Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality
This week: Another heartbreaking attack on our community, FIFA digs a deeper hole, the Anderson Alrich plot twist, NACD accreditation for LGBTQ+ directors, and much more.
Welcome to my weekly equality news digest, where I share important (and much less important) news, updates, and commentary about the global LGBTQ+ equality movement at the intersection with business.
This week: Another heartbreaking attack on our community, FIFA digs a deeper hole, the Anderson Alrich plot twist, NACD accreditation for LGBTQ+ directors, and much more.
Another heartbreaking attack on our community
Like all of us, I was deeply dispirited by the attack on Club Q in Colorado Springs. It felt violating and a reminder that LGBTQ+ lives remain at risk. Many noted it took place on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Our heart goes out to the victims of Saturday’s attack, and their loved ones but also to our community who is in mourning. Most of you received my raw reaction on Sunday titled “Staying Alive”, read it here. Yesterday’s mass shooting at a Walmart in Virginia topped a horrendous week.
Shooter identifies as non binary
Yesterday, news broke that Anderson Lee Alrich identifies as nonbinary according to their defense attorney. Alrich's state public defenders filed a slew of motions Tuesday and included a footnote about Aldrich’s identity.
“Anderson Aldrich is nonbinary. They use they/them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx. Aldrich.”
Of course, it looks a lot like an attempt at avoiding federal hate crime charges. Conservatives were quick to use this allegation to undermine the narrative that anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech is the culprit for the shooting.
Rhetoric normalizes the dehumanization of queer people
For the past several years, Colorado politicians have promoted anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies that have directly resulted in violence and harassment targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Read more from Colorado here. In an interview on NPR, Elana Redfield, federal policy director at UCLA's Williams Institute shared that LGBTQ+ people are four times as likely to experience violent attacks as non-LGBT people. Listen to the full interview here which offers unambiguous proof showing how political rhetoric incites violence and hate against the LGBTQ+ community. You MUST also watch the Ben Collins moving MSNBC comments asking “what more can I do” as a reporter.
Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is also linked to greed
In his weekly podcast, David Mixner tells us “they use hate so do not have to take a stance on issues that could make their supporters less rich”. It summarizes the issue perfectly! Watch it here.
Global News
FIFA got me so upset. And it’s only day 3 of the World Cup
The name of this tune is FIFA Goddamn, and I mean every word of it. Every single thing about the World Cup was repulsive this week. First, FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s ridiculous speech “I feel Gay, I feel like a migrant worker…” (mocked as it should be by Stephen Colbert here). Then, President Macron lectured LGBTQ+ people about not “politicizing sport,” oblivious to the facts that human rights are not political or that President Sarkozy and Michel Platini are suspected of cutting a deal for Qatar to win the bid. FIFA withdrew from a human rights conference on the eve of the event (see here). And finally, FIFA’s threatening unprecedented sanctions against team captains wearing the rainbow armband. As a consequence, team captains will not, as previously planned, wear rainbow-hearted “OneLove” armbands as a meager show of solidarity against anti-LGBTQ discrimination. I am really hoping the “LGBTQ+ friendly” FIFA Commercial Partners feel sheepish today.
UK: Tory Peer calls out Coca-Cola for World Cup sponsorship
Talking about FIFA commercial partners: Robert Hayward, a Tory member of the House of Lords demanded answers from Coca-Cola to justify its decision to sponsor the FIFA World Cup in Qatar after the hosts and president of FIFA were accused of making homophobic comments before the tournament. Hayward spoke up at an event Coca-Cola was sponsoring - a showing of the England v Iran match for lawmakers at a pub near Parliament. If I were Coca Cola, I would just re-use their Sochi Olympics letter and do a search/replace for IOC by FIFA. Read more in Bloomberg.
More World Cup hypocrisy
Multiple stories have emerged from the Qatar World Cup about supporters being harassed en route to stadiums for wearing or carrying rainbow symbols. The Daily Mail has more.
Armenia: a gay couple jump to their death
A few weeks ago, this couple made global headlines. Before committing suicide, Arsen and Tigran posted a series of photos on Instagram with the caption:
“Happy ending. Decisions regarding photo sharing and our future actions were made jointly.”
