Queer Nation NY protests against Russian LGBT discrimination enablers continue, this time at Carnegie Hall

Activists from the LGBT group Queer Nation NY organized a demonstration at Carnegie Hall on Thursday night, October 10. Activists demonstrated outside of the famed concert hall while some activists jeered Putin supporter Valery Gergiev, who was conducting an orchestra that evening. LGBT advocacy groups like Queer Nation have been organizing boycotts and protests of Russian businesses and other interests ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a crack-down on LGBT's in Russia.

• RELATED : If Mylène Farmer was a real gay icon, she would denounce the Russian government's violent crackdown against LGBT community

See Also : WQXR Blog : Gay Rights Protesters Follow Gergiev to Carnegie Hall

The protest at Carnegie Hall last night was preceded by another protest a few weeks ago at the opening night gala at the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center.

Public Opinion is Changing Against GMHC and the Latex Ball

Wolfgang Busch publishes remarkable video on YouTube, showing how the Ballroom Community was exploited by Jennie Livingston's documentary, ''Paris Is Burning.''

GMHC has chosen to associate itself with Jennie Livingston and her exploitative documentary, ''Paris Is Burning,'' even though that film sensationalizes members of the Ballroom community. Not only that, but when Ms. Livingston's documentary was in production, she took advantage of many individuals, the Ballroom community alleges.

Despite these sensitivities, it is unknown why GMHC supports ''Paris Is Burning.''

Additionally, each year, GMHC sponsors the Latex Ball, which also exploits the Ballroom community. After years of exploitation and insensitivity, the Ballroom community has called for a boycott of the Latex Ball, as a way to give GMHC a wake-up call.

After a series of videos, Wolfgang Busch, a documentary filmmaker and supporter of the Ballroom community, has released this latest video, which is altering public opinion about GMHC.

GMHC, It's A Chop : Protest against 2013 Latex Ball at LGBT Community Center

On Friday night, activists continued their protests against the New York City-based AIDS organisation, GMHC.

Activists and representatives from the Ballroom community question where does GMHC receive the funding to sponsor the lush and plus Latex Ball.

The protesters also questioned the motivations of GMHC to become so involved in sponsoring a runway ball, when the AIDS organisation's primary mission is to "fights to end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the lives of all affected." Protesters wonder how can GMHC accomplish its mission in respect of the Ballroom community, if the Ballroom community feel manipulated and exploited by GMHC.

Read more : GMHC : It's a Chop ! Report and Flyer : Why you should boycott the 2013 Latex Ball.

Bigot Bell - Episode 2

Bigot Bell - Episode 2 - Failure of Adequate Protections

The LGBTQ civil rights group Connecting Rainbows has announced a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants following a case of alleged employment discrimination against a member of Connecting Rainbows.

In April 2011, Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of Taco Bell in Louisiana, who is a member of Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on his sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. Connecting Rainbows is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy.

To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s own description of the events on Connecting Rainbows website.

Connecting Rainbows is outraged by this discriminatory treatment and has launched a parody campaign that lampoons Taco Bell for its apparent bigotry.

To spread word of the injustice that Mr. Smith has suffered, members of Connecting Rainbows launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight.

Connecting Rainbows demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community;
• Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages; and
• Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!

Connecting Rainbows also demands legislative remedies :

• Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed ; and
• Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Connecting Rainbows is a group of active people organizing civil rights walks and other actions in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.

Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/

Bigot Bell - Episode 1 - We Have a Problem

Connecting Rainbows Members Launch Parody YouTube Campaign Against Taco Bell

The LGBTQ civil rights group Connecting Rainbows has announced a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants following a case of alleged employment discrimination against a member of Connecting Rainbows.

In April 2011, Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of Taco Bell in Louisiana, who is a member of Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on his sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. Connecting Rainbows is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy.

To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s own description of the events on Connecting Rainbows website.

Connecting Rainbows is outraged by this discriminatory treatment and has launched a parody campaign that lampoons Taco Bell for its apparent bigotry.

To spread word of the injustice that Mr. Smith has suffered, members of Connecting Rainbows launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight.

Connecting Rainbows demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community;
• Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages; and
• Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!

Connecting Rainbows also demands legislative remedies :

• Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed ; and
• Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Connecting Rainbows is a group of active people organizing civil rights walks and other actions in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.

Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/

Taco Bell Discrimination Petition

Yum! Brands Employee at Taco Bell in Louisiana is Dismissed Because He is Gay

The LGBT civil rights group Connecting Rainbows is calling for a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants.

Jason Ray Smith, a gay employee of Taco Bell restaurant in Bossier City, Louisiana, was dismissed from work because he was honest about his sexual orientation on his Facebook profile and on his Connecting Rainbows profile.

Members of Connecting Rainbows have started an online petition on Change.org, demanding that Taco Bell institute cultural competency training.

Mr. Smith was told he needed to be taken out to the corn field and have the gay beaten out of him. When he reported it, Mr. Smith was harassed and intimidated by Taco Bell management.

Connecting Rainbows, in turn, demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community ;
• rehire Jason and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages ;
• stop discriminating against LGBT employees ; and
• provide diversity, cultural competency, and sensitivity training based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression for all Yum! Brands restaurant employees WORLD-WIDE !

Mr. Smith said that Taco Bell conditioned his rehiring on Mr. Smith deleting his Facebook account and deleting his Connecting Rainbows profile, which Mr. Smith has said he will NOT do. Sign our petition demanding that Taco Bell follow through on its commitment to diversity.

Gays Boycott Donald Trump

Make a pledge today to support Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn on Kickstarter.

Gay Activists Call For Boycott of Donald Trump's Businesses.

Gay activist Allen Roskoff is calling for a boycott of Donald Trump's businesses. The boycott follows Mr. Trump's announcement that he supports neither marriage equality nor civil equality for LGBT Americans.

Mr. Roskoff told The New York Daily News : "Not only should gays be furious, we should be boycotting the products of the advertisers on his TV show" - "Celebrity Apprentice," which premiered Sunday night on NBC-TV "and certainly boycotting his casinos and hotels and apartment buildings."

Mr. Roskoff, from New York City, is credited with co-authoring the nation's first gay rights bill in the 1970's, reported The Daily News. He is also a co-founder of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club.