Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality
This Week: The Kishida scandal, the embattled US Ambassador, Trump and the “left-wing gender insanity”, Colette, LGBTQ+ leadership at HBS, The Grammys, queer-baiting, and other misdemeanors...
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: The Kishida scandal in Japan, the embattled US Ambassador in Hungary, Trump and the “left-wing gender insanity,” Colette, LGBTQ+ leadership at HBS, The Grammys, queer-baiting, and other misdemeanors
Global News
Japan: the Kishida scandal, a sour look on the global scene
The firing of Prime Minister Kishida’s aide over his claim that he would rather not live next to a same-sex couple made headlines worldwide. Not a good look for Japan. The firing itself is disingenuous, given that Kishida’s discriminatory attitude towards LGBTQ+ people is precisely what made his aide feel entitled to express his homophobic views. As a side note, you can be confident the aide has already returned to his cushy Ministerial position. This latest development should be a wake-up call for some LGBTQ+ Japanese business leaders to stop being complicit in the “Japanese exception” (i.e., the tired dogma that “same programs or methods to advance DE&I in other countries do not always work in Japan because of different underlying social expectations and values”). Culture can never justify human rights violations. Japan is the only G-7 country without any legal recognition of same-sex relationships. As a side note, Jessica Stern, the US Special Envoy on LGBTQ+ envoy, embarked on official travel as part of a State Department delegation that will take her to Tokyo in a few days (see here).
Turkey: earthquake and humanitarian efforts
Yesterday, the Turkey-Syria border earthquake’s death toll rose significantly to more than 8,000. The magnitude 7.8 quake hit the region hard early Monday morning. It was the biggest in the area since 1939 and much more deadly. The region’s poverty and many refugees magnified the impact. Earthquake aid has reached Turkey and Syria in a race to find survivors. Next, LGBTQ+ inclusion in post-quake humanitarian efforts will be vital as we are often left out.
Hong Kong: a positive development on Gender identity
In Hong Kong, a landmark ruling means the government can no longer impose sex reassignment surgery as a precondition for broader gender recognition. A positive development in an otherwise tense LGBTQ+ context in the region. Read more here.
Suriname Constitutional Court rejects marriage equality
In case you don’t know (no judgment here), Suriname is a tiny country in northern South America. Its Constitutional Court ruled on January 31 that the country does not have to record the marriage of a Surinamese male couple who got married in Argentina. The court said the man-woman definition of marriage does not violate the constitution or international treaties despite Suriname being bound to bring in marriage equality by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights 2017 marriage equality ruling. See here.
Hungary: the embattled US Ambassador
The New York Times reports that Ambassador Pressman representing the United States in Hungary since August 8th (see a picture with his husband and two kids after his arrival here), is embattled because of his sexual orientation and his open criticism of Orban’s government. This quote is epic:
“[The Hungarian Authorities] always want to have the conversation about a culture war. We want to have a conversation about a real war that exists next door.”
US News
Trump gives Americans a glimpse of his upcoming campaign
In a video released Tuesday, Trump vowed to punish doctors who provide gender-affirming health care to minors if he is reelected next year. He also outlined his plan to “protect children from left-wing gender insanity,” recognizing only two genders (guess which ones) and barring transgender women from competing on women’s sports teams. Read more here.
Breitbart unhappy with poorly-timed USAID report
Conservatives continue to dissect every obscure bureau’s report mentioning LGBTQ+ issues. This week it is an inconsequential albeit slightly sanctimonious USAID “guide” for development projects titled “Integrating lgbtqi+ [sic] considerations into education programming” that irked Breitbart for suggesting that “education officials do not reveal a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity without the student’s permission – even to the student’s family.” A no-brainer. I briefly wondered who in the USAID bubble felt it was timely to lecture aid recipients on inclusive education while the US is plagued by “Don’t Say Gay”, book bans all over the place, and now the North Carolina's Parents Bill of Rights. The paper is as poorly timed as if Tunisia was publishing an international guide on protection against the torture of LGBTQ+ people. A counterexample for my Georgetown class on avoiding the appearance of Western imperialism in “queering international development.”
The Grammys: not immune to controversy
There were so many LGBTQ+ moments at this year’s ceremony. I did not watch it because I really couldn't care less. Yet, congratulations to Kim Petras for being the first transgender woman to win in the “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance” category, alongside Sam Smith (whose outfit also led to a controversy). Congrats to Beyonce who proclaimed, “I thank the Queer community for their love” driving her audience wild. However, this was a bit overshadowed by the allegedly straight Harry Styles queer-baiting controversy and issues with his “privilege”. The narrative about Harry using queer aesthetics is a strange excuse for our community to get outraged while the house is on fire (see New York Times, is Celebrity “queerbaiting” really such a crime?)
A new section: From the Culture War front
I know… I know… it was never its own section, but given how omnipresent it was this week, here we are
Social cohesion: disastrous recipes
This article by Thomas Chatterton Williams in The Atlantic, comparing France’s oblivion to differences strategy versus America’s extreme identity politics, is mandatory reading.
America and France are simultaneously becoming weaker, less capable, each undermined by growing internal divisions—the one by overemphasizing them, the other by denying them altogether.
Inclusive language: off-putting to most
Nobody likes language policing and virtue-signaling, points out the New York Times this week. This is a perfect advertisement for Kenji Yoshino’s latest book, “ Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice” (launched this week). This quote by Rep. Torres was worth the read:
.. it’s worth asking if the widespread use of the term ‘Latinx’ in both government and corporate America reflects the agenda-setting power of white leftists rather than the actual preferences of working-class Latinos.
