Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality
This week: the eery silence of NC business community, bad news from Uganda, Tanzania, Lebanon but good ones from Brazil and the UN, Rustin and Bottoms, an allegory on evangelicals and poison ivy ..
Welcome to the 132nd issue of my equality news digest, where I share important (and much less important) news, updates, and commentary about the LGBTQ+ equality movement at the intersection with business.
This week: the eery silence of the NC business community, bad news from Uganda, Tanzania, and Lebanon but good ones from Brazil and the UN, Rustin, and Bottoms, an allegory on evangelicals and poison ivy & more...
Global News
Uganda: The chilling first charge of “aggravated homosexuality”
Outright International has rightly dubbed the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA) “genocidal ideology”. The dehumanization machine is on in Uganda, and a first charge of “aggravated homosexuality” has been filed this week (read about it on NPR). This is why Human rights were made universal and indivisible. There is always one segment a society deems not deserving of rights, whether it is because of their religion, their ethnicity, their immigration status, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation and gender identity, or anything that makes them fair game for political exploitation, scapegoating and building some sense of solidarity with a cause. The Ugandan Government is testing the World's resolve to abide by the human rights framework. We must not cave to cultural relativism and support our Ugandan comrades.
Uganda (again): QZ ruins my day
A QZ Kenyan journalist wrote, “The World Bank is spurning Uganda—but not other countries that have outlawed homosexuality.” Every claim in this article is inaccurate. It implies that the World Bank’s relationship with Uganda was terminated, which is untrue. It makes a parallel between AHA and the (already abhorrent) colonial heritage Section 377 when AHA includes unheard-of provisions from “aggravated homosexuality” to “failing to report a witnessed homosexual act” (6 months in jail) or "knowingly renting premises to people who wish to engage in homosexual acts" (ten years in prison). At best, it is bad journalism; at worst, it is homophobic.
Uganda (too): local activist Frank Mugisha's call to order
It is telling that those screaming "imperialism" and "neo-colonialism" did not echo a piece in the Ugandan Monitor this week by activist Frank Mugisha. Mugisha denounces those using the plight of LGBTQ+ Ugandans to settle their score with the World Bank (granted, it is a grudge-inducing institution, I’d know). Not everything LGBTQ+ is geopolitical; sometimes, it is just about justice, opportunity, and dignity.
"Critics, however, have been quick to label the decision as “Western hypocrisy and selective bias.” [...] The trouble with this analysis is that it lacks proper context; it’s a non-exegetical, non-methodological, and ahistorical reading of the geopolitics within which the debate is situated. [...]
Tanzania: USVP Kamala Harris needs to pick up the phone
The Council for Global Equality reported that President Suluhu asked local authorities to 'keep an eye' on health-related programs at risk of 'normalizing' LGBTQ+ people. This is a slippery slope. Suluhu had met with USVP Kamala Harris during her March trip to East Africa and was welcomed by Harris in DC in April. The meeting transcript claims they discussed the longstanding partnership through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the program she is now calling out publicly. The administration should remind Suluhu that peddling homophobia is antonymic to the HIV epidemic control and will affect the US-Tanzania relationship.
Lebanon: Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi must go
Minister of Interior Mawlawi, in the job since 2001, is why the security forces did not intervene when a drag show was crashed on August 23rd by Christian religious fanatics. Mawalawi hopes that homophobia can distract from the deliquescent Lebanese political and economic context and the failure of PM Najib Mikati. I called out Mawlawli’s antics last year here. As for the “Soldiers of God,” I would refer to this new scientific paper by psychiatrist David Goldenberg describing homophobia as psychopathological.
Brazil: A ruling on anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech
In a quasi-unanimous decision, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled 9-1, ruling that homophobic hate speech is on the same legal level as racist hate speech. The Brazilian Criminal Code foresees penalties for people who insult others under racial grounds (Art. 140). To those who feel prudish about the decision, I’d like to share my memories of listening to the terms « pédé,» « enculé,» « tarlouze,» « tir de pédé,» « match de pédés » at every soccer game which of course was never “meant like that.”
United Nations: Some more good news
The President of the United Nations Human Rights Council announced his intention to appoint Graeme Reid (South Africa) as the Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity during the upcoming HRC session. He will succeed Victor Madrigal-Borloz. Reid, who had a distinguished career at Human Rights Watch and lectures at Yale, is a well-known and respected scholar. Read his bio here.
