waiting lists, sex work can mean the difference between sleeping on a bed and sleeping on the street. For others, it is a way to afford a degree.

You can’t help but wonder with the thousands of such businesses in this country what the REAL the story is behind the RENTBOY raid . How many names of high profile people are on that client list? And what does the DHS and the DOJ plans to do with them.

Gay CIA Contractor In Afghanistan Faked Family Emergency To Escape Anti-Gay Co-workers

Brett Jones

Brett Jones, a former Navy Seal turned CIA contractor wanted to get out of Afghanistan so badly that he faked a family emergency to so.  But as it turns out that Jones did not want out of the country because of the militants. He wanted desperately to leave  because he was constantly harassed by his fellow co-workers because he is gay.

“I don’t feel that it is very safe for me to be here,” Jones, the first gay Navy Seal revealed in a video he prefaced would be released in the case of an untimely death while serving in Afghanistan. “I don’t feel like I can work with these guys.”

The anxious confessional dated July 2 revealed Jones was more fearful of his colleagues’ harassment and pranks than of the dangers working among local militants.

Among the things that Jones had to endure included his colleagues revising their briefing and dubbing his radio call sign “Gay gay.”  And also a contingency plan loaded with sexual innuendos, such as “Reverse Cowboy/Girl” and “Cross Dresser,” that was targeted at him.

Jones who is married to a former policeman and lives in Alabama with their teenage son, wanted nothing more than to come home to his family after the constant barrage of the harassment. He fabricated a family emergency just to go home.

“I had no choice. I couldn’t say ‘Hey, stop.’ I couldn’t say ‘I don’t feel comfortable because you guys are making fun of me.’”

“These things should not affect what career you decide to go into,” Jones added.

CIA officials did not deny Jones  accusations and stated that allegations of sexual or racial harassment and discrimination are taken seriously and CIA employees are advised to report such behavior to a supervisor, manager or the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity

H/T – N.Y. Daily News