Walmart Guilty Of Anti-Trans Discrimination and HRC Looks The Other Way

The closest grocery store to Casa Bob y Carlos is a Walmart and every week Carlos and I drive right past it to do our grocery shopping because, well, Walmart; I loathe that store and now I have one more reason to add to my arsenal.

Back in December of 2016, Walmart settled a class action lawsuit for $7.5 million brought by current and former gay and lesbian employees who were denied benefits like insurance for their legal spouses.

And then last month Walmart lost a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC] case when the board ruled that the company had discriminated and harassed a transgender woman at a Sam’s Club in Florida.

So, let’s make this queer: Walmart has been found to treat its LGBT employees as less than, and is also guilty of anti-transgender behavior. Hopefully it’s a lesson learned and ...

What? They’re at it again.

Last week another transgender woman, Charlene Bost, has won her case against Walmart before the EEOC. Bost had alleged that she was harassed by coworkers at a Sam’s Club in North Carolina, treated differently, unfairly disciplined, and ultimately fired after she came out as trans:

“Sam’s Club wasn’t safe for me as a transgender woman. No one should be treated the way I was while just trying to do my job. I care about doing good work, but my efforts were met with bias, hostility and retaliation from coworkers and supervisors who targeted me for being transgender.”

And she is so right, but, because I like to be fair, let’s hear what Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove had to say:

“Walmart maintains a strong anti-discrimination policy. We support diversity and inclusion in our workforce and do not tolerate discrimination or retaliation of any kind.  While we disagree with the EEOC’s findings, we are open to discussions with Ms. Bost regarding a conciliatory resolution.”

Wait; let that sink in. Walmart has been found guilty of treating gay and lesbian employees as less than, and has been found guilty of harassing trans clients at stores in both Florida and North Carolina, but they are calling themselves inclusive and supportive?

Honey, if that’s your idea of treating people equally, of fighting discrimination, of creating a diverse work environment, y’all best get a Thesaurus and figure out what those words mean.

And even more odd, despite these discrimination stories, and the generally poor treatment Walmart gives to their workers, the company continues to score highly on the Human Rights Campaign‘s Corporate Equality Index.

Huh; maybe HRC better rethink the way they score these folks because these stories are not good. In fact, Pride At Work, the nonprofit that represents LGBTQ working people, has criticized HRC for the way it scores the CEI for years:

“We are disappointed that the HRC Corporate Equality Index rewards big corporations for questionable employment practices without taking into consideration the lived experiences of the LGBTQ working people in those corporations.”

Perhaps it comes down to cash? Walmart is a “diamond sponsor” for HRC’s upcoming National Dinner, meaning they have donated at least $35,000 to the organization annually.

So, is it just me, or does it seem like Walmart mistreats its LGBTQ employees, and customers, and yet the Human Rights Commission looks the other way because a big check is on the way in?

Either way, best to avoid Walmart if you’re LGBTQ, or LGBTQ-friendly because no amount of savings is worth the discrimination.

LGBTQ Nation

In the Age of _____, Stand Strong and Tall and Firm For Equality

Everyone makes jokes about Thanksgiving dinner and the family feuds that erupt over a meal meant to be thankful and grateful I once read openly gay comedian Bob Smith’s book, Openly Bob, and loved how he said he’d come out to his family, over Thanksgiving dinner by quietly asking if, “Someone would please pass the mash potatoes to the homosexual.”

My family never had those uncomfortable holiday dinners; I don’t think we ever fought once, or argued, or disagreed, we were just happy to be together sharing a meal. But this isn’t about me or my family on Thanksgiving; it’s about a woman, a straight woman who is an LGBT ally and the request she received before ever leaving home to travel to her parent’s house for Thanksgiving.

See, her father texted her and asked, well, he actually kind of demanded, that she could either remove the bumpersticker from her car before arriving at their house, or maybe she could find some alternative transportation so the offending sticker wouldn’t be on view.

