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Land O’Lakes’ Beth Ford Becomes First Out Woman to Run a Fortune 500
Ford is also only the third gay person and the 25th woman to run a Fortune 500 company.
www.advocate.com/business/2018/7/30/land-olakes-beth-ford-becomes-first-out-woman-run-fortune-500
GLAAD denounces Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement of a ‘Religious Liberty’ Task Force
GLAAD today denounced Attorney General Sessions’ announcement of his new Religious Liberty Task Force at the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Summit. As stated by Sessions, the group’s purpose is to ensure that the Justice Department upholds the administration’s guidance for religious exemptions, which he released in October.
“Though freedom of religion is a core American value, religious exemptions from adhering to non-discrimination protections are not,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD. “Sessions’ announcement today is yet another example of the Trump administration’s anti-LGBTQ agenda as they seek to weave protections for those seeking anti-LGBTQ religious exemptions into the government.”
Sessions claimed that the goal of this task force is to accommodate people of faith, but his explanation of its purpose and his extensive anti-LGBTQ record suggest otherwise. Sessions has a long history of defending the use of “religious exemptions” to discriminate against LGBTQ people and opposing non-discrimination protections for the community. In his announcement, Sessions called attention to legal battles such as Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which lawyers from the Southern Poverty Law Center-designated anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom argued that Jack Phillips had the right to discriminate against two men who were seeking a wedding cake based on their sexual orientation.
Today’s Religious Liberty Summit featured a number of panelists, each boasting a lengthy anti-LGBTQ record. Among those honored in Sessions’ speech were Kerri Kupec, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Jack Phillips, Senator Lankford, and Emilie Kao. Their anti-LGBTQ records are detailed below.
Today’s event comes on the heels of the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, hosted last week by the vehemently anti-LGBTQ Ambassador of International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. The ministerial was largely focused on global issues that the administration frames as pertaining to religious freedom, but invited a multitude of prominent anti-LGBTQ figures to speak, including Tony Perkins, the most frequently booked anti-LGBTQ pundit and president of the anti-LGBTQ group Family Research Council (FRC), and ADF CEO Michael Farris. ADF was intimately involved in the Religious Liberty Summit, issuing a press release a few days prior calling attention to the event.
ANTI-LGBTQ RECORDS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY SUMMIT PANELISTS
Former ADF staffer and current DOJ Media Affairs Specialist Kerri Kupec’s anti-LGBTQ record:
—Condemned Yelp for supporting trans students, saying “Big business shouldn’t be advocating for boys to share the girls’ locker rooms and showers — and vice versa — in our public schools.”
—Claims transgender support “renders sex meaningless” and that money and politics are the reasons the Obama administration took a favorable stand
–Against all available evidence, argued that North Carolina’s infamous HB2 was “good for business” and “absolutely not” anti-transgender
President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Archbishop Joseph Kurtz’s anti-LGBTQ record:
—Referred to marriage equality as a “tragic error”
Jack Phillips’ anti-LGBTQ record:
–Plaintiff in the recent Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Supreme Court case, which he narrowly won on grounds particular to his case
—Represented in this case by ADF, which consistently litigates for religious exemptions from non-discrimination laws
Senator James Lankford’s anti-LGBTQ record:
—Believes it is acceptable to fire people based on their sexual orientation
Heritage Foundation staffer Emilie Kao’s anti-LGBTQ record:
–In a piece called “The Left’s Assault on Adoption,” argued that adoption agencies have the right to discriminate against LGBTQ couples based on their sexual orientation
Imagine Dragons Frontman Dan Reynolds to LGBTQ Youth: ‘We Need You. We Love You. We Accept You.’ – WATCH
Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds spoke out for LGBTQ equality (above) at the Love Loud Festival Sunday night at the Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The festival supports LGBTQ charities.
Reynolds spoke at the end of an Imagine Dragons set before launching into the track “Believer”.
Said Reynolds. “We’ve got one last song for you. We love you. We love you. To our LGBTQ youth, stay with us every day. We need you, we love you, we accept you. Your love is valid, it’s pure, it’s true, it’s beautiful. We stand with you. Love Loud will be here. We’re just going to stay here. Thank you for raising over a million dollars tonight. Peace, love, equality. We’ll see you again soon.”
Reynolds, a straight Mormon, is the subject of the new documentary Believer, directed by Don Argott (DeLorean, Batman & Bill, The Art of the Steal), which follows Reynolds as he explores how the LDS church treats its LGBTQ members.
The doc, which premiered at Sundance, began airing on HBO this summer.
Reynolds told Billboard in 2017: “One of the reasons I’ve felt such a need to speak out on this is I’ve gotten countless emails and letters from fans around the world who said, ‘I’m gay, but I know you’re Mormon so that probably means you don’t accept my lifestyle, but I love ‘It’s Time’ and your music.’ That was devastating and it broke my heart to get letters like that. I’ve written back to these people to tell them, “No, I do support you and I’m here for you.” It’s been a driving force for me to raise awareness and make a difference and not just sit back to let people feel that hurt. “It’s Time” reached a lot in a lot of different ways.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook also spoke at the concert: “I stand before you tonight as an uncle, a sports nut, a CEO, a lover of the beautiful Utah outdoors, and a proud gay American. I’ve come to deliver a simple message that I want every LGBTQ person to hear and to believe: You are a gift to the world, a unique and special gift just the way you are. Your life matters. To you I say, find your truth, speak your truth, live your truth.”
Watch:
The post Imagine Dragons Frontman Dan Reynolds to LGBTQ Youth: ‘We Need You. We Love You. We Accept You.’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
DOJ Creates Task Force to Defend Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination in the Name of “Religious Liberty”
Today, HRC blasted the Trump-Pence Administration’s creation of a taxpayer-funded task force as part of their ongoing campaign to license discrimination against LGBTQ people in the public square. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of the task force this morning at the U.S. Department of Justice alongside anti-LGBTQ extremists from Alliance Defending Freedom and the Colorado baker who refused to serve a gay couple in violation of the state’s nondiscrimination law. It will be led by Jesse Panuccio, who was an attorney in 2010 for supporters of Proposition 8, California’s same-sex marriage ban.
“This taxpayer funded task force is yet another example of the Trump-Pence White House and Jeff Sessions sanctioning discrimination against LGBTQ people,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Over the last 18 months, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions have engaged in a brazen campaign to erode and limit the rights of LGBTQ people in the name of religion.. The Attorney General standing shoulder-to-shoulder this morning with anti-LGBTQ extremists tells you everything you need to know about what today’s announcement was really all about.”
Today’s announcement is the latest effort in an 18-month campaign by the Trump-Administration to license discrimination against LGBTQ people for so-called ‘religious’ reasons. Last year, Donald Trump issued an Executive Order directing Jeff Sessions to look across the federal government and assess ways in which the administration could license discrimination at government agencies. In January, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the creation of a so-called “Conscience” Division, empowering health care providers to discriminate against LGBTQ people. The Trump Administration has also proposed rule permitting health care providers–doctors, nurses, and even non medical support staff like receptionists–to deny even potentially life-saving care to LGBTQ people, women, and other vulnerable communities on the basis of the worker’s personal beliefs.
HRC has been chronicling the Trump-Pence Administration’s onslaught of attacks on the LGBTQ community here: www.hrc.org/timelines/trump.
New Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford Breaks Barrier as First Openly Gay Woman to Lead a Fortune 500 Company
Land O’Lakes has named Beth Ford its new CEO. Ford is the first openly gay woman named CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Fortune reports: ‘When Ford—who was previously the chief operating officer of the $14 billion cooperative—takes on the role on August 1, she will become one of 25 women running a Fortune 500 company. With the promotion, she also joins an even smaller group: By Fortune’s count, Ford will be the third openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company and the first woman. Ford said it didn’t even come up in her discussions with the board. But she conceded that “it’s not nothing.” Ford takes over as Land O’Lakes is contending with tariffs on U.S. dairy goods that were put into effect in retaliation for President Trump’s trade war.’
The post New Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford Breaks Barrier as First Openly Gay Woman to Lead a Fortune 500 Company appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Gay Couple Forced to Separate on Alaska Airlines Flight So Straight Couple Could Sit Together
A gay man and his partner were forced to separate on an Alaska Airlines flight to make room for a straight couple who wanted to sit together. David Cooley, the owner of the West Hollywood nightclub The Abbey, wrote about the incident on Facebook.
Wrote Cooley: “I have never been so discriminated against while traveling before. I was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight # 1407 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to LAX to give preferential treatment to a straight couple. After my traveling companion and I had been seated in our assigned seats for a while, we were approached by the flight attendant and my companion was asked to move from his premium seat to coach, so a couple could sit together. I explained that we were a couple and wanted to sit together. He was given a choice to either give up the premium seat and move to coach or get off the plane. We could not bear the feeling of humiliation for an entire cross-country flight and left the plane.”
Cooley added: “I cannot believe that an airline in this day and age would give a straight couple preferential treatment over a gay couple and go so far as to ask us to leave. We will never be flying Alaska Airlines or their recently purchased Virgin Airlines Group ever again. Thank you to Delta Air Lines for getting us home safe. If you are an #LGBT person, please spend your travel dollars with an LGBT friendly airline like Delta.”
Alaska released a statement about the incident, acknowledging that it did take place: “When boarding flight 1407 from JFK to LAX, a couple was mistakenly assigned the same seats as another couple in Premium Class. We reseated one of the guests from Premium Class in the Main Cabin. ‘We are deeply sorry for the situation, and are investigating the details while communicating directly with the guests involved to try and make this right. Alaska Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind, and our employees value inclusion for our guests and each other.’”
The post Gay Couple Forced to Separate on Alaska Airlines Flight So Straight Couple Could Sit Together appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
Gay Couple Forced to Separate on Alaska Airlines Flight So Straight Couple Could Sit Together
From the Americas to the Far East, Courts Are Advancing LGBT Rights
Recent rulings in locales as diverse as Chile and Hong Kong show progress, and more are expected.
www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/7/30/americas-far-east-courts-are-advancing-lgbt-rights
The Heartbreaking Story Behind Dan Reynolds’ Rainbow Ring
The Imagine Dragons singer wears a reminder of the cost of bigotry.
www.advocate.com/music/2018/7/29/heartbreaking-story-behind-dan-reynolds-rainbow-ring
Must-See LGBTQ TV: Final season of ‘Casual’ airs and ‘Making It’ premieres!
Grab the remote, set your DVR or queue up your streaming service of choice! GLAAD is bringing you the highlights LGBTQ on TV this week. Check back every Sunday for up-to-date coverage in LGBTQ-inclusive programming on TV.
The fourth and final season of Casual will be released on Hulu this Tuesday. This new season continues to follow single mother Valerie, her brother Alex, and her bisexual daughter Laura, but it jumps two years into the future. Season four will continue to explore the dysfunctional family dynamics of the trio, and will also introduce Tathiana, a new girlfriend for Laura, and explore their relationship further. Casual: Tuesday on Hulu.
NBC’s newest competition reality show Making It premieres on Tuesday night. The show is hosted by Parks and Recreation stars Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman as they welcome eight “Makers,” or crafts experts to compete and make to their heart’s desire. One of the contestants, Jeffrey Rudell, is an out gay man who lives with his husband and cat in New York, where he works as a paper props craftsman. Making It: Tuesday, 10pm on NBC.
Sunday, July 29: Claws (9pm, TNT)
Monday: Andi Mack (8pm, Disney); Dietland (9pm, AMC)
Tuesday: Casual (Hulu); The Bold Type (8pm, Freeform); Animal Kingdom (9pm, TNT); Making It (10pm, NBC) Hit the Floor (10pm, BET)
Wednesday: Harlots (Hulu); Burden of Truth (8pm, The CW); The Originals (9pm, The CW); Queen Sugar (10pm, OWN)
Thursday: American Woman (10pm, Paramount)
Friday: Quantico (8pm, ABC); Wynonna Earp (9pm, Syfy); Killjoys (10pm, Syfy)
www.glaad.org/blog/must-see-lgbtq-tv-final-season-casual-airs-and-making-it-premieres
Trump Blabs About Meeting at Which NYT Publisher Warned Him ‘Fake News’ and ‘Enemy of the People’ Rhetoric is ‘Dangerous’
Donald Trump tweeted Sunday about a meeting with New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger that was intended to be off-the-record.
Tweeted Trump: ‘Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, “Enemy of the People.” Sad!’
Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, “Enemy of the People.” Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
Sulzberger took the liberty of responding to Trump’s tweet, since he had made the meeting public.
My main purpose for accepting the meeting was to raise concerns about the president’s deeply troubling anti-press rhetoric.
I told the president directly that I thought that his language was not just divisive but increasingly dangerous.
I told him that although the phrase “fake news” is untrue and harmful, I am far more concerned about his labeling journalists “the enemy of the people.” I warned that this inflammatory language is contributing to a rise in threats against journalists and will lead to violence.
I repeatedly stressed that this is particularly true abroad, where the president’s rhetoric is being used by some regimes to justify sweeping crackdowns on journalists. I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our country’s greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press.
Throughout the conversation I emphasized that if President Trump, like previous presidents, was upset with coverage of his administration he was of course free to tell the world. I made clear repeatedly that I was not asking for him to soften his attacks on The Times if he felt our coverage was unfair. Instead, I implored him to reconsider his broader attacks on journalism, which I believe are dangerous and harmful to our country.
The post Trump Blabs About Meeting at Which NYT Publisher Warned Him ‘Fake News’ and ‘Enemy of the People’ Rhetoric is ‘Dangerous’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.
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