All Things LGBTQ+ (3 Viewers)

[Farb]

Didn't really see a place for this so I thought I would start a thread about all things LGBTQ since this is a pretty hot topic in our culture right now

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/sup...y-that-refuses-to-work-with-lgbt-couples.html

• The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a unanimous defeat to LGBT couples in a high-profile case over whether Philadelphia could refuse to contract with a Roman Catholic adoption agency that says its religious beliefs prevent it from working with same-sex foster parents.
• Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in an opinion for a majority of the court that Philadelphia violated the First Amendment by refusing to contract with Catholic Social Services once it learned that the organization would not certify same-sex couples for adoption.

I will admit, I was hopeful for this decision by the SCOTUS but I was surprised by the unanimous decision.

While I don't think there is anything wrong, per se, with same sex couples adopting and raising children (I actually think it is a good thing as it not an abortion) but I also did not want to see the state force a religious institution to bend to a societal norm.

 

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San Francisco Pride, one of the largest LGBTQ+celebrations in the world, has reportedly lost significant funding as major corporate sponsors – some who supported the festivities for years – have pulled out of the event.

Four companies, which include Comcast and Anheuser-Busch, among others, and provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, told the organization that they could no longer afford to offer financial support, Suzanne Ford, the executive director of San Francisco Pride, told KRON4.

Ford believes the sudden departure of longterm sponsors is the result of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.

“The backtracking on rights for the LGBTQ community certainly have to be part of any cooperation’s calculus on whether they give us money so I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but, as we all know now, it’s more difficult than ever to stand up and say you support rights of LGBTQ people,” Ford told KRON4…….

Sponsors drop San Francisco Pride as festival decries ‘rights backtracking’

Comcast, Anheuser-Busch and others cancel funding as US becomes increasingly hostile toward LGBTQ+ communities

www.theguardian.com

 

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MPs in Hungary have voted to ban Pride events and allow authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them, in what Amnesty International has described as a “full-frontal attack” on LGBTQ+ people.

The legislation – the latest by the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his rightwing populist party to target LGBTQ+ rights – was pushed through parliament on Tuesday. Believed to be the first of its kind in the EU’s recent history, the nationwide ban passed by 136 votes to 27 after it was submitted to parliament one day earlier.

It amends the country’s law on assembly to make it an offence to hold or attend events that violate Hungary’s contentious “child protection” legislation, which bars any “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors under the age of 18.


The legislation was condemned by Amnesty International, which described it as the latest in a series of discriminatory measures the Hungarian authorities has taken against LGBTQ+ people.

“The spurious justification for the passing of this law – that events and assemblies would be ‘harmful to children’ – is based on harmful stereotypes and deeply entrenched discrimination, homophobia and transphobia,” it said in a statement.

“This law is a full-frontal attack on the LGBTI community and a blatant violation of Hungary’s obligations to prohibit discrimination and guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” it said, adding that the ban would turn the clock back 30 years in Hungary by undermining hard-won rights.……

Hungary bans Pride events and plans to use facial recognition to target attenders

Amnesty International describes legislation as ‘full-frontal attack’ on country’s LGBTQ+ community

www.theguardian.com

 

[coldseat]

San Francisco Pride, one of the largest LGBTQ+celebrations in the world, has reportedly lost significant funding as major corporate sponsors – some who supported the festivities for years – have pulled out of the event.

Four companies, which include Comcast and Anheuser-Busch, among others, and provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, told the organization that they could no longer afford to offer financial support, Suzanne Ford, the executive director of San Francisco Pride, told KRON4.

Ford believes the sudden departure of longterm sponsors is the result of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.

“The backtracking on rights for the LGBTQ community certainly have to be part of any cooperation’s calculus on whether they give us money so I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, but, as we all know now, it’s more difficult than ever to stand up and say you support rights of LGBTQ people,” Ford told KRON4…….

Sponsors drop San Francisco Pride as festival decries ‘rights backtracking’

Comcast, Anheuser-Busch and others cancel funding as US becomes increasingly hostile toward LGBTQ+ communities

www.theguardian.com

That's okay. Make is a smaller more meaningful event and never invite those corporate sponsors. In fact start a boycott and label them anti-LGBTQ+.

 

[Optimus Prime]

A federal judge blocked the implementation of President Donald Trump's proposed ban of transgender people from the military on Tuesday, saying the president's executive order was "soaked in animus."

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes barred the Department of Defense from beginning any implementation of a ban on transgender servicemembers as lawsuits from current and potential members of the military work their way through the courts.

In her ruling, Reyes eviscerated the Trump administration attorneys' arguments, saying claims of transgender servicemembers harming military readiness and effectiveness were just echoes of similar arguments used to discriminate against women, minorities and gay people.

"'[Fill in the blank] is not fully capable and will hinder combat effectiveness; [fill in the blank] will disrupt unit cohesion and so diminish military effectiveness; allowing [fill in the blank] to serve will undermine training, make it impossible to recruit successfully, and disrupt military order,’” she wrote. "Today, however, our military is stronger and our Nation is safer for the millions of such blanks (and all other persons) who serve."

