Daily Archives: March 27, 2015
Tim Cook “Deeply Disappointed” in Indiana
Tim Cook “Deeply Disappointed” in Indiana
www.hrc.org/blog/entry/tim-cook-deeply-disappointed-in-indiana?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed
The Fallout From Indiana’s “Religious Freedom” Law Is Getting Even Uglier
The Fallout From Indiana’s “Religious Freedom” Law Is Getting Even Uglier
It’s been less than 24 hours since Indiana Governor Mike Pence (pictured) signed into law a draconian measure that grants business owners the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians in the name of “religious freedom,” and the fallout is already proving to be huge.
In addition to billionaire CEO Marc Benioff pledging to “dramatically reduce” his company’s investment in the state, a number of celebrities are also coming forward to blast Pence for being, in the words of Miley Cyrus, an “asshole.”
Now, an employee for the state has announced he’s resigning from his job in an act of solidarity with those who will be affected by the discriminatory new law.
The Bilerico Project reported this morning that Erik Deckers, a travel writer for the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, gave his notice shortly after Governor Pence signed the bill. Deckers is heterosexual but has been an advocate for LGBT rights for many years.
In a Facebook post written yesterday, he said:
I’ve resigned as a travel writer for the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (VisitIndiana.com), because of the passage of #RFRA. I love Visit Indiana, and the people there are doing great work with diminishing resources. But I can’t invite people to visit us when some of them are less welcome than others. As long as the state government thinks discrimination should be legal, I can’t work for the state government.
It remains to be seen what the other repercussions will come as a result of Indiana lawmakers’ shameless homophobic actions, but we’re pretty sure this is just the tip of what will become a very expensive iceberg.
h/t: The Bilerico Project
Related stories:
Indiana’s Antigay Governor Gets in Trouble Over Marriage Memo
Indiana GOP Guv Candidate Wants To Aid Families, Just Not Gay Ones
Graham Gremore
ASAPScience Investigates the Stinging Possibility of a World Without Bees: VIDEO
ASAPScience Investigates the Stinging Possibility of a World Without Bees: VIDEO
The ASAPScience guys have finally weighed in on the popular topic of bee extinction in their new video and what it means for us and the rest of the world should they go extinct. Scientists have claimed the extinction of bees spells catastrophic consequences; the ASAPScience guys calmly clarify exactly what would and it’s still not pretty. Up to 70 percent of the world’s fruit, vegetables and nuts would vanish, an estimated $200 billion loss in agriculture revenue along with a drastic effect on the food chain.
Watch ASAP Science thoroughly explain bee extinction, along with the potential processes that are leading to their deaths, AFTER THE JUMP…
Anthony Costello
www.towleroad.com/2015/03/watch-asap-science-explains-what-happens-if-bees-go-extinct.html
Op-ed: The Slow Death of Gay Gathering Places May Be Aiding HIV
Op-ed: The Slow Death of Gay Gathering Places May Be Aiding HIV
Social isolation among LGBT elders may be contributing to new HIV infections, but community building can slow the advance.
Sean Cahill
www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/03/27/op-ed-slow-death-gay-gathering-places-may-be-aiding-hiv
@IgniteDMV & @K5Entertainment are on that Next Level; as they Celebrate 25 Years of Black Gay Pride! In collaboration with Angel X & many Socialites. Early Bird Passes on Sale NOW~May 2nd For $75 ($5 processing fee included) 5 Day, 8 Events & 1 Out of Thi
Yelp's Open Letter Warning to States Considering Discriminatory 'Religious Freedom' Bills Is Must Read
Yelp's Open Letter Warning to States Considering Discriminatory 'Religious Freedom' Bills Is Must Read
While the list of corporations, politicians and celebrities boycotting Indiana grows, the CEO of Yelp is taking preemptive action to ensure other states understand the economic consequences of choosing to move forward with discriminatory “religious liberty” bills.
In an open letter penned on the Yelp official blog, CEO Jeremy Stoppelman warns that his company “will make every effort to expand its corporate presence only in states that do not have these laws allowing for discrimination on the books.”
Stoppelman writes:
A little over one year ago I wrote an open letter to then-Arizona Governor Jan Brewer requesting that she veto SB 1062, a bill that would have allowed businesses in the state to discriminate against consumers. Thankfully she did the right thing and vetoed that legislation, thus maintaining Arizona’s status as a hospitable place for Yelp’s employees to live and for our company to do business.
Since that time, however, legislators in other states have sought to pass, or have enacted, laws that would allow for businesses to discriminate against consumers based on certain traits including sexual orientation. While Indiana is the most recent state to enact a law allowing for this kind of discrimination by businesses, unfortunately measures are being debated in other states across the country that would follow Indiana’s example. These laws set a terrible precedent that will likely harm the broader economic health of the states where they have been adopted, the businesses currently operating in those states and, most importantly, the consumers who could be victimized under these laws.
Just as I said in my letter to Governor Brewer, it is unconscionable to imagine that Yelp would create, maintain, or expand a significant business presence in any state that encouraged discrimination by businesses against our employees, or consumers at large. I encourage states that are considering passing laws like the one rejected by Arizona or adopted by Indiana to reconsider and abandon these discriminatory actions. (We’re looking at you, Arkansas.)
I hope that in the future the legislatures in the nineteen states that have these laws on the books will reconsider their actions. In the mean time, Yelp will make every effort to expand its corporate presence only in states that do not have these laws allowing for discrimination on the books.
I also hope that other companies will draw a similar line in the sand for equality on behalf of their employees and the greater public to persuade legislators to do the right thing and stop or rescind these harmful laws.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Stoppelman
CEO, Yelp
In related news, civil rights leader and former NAACP chairman Julian Bond has released a statement blasting Arkansas’s proposed bill, saying:
H.B. 1228 in Arkansas opens the door to a hateful past that some had thought this country had left behind. This legislation cloaks discrimination in the guise of religion–and it will mark people of color, LGBT Arkansans, religious minorities and women as second class citizens. Governor Hutchinson has a duty and a moral obligation to veto this legislation or the ghosts of the past will haunt his legacy.”
Earlier today, we told you about the campaign to prevent a similar “license to discriminate” bill from becoming law in Georgia.
Kyler Geoffroy
Indiana's Governor Pence Signs A Bill That Would Allow For LGBT Discrimination
Indiana's Governor Pence Signs A Bill That Would Allow For LGBT Discrimination
The law is held under "freedom of religion" he argues. — NowThisNews is the first and only video news network built for people who love their phones and love social media. Follow NowThis…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdxEdnWKkBY&feature=youtube_gdata
1 de Fevereiro, 2014 – 666 Filhos de Xico @ DV
Radio Stations Pull Little Big Town's 'Girl Crush' Over Complaints Of Song's 'Gay Agenda'
Radio Stations Pull Little Big Town's 'Girl Crush' Over Complaints Of Song's 'Gay Agenda'
Radio stations are reportedly pulling Little Big Town’s latest country hit, “Girl Crush,” due to complaints that the song’s lyrics promote the “gay agenda.”
Radio host Alana Lynn of 104.3 FM in Boise, Idaho, told the Washington Post that she received angry calls and emails after playing “Girl Crush” off the band’s latest album, “Pain Killer,” and stopped playing the song during her morning show. Other stations across the country axed it, too, the outlet notes.
Some of the sultry lyrics include: “I want to taste her lips/ Yeah, ’cause they taste like you/ I want to drown myself/ In a bottle of her perfume/ I want her long blonde hair/ I want her magic touch/ Yeah, ’cause maybe then/ You’d want me just as much/ I got a girl crush.”
But “Girl Crush” is not about a lesbian romance. It’s about a woman who is jealous yet enthralled by her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. The track was written by Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, the songwriting collective known as the Love Junkies. Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman loved it as soon as they heard it.
“It could be a bit of a game changer on country radio right now,” Fairchild told Rolling Stone back in December. “There are not many women on the radio and not many ballads with that kind of lyrical content. I’m excited. Already, radio’s support has been huge out of the gate.”
This week, Fairfield shot down critics’ misconceptions about the song’s meaning.
“The lyric of ‘Girl Crush’ is written in kind of a sexy way,” Fairfield said, per iHeartRadio. “So some people might turn it off when they get to the ‘I want to taste your lips’ and all that. But once they get to the hook they go ‘Oh.’ It turns and it’s about a girl saying, ‘Why do you love her and not me?’ And that’s what makes it. You’ve got to lean in a little bit, but the fans are really loving this one.”
Radio host Bobby Bones wasn’t shy to vocalize his annoyance (“It shouldn’t even matter if it’s a lesbian song!”), and other country stars have rallied around the group.
even if Girl Crush was some kind of lesbian-50-shades song (it isn’t), how could it be more offensive than any of the boozy objectification
— Charlie Worsham (@charlieworsham) March 22, 2015
of women songs? Little Big Town is a stellar act that puts out great music and I say heck yes to great music. ok I’ll stop ranting now.
— Charlie Worsham (@charlieworsham) March 22, 2015
“Girl Crush” is currently No. 17 on Billboard’s Hot County Songs. Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert have both covered it.
Listen to the song below.