The sticker? The Human Rights Campaign [HRC] equality sticker.

But before making any decision, the woman, identified only as “Rachel” decided to share her story on the pro-Clinton Facebook group Pantsuit Nation, where it went viral and finally reached the HRC blog where they reported that Rachel had thought about covering the equal sign with an index card to avoid a confrontation:

“Ultimately, Rachel realized that removing the sticker was allowing discrimination to win, and she refused to back down from something she so strongly believed in. Unwilling to compromise her convictions, Rachel decided to leave the sticker on her car.”

Rachel saw her story on HRC and replied:

“Thank you for the outpouring of support and suggestions through comments and private messages. I truly did not anticipate this response. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in this battle. Many of your comments have brought me to the realization that covering the sticker would be equivalent to removing it.

 I am an ally at all times, not just when it is convenient or easy. My father would win by forcing me to back down from something that I believe in, and it would validate his belief that he still has control over me and can bully me into submission. So there will be no compromise, as I am not willing to compromise my convictions anymore than he is willing to compromise his.

I have decided that I will be parking elsewhere and walking to their house, even though that will be a good little hike since they live down a country road in the middle of nowhere. I feel that this will send a far stronger message than if I were to refuse to remove the sticker and just cover it instead.”

Equality. Her father was offended by equality, but, in the Age of _____, such liberal ideals will face scrutiny; people will still stand up for those who can’t stand for themselves but it might get harder. That’s why we have to stand, strong and steadfast, to let those who would seek to deny equality ... equality for god's sake ... to anyone will not win.

For me, I would have parked the car in Dad’s driveway, with the bumpersticker facing the street; hell, I might have painted the car to look like the HRC emblem.

Whatever we do, we keep doing it.

LGBTQ Nation

Enchanted Creations Will Bake An Anti-LGBT Hate Cake, But They Have A Good Reason

Enchanting Creations is a small bakery down in Miami Shore, Florida, a kind of gayish neighborhood north of Miami. In fact, the owners have an LGBT pride flag in their window, so you know they're gay-friendly. What they also are is inclusive because they say that they will gladly bake an anti-gay hate-cake for a homophobic bigot, if someone wants one.

In a section on the company’s web site [HERE] titled “Hate Cakes, Human Rights, And Where We Stand,” Enchanting Creations explains that they have recently received a number of inquiries from people asking if they will make anti-gay cakes:

“Unfortunately, we haven’t been the only targets; the idea of “setting a trap” for small bakeries to catch them in the act of discrimination has become increasingly more common, and we feel it’s time to clarify our stance on this issue.

The fact of the matter is that we are an American business. As such, it is our responsibility to uphold the law and to refrain from discriminating against our customers, no matter how hurtful or personally offensive we might find their particular beliefs.

We believe that no one should ever be refused service – opposing discrimination by practicing it is not the answer. The only way to uphold our integrity as a company, and to maintain any hope of an eventual triumph over bigotry and discrimination is to act in accordance with this belief. We will not discriminate against potential customers, not even against those whose beliefs directly contradict our own – if the request is protected by the First Amendment we will honor it. This issue isn’t about approval; it’s about respect.”

I kinda get it, but it kinda irks me … but I get it; if you are against discrimination then you are against all discrimination. But that’s not all that the good folks at Enchanting Creations want you, and those folks who want a hate cake, to know:

“That said, so far these inquiries have amounted to nothing more than trolling; we have yet to receive a serious order. However, should the day come when an actual order is placed and paid for, we will not profit from discrimination.

Today we pledge that any profits we generate from the sale of a cake intended to discriminate against same-sex couples will be donated to the Human Rights Campaign, an organization who continues to fight for LGBT Equality.

We are extremely honored to be featured as an LGBT-Friendly vendor on both EnGAYgedWeddings.com and GayWeddings.com, and we will continue to proudly serve South Florida’s gay community. 