In her ruling, Reyes also countered the government's arguments that judges should defer to the reasoning of the Department of Defense in military matters. She said that the court would not "blindly" defer to thin arguments "based on conjecture.".............

"No relation to fact": Judge blocks Trump transgender military ban, says order is "soaked in animus"

A federal judge indefinitely blocked Trump's executive order, calling it a blatant violation of the Fifth Amendment

www.salon.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

The Trump administration has paused $175m in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvaniaover its inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s college sports.

Citing an unnamed “senior administration official”, Fox Business said the pause was “not a direct result” of a Title IX investigation into the University of Pennsylvania’s transgender athletes policy that was announced by the federal Department of Education in February.

That investigation came a day after Donald Trumpsigned an executive order entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”

In footage reposted by an official White House account, Fox said the official called the funding pause “just a taste of what could be coming down the pipe for Penn, a proactive punishment from the president to pull back discretionary spending going to the school from” the US defense and health departments. It added that the university was “still at risk of losing all its federal funding as a result of the ongoing Title IX investigation”.


A University of Pennsylvania spokesperson said: “We are aware of media reports suggesting a suspension of $175m in federal funding to Penn, but have not yet received any official notification or any details.

“It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams. We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.”………

Trump administration pauses $175m in funds to UPenn over trans athlete policy

White House official reportedly calls funding freeze ‘just a taste of what could be coming’ for Ivy League university

www.theguardian.com

 

[coldseat]

The Trump administration has paused $175m in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvaniaover its inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s college sports.

Citing an unnamed “senior administration official”, Fox Business said the pause was “not a direct result” of a Title IX investigation into the University of Pennsylvania’s transgender athletes policy that was announced by the federal Department of Education in February.

That investigation came a day after Donald Trumpsigned an executive order entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”

In footage reposted by an official White House account, Fox said the official called the funding pause “just a taste of what could be coming down the pipe for Penn, a proactive punishment from the president to pull back discretionary spending going to the school from” the US defense and health departments. It added that the university was “still at risk of losing all its federal funding as a result of the ongoing Title IX investigation”.


A University of Pennsylvania spokesperson said: “We are aware of media reports suggesting a suspension of $175m in federal funding to Penn, but have not yet received any official notification or any details.

“It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams. We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.”………

Trump administration pauses $175m in funds to UPenn over trans athlete policy

White House official reportedly calls funding freeze ‘just a taste of what could be coming’ for Ivy League university

www.theguardian.com

This whole administration is a bully.

 

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Bud Light owners end sponsorship of St Louis pride event after 30 years

Beer giant subject of 2023 right-wing backlash and boycott after brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Optimus Prime]

A federal judge on Tuesday appeared skeptical that the Trump administration had solid evidence to support its decision to stop issuing passports with a non-binary ‘X’ sex marker.

“You’ve got to give me something, or else I’ll assume there’s nothing,” Massachusetts federal Judge Julia Kobick reportedly said in court in a hearing for a lawsuit challenging the policy, according to Bloomberg Law.

The administration has argued that the president has wide latitude over passport policy. They also say that the challengers can still travel abroad, but that the government “is not responsible for Plaintiffs’ choice to change their sex designation for state documents but not their passport.”

The judge appeared skeptical of this too, reportedly telling administration lawyers on Tuesday, “That’s a very sweeping argument.”

The American Civil Liberties Union, which helped bring the lawsuit, argued that the reason for the passport policy is “inexplicable to anything other than animus.”……..

Judge skeptical over Trump evidence for ending ‘X’ passports: ‘Give me something’

Critics argue Trump policy is out of step with current science on gender and sex

www.independent.co.uk

 

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Do you know how hard it is being a straight man in America?
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A longtime Starbucks manager is suing the coffeehouse chain for discrimination, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, accusing his bosses of ignoring the “extreme and outrageous” harassment he claims he suffered on the job because he is straight.

Christopher Thevanesan, a “heterosexual, gender typical man” in Rochester, New York, claims supervisors at his location treated him “in a materially different manner” than employees who were “not heterosexual and/or gender typical men,” according to a lawsuit filed under New York State’s Human Rights Law and obtained by The Independent.

The suit, which was served on Starbucks in late February, describes the 47-year-old Thevanesan as “a model employee who performed the essential functions of his employment in an exemplary fashion.”

However, it contends, his LGBTQ+ coworkers created a “hostile” work environment for Thevanesan due to his “gender typicality and sexual orientation,” and higher-ups allegedly fired him when he complained.……

Starbucks manager claims he faced ‘egregious’ discrimination for being heterosexual

Exclusive: Christopher Thevanesan’s straightness was “weaponized” against him, attorney Neil Flynn claimed to The Independent

www.independent.co.uk

Starbucks has fired back at a former store manager who sued the coffeehouse chain over his claim of having faced “egregious” discrimination because he is straight.

Christopher Thevanesan’s lawsuit is “nonsensical,” “entirely without merit,” and “devoid of any facts” to support his allegations, according to the company’s motion to dismiss.….

Starbucks shreds lawsuit by manager who claimed he was harassed for being straight

Exclusive: Christopher Thevanesan’s lawsuit is “nonsensical,” “entirely without merit,” and “devoid of any facts” to support his allegations, according to the company

www.independent.co.uk