Very quickly, the posts went viral. Some commenters showed their support for the couple, while others did not hesitate to express their hatred and disgust for gay people. Another point of controversy was the fact that one of the men was 16 years old. According to the association Pink Armenia, this has become an opportunity for some to encourage other gay couples to end their lives. (Read more here).
Elon’s anti-LGBTQ+ rampage at Twitter
With his usual impeccable timing, on the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, Elon restored a laundry list of anti-LGBTQ+ Twitter profiles. This will inevitably lead to more bile, hate, and violence toward our community on Twitter. Read more here.
US News
A victory in the Senate
A week ago, the text protecting same-sex marriage passed a key stage in the Senate. The Senate voted 62 to 37 on Wednesday to pass a bipartisan bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriage, passing a key milestone. This is definitely an unexpected turn of events given how controversial the issue of same-sex marriage was just a few years ago. Congrats to Senator Tammy Baldwin who led the charge. Read more in the Time.
How the Mormons became supporters of marriage equality
Good old-fashioned compromise and pragmatism. In the hyper-partisan times we’re living in, this story offers us hope for how we can build alliances to secure our rights. Read the story in the Washington Post.
In California, 10 percent of state legislature identifies as LGBTQ+
California continues to lead the way in its acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. In the recent State Senate elections, at least 10 percent of the incoming class of California state lawmakers identify publicly as LGBTQ+. According to The Victory Fund, at least 519 out LGBTQ+ candidates won elected office this year, from school boards up to Congress and several governors.
First out LGBTQ+ Attorney General in Arizona history
In the recent midterms, Arizona was one of the key battlegrounds for election deniers running for state office. The election results have helped restore sanity with key wins for democracy in the Governor and Secretary of State races. Also a huge win for Kris Mayes who won the election for Arizona Attorney General. With this historic win, she is now the first out LGBTQ+ Attorney General in Arizona history. Read more here.
In Detroit, a home for LGBTQ Youth balances being seen with being safe
The above headline was just too good not to use (hat tip to the Bloomberg headline editors). This feature, published in Bloomberg is heartwarming and well worth a read. It offers our community hope by addressing a critical need facing our vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth - access to affordable housing and health services.
Minimal income pilot for transgender people in San Francisco
I learned in Semafor this week that San Francisco launched a guaranteed income program for low-income transgender residents. The pilot program will give $1,200 a month temporarily to 55 people. Fox News got its hands on the application form and did not like it. Read their take here.
GLAAD called out over inertia anti-trans coverage
As anti-trans rhetoric in the mainstream news media is increasing (e.g. The New York Times has published several anti-trans pieces not limited to the editorial section), some have this week asked “Where is GLAAD on this?” I have written previously on the organizational risks of mission creep, corporate co-optation, and when focus on fundraising growth comes at the expense of services. It might be time to return to previous models with a greater focus on mission and beneficiaries. See my previous post; “Reintroducing good governance, oversight, and participation in LGBTQ+ organizations. As we navigate perilous times, we must regain control of the organizations we created to protect ourselves.
The Boardroom
NACD Accreditation and Board Governance learning
On Monday, the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors hosted a very well-attended webinar on NACD Accreditation with contributions from Marcel Bucsescu (NACD), Romy Diaz, Michael Krawitz, Heather Hiles, JD Schramm, Allen Levenson, Elizabeth Mora and others. A clear conclusion was that beyond the added creed, the Accreditation provides valuable knowledge for existing and aspiring directors. In December, we are organizing a similar event featuring LGBTQ+ candidates who obtained their first board seat in 2022. Reach out to us at info@lgbtqdirectors.org if you want to join.
LGBTQ+ Business
Mind the Corporate Gap: UN Human Rights publishes guide
It took a long time but this guide is the result of the consultations between civil society and the private sector Salil Tripathi and I hosted in Berlin in 2019. Companies won’t change the world one Fire Island house renovation at a time but they can engage with civil society stakeholders to support them in their mission and avoid harm such as the Qatar2022 disaster. See the guide here.
