Salesforce Is Helping Employees Get Out Of Indiana
Salesforce is stepping up its opposition to Indiana’s controversial religious-freedom law.

The cloud computing company said Wednesday it is helping employees who are uncomfortable with the law, which allows business owners to discriminate against LGBT people, transfer out of the state.

“I just got an email on the way to the studio from another employee who said, ‘Look, I don’t feel comfortable living in this state any more, you have to move me out,’” CEO Marc Benioff, who helped lead a corporate boycott against Indiana last week, told CNN’s Poppy Harlow. “I gave him a $50,000 relocation package and said, ‘Great, you’re clear to go.’”

Salesforce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which Gov. Mike Pence signed into law last week, has faced vociferous criticism from business leaders, particularly in the tech industry. On Wednesday, dozens of top Silicon Valley executives signed a joint statement urging lawmakers to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in non-discrimination legislation — a move advocates called “historic.” Even Walmart, which has a history of donating to conservative political candidates who have opposed LGBT rights, successfully lobbied the governor in its home state of Arkansas to block a similar bill.

The pressure appears to be working in Indiana, too. In a televised press conference on Thursday morning, Indiana Republicans said they plan to submit additions to its law clearly stating that no one will “be able to discriminate against anyone at any time.”

Still, the legislators said they would not yet amend anti-discriminatory civil rights laws to include LGBT people as a protected class.

Salesforce has a sizable presence in Indiana. In 2013, Salesforce acquired the Indianapolis-based marketing software firm ExactTarget for $2.5 billion. Benioff told CNN the company could not afford to shutter all of its operations in Indiana.

Still, Benioff vowed to cut back on his company’s investments in Indiana unless the “brutal” law is repealed or altered.

“This is a really important point — that, you know, CEOs have a lot of power and control on investment in states, and we want to invest in states where there is equality,” Benioff told CNN.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/salesforce-indiana_n_6991990.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Largest Islamic and Rabbinic Organizations Join Chorus against Indiana RFRA

The firestorm over Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act continues as minority faith communities added their voices.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/largest-islamic-and-rabbinic-organizations-join-chorus-against-indiana-rfra?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Newt Gingrich Blasts 'Lynch Mob' Attacks On Discriminatory 'Religious Freedom' Bills: VIDEO

Jim Redmond

www.towleroad.com/2015/04/newt-gingrich-blasts-lynch-mob-attacks-on-religious-freedom-bills.html

Op-ed: I'm Not 'Synthetic,' I'm Lucky

Brittany Burges is the daughter of four people — two gay men and two lesbians. She explains why the words of Dolce & Gabbana continue to sting.

read more

Brittany Burges

www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/04/02/op-ed-im-not-synthetic-im-lucky

Tomas Evans Is A Sexy And Sugar-Coated Candyman

This photo shoot by Armando Adajar is a special one because it captures so many of Candyman’s sides — and all of Tomas Evans’. No matter your mood, the brand has something to play up your kinky side. Their costume designs have a sense of humor. Their straight-up sexy briefs take things more seriously. Crack a joke or crack a whip — it’s up to you.

Model Tomas Evans wears the Police Costume and Clown Costume. The bowtie gives the Clown Costume something bright and fun; the Police Costume on the other hand comes with handcuffs – clearly meant for the other kind of fun.

Taken more seriously, and served with bedroom eyes, are the black Neon Effect Gap Brief and red Neon Effect Dip Strap Brief. These sexy briefs are built – or rather, deconstructed – to be strappy and tease your partner with a little skin. The red look also has a pouch you can see through. And the black has a luscious-looking material that fits snug to show off everything it covers.

You can see more of this photo shoot on The Underwear Expert.

Photo Credit: Armando Adajar

Underwear Expert

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/oGYEk2EhVkA/tomas-evans-is-a-sexy-and-sugar-coated-candyman-20150402