Geopolitical maneuvers: we are not your pawns
The Financial Times highlighted that LGBTQ+ people are once again used as political pawns in the Ukraine war. This is not only true of Russia but also of the US, which uses LGBTQ+ rights to undermine its foes (meaning not Saudi Arabia or Egypt) and promote its reputation. LGBTQ+ people are also sometimes pawns for the left, with a vested interest in conservatives not supporting our rights. This calls for our movement's independence from nations, governments, and political parties. Good luck with that.
The Boardroom
Does any LBT person want to lead The 30% club?
The 30% Club is a global campaign led by Chairs and CEOs taking action to increase gender diversity at the board and senior management levels and launched a national search for a new executive director. The salary is $150K. I would apply, but I have my hands full. Read more about the job here.
Beth Ford nominated for Board seat at Starbucks
Starbucks, a Fortune 500 listed on the NASDAQ Exchange, tapped Beth Ford (CEO, Land O’Lakes) for a Board seat, a nomination that the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors celebrated this week. Ford also serves on the Board of Blackrock.
The semi-cultural desk
The Gays Come to the rescue of Armie Hammer
The Gays dispel some myths about the fall of alleged cannibal Armie Hammer. Jamie Kirchick switched from Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington to Secret Bedrooms: the hidden facts of the Hammer scandal in a nano-second showing great polyvalence. He wrote about it in AirMail with supportive statements by Dan Savage and Howard Rosenman (CMBYN). It is a good read but a lost battle because public opinion in the US has long lost any interest in the truth.
Sims’ update for trans players builds on “Last of US” gay theme
An update released by “The Sims 4″ had queer gamers celebrating this week. They already lauded HBO’s “The Last of Us” adaption for its gay romance scenes. It takes place in a gaming context rife with homophobia and transphobia. I wrote a piece on the topic this week (gently), calling out Stanley Pierre-Louis and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) for their complacency. Joel Bedos highlighted that engaging with gamers directly might also be worthwhile. This quote in the article he shared struck me:
"It has fallen out of fashion to openly be a sexist, homophobic bigot, so people carve out marginal spaces where this language can live on."
Patrons of The Eagle in NYC are being targeted
There is more information on how criminals have been targeting patrons of The Eagle in NYC (see here). An interesting tip is to disable face recognition on your cell phone if you go out.
In Paris-Match: things are changing in France
Senatrice Melanie Vogel was featured with her partner in Paris Match this week in response to Lucas’ tragic death I mentioned last week. Maybe it is a wake-up call for France, but it is sad it always takes deaths for our plight to feel real.
And we celebrate Colette
We are celebrating Colette’s birth 150th anniversary. The French writer, married three times, is also a lesbian icon for her love affairs with women - and above all, very officially, with Mathilde de Morny, known as Missy. The New York Times published a Colette Starter Kit here.
Romney spoils George Santos’ evening at SOTUS
I know you wish I would not mention his name, but not only does US Rep. George Santos face sexual harassment accusations from a prospective staffer named Derek Myers, but he was also confronted by Mitt Romney last night at the State of the Union in a decisive moment (see here).
Today’s fashion
This otherwise charming picture of Adam Rippon, Gus Kenworthy, Tom Daley, and Rembrandt Flores is a reminder of what party dress codes can be necessary.
Coming and Going
Jenny Pizer gets ABA’s Stonewall Award
This weekend Jenny Pizer, the Chief Legal Officer at Lambda Legal - with whom I have the honor to serve on the Board of Outright - was honored by the American Bar Association with its Stonewall Award in recognition of her four decades of work advancing LGBTQ rights. See the Press Release here.
Lenny Emson appointed CEO of TGEU
Lenny Emson will lead Transgender Europe - TGEU - an organization in which she served as a Board Member for years. See the Linkedin post here.
Jesse Salazar joins the Board of Out In National Security
Jesse Salazar, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, joined the Board of Out In National Security, which supports LGBTQ+ servicemembers, veterans, and security professionals. The organization is also known for its annual list of Out Leaders (see here for 2022).
Rikki Nathanson speaks in my Georgetown class
Last night, the fantastic trans activist Rikki Nathanson joined our class to discuss her experience with a World Bank trans staff member as we focused on “Trans inclusion in development.” I continue to be amazed by the generosity and humility of the many development practitioners who meet our students despite competing demands. It reflects well on our community and its leadership and matters.
Death of Charles Silverstein
Charles Silverstein passed away this week. A therapist and LGBTQ+ rights advocate, he was best known for his presentation before the American Psychiatric Association in 1973, which led to the removal of homosexuality as a mental illness from the organization's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Read his obituary here.
And George Takei’s announcement
Takei announced he was going as an Asian Balloon for Halloween this week.
The Gay Agenda
February 22: Trevor’s update on Conversion Therapy
At 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST, join a “Protecting With Pride” webinar focusing on the current climate and threats being faced by LGBTQ+ young people from conversion therapy. Kasey Suffredini, Trevor’s Vice President of Advocacy & Government Affairs, will lead the discussion. Registration Link.
August: HBS inaugural LGBTQ+ Leadership course
I really wish programs like this one were available in my youth. The first LGBTQ+ leadership program at Harvard will take place in August and October this year. Here is the link. Are there any volunteers, to pay my $14,000 tuition? might turn me into someone easier to work with.
Thank you for reading. I realize this edition is a bit negative. I blame seasonal affective disorder. Come April, I promise to focus more on the positive or at least to try. May this not deter you from sharing with your network!