We sincerely hope that others will join us in finding ways to derive something positive from this ongoing negativity, because in the end we truly do believe that love.”

And money is good, even money from a hate cake can be used to do some good. And, well, if I worked at Enchanted Creations, I would love to have someone order an anti-LGBT cake just so I could tell them that I’d bake it, and I’d sell it, and I’d give all the money to a n LGBT charity.

The looks on their faces would be priceless.

via If You Only News

Enchanting Creations Facebook Page

South Carolina? If You Were A Man, I'd Kiss You

I know it’s a very conservative state, a very religious state, a very Republican state, but every so often, South Carolina, you make me proud.

There’s a new poll out that shows that South Carolinians have gone on with their lives after marriage equality came to the state like it just doesn’t matter and doesn’t affect them and doesn’t bother them.

According to the Human Rights Campaign [HRC]:

“South Carolina has had marriage equality on the books since November, and voters are doing just fine, according to a recent Public Policy Polling report. In fact, 60 percent of South Carolina voters reported that the legalization of marriage equality in the state has not negatively impacted on their lives.”

No one’s dies from marriage equality; the sky didn’t fall; the rain didn’t spoil the rhubarb. We're just carrying on as usual.

Who’da thunk it?

via Purple Unions

Asshat of the Week: ExxonMobil

Last week President Obama announced that he will soon issue an executive order extending essential workplace protections to the LGBT employees of federal contractors, and suddenly everyone was eyeing ExxonMobil Corporation — a Fortune 100 corporation and one of the nation’s largest federal contractors.

See, ExxonMobil has — for the last nearly twenty years — resisted instituting non-discrimination protections for its LGBT employees, even though most other Fortune 500 companies treat these kinds of protections—like not being fired just because you’re an L, a G, a B, or a T — as a rule of thumb. So, folks were wondering what ExxonMobil was going to do in the face of Obama’s announcement and it turns out that they’ve decided to lie.

In a statement ExxonMobil is now claiming it has “a longstanding policy that strictly prohibits any form of discrimination by or toward employees, contractors, suppliers and customers in any ExxonMobil workplace. Our global, zero-tolerance policy applies to all forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Lie.Lie.Lie.

Human Rights Campaign [HRC] Vice President for Communications Fred Sainz:

“Put bluntly, this statement is a lie. ExxonMobil’s Equal Employment and Opportunity Policy has clearly and consistently omitted enumerated LGBT non-discrimination protections for its personnel. Though their statement sounds like it’s taking a very progressive stand, it is in fact a master class in doublespeak — crafted, no doubt, by a team of well-paid lawyers. Until a nondiscrimination policy is enumerated, it isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.” 

Let’s go back to facts, something ExxonMobil thinks they can hide: in the last 17 years, ExxonMobil’s shareholders have voted 17 times to kill non-discrimination protections for ExxonMobil’s LGBT personnel — and did it again last month.

And let’s go back further, because when Exxon merged with Mobil in 1999, the newly formed company immediately rescinded domestic partner benefits that had previously been offered to Mobil’s LGBT employees.

In fact, ExxonMobil’s blatant disregard for its LGBT employees has earned it the only negative score in the 12 year history of HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. 

Asshats trying to rewrite history, to rewrite lies. I mean, rather than, say, oh I dunno, change their minds after all these years, they’re simply going to lie about policies they do not have in place.

ExxonMobil does not now, nor has it since merging ion 1999, given a rat’s ass about the LGBT community and I think, if you don’t already, we should return the favor.

source: HRC

Another NOM Smackdown

The National organization fro Marriage [NOM] is not having a good Spring.
First came the release of NOM documents showing their racist plan to pit the Black and Latino communities against the LGBT community in regards to marriage equality. And, while they were still wiping the egg from their faces for that mess, came their pitiful attempt to boycott Starbucks for their support of marriage equality,. That failed miserably when more people stood with Starbucks, and the company stock soared.
And now this.

