Latest news with #LGBTQ-related
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scared advertisers, flag bans and Trump: the US is in for a troubled Pride 2025
When Utah brought in its pride flag ban, organizer Chad Call was hardly surprised. On 7 May the US state became the first to explicitly prohibit the flying of LGBTQ+ flags at government buildings and schools; anyone who does so could face fines of $500 a day. 'We live in an incredibly conservative state,' says Call, executive director of Utah Pride. 'It's disappointing that this is such an important issue to our lawmakers. Unfortunately, we lead the nation in anti-LGBTQ legislation.' Similar Pride month flag bans have been signed into law in Idaho and Montana. 'Bigotry is nothing new,' says Donald Williamson, executive director of Idaho's Boise Pride. 'This community has been dealing with targeted legislation for several years now – flags are just the latest. All it does is bond us more closely together and emphasize how important festivals like Pride are.' In Salt Lake City and Boise, which are both Democrat-run, people are already resisting the bans. Salt Lake City has introduced three newly designed flags featuring the city's traditional sego lily design imposed over a pride flag, the transgender flag and the Juneteenth flag. Meanwhile, Boise's mayor issued a proclamation retroactively making the pride flag an official city flag. About 31 flag-related bills have been introduced across 17 states, says Logan Casey, policy director of independent LGBTQ+ thinktank the Movement Advancement Project (MAP). 'Some bills apply to all government property, while some apply to school settings only,' says Casey. 'Some specifically name and prohibit LGBTQ-related flags, while others only allow certain flags like the national, state, or other governmental flags – and so LGBTQ-related ones are prohibited implicitly. Ushering in a Pride month that is sure to be tumultuous, these flag bans are among a raft of fresh anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. At the time of writing, the ACLU was tracking the progress of 588 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country. MAP puts the figure at about 700 bills, while pointing out that in recent years most anti-LGBTQ+ bills have ultimately been defeated. Related: This doctor calls LGBTQ+ rights 'satanic'. He could now undo healthcare for millions Pride 2025 already has an acutely political focus due to the sheer scale of these legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ people, alongside the Trump administration's targeting of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and trans rights. In this precarious landscape, a swath of big-name corporate sponsors have withdrawn from Pride events, leaving organizers to urgently re-evaluate both their size and security costs. The exodus of sponsors from US Pride events, large and small, have made headlines: the loss of the likes of Anheuser-Busch, Comcast and Diageo from San Francisco Pride has accounted for – at the time of writing – a $200,000 shortfall for a $3.2m event last year attended by an estimated 1.5 million people. (La Crema and Benefit Cosmetics have recently returned as sponsors, a spokesperson said.) Some organizers say that companies retreating from Pride have been spooked by Trump's anti-DEI crusade. (The White House did not respond to requests for comment about its plans for any Pride month messaging.) Utah Pride, for instance, is short $400,000 – or close to half – of its typical sponsorship total. 'It's primarily due to the anti-DEI rhetoric happening on a federal and state level,' says Call, declining to name the companies that have withdrawn. 'We definitely have a target on our backs. But there is nothing they can do to prevent us from having Pride, unless more legislation is coming down, and that would be probably unconstitutional.' Yet some companies have said they are pulling their financial support because of the jittery economic climate. We had Pride before corporate sponsors paid us any attention Eve Keller, USA Prides 'Businesses are struggling for a lot of different reasons, like uncertainty around future tariffs,' says Elizabeth Michael, executive director of the non-profit group SoMA 501, which is organizing a Pride event in Little Rock, Arkansas. 'Putting on this event costs a lot of money, around $20,000-$40,000, and we're doing our best to scrape it together the best we can.' SF Pride had also been struggling to regain its stability after the pandemic, even before this year's turmoil. 'We are by no means financially safe,' Suzanne Ford, its executive director, says. 'I don't think any Pride in the United States is financially safe at this moment.' New York City Pride, the US's largest Pride festival attended last year by an estimated 2.5 million people, has seen the withdrawal of Mastercard, PepsiCo, Nissan, Citi and PricewaterhouseCoopers as corporate sponsors. The New York Times reported that 25% of New York's corporate Pride donors had 'canceled or scaled back their support, citing economic uncertainty and fear of retribution from the Trump administration'. Organizers Heritage of Pride now face an estimated $750,000 shortfall. Technology company Booz Allen Hamilton withdrew their backing from WorldPride, the biannual, global-themed event this year happening in Washington DC. Two corporate sponsors have withdrawn from Pridefest, Virginia's largest LGBTQ+ festival, Axios reported (organizers declined to name them). Anheuser-Busch, Lowe's, Nissan and Walmart have withdrawn from Columbus Pride in Ohio, costing the organization about $125,000 in lost donations, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Many Pride organizers say that the impact of sponsors' withdrawal will not just be felt at Pride events, but in the losses to funding, and potential scaling back, of LGBTQ+ advocacy programs throughout the rest of the year. Not all companies have turned their back on Pride. Citi still plans to have an employee presence in the New York march, and contribute to other events. Ford says that while some large businesses were still funding SF Pride events, they had requested they receive no public recognition for doing so; she declined to name them. Other event organizers said the same, claiming that companies still wanted to support Pride but privately, with their names unspoken and invisible. In Boise, Williamson says: 'so far, knock on wood,' no sponsors had withdrawn their support for the September festival, now in its 36th year. Last year, 60,000 people attended the largest Pride event in Idaho, backed by 77 corporate sponsors and 35 small business sponsors. Williamson says that so far, there are only 40 corporate and small business sponsors signed up for the festival's 2025 edition. He declined to name names. 'I don't want to jinx anything at this stage in the process.' Despite the monetary perils and anti-DEI headwinds, Pride organizers who spoke to the Guardian insisted the show will go on, especially in light of the political hostility LGBTQ+ people are facing in the US and globally. There was a certain irony to the brouhaha around the sponsor withdrawal headlines, many US organizers note. Some LGBTQ+ activists have long criticized Pride events for being too corporatist and beholden to big businesses seeking to cash in on the queer community and 'pinkwash' their reputations. 'Big sponsors supported Pride because they knew LGBTQ people had money in our wallets,' says Eve Keller, co-president of USA Prides, a national network of about 200 LGBTQ+ Pride festival organizations across the country. 'They weren't making lasting change, they were just rainbow-washing their logos for the month of June. We had Pride before corporate sponsors paid us any attention. We're getting back to our community roots, with people wanting to connect and collaborate with each another. Pride started as a protest. We're here to show up and be heard as who we are. Pride creates joy, and queer joy is an act of resistance.' In red states, Pride marches and festivals take on an added depth and importance, says Densil R Porteous, executive director of Stonewall Columbus, which organizes the Ohio city's event, 'so people do not feel alone, especially if they're living in smaller rural communities'. Columbus's event goes under the moniker United in Pride and was attended by approximately 700,000 people last year. Porteous says the gathering helps combat 'feelings of defeat many people are feeling, and to remind us of the joy in our community and the history we're upholding. We are determined to come together and not be hidden and diminished any more.' Williamson in Boise agrees: 'It's incredibly rewarding to see tens of thousands of attenders. It's very easy to feel isolated and alone in deep red states like Idaho with people living in relatively isolated areas and incredibly regressive legislatures targeting the LGBTQ community.' We can't afford people to stay home, it's a revolutionary act to go to your Pride Suzanne Ford, SF Pride SF Pride's Ford, who is originally from the 'very red' Owensboro, Kentucky, says the scale of larger Pride festivals can also encourage LGBTQ+ people from small towns. 'The size and importance of an event like SF Pride is to say to LGBTQ people everywhere: 'You're not alone, and here in San Francisco you can be who you are. We don't tolerate you. We celebrate you.'' Ford cites Harvey Milk, the San Francisco gay rights crusader who advocated coming out as the most potent expression of LGBTQ+ strength, as a guiding light. 'I knew I was trans when I was five years old. I didn't come out till I was 46. Trans people have to be visible. We are confident, capable, loving people, and we deserve the same rights as everybody else. We don't need special favors, just a chance to exist.' Keeping attenders safe is another prime expense and focus for Pride organizers. There have been Pride security scares before, most notably at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 2022 when police foiled plans of a white nationalist group to riot at a Pride event. Ahead of World Pride in DC, two LGBTQ+ organizations, Egale Canada and the African Human Rights Coalition, issued warnings against traveling to the US – principally down to concern that trans and non-binary people would not be allowed to enter the country. 'People are scared to leave America in case they're not allowed back in, and scared to come here in case they're not allowed in,' said Keller. 'People do not feel safe coming to America.' It is unknown if these worsening perceptions of the US will tangibly dent its share of the LGBTQ+ tourism market, currently estimated at around $300bn, including those traveling to the US for Pride events. Due to concerns that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security had not yet issued safety advisories ahead of this year's Pride month, Porteous in Ohio recently published a call 'for heightened collective safety and public solidarity'. In the statement he wrote: 'In a time marked by increasing visibility and vulnerability, our shared responsibility is clear: we must protect the spaces we've fought to create, together.' (The FBI did not respond to repeated requests for comment about any threats to Pride events it was monitoring this year.) The difficulties facing Pride this year has led to organizers rethinking how future gatherings will be financed, perhaps involving more community donations and crowdfunding. 'Ultimately, SoMa Pride is about community,' says Michael in Little Rock. 'It's about ensuring everyone has a place to feel safe and welcome. We're optimistic about closing the funding gap. We know money is tight right now, but if a progressive, welcoming south is important to you, consider giving $5.' The LGBTQ+ community and its allies need to show up and pay up, adds Ford in San Francisco. 'If every person who came through the gates of SF Pride gave us $20 we'd be in fine shape for 2026.' If the sponsors who have withdrawn from SF Pride wish to return in the future, 'we would have to discuss with them what happened,' Ford says. 'It can't be swept under the rug. We always have to entertain the idea of rehabilitation, but we can't forget.' In Ohio, Pride organizer Porteous says they had paused relationships with some organizations, 'but if they come back to common sense we'll have a conversation. It can be about healing and reconciliation, but also just because someone says sorry, it doesn't mean you have to accept their sorry.' However vexed the current moment, 'it is vital that Pride events across the country are well-attended this year,' Ford says, in order to send a strong message of collective presence and power to all those attacking LGBTQ+ rights. 'We can't afford people to stay home, it's a revolutionary act to go to your Pride.' In Idaho, Williamson remains determined to put on a celebratory Boise Pride. 'The queer community has been here forever, and Pride is the best time to show the world that the community will still be here when all this shit is done.' • This article was amended on 29 May 2025 to correct the first name of Suzanne Ford, the executive director of SF Pride.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Take-Two removes DEI references from 2025 annual report
Source: Rockstar Games Take-Two Interactive, the gaming company publisher of successful titles such as Grand Theft Auto, has removed all mention of "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" (DEI) from its just-released 2025 annual report in a low-key move. The new version of the report no longer speaks of previous DEI efforts or awards for LGBTQ support. Instead, it adds a more generic section on "Community and Engagement," which marks a significant shift in company messaging. Company focuses on community rather than identity-based initiatives — GTAVI_Countdown (@GTAVI_Countdown) In its 2025 report, Take-Two replaced the former "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" section with one called "Community & Engagement." The new section deletes former highlights of underrepresented group programs and has deleted mention of LGBTQ-related awards or DEI milestones. Rather, the report brings in a more general term: "diversity of thought." Language now centers on innovation and teamwork from diverse points of view, instead of demographic or identity-based inclusion. A sentence in the new report states, "We firmly believe that diversity of thought drives the innovation that is integral to our success." This change departs from identity-driven initiatives previously typical in reports, indicating a shift in the way that the company presents its corporate values internally to the public and investors. Growing corporate trend and quiet implementation There has been no formal release from Take-Two clarifying the change. The change was implemented silently, and when contacted by the media, the company refrained from comment. This revision is not isolated to Take-Two. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tukarkan Bitcoin dan Ethereum - Tanpa Dompet Diperlukan! IC Markets MULAI SEKARANG Undo A number of major corporations in various sectors have recently made changes to their public filings to more broadly reference employee engagement and workplace culture. But unlike some others, Take-Two's revision stands out for the elimination of all DEI language and successes. The company continues to describe efforts to build a cooperative work environment but does so in more general terms than previously. Whether this represents an actual change in internal strategy or merely a restatement to use in public documents is uncertain. Take-Two's 2025 annual report shows a distinct change in tone, substituting its previous DEI language with more abstract messaging around community and diversity of thought. Although the company has not given a reason, the shift is part of a greater trend found in other major corporations. Take-Two's dedication to inclusion seems redefined and not abandoned for the time being. Also Read: GTA 6 story mode to last 45–50 hours, leaks suggest Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court flare-ups grab headlines as justices feel the heat
Tensions on the Supreme Court have flared this term as justices have clashed with each other and with lawyers at oral arguments amid a wave of Trump-era emergency appeals. These exchanges at any other forum would hardly even raise an eyebrow. But at the Supreme Court, where decorum and respect are bedrock principles and underpin even the most casual cross-talk between justices, these recent clashes are significant. After one particularly acrimonious exchange, several longtime Supreme Court watchers noted that the behavior displayed was unlike anything they'd seen in "decades" of covering the high court. Here are two high-profile Supreme Court spats that have made headlines in recent weeks. 100 Days Of Injunctions, Trials And 'Teflon Don': Trump Second Term Meets Its Biggest Tests In Court Supreme Court Justices, from left, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Chief Justice John Roberts, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor attend the 60th inaugural ceremony in 2025. Last month, Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor quarreled briefly during oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case focused on LGBTQ-related books in elementary schools and whether parents with religious objections can "opt out" children being read such material. Read On The Fox News App The exhange occurred when Sotomayor asked Mahmoud attorney Eric Baxter about a book titled "Uncle Bobby's Wedding," a story that invoked a same-sex relationship. Sotomayor asked Baxter whether exposure to same-sex relationships in children's books like the one in question should be considered "coercion." Baxter began responding when Alito chimed in. "I've read that book as well as a lot of these other books," Alito said. "Do you think it's fair to say that all that is done in 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding' is to expose children to the fact that there are men who marry other men?" After Baxter objected, Alito noted that the book in question "has a clear message" but one that some individuals with "traditional religious beliefs don't agree with." Sotomayor jumped in partway through Alito's objection, "What a minute, the reservation is – " "Can I finish?" Alito said to Sotomayor in a rare moment of frustration. He continued, "It has a clear moral message, and it may be a good message. It's just a message that a lot of religious people disagree with." Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court To Review El Salvador Deportation Flight Case From left, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagen, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh "There is a growing heat to the exchanges between the justices," Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley observed on social media after the exchange. The Sotomayor-Alito spat made some court-watchers uncomfortable. But it paled in comparison to the heated, tense exchange that played out just one week later between Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Lisa Blatt, a litigator from the firm Williams & Connolly. The exchange took place during oral arguments in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, a case about whether school districts can be held liable for discriminating against students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Gorsuch scolded Blatt, an experienced Supreme Court litigator who was representing the public schools in the case, after she accused the other side of "lying." What played out was a remarkably heated exchange, if only by Supreme Court standards. Several court observers noted that they had never seen Gorsuch so angry, and others remarked they had never seen counsel accuse the other side of "lying." "You believe that Mr. Martinez and the Solicitor General are lying? Is that your accusation?" Gorsuch asked Blatt, who fired back, "Yes, absolutely." Counsel "should be more careful with their words," Gorsuch told Blatt in an early tone of warning. "OK, well, they should be more careful in mischaracterizing a position by an experienced advocate of the Supreme Court, with all due respect," Blatt responded. Several minutes later, Gorsuch referenced the lying accusation again, "Ms. Blatt, I confess I'm still troubled by your suggestion that your friends on the other side have lied." "I'd ask you to reconsider that phrase," he said. "You can accuse people of being incorrect, but lying, lying is another matter." He then began to read through quotations that she had entered before the court, before she interrupted again. "I'm not finished," Gorsuch told Blatt, raising his voice. "Fine," she responded. Shortly after, Gorsuch asked Blatt to withdraw her earlier remarks that accused the other side of lying. "Withdraw your accusation, Ms. Blatt," Gorsuch said. "Fine, I withdraw," she shot back. Plaintiffs said in rebuttal that they would not dignify the name-calling. Supreme Court The exchange sparked some buzz online, including from an experienced appeals court litigator, Raffi Melkonian, who wrote on social media, "I've never heard Justice Gorsuch so angry." "Both of those moments literally stopped me in my tracks," said Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. "You might want to listen somewhere where you can cringe in peace." Mark Joseph Stern, a court reporter for Slate, described the exchange as "extremely tense" and described Blatt's behavior as "indignant and unrepentant." Original article source: Supreme Court flare-ups grab headlines as justices feel the heat
Irish Daily Star
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
Star Trek alum mocks Trump administration for 'wearing makeup' amid LGBTQ+ backlash
George Takei, the iconic Star Trek actor, has humorously called out Donald Trump and his administration for their hypocrisy over LGBTQ+ issues, all while sporting a fair bit of "makeup" themselves. The 88-year-old quipped on social media: " Pete Hegseth installed a make-up station at the Pentagon. JD Vance loves a smoky dark eyeliner. Trump cakes on orange base till he resembles an Oompa Loompa. And these guys say LGBTQs are threatening gender norms?" Takei's comments refer to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's alleged request for a makeup studio in the Pentagon press briefing room, presumably to spruce up before TV appearances. As for the jab at Vice President JD Vance, it seems AI ads have been having a field day poking fun at Vance's notably dark lashes, suggesting he's a fan of eyeliner. Read More Related Articles Jenna Bush Hager announces major career move in heartfelt 11-word statement Read More Related Articles Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly moves on from Kevin Costner series in new detective drama Meanwhile, the Trump administration has come under fire for its leaked budget draft, which reveals plans to slash funding for a crucial suicide prevention hotline dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Advocates in New York have warned that the proposed cuts to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline's LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services could have dire consequences. George Takei has trolled Donald Trump. (Image: AP) The lifeline offers federally funded assistance to anyone nationwide grappling with a mental health crisis. To add insult to injury, over 270 LGBTQ-related grants amounting to at least $125 million of unspent funds have also been axed, though insiders told NBC News the actual figure is likely much higher, reports the Mirror US . NBC News got hold of cancellation letters that vaguely state the discontinued research doesn't match with NIH priorities anymore, mentioning executive orders by President Donald Trump. These include one prohibiting recognition of transgender identities and another opposing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Grants focusing on LGBTQ issues have also been affected at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania . One fan brought George Takei's criticism of the administration's stance on the LGBTQ+ community into the spotlight by sharing it on a Reddit forum. In the ensuing online discussion, fans didn't hold back their thoughts, with one commenting, "Trump also wears pumps and a stomach girdle. Plus, his hair is 100% low-quality hairplugs." George Takei has bashed the Trump administration. (Image: Getty Images for Foundation for the AIDS Monument) Another person juxtaposed old and new pictures of Elon Musk, remarking, "And we mustn't forget about this profilic transphobe who opposes gender-affirming care (unless it's for himself)." Other commenters expressed admiration, with praise like "George Takei we don't deserve you," while another noted him as the "Best Trek alumni," A highlight from the slew of comments described George Takei saying, "George describes himself as 'Your naughty Asian uncle.' I love him." Additional remarks included endorsements such as "He's certainly not Wrong," "Sasscism," and a supportive "Amen brother." For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
The Hill
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Dem leaders still defending Biden!? Elizabeth Warren, Alex Soros shrug off cognitive decline: Robby Soave
Robby delivers a radar on Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Alex Soros shrugging off former President Joe Biden's cognitive decline. Supreme Court likely supporting parents opting students out of LGBTQ content in schools Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger is joined by The Hill's courts and legal reporter Zach Schonnfeld to discuss the SCOTUS hearing on a case involving parents of elementary students arguing that their religious rights were violated as Montgomery County schools did not provide an opt-out for LGBTQ-related content. Trump Admin begins massive shakeup at Marco Rubio's state department: Gabe Kaminsky intv The Free Press investigate reporter Gabe Kaminsky talks about the Trump administration's big shake-up at the State Department. Karoline Leavitt: Student loan repayments will resume; Free-riding ends Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger discuss how the Trump administration plans to resume student loan collection for borrowers in default. CBS 60 Minutes executive resigns amid pressure from Trump administration lawsuit Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger react to '60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens quitting. Aliens! New discovery strongest evidence yet of life on another planet: Interview Carl Zimmer, New York Times columnist and science writer, elaborates on new evidence that Cambridge University researchers discovered about potential extraterrestrial life. #TheHill #Rising #Aliens World Economic Forum investigating Klaus Schwab after whistleblower complaint Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger discuss the World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab stepping down, and the investigation launched against him days after his abrupt resignation. The Office's Rainn Wilson blasts 'left-leaning' media, challenges MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger discuss 'The Office' star Rainn Wilson's podcast episode with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle about why trust in the media is sagging.