Disney: Bob Chapek does not make it after all
Five months after he signed a new multi-year contract, Disney ousted CEO Bob Chapek and brought back his predecessor Bob Iger this week. The media referred to the “Don’t Say Gay” debacle to partly explain this abrupt volte-face. As a reminder, Susan Arnold, a lesbian is the chair of the Board. Read about it on CNN.com.
The strange FT and Statista’s ranking of Diversity Leader
Rankings can be a great tool to create some emulation in corporate engagement on LGBTQ+ issues. However, we were surprised to see companies like Hermes, ClubMed or Giorgio Armani top the chart of the Financial Times’s Diversity Leader ranking given their marginal engagement on LGBTQ+ issues.
From the semi-cultural desk
George Takei and Queering Star Trek
Takei generously signed his book for my son TanTan who is very interested in everything WWII. It was an opportunity for me to introduce him to Star Trek last night. I chose to skip “the Naked time” despite a shirtless Hikaru Sulu (Takei’s character). I decided instead on “the City on the Edge of Forever.” As a reminder Takei had made an offer to Tennesseans in 2011 which could apply to Florida today:
Any time you need to say the word "gay", you can simply say "Takei". For example, you could safely proclaim you are a supporter of Takei marriage. If you're in a more festive mood, you can march in a Takei pride parade. Even homophobic slurs don't seem as hurtful if someone says, "That is soooo Takei."
Official Competition: lesbian power in the macho cinematic world
I watched this and it was excellent. There is a little queer undertone as Lola Cuevas (Penelope Cruz), is an eccentric and established lesbian director handling toxic masculinity. I recommend it if you need a break from all the family shenanigans this holiday weekend. Watch the trailer here.
The Hours: The Opera
Michael Cunningham's novel The Hours is a masterpiece that led to an equally amazing movie. The Opera premiered last night in New York City. Read the review in the New York Times.
The New York Magazine gift guide
This is not per se an LGBTQ+ issue but it is still very relevant. Here is the link.
Coming and going
Teaching Spring Semester at Georgetown
I am looking forward to teaching the inaugural "Queering International Development," as an Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University's Global Human Development Program starting this January tapping into my experience at The World Bank, United Nations, and other engagements. "How do we address social and economic exclusion and leave no one behind? This module will discuss the well-being of LGBTQ+ people around the world and strategies and approaches for promoting their inclusion." More information here.
Appointing the David Mixner ICWA fellow
Last week, the Institute of Current World Affairs Board of Trustees met to select the David Mixner writing fellow who will spend two years in the field studying an LGBTQ+ topic of geopolitical interest (spoiler alert, the fellowship will focus on Asia). We are very grateful to Barilla, Terrence Meck, David Bohnett, and Catherine Rielly who provided support for the initiative. You can join this initiative here or reach out directly to me.
The Gay Agenda
Hosting the Gays at the Cosmos Club
We held another fascinating Institute of Current World Affairs evening last Friday night, this time focused on the war in Ukraine. The event featured a moving speech by Roger Cohen, the NY Times Paris bureau chief. At my table many DC luminaries: Jeffrey Marburg-Goodman, Krishna Omkar, Ryan Kaminski, Jim Mazzarella, Rep. Mark Takano, Matt Maxwell, and Fotios Stravoravdis. My dear friends Catherine Rielly and Caroline Vagneron also joined as well as the new Moldovan Ambassador to the US, Viorel Ursu. You can see some pictures here.
Join me at the Women’s Forum in Paris next week
I am flying to Paris this Sunday and will have the honor to speak at the 2022 edition of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting in Paris on November 29-30, in the plenary session on the theme: How to tackle unconscious bias (November 29th, 10:15 a.m.). You can register here and see all the sessions here. This year the event is taking place at Palais Brongniart which housed the Paris Stock Exchange.
Let me end this newsletter by wishing you a happy Thanksgiving. I, for one, am extremely grateful for all the support you have extended to me as I launched several ventures since June. ICYMI, my consulting business FH Consulting, the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors, the first and only non-profit dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ board diversity, and OutPerform, an LGBTQ+ focused ETF.