Ben Cardin

NOM spent some $10,000 in last week's Maryland state primary in an effort to remove pro-marriage equality incumbent, Senator Ben Cardin, from office, and replace him with anti-equality Democrat C. Anthony Muse, who voted against the marriage bill.
Didn't.Happen.
Cardin won the election with a whopping, WHOPPING, 74% of the vote, while NOM"s candidate received just 16%.
Whopping. Or whooping; as in NOM took another ass whooping.
Their fifteen minutes are just about up.
Say Goodnight Magpie.

via HRC

More Hope

Malcolm, a seven-year-old Los Angeles boy, has donated $140 to LA's Gay and Lesbian Center and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation because he doesn’t think it’s right for gay people not to be treated equally.

Seven. He's seven.

Malcolm was given the $140 by his parents, who told him he could donate to any cause he chose, and he split it between the HRC and the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, and he sent his check, along with a handwritten note, that read: “I am sending you this money because I don’t think it’s fair that Gay people are not treated equally.”

Malcolm's mother also sent a note: “To teach the importance of improving the world around him, Malcolm was given $140 to give away to the charity of his choice. After hearing a story on the radio about the mistreatment of gays and lesbians, Malcolm became both upset and curious about the issue…to help, he chose to split his money between the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.”

Atta boy, Malcolm!

source

The Boycott Is Back, Too

So, first Target gets nailed for donating money to a PAC that donated money to a rabidly anti-gay politician, Tom Emmer, who gave some of his money to a "Christian" rock band who believes the moral thing to do is Kill The Gays.

Then the LGBT community gave a big Steven Slater to Target. We grabbed a Bud Lite and slid out of their stores in droves. And their stock dropped as the boycott hit.

Well, what does a Target do? They apologize, though not specifically to the LGBT community but to their own employees and they talk about how they were just doing what was best for Target.

Okay, so, boycott off? Not so much.

After agreeing to work with the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] to make amends for being money-grubbing-asshats, Target has suddenly decided to abandon the idea. HRC has been working with Target for almost two weeks to try and come to some sort of resolution that keeps Target's reputation on relative solid footing within the LGBT community.

But Target said that they're no longer interested in working with the group, and don't really feel it's in the company's best interest to make things right with the LGBT community.
So, I would ask the LGBT community to reciprocate in kind, and stop working with Target. Perhaps do like this guy:

And if you work for Target, perhaps a job search is in order, and once you've found said employment elsewhere, why not head back into your Target store, find the nearest PA system, and give a big F-U to the company that gave a big F-U to the LGBT community.
Sounds only fair.

Equality Reacts

James Esseks, Director of the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project:

“Today’s decision is a huge victory for the LGBT people of America. For the first time, a federal court has conducted a trial and found that there is absolutely no reason to deny same-sex couples the fairness and dignity of marriage. At the same time, we know that this is not the end. In order to give this case the best possible chance of success as it moves through the appeals courts, we need to show that America is ready for same-sex couples to marry by continuing to seek marriage and other relationship protections in states across the country. It’s simply not fair, and not legal, to continue to exclude committed same-sex couples from marriage.”

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

"This ruling marks a victory for loving, committed couples who want nothing more than the same rights and security as other families. From the start, this has been about basic fairness. Today we celebrate the affirmation of this fundamental principle; tomorrow, we are back out there sharing our personal stories and having conversations with Californians and people all across the country about why this matters and who we are. The tide is turning nationwide in favor of marriage equality, but our work is far from over. Today’s ruling is just a beginning step in what will likely be a long process, yet we are confident that fairness will prevail. Our conversations are breaking down barriers and helping to transform our country."

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese:

“After hearing extensive evidence in support of marriage equality, and essentially no defense of the discrimination wrought by Prop 8, Judge Walker reached the same conclusion we have always known to be true – the Constitution’s protections are for all Americans, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. We thank the courageous plaintiff couples, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies for their tremendous efforts leading to today’s decision and their ongoing commitment as the case moves forward on appeal. The battle for marriage equality continues, and we must all continue our work – in courthouses and statehouses, in church pews and living rooms – until equality is reality for LGBT people and our families everywhere.”

Cyndi Lauper:

"Gay and lesbian couples have long struggled for acceptance and the ability to marry the person they love and want to build a family with. Today's landmark ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional is a testament to the fundamentals on which this great country was built and validates that the discrimination gay couples face must come to an end. We as a society should be embracing these couples and helping them make the lifelong commitment to each other that many of us straight people take for granted each and every day. This decision is a major step in the right direction towards equality. On behalf of the True Colors Fund and the Give a Damn Campaign, I want to commend and thank Chad Griffin and the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the legal team headed by Ted Olson and David Boies, and the plaintiffs in the case, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, for their leadership and courage in standing up for equality and fairness."

Meredith Baxter At HRC in North Carolina

She starts out with some cute jokes about coming out then gets right down to passionately speaking about bullying, DOMA and DADT. She even uses my old mantra " Gays and lesbians are less than."

Enough Chances

Former American Idol alum and former recording star Gay Aiken, I mean Clay Gayken, dammit, Clay Aiken, who grudgingly came out in 2008 after years of speculation and denials, will finally use his :::somewhat limited::: celebrity to speak for gay rights in his home state of North Carolina this weekend.

Aiken will deliver a speech at the Human Rights Campaign gala in Raleigh, though some aspects of the appearance proved too controversial for him. Apparently, according to Clay, he rewrote his speech after he decided that the remarks provided to him were too controversial, too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush.

But Clay, these days, when we are seeing our rights trampled on, when we see people voting on whether or not we should be allowed the same benefits this country has to offer every other, straight, citizen, being gay, and talking about it is a political issue.

And don't forget, honey, you are speaking at a Human Rights Campaign rally.

Rights.

They are political.

Too be fair, I was one of those people, those many, many, many, people who knew you were a big old queen the moment you strolled onto the Idol stage in your size, what are they, fourteen shoes. But, as I believe, gay people, while they do need to come out, must be able to do so at their own pace. You cannot force a stuck closet door open. So, I said, "Give him a chance."

Then the Internet sex stories started and I said, "Give him a chance."

Then came news that you were having a baby with a woman through artificial insemination, and that, primarily, you would be raising the child alone, and I said, "Give him a chance."

And you came out. And we all breathed a huge sigh of relief. Well, actually, we all giggled some and thought, "What took you so long."

But now, you have the chance to speak about human rights and you don't want to get too political? Enough chances. You are behind the times, my friend; you can't go through life as Uncle Arthur or the center square on Hollywood Squares and hope people don't think of you that way.

You're here. You're queer, dear. We're used to it.

Now, if you're gonna speak, then speak the fuck up.

A True Leader

Anthony Woods, openly gay Iraq war veteran, has received the endorsements of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign in his race to represent California’s 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A special will be held to fill the seat left vacant when Ellen Tauscher, accepted a presidential appointment as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

A victim of the discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Woods was awarded the Bronze Star for his two tours in Iraq before being discharged from the Army because of his sexual orientation. He is also a graduate of West Point and Harvard University.

Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund: “Anthony Woods is an exciting candidate with a tremendous record of accomplishment. He’s also running an impressive campaign. Anthony has assembled a solid campaign team that understands what it will take to win this extremely competitive race. We need more leaders like Anthony Woods in the U.S. Congress, so we are proud to endorse him. His will be an authentic voice not only for the people of California’s 10th Congressional District, but for the millions of Americans who are denied equal treatment because of their sexual orientation.”

His is a voice that may just be heard above the din of those who choose to deny the LGBT community equal rights and protections under the law.

Know Thy Neighbor

Know Thy Neighbor is a website that was created in 2005, in response to an initiative petition to ban same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. It was the brainchild of Tom Lang, a gay married man, and Aaron Toleos, a straight married man. These two men saw the petition for what it was: discrimination.

Lang and Toleos created the site to draw attention to the petition, and to provide a platform for the gay equality movement at a grassroots level.

In December of 2005, KnowThyNeighbor.org published the names of all 148,000+ petition signers and altered the dynamic of the petition process in several important ways:

Anti-gay marriage activists and supporters lost their veil of anonymity. KnowThyNeighbor.org believes that citizens who sponsor an amendment to take away people's rights, or to deny people their constitutional rights, should never be allowed to do so under the cover of darkness.

Putting the names online led to the discovery of fraud in the signature collection process. Both civil and criminal investigators have been assigned by the Attorney General.

The GLBT leadership often lets fundraising and legislative lobbying efforts take precedence over grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor advocacy. But a face-to-face conversation with someone you know can sometimes be the most powerful agent of change. KnowThyNeighbor.org exists to make sure those conversations happen!

A KnowThyNeighbor site cropped up in Arkansas recently when that state decided to ban gay couple, or single gay men and women, from adopting. That site printed all the names of people in and out of Arkansas who signed the petition to deny gay people their rights.

And they discovered one important name:

Mike Duke, CEO of WalMart, Inc.

Now, Mike Duke can support whatever causes he chooses, even the hateful ones, but as CEO of WalMart, a company that claims to have an environment of "diversity" within its stores, he should think twice before putting pen to paper.

The Human Rights Campaign, however, disputes WalMart's claim, and ranked it at 40% in its Corporate Equality Index in 2008.

In addition to Mike Duke, they have also discovered the name of one Susan Duke, his wife. She also signed the petition to ban gays and lesbians from adopting children, and Susan Duke sits on the board of the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter.

Shocking.

So, maybe take a moment to think about shopping at WalMart, not just for the atrocious way it treats its employees but for it's out-and-out discrimination of the LGBT community. Take a moment and tell WalMart that you don't support discrimination of any kind.

She's A Pistol

My girl Wanda Sykes at the HRC dinner in Washington, DC:
On being an in-demand activist:

“I’m busy! Gay, gay, gay all the time. I didn’t know it was gonna be thus much work! Geez! Every day, ‘This is something gay, can you do this?” I’ll be there! …And I keep saying gay. I haven’t got all the correct terminology down. So many women come up to me, hard-core lesbians: “Wanda! You gotta stop saying gay! You’re a lesbian!…you’re not gay! Men are gay! You’re a lesbian, you’re a woman!” I’m like calm down dyke I just started this!”

On gay marriage opponents:

“It’s just amazing to me how people get involved in something that doesn’t concern them. You know, if they would just mind their own damned business…The economy’s all messed up, it’s all about the economy right now. And think of all that money they’re losing (from) gay weddings. Wouldn’t you love to have some of that gay wedding money?”

On gay marriage:

“It’s just a relationship. It’s just two people who love each other, just trying to deal with each other and get through life together, that’s all. Just trying to build something together. Relationships are all the same. You’ve got one person who likes to talk a lot and the other person who pretends to listen.”

On Republicans:

“Talk about evil people, they’re just nasty! (Rush Limbaugh) saying, ‘I want the president to fail!’ What kind of bullshit is that? He thinks screw everybody else. Screw everybody, I just want to win! That’s treason, right? I’m like, ‘Let’s not close Guantanamo (Bay), send Rush Limbaugh’s big ass over there! He’s a terrorist!’”

On aging:

“It ain’t fun getting old. It’s not. I don’t consider myself old it’s just little things that happen that people don’t tell you about. The bladder ain’t what it used to be. I used to carry an extra pair of panties in my purse back in the day in case I got lucky. Now it’s in case I sneeze!”

And Wanda on karma: