Month: August 2018

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Yelp just launched a brilliant clapback to the Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling.

August 2, 2018 compassq Comments Off on Yelp just launched a brilliant clapback to the Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling.

Between the announcement of the Justice Department’s new Religious Liberty Task Force on Monday and this June’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, 2018 has left many LGBTQ+ people worried about discrimination at businesses and other public accommodations. The Trump administration has made it clear where the federal government now stands. And though a patchwork of state laws ban…    

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Levi’s joins a coalition of 1,200 businesses pledging not to discriminate.

August 1, 2018 compassq Comments Off on Levi’s joins a coalition of 1,200 businesses pledging not to discriminate.

Levi Strauss, Yelp and Lyft are leading a coalition of 1,200 businesses and cities that are pledging not to discriminate against employees or customers based on race, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. Normally, making a promise to serve every customer might seem like a no-brainer. But the Open to All coalition is launching in a highly charged atmosphere…    

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Should we hold athletes responsible for anti-gay teenage tweets five years ago?

August 1, 2018 compassq Comments Off on Should we hold athletes responsible for anti-gay teenage tweets five years ago?

Three MLB players were recently caught spreading anti-gay hate years ago. The homophobic tweets of professional athletes from years ago continue to be revealed. The latest are two MLB players. In 2012, when he was 18, Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb posted a series of tweets that used an anti-gay slur. In addition…

5 THINGS TO KNOW

The last man jailed in Canada for being gay changed LGBTQ history.

August 1, 2018 compassq Comments Off on The last man jailed in Canada for being gay changed LGBTQ history.

Most young Canadians know Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s famous 1967 quote, “There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” But they probably don’t realize the then soon-to-be prime minister was talking about a Calgary bus driver named Everett Klippert. Klippert was the last man in Canada jailed simply for being gay, and…    

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From the Americas to the Far East, courts are advancing LGBT rights.

August 1, 2018 compassq Comments Off on From the Americas to the Far East, courts are advancing LGBT rights.

In January, a colleague of mine at Human Rights Watch predicted that 2018 would be the “year of the courts” for LGBT people’s rights. Seven months into the year, courts around the world have indeed come down with important rulings that help secure those rights. Their decisions show that judges in many countries…