World Cup: could men learn courage from the women players
Do you know how many out lesbians took part in the World Cup? 120, seven times more than eight years ago. This can be explained by the fact that the taboo was lifted by players like Megan Rapinoe and the desire to serve as a model. This is NOT the case in men's football. On a related note, I have passionately followed the Soccer Kiss Affair in Spain this week. Luis Rubiales has resisted calls to resignation, becoming a martyr for the great cause of kissing random people without consent. His mother even started a hunger strike yesterday. (Read about it in the NY Times).
US News
Canada’s warning: the shade of it all
Canada warned its travelers on the proliferation of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the U.S. (read about it in the Blade), a reminder that we might all have to take refuge in Montreal and endure long winters and their French dialect. I have been collecting vintage Woolrich and Pendleton gear ahead of that day—lots of plaid and boiled wool.
The aftermath of Laura Carleton’s murder
This weekend, I shared my views that Carleton’s murder should be a wake-up call for the US movement. I expected to receive some flak for my comment on our losing rhetoric on trans people in competitive sports, but I received none. My suggestion that U.S. campaigning should be more scientific - was applauded. A reader also wrote: “3/4 of my immediate family are LGBTQ, and one is trans. I'm so scared of the future and all the hate in the United States and worldwide. I want to do something, but I don't know what." I have been thinking about how to respond to her, but to YOU, I will say redirect your philanthropic contributions to the Victory Fund and Lambda Legal.
Republicans debate: toxic masculinity and anti-trans hysteria
I am unsure why we had to endure this debate as Trump is to be the nominee, whether it is from Alcatraz or not. Watching the contestants playing it tough was a reminder that America still suffers from a cowboy complex, which is ironic as freedom is central to this mythological character. There is not much freedom offered by politicians obsessed with regulating which books you read, who you sleep with, when and how you have children, and what you can buy at Target. The Advocate kept notes on how trans issues appeared in the debate.
Florida: Popular Information comprehensive update on the book battle
Public libraries are the new battleground for conservatives, and Popular Information had a complete exposé this week (see here) on what’s happening in Florida school district by school district. And who thought that Floridians had stopped reading in 1975 that Americans did, as Marjorie Taylor Green illustrates daily.
North Carolina: Where did the voice of business go since 2016?
In 2016, The most dramatic example of businesses backing LGBTA+ rights was over North Carolina’s 2016 “bathroom bill” when HRC pulled hundreds of companies together. Yet, this week, the AP noted that business was nowhere to be seen when the Republican-controlled General Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto to enact a series of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. For pink-washing shell organizations to repeat the mantra ”these laws are bad for business” to an echo chamber of LGBTQ+ professionals at the same VIP dinners is not doing much for LGBTQ+ North Carolinians. Companies should form real coalitions and pull their funds at the local level.
The boycott of the NYTimes, the Sequel
The New York Times ventured into dangerous water with an article on Washington University’s youth gender clinic in St. Louis and whistleblower Reed’s inconsistencies. GLAAD was back demonstrating outside the Times office the following day (unlike a French “manifestation,” a “demonstration” means you overpay some truck to park in Times Square while Google-searching your name from Glen Cove). Here is a “controversial” conclusion from the article:
"Pediatric gender medicine is a nascent specialty, and few studies have tracked how patients fare in the long term, making it difficult for doctors to judge who is likely to benefit."
Gender-affirming surgeries reached 16,000 in 2019
The NYTimes also highlighted that gender surgeries tripled in three years. See here.
Queering the Boardroom
Networking, the matrix skills, and other tips from Irene Chang Britt
On Friday, one of America's foremost Governance Experts, Irene Chang Britt, shared her perspective on Boards and LGBTQ+ diversity in the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors monthly webinar. If you want to know where you fit in the “skills matrix” or hear concrete tips on Board networking (tell your lawyer and auditor you are looking for board service), here is the link to the recording.
A replay of our conversation with Richard Socarides
Last week, Richard Socarides interviewed me on the state of LGBTQ+ Board Diversity. The meeting also included remarks by prominent Board Members Cathy Halligan (Ulta Beauty), Betsy Bernard (Zimmer Biomet) Elizabeth Mora (MKS Instruments, Inogen, and more…). It's worth a listen here.
Is Fall Board search season?
Board recruitment is a year-round process, yet the Fall is typically when Boards will identify new candidates, and it goes quiet. So, refine your Board bio with some glitter, and join us at the NACD Summit.
Register for our September 22nd webinar: Legal Skills on the Board
Our next monthly webinar will discuss the demand for legal skills on Boards and focus on the experience of LGBTQ+ Board members with a legal background. If you want to join, please register here.
Current State of Board Diversity Rules and Policies
This is the second time I have to mention Jay Blum today. Davis Polk had a helpful summary of where various litigations stand.
The Gay Business
Affirmative Action and its effect on Corporate DEI initiatives
DeVere Kutscher, Vice President of BiasSync and publisher of Affinity Magazine launched a new white paper titled "Navigating Diversity in 2023 & Beyond." It analyzes the impact on Corporate DEI perspectives of the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in college admissions. It is an easy read with straightforward suggestions for companies to shield themselves from lawsuits or backlash.
Jay Blum goes after the law firms
The third time is a charm; Blum, encouraged by his affirmative action win (⬆︎), is eyeing law firms. He is now taking them to court for discrimination (it pains me to link to another QZ article). The lawsuit against Seattle-based Perkins Coie targets two paid fellowships for students of color, LGBTQ+, and students with disabilities. The one against Morrison & Foerster, a San Francisco firm, targets fellowship for African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ students. My friend noted that Jay Blum shouldn’t criticize someone who buys ink by the barrel. His lawsuit might give law firms that want to scale down their diversity efforts a good excuse.
My G-Work is doing well
MyGwork, the business community for LGBTQ+ professionals created in 2013 by the Gaubert twins, completed another round of investment totaling €1.5 million. See here.
Jim Fielding: “All Pride No Ego”
All Pride No Ego: A Queer Executive's Journey to Living and Leading Authentically had a successful launch week. Fielding served as president of Disney Stores Worldwide and led global consumer experiences at DreamWorks and Twentieth Century Fox.
From the semi-cultural desk
Watch the trailer for “Rustin”
Netflix released this trailer on the 60th anniversary of 1963’s momentous March on Washington (at which Stacey Stevenson of Family Equality spoke brilliantly). Bayard Rustin is the motivation our movement needs at a time when fatalism and immobilism are what characterize it most. Stevenson wrote, “I walked out saying everyone who’s fighting for equality should see it.”
And Bottoms too
And NOW we will see Nicolas Galitzine EVERYWHERE and that girl from The Idol, too. This is entirely YOUR fault. They are in “Bottoms” which follows a pair of lesbians as they accidentally stumble into a plan that can make them both popular at their high school and win over their crushes.
Does Malaysia know that Swatches are back in
Airmail has the scoop. Take that, unfashionable Malaysian clerics!
Gold and Mitchell close their doors
Sad news: that furniture cash supported our movement for a long time. Now, we are all stuck with Jonathan Adler’s questionable taste.
If Only White, Red, and Royal Blue could plunge you back into history
Paris Match notes that history has already known similar relationships. For example, although married to Bérengère de Navarre, Richard the Lionheart preferred to share his bed with brave knights. Or Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman sultan, as enamored of the famous Roxelane as his childhood friend, Ibrahim, whom History has chosen to erase. Paris Match also included some very heavy innuendos regarding the sexual orientation of the Prime Minister, Elizabeth Borne, a much less glamorous take.
How to use your late-stage capitalism cash?
September 12th: Fundraising for Jirair
I am co-hosting a fundraiser for Jirair for CA in New York City on September 12. We are discussing why progressive representation and public health leadership matter more than ever in Congress. Co-hosts include LGBTQ+ luminaries Eric Sawyer, Sean Strub, Ruth W Messinger, Charles King, and Kevin Jennings. I mean, who would want to miss that? Register here.
October 12th: Will Rollins in the UWS
Remember how Will Rollins was one inch from flipping California's 41st congressional district from Red to Blue? We are co-hosting a fundraiser in the UWS to help him finish the job: David Mixner, Ben Garrett, and Howard Pulchin are among the co-hosts in the residence of a world-famous author. Please register here.
October 20th: I am a co-host for Athlete Ally Action Awards
Rumor has it that the wondrous Krishna Omkar will be in town for it. Could I interest you in joining me that evening? All details here
I read in DW this week (LGBTQ rights under legal attack around the world) that things are unsuitable for LGBTQ+ people globally. As the “eternal optimist” that I am I’d like to give a perspective: i) India is on the brink of legalizing same-sex marriage, ii) Germany just made it easier for trans people to change their name, and ii) if it wasn’t for evangelical churches, the rest of the World might be doing better.
I know I was harsh on the US today and generally moody. There is a reason. I have been plagued by poison ivy, which spread like a Greek island wildfire and made my entire body look like a piece of veal liver. I don’t do ailments well, so I have been very displeased, pouring gallons of pink Calamine lotion on myself, staining my silk Derek Rose pajamas, and feeling aghast overall. Poison ivy, not unlike evangelical churches and endless Presidential campaigns, is something that does not exist on my continent.
On that note, see you next week, and thank you as usual for reading.