OutPerform | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality - Issue #57
This week: a gay backlash against trans activism, Exxon, Gilead and Disney, UK FCA ditches LGBTQ+ representation, the Fire Island movie, viral Mallory McMorrow, and more…
Welcome to this edition of my weekly equality news digest, where I share important (and less important) news, updates, and commentary about the global LGBTQ+ equality movement.
Questions, feedback, and comments are always welcome. Would you mind sharing with your network to continue helping us move the LGBTQ+ equality conversation forward?
A short note from Out Leadership Founder & CEO Todd Sears.
Last week, I received a note from an old friend who expressed some surprise that it appeared that Out Leadership had morphed into a political organization, based on some of the commentary in last week's newsletter. Out Leadership is not a political organization; our focus remains on workplace equality. At the same time, our goal is to create conversation and accept that our community represents many perspectives. And this sometimes involves being a little bit provocative. We strive to ensure this newsletter is respectful and nuanced. We welcome feedback and suggestions on how to improve, both positive and negative, and I will say that 99.9% of the feedback we receive about the newsletter is overwhelmingly positive.
Global News
The mysterious and wondrous world of development Banks.
It might sound boring – well, it is boring – but it matters for LGBTQ+ people in the developing world. Last week, representatives of the LGBTQ+ development community (CGE, HRC, Open for Business, Micro Rainbow, Out Leadership, etc.) held a virtual meeting on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) safeguards review at the Open Society Foundation in DC. We are pushing for a stand-alone sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and Gender Safeguard. You can read the report I shared at the meeting on the corporate stake in this process here. On the US government side of things, the interagency technical advisory group convened by the Department of Treasury to offer advice on SOGI issues at the ADB appears to have completed its work. We are anxiously awaiting the report's release.
Companies can do more in China.
On Friday, the Council for Foreign Relations (CFR) organized a fascinating meeting in NYC on LGBTQ+ issues in China which I attended. The conclusion remains that the Communist Party is open to a corporate lens on LGBTQ+ inclusion as it interconnects with two Chinese goals: competitiveness and economic performance. While multinationals assume DEI training is risky in the current context, the grassroots feedback is that they can and should pursue their efforts.
Still on China, three weeks ago, Foreign Policy magazine pointed out the Republicans' concern over the inclusion of LGBTQ+ rights in the Congressional-Executive Commission on China's annual report. It is baffling as supporting LGBTQ+ rights is an obvious geopolitical win for the US: Taiwan is a regional leader on the topic.
Supporting the Global Equality Caucus.
Publicly supporting the Global Equality Caucus is an easy win for corporates. In 2019, more than 120 MPs from 25 countries launched the Global Equality Caucus at the UN, an international network of parliamentarians aiming to tackle discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. The Caucus holds governments to account and works to improve equality laws in partnership with businesses and NGOs. It is open to legislators worldwide regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Through research briefings and meetings, the Caucus supports its members – often, unfortunately, the only LGBTQ+ elected officials in their country. I have attended a few of their meetings which are always enlightening. You can contact the Caucus through the world-famous Aron-Winston Le Fevre: aron@globalequalitycaucus.com
ILGA Europe: podcast: private sector engagement.
If I did not have both an accent and a lisp, I would have a podcast like Lena Dunham's "the C-Word." In the meantime, ILGA Europe's podcast, the Frontline, broadcast a great miniseries (listen to it here) on business and LGBTQ+ rights. The first episode features our friend Jens Schadendorf, Author of GaYme Changer, talking about the history of businesses engaging on LGBTQ+ inclusion (including the Barilla Group's fascinating journey), with Evelyne Paradis providing a perspective of what that development has looked like for civil society. Jens highlighted the link with the 2008 financial crisis, which was a turning point in how we look at the role of business in society. The massive government bailouts highlighted that businesses cannot claim they are here only to make a profit.
The second episode includes Nancy Kelley, CEO of Stonewall, with Noah Kraljević providing an in-country perspective from Croatia.
Ukraine: the situation of trans people during the war.
"All Ukrainians suffer in one way or another from Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24. However, some vulnerable groups due to their peculiarities also face additional challenges. Trans people are among such groups." Inna Iryskina, Insight NGO, Trans Program Coordinator, says in this piece.
US News
ExxonMobil: how to make enemies and lose friends.
ExxonMobil strangely announced that the Pride Flag would be banned from the company's flagpole. The company has a poor track record on respecting the rights of their employees in the workplace (and incidentally a 3.1 rating on Glassdoor), although the HRC CEI awarded the company an 85/100 rating this year. The concept of corporate "neutrality" on human rights that Exxon invoked to ban Pride flags does not exist. The UN Guidelines on Business and Human Rights (and the subsequent UN LGBTQ+ Corporate Standards I co-authored in 2017) are clear that private companies have responsibilities toward their employees and supply chains. For LGBTQ+ employees, workplace equality is inextricably linked to visibility, including through the rainbow flag, which is why Exxon is targeting it.
Gilead: good ratings but bad rap.
In 2022, HRC applauded Gilead's support for the community with a 100% corporate equality index rating (see the detailed rating here) and named the pharma company one of its Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality for the fourth consecutive year. The previous year, it announced a 3 million dollar partnership with the company to address HIV in marginalized communities. This week, Mark King's interview with ACT UP veteran Peter Staley outlines how his "Staley et al. vs. Gilead Sciences" lawsuit could cost the pharma industry billions of dollars. Staley explains how Gilead and other pharma companies colluded amongst themselves to keep HIV drug prices sky high long after generic versions were available. So very depressing. It goes to a jury in March.
Disney: the Reedy Creek District drama.
Florida abolished all special districts created before 1967, of which Reedy Creek was one of the very few remaining in operation as retaliation for Disney's late support to the LGBTQ+ community. The Washington Post explains the consequences better than we could. Disney has not commented on the matter so far. The takeaway is that we must flex our muscles to ensure reluctant allies do not rush into the breach DeSantis is trying to create. Already opponents of socially responsible capitalism are capitalizing on the Exxon and Disney story (see The Hill's op-ed this week).
Michigan senator Mallory McMorrow goes viral.
I am French which explains why this newsletter is often depressing. However, here is an uplifting piece of news, Senator McMorrow, "a straight white suburban mum" (her own words) comments on the Michigan Senate floor went viral. This led to an excellent op-ed from Jonathan Capehart in the Washington Post: "Don't let Mallory McMorrow fight bigotry alone."
What is behind gay men's increasing denunciation of "cancel culture"?
The New Homophobia - an op-ed in Newsweek by Ben Appel - and the support from some gay men for "Don't Say Gay" made me think this weekend. The gay men who support HB 1557 or blame the current backlash on trans activism feel they worked so hard to get society to perceive them as just straight men who happen to love other men. Do they see trans people as a threat to their hard-won respectability, and anybody shaming them for this is the product of "cancel culture"? In my latest piece, you can read more about these thoughts: The strange phenomenon of gay men supporting Florida's "Parental Rights in Education bill."
LGBTQ+ higher rates of premature death.
In the same piece, I argue that as a direct consequence of homophobia, gay men face higher rates of premature death, listing anecdotal experiences; for example, my Facebook is a gay graveyard. A few days after I wrote it, our friend and DC fixture, 41-year-old Eric Pope, was beaten to death by a gay bar's security guard in tragic circumstances in Philadelphia. You can read about it here.
Hate and the mid-term elections.
"It's all about the money," says David Mixner about the scapegoating of minorities in elections year in his latest video blog. LGBTQ+ people find themselves pawns in efforts to maintain reckless capitalism.
The gay Calendar
Davos: for sure.
From May 22 - to May 26, Davos will once again be held in person following multiple cancellations and rescheduling (Klaus' "Great Reset" was to take place in Singapore at some point which felt a bit like organizing Coachella in Pyongyang but ok). This year, the meeting was planned for January 17 - 21 but was eventually canceled due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. I wonder if my friend Krish Omkar will trade his luxurious apres-ski for flip-flops.
Asia (again): APCOM's HERO Awards 2022.
This year's APCOM's HERO Awards 2022 (their sixth edition) will be hosted by the Australian Embassy in Bangkok on November 25. A good way for companies to show up for the LGBTQ+ community at a time it is severely embattled on the continent. You can find the corporate sponsorship link here.
From the Boardroom
UK FCA's disappointing new listing rule.
The final FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) rules on mandatory D&I reporting of UK listed company boards and executive management are disappointing. They relegate sexual orientation and gender identity diversity as a "nice to have" aspect while mandating diversity and disclosures on ethnicity and gender. The new listing rule is at odds with the best practice set by Nasdaq last year. A tiny win is that the FCA "encourages" Board diversity policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity. We will continue pushing the regulator to take remedial actions for the abysmal representation of LGBTQ+ people on corporate boards while focusing on other actors who are making progress: shareholders, institutional investors, and corporations themselves.
Honor the resistance: Judicial Watch on AB979.
If you had any doubt about who opposes Board diversity and AB979, listen to this week's webcast from the plaintiff who prevailed, Judicial Watch. It's scary.
From the semi cultural desk
Annie Leibovitz and the new face of parents in Vogue.
I am not a huge fan of the omnipresent Leibovitz as a person, but her Vogue on the New Parents spread is beautiful and features my friends Casey Legler and Siri May (their baby is now born and looks adorbs on the Insta as young people would say). I would love to be raised by Casey and Siri in my next life.
"Her images are a celebration of all the ways we can now make our own family—irrespective of gender and sexual orientation and including surrogacy, co-parenting, and the blending of relationships old and new into one loving household."
Rihanna was on the cover.
The Fire Island Movie.
The trailer is out! Watch it here. The synopsis reads, "Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang star in this romantic comedy inspired by Pride and Prejudice. In Fire Island, they head out for a weekend vacation to Fire Island for fun with friends and plenty of rosé." If you like the trailer, you can watch the entire thing on Hulu.
Netflix's Heartstopper.
Boy meets boy. Heartstopper, an eight-chapter story about life, love, and everything in between, based on the bestselling graphic novels from Alice Oseman, premiered this month on Netflix. You can watch the trailer here.
What is springier than Justin Vivian Bond?
Happy Beltane! I got tickets to see Justin Vivian Bond's Spring extravaganza at Joe's Pub. Join me that night (Wed, May 11 at 9:30 PM) – buy tickets here.
Funny Girl revival hit Broadway.
The reviews are mixed because the Gays are never happy, but the talented Stephen Mark Lukas, who is in the show, and his boyfriend Brian Letendre looked amazing at the Premiere.
The Women's House of Detention.
Hugh Ryan just published a book on a long-forgotten New York City prison that stood in Greenwich Village from 1929 to 1974, and he describes how the House of D ended up defining queerness for the rest of America. You can pre-order it here.
Madison Cawthorn in Lingerie.
Actually, Justin Vivian Bond had something to say about Madison's latest lingerie photoshoot (see it in People) along the lines of "you can play with us but only if you drop the hateful antics."
Coming and Going
Imara Jones, Board Chair of the Transgender Law Center.
Yesterday the Transgender Law Center announced Imara Jones as its new Board Chair. Last year, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) had already welcomed Imara to its Board of Directors. Imara is also a member of NYC's Commission on Gender Equity (CGE) and on the board of the LGBTQ+ museum.
The lesbians behind Outright Action International.
For #LesbianVisibilityDay, OutRight, a lesbian-founded organization, celebrated its founders, including the amazing Julie Dorf. The tradition perdures. While I have served on the Board, the organization has benefited from great leaders, including Maria Sjödin (current Executive Director), Jessica Stern (former ED, now US Special Envoy), Kathie Hulquist, Elise Colomer-Cheadler, and Amy Bishop. This gave me a particular appreciation for the effectiveness and selflessness of the women in our movement, not burdened by the gigantic egos we gay men often carry around.
An NFL player with gay parents.
Colorado State University tight end Trey McBride had two moms (read about it in People magazine). I have no idea what a “tight end” is, but it sounds weird. What is certain is that my boys are not poised to be athletes.
From the social diary
Notes from the town: Housing Works Gala Dinner.
Design on a Dime at the Metropolitan Pavilion is the epitome of "competitive shopping": you wrestle the pieces you like out of the claws of extremely sophisticated gay men who believe décor is a matter of survival. COO Andrew Greene referred to it as the "Hunger Games of Design." The event opened last Wednesday with a gala dinner and ends on Saturday. In front of Housing Works' own vignette (I bought a "les soucoupes volantes attaquent" vintage poster), I stumbled upon an incognito Justin Vivian Bond accompanied by DJ Sammy Jo, who is also Bond's neighbor and apparently feeds the cats in case of emergency. Bond told me, "I decided against wearing my prescription sunglasses not to come across as pretentious, but now I am way too friendly waving to people I don't know."
I spent the cocktail hour introducing Amex's Neil Pirie and Housing Works Treasurer to anybody who would listen as my only contribution to the Board. Outside demonstrators (Housing Works has been in a union dispute) had apparently brought Scabby the Rat. I ran into Keith Fox, New York City AIDS Memorial Board Chair, who told me he reads my newsletter, unknowingly making my night. Everybody was repeating to me that Laurent Claquin is a great human being, making me wonder if my introduction, now uploaded to the teleprompter and therefore not modifiable, needed to be amended (you can send me compliments on my suit here).
The three Groundbreaker Awards honorees, Laurent – whose last name was mispronounced in very creative ways all night long - Patricia Arquette, and Bethann Hardison made great pleas to expand the way we define community and practice empathy. Another surprise encounter was the very talented Frederic Tcheng, who is working on a new documentary on Bethann. In the process, I learned that Kering's name comes from Britton's Ker, which spoke to me as my great grandparents owned a place called Ker Ar Vir in Tregastel. DOAD co-chair and force of nature James Huniford was sporting a gorgeous blue suit. HBO's Dennis Williams was trying desperately to avoid me until I cornered him, at which point he had no choice but to commit to a playdate with his prