CON-servatives aren’t the only one upset especially after the snubbing Gilbert Baker’s original Pride Flag for the knockoff “Progressive” Pride Flag.
After strong pushback from a White House spokesperson on Wednesday, Fox News altered the framing of a highly controversial article that included a critic equating the “transgender flag” with “grooming and pedophilia.” The White House confirmed to Mediaite that a spokesperson did reply to Byrne Wednesday ahead of the story’s publication, which eventually was framed around a quote from a founder of Gays Against Groomers – a far-right anti-LGBTQ advocacy group.
The article was updated after publication to note, “The White House, responding to requests from Fox News Digital for comment, said on Wednesday that it’s been flying the flag at pride celebrations for the past three years.” Additionally, the article was edited to include a line at the end saying, “The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the flag’s design and meaning.”
Since the photos of the “Progressive” Pride flag hanging at the White House between two American flags pushback has come from both sides including many in the LGBT community over snubbing the original Pride flag by Gilbert Baker and not including it at all. At the very least BOTH should have been hung.
The Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, and the Task Force have been defending the decision the use the “Progressive” flag on social media for the past 24 hours, no doubt because HRC and The Task Force are deeply involved in the planning of such gatherings at The White House and are probably responsible for such an insulting and ill-thought-out decision.
While there are many “alternate” group flags. They should never take the place of the original or at least be flown side by side.
The far-right media has made a mockery out of the “Progressive” pride flag and a majority of the community find it ugly and offensive to the original which included everyone.
1892 – American Feminist writer and illustrator Djuna Barnes is born. Her writings are believed to be the first English language poems with lesbian content.
Barnes played an important part in the development of 20th century English language modernist writing and was one of the key figures in 1920s and 30s bohemian Paris after filling a similar role in the Greenwich Village of the teens. Her novel “Nightwood” became a cult work of modern fiction, helped by an introduction by T. S. Eliot. It stands out today for its portrayal of lesbian themes and its distinctive writing style. Since Barnes’s death, interest in her work has grown and many of her books are back in print.
1959 – Birth date of Scott Thompson, openly gay actor.
Thompson is best known for the character he created of Charles Budderick “Buddy” Cole an effeminate, scandalous, gay socialite, made famous on The Kids in the Hall, a popular Canadian sketch comedy series and troupe of the same name. The character also had a recurring role in The Colbert Report .
1959 – The US Supreme Court issued its ruling in Loving v. Virginia. The case was brought by an interracial couple who challenged the constitutionality of laws banning interracial marriage. The court ruled in favor of the couple, and ruled marriage to be a civil right.
1970 – Neva Joy Heckman and Judith Ann Belew attempted to become legally married. The ceremony was held at Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles and performed by Rev Troy Perry, the founder of the denomination. Under California law, a couple who has lived together at least two years can be legally joined without a license by having a church ceremony and being issued a church certificate.
1975 – The Austin Lesbian Organization was given airtime on the Texas public interest interview program “For Your Information.”
1981 – A Provincial Court judge in Toronto found two employees guilty and three owners not guilty of keeping a common bawdyhouse. Charges related to the Barracks steambath, raided by police December 9, 1978.
1983 – “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker made its appearance on the New York Times bestseller list.
1989 – A rally was held outside the state house in Boston to demand approval of a gay rights bill. 300 people attended.
1995 – The Employment Non-Discrimination Act was re-introduced in Congress once again. Transgender individuals were purposely excluded from the official bill presented to Congress because it was thought to be too risky in getting the bill to pass. Congressman Barney Frank and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) were behind the exclusion as they saw this reframing as a way to make the bill more marketable. However, 350 national “queer’ organizations opposed the exclusion of gender identity from the bill in an act of solidarity with trans communities. To this day HRC is resented by many for this act and helped create a rift between the Trans and LGB community that still has not been repaired to this day.
1997 – San Francisco Human Rights Commissioners voted five-to-one to retain laws regulating sex clubs and bathouses, including the banning of private rooms. Because we all know a banning a private room stops AIDS not education and condoms.
1997 – A New York appeals court revoked all legal rights as a parent from a lesbian who had been granted limited visitation with a child born to her ex-lover.
2002 – Philip Walsted, 24, was beaten with a baseball bat and robbed on a downtown Tucson street.
Walsted was walking home on June 12, 2002, when he was attacked and beaten with a baseball bat by 22-year-old David Higdon in the course of a robbery. Walsted was struck in the head with the bat up to 20 times, and received more than 50 wounds as a result of the attack. He died later that day at University Medical Center.
David A. Higdo, an avowed neo-Nazi was sentenced to life without parole
2003 – Philadelphia’s Boy Scout council, which defied the national BSA organization in May 2003 by promising not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, ousted a Scout, Gregory Lattera, 18, for publicly announcing he is gay. The same council, the nation’s third largest, voted May 28 to add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy.
2006 – Australia’s Attorney General, Phillip Ruddock, overturned a same-sex marriage law in the Australian Capital Territory.
2011 – On this date, Episcopal clergy in the diocese of San Joaquin, California, officially recognized gay and lesbian partnerships as “sacred unions.”
The Human Rights Campaign has finally joined the NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and Equality Florida in issuing travel or relocation warnings for LGBT’s and Allies to the state of Florida.
More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, according to last year’s figures.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Tuesday issued what he described as a travel advisory for “socialists visiting Florida,” warning that the state is “openly hostile toward Socialists, Communists, and those that enable them.”
DeSantis’s office, when asked to comment on the updated travel advisory – as well as advisories issued by the NAACP, LULAC, and Scott – pointed The Hill to recent tourism data showing the state had received a record number of visitors between January and March.
Is a Travel/Relocation Advisory sufficient? Or should a full blown boycott of Florida, it’s products, and companies headquartered there who do not support us happen?
So who’s going to downgrade HRC as the most do nothing and vapid LGBT org on the planet? WE MUST.
TheHuman 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.
The Department of Justice has filed a criminal complaint against a Maryland man who has been charged with threatening the Human Rights Campaign.
Adam Michael Nettina, 34, of West Friendship, is accused of making the threats by phone to HRC’s Washington, D.C., headquarters the night of March 28. A transcription of his voice mail, contained in the complaint, reads as follows:
“You guys going to shoot up our schools now? Is that how it’s going to be? You just gonna to kill little kids. You’re just going to slaughter fucking little kids. Let me tell you something, we’re waiting, we’re waiting. And if you want a war, we’ll have a war. And we’ll fucking slaughter you back. We’ll cut your throats. We’ll put a bullet in your head. We’re not going to give a fuck. You started this bullshit. You’re going to kill us? We’re going to kill you ten times more in full. – The Advocate
Nettina is charged with making “interstate communications with a threat to injure,” according to a DOJ press release. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
Someone should have told Nettina that HRC does no real LGBT work and does noting but throw Gay-las’.
The Human Rights Campaign the largest, and most inept LGBTQIA+ in the United States has settled a lawsuit brought against it by former President Alphonso David after he had alleged racial discrimination in his firing, the two sides said on Wednesday.
David was fired in September 2021 after New York state Attorney General Letitia James issued a report saying that David had advised former Governor Andrew Cuomo about dealing with sexual harassment allegations, while heading HRC. David was identified as having been involved in efforts to undermine Cuomo’s first accuser, Lindsey Boylan.
According to David’s LinkedIn profile, he was president of Human Right Campaign for two years. He had spent over eight years prior to that working for Cuomo’s office – first as counsel for civil rights and then as chief counsel.
After the report was released In a lawsuit filed last spring in the Eastern District of New York, Mr. David described a “toxic workplace” at the Human Rights Campaign, where “nonwhite staffers were marginalized, tokenized and denied advancement to high-level positions” before his ascent. He also said that he had been underpaid compared with his white predecessor. The “underpaid” Mr. Davis’ salary was $517,269 compared to his predecessor Chad Griffin who made $570,446 . After 5 years at the helm. (Financials info available at HRC Annual Reports page. )
The Human Rights Campaign denied those claims in documents filed before a federal judge, saying that Mr. David had manufactured allegations of racial bias “rather than take responsibility for his behavior that did not live up to H.R.C.’s values and mission.
Despite of this In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Human Rights Campaign and Mr. David said that they had chosen to “amicably resolve” the lawsuit out of court and that the terms of the settlement were confidential.
“Mr. David and H.R.C. agree it is in their mutual best interests, and the interests of the communities that they serve, to put this matter behind them,” the statement said.
While the exact settlement is confidential be sure that Mr Davis had a payout in the millions.
This is where your HRC donation money goes. Bloated salaries, Galas and lawsuits.
No equality. Just embarrassment and much head shaking.
Parents across the country are looking to national, state, and district leaders to support our nation’s students, help them recover from the pandemic, and provide them the academic and mental health supports they need.
Instead, leaders in Florida are prioritizing hateful bills that hurt some of the students most in need.
The Department of Education has made clear that all schools receiving federal funding must follow federal civil rights law, including Title IX’s protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
We stand with our LGBTQ+ students in Florida and across the country, and urge Florida leaders to make sure all their students are protected and supported.
Thank you to the Secretary of Education for stepping into his major mess. The saddest part is that while Florida is to blame and Disney despite all its “we’re allies” bullshit said nothing when the time came. But also our LGBT organizations are also to blame. Where were they? Nowhere.
The Human Rights Campaign is too busy fighting a lawsuit from its former President Alphonso David, GLAAD did not say one word about Disney purposely staying out of the debate, and the Task Force. Well. They haven’t had a real task in over 20 years. Not one of these LGBT “watchdogs” have said a word. It really makes you wonder how much money Disney donates to them.
We should be upset. We should be pissed. We should take to the streets but all but a few of our older LGBT activists are gone and the new generation doesn’t understand that “memes” and “dance protests” aren’t going to cut it. We are under attack. The “Don’t Say Gay” law harkens back to Anita Bryant and her “Save the Children Campaign. We have literally lost 40 years of advancement over a few weeks. In part if the fact that nobody wants to piss Disney off.
Heed my warning and make no mistake about it that we as LGBT Americans are in danger and will be until we have full federal equality. Case in point: Just hours after Florida passed its ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, Tennessee House Republicans advanced legislation banning public schools from using textbooks or materials that “promote, normalize, support or address LGBT issues or lifestyles .”
Will you join me in this fight?We can only save ourselves.
The former president of the Human Rights Campaign, Alphonso David t, sued the organization in federal court on Thursday, alleging that he was underpaid and then terminated “because he is Black” instead of the reason given which for helping former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo respond to allegations of sexual misconduct.
David was named nearly a dozen times in the damning report by New York Attorney General Letitia James, suggesting David assisted in efforts by Cuomo’s staff to discredit a woman alleging sexual misconduct in Cuomo’s office
In his lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, David contends that he was fired “because he is Black” and that the group “maintained discriminatory employment practices. “while discussing his contract renewal, HRC board members “acknowledged” and claims that he was paid less than his white predecessor “because of his race.” While it is true David’s salary was lower than his predecessor (Chad Griffin $570,446.00 2019 – David $517,269.00 in 2020 but his amount of “other compensation” is higher.And yes. The bloated over-paid salary is over a HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR!)
Although David insists no wrongdoing, investigation findings indicate after his his former tenure as counselor to Cuomo was over, that he kept the personnel file for an employee within the office accusing the governor of sexual misconduct, then assisted in efforts to leak that file to the media in an attempt to discredit her. It’s also reported that David allegedly said he would help find individuals to sign their names to a draft op-ed that sought to discredit the survivor.
Last night Saturday Night Live, in a cold opening that took aim at the Democratic presidential contenders who appeared at this week’s CNN LGBT Town Hall.
The skit featured a number of cameos from stars: Woody Harrelson (as Joe Biden), Lin-Manuel Miranda (as Julian Castro) and “Pose” star Billy Porter to the stage to serve as MC.
On this day in 1996, then President Bill Clinton announced his signing of the Defense of Marriage Act, which outlawed federal recognition of same-sex marriage, and which allowed the Federal Government to ignore the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S Constitution and refuse to recognized valid marriages from other states. Clinton said that he signed DOMA to head off a federal constitutional amendment, but LGBT advocates and many in the political pundits agree that the act was less than a defense against a federal constitutional amendment and more a defense of his 1996 re-election campaign. Those suspicions were confirmed when the Clinton released a campaign ad in 15 Christian radio stations in conservative states boasting that he had signed the Defense of Marriage Act.After being found out and because of the response to loud protests from LGBT advocates, the Clinton campaign pulled that ad two days later.
“On Defense of Marriage [Act], I think what my husband believed — and there was certainly evidence to support it — is that there was enough political momentum to amend the Constitution of the United States of America, and that there had to be some way to stop that. And there wasn’t any rational argument — because I was in on some of those discussions, on both ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and on DOMA, where both the president, his advisers and occasionally I would — you know, chime in and talk about, ‘You can’t be serious. You can’t be serious.’ But they were. And so, in a lot of ways, DOMA was a line that was drawn that was to prevent going further. It was a defensive action.”
A review of congressional record and news coverage from 1996 found little public evidence that Democratic lawmakers decided to vote for DOMA because of a threat of a constitutional amendment.
Elizabeth Birch, former head of the Human Rights Campaign who fought against DOMA, said the actual threat of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage came after President George W. Bush took office and vowed to reserve marriage for heterosexual unions. There was not, at the time, a kind of concentrated threat of a constitutional amendment. That came four years later.”
Birch and many others have always said that President Clinton’s support for DOMA was a defensive move in that he wanted to “take it out of play for the 1996 election”
In fact Bill Clinton campaigned using DOMA as a re-election tool and ran a controversial radio ad that touted his signing of the Defense of Marriage Act which aired on Christian radio stations in several states
Fast forward to present day.
“President Clinton has evolved on this issue just like every American has evolved,” said Human Rights Campaign, President Chad Griffin.
Which bears the comment that if he was really against it at the time why would he have to “evolve”.
