July 25, 2012
Awesome letter from the Mayor of Boston to Chick-Fil-A regarding their recent statements against marriage equality. Huffington Post reports: According to EqualityMatters.org, the fast food company donated nearly $2 million in 2009 to groups that have anti-gay agendas. IRS 990 forms show that WinShape, the restaurant chain’s charitable foundation which was founded by Chick-Fil-A’s chairman S. Truett Cathy in 1994, gave to the following groups in 2009: Marriage & Family Legacy Fund: $994,199 Fellowship Of Christian Athletes: $480,000 National Christian Foundation: $240,000 Focus On The Family: $12,500 Eagle Forum: $5,000 Exodus International: $1,000 Family Research Council: $1,000 An earlier investigation by Equality Matters found that Chick-Fil-A, which has been voted the third most beloved restaurant chain in the United States, donated more than $1 million to anti-gay groups between 2003 and 2008. The IRS forms from 2009 are the most recent available as public records. Wow - they gave money to Exodus, the group that thinks they can cure gay people. I’m at a loss as to how they function properly in areas of the country that have marriage equality because, does the company even recognize same-sex marriages in providing benefits?

Awesome letter from the Mayor of Boston to Chick-Fil-A regarding their recent statements against marriage equality.

Huffington Post reports:

According to EqualityMatters.org, the fast food company donated nearly $2 million in 2009 to groups that have anti-gay agendas.

IRS 990 forms show that WinShape, the restaurant chain’s charitable foundation which was founded by Chick-Fil-A’s chairman S. Truett Cathy in 1994, gave to the following groups in 2009:

  • Marriage & Family Legacy Fund: $994,199
  • Fellowship Of Christian Athletes: $480,000
  • National Christian Foundation: $240,000
  • Focus On The Family: $12,500
  • Eagle Forum: $5,000
  • Exodus International: $1,000
  • Family Research Council: $1,000

An earlier investigation by Equality Matters found that Chick-Fil-A, which has been voted the third most beloved restaurant chain in the United States, donated more than $1 million to anti-gay groups between 2003 and 2008. The IRS forms from 2009 are the most recent available as public records.

Wow - they gave money to Exodus, the group that thinks they can cure gay people. I’m at a loss as to how they function properly in areas of the country that have marriage equality because, does the company even recognize same-sex marriages in providing benefits?

4:10pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaxRWyQ4yMr9
(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: marriage marriage equality equal marriage equal rights equality same-sex marriage LGBTQ Boston Thomas M. Menino Massachusettes MA LGBT Queer Lesbian Gay Food Chick-Fil-A bigotry homophobia intolerance 
May 9, 2012
North Carolina’s Ban on Same-sex Marriage: What Does It Mean for Business?

North Carolina’s new ban (they already had a measure in place stating marriage is between a man and a woman) could end up putting businesses in a tricky situation. 

The new law, which passed 61% to 39%, states that marriage between a man and a woman is the only valid domestic legal union. So how does this affect businesses? Well any business in North Carolina that is currently covering people who are in same-sex marriages/civil unions/domestic partnerships OR in opposite-sex civil unions/domestic partnerships might have to stop recognizing those relationships according the new law. Unfortunately some of those organizations have pretty strict equality measures in place.

TD Bank for instance, a branch of the Toronto-Dominion Bank recognizes civil unions, civil/domestic partnerships, and same-sex marriages. How would they be supposed to operate within North Carolina when the law states that they cannot recognize those? Will they and other organizations like it be fined? Furthermore how are companies expected to attract talent from other areas of globe, where many heterosexual couples have shifted towards domestic partnerships rather than marriages (Quebec, many European countries) and their relationships will be made invalid within the state. 

It seems like the law makers and more importantly, the voters, weren’t really thinking of what’s good for North Carolina. They were just thinking how they can screw over a group of people who want nothing more than to have the same rights and privileges that everyone else is entitled to. It turns out they may very well have ended up screwing over their state in the process. 

6:10pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaxRWyLBKZuD
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: LGBTQ Queer equality equal rights LGBT Lesbian Gay North Carolina same-sex marriage equal marriage homophobia bigotry USA 
May 1, 2012

Dan Savage takes on the bible in a speech to high school students, though for a number of people hearing about their hypocrisy seems to be too much and they walkout. 

GOProud is demanding that Dan Savage apologize for his comments, even though he was simply stating something that is true. Didn’t know that we have to apologize to speaking the truth just because people don’t want to hear it. 

3:35pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaxRWyKhfgwg
(Notes: 9)
  
Filed under: bible christianity LGBTQ Queer LGBT Gay Dan Savage It Gets Better bigotry leviticus Lesbian faith equality hypocrisy 
October 11, 2011
TN Pastor Who Ordered Attack on Gay Couple Arrested For Stealing

(Source: projectqueer)

10:00am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaxRWyAYVKP1
(Notes: 29)
  
Filed under: TN tennessee heterosexism discrimination religion faith bigotry lgbtq queer hate crimes 
October 28, 2010
A Distrubing Turn in Canadian Politics

The election of Rob Ford as mayor of Toronto aside the events that have taken place in the past two days should be very worrying to Canadians of any political background.

Glen Murray, current Liberal MPP for Toronto City Centre - Rosedale and was the first openly gay mayor of a Large North American City (Winnipeg), has come under fire for a tweet where is called Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Conservative party leader Tim Hudak, and newly elected Rob Ford bigots.

What is a bigot? TheFreeDictionary.com defines bigot as “One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ”.

Stephen Harper, Tim Hudak, and Rob Ford have all voiced their strong opposition to same-sex marriage. Rob Ford endorsed an extremely homophobic pastor who was running for city council, Wendell Brereton. Rob Ford also said in 2006 that “If you are not doing needles and you are not gay, you wouldn’t get AIDS probably”. Stephen Harper led a crusade against the legalization of same-sex marriage while he was leader of the opposition and then tried to reverse the decision to legalize it when he became Prime Minister. He was frequently seen standing side by side with intensely homophobic ministers, pastors, and political pundits smiling and shaking their hands. Tim Hudak has openly opposed same-sex marriage as well. When you seek to deny people the same rights as everyone else simply because of their sexual orientation then that makes you a bigot. When you endorse people who you know thinks gay people are evil then that makes you a bigot.

I should point out that the Conservative ranks aren’t the only ones with bigots. The Liberals, NDP, and Green all have their share of bigots, be they homophobes or are bigoted towards Conservatives.

When a politician gets in trouble and is forced to apologize for telling the truth that is extremely disturbing. Whether on the Left, Right, or in the Center politicians should never be attacked for saying something that is known to be true, for calling people out on what they are. When the truth is censored or people are forced to apologize for saying what is factual and accurate everyone loses.

10:11am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaxRWy1Kswao
(Notes: 2)
  
Filed under: Conservative Canada politics LGBT Toronto Ontario Tim Hudak Stephen Harper Rob Ford Glen Murray Liberal NDP Bigotry homophobia same-sex marriage gay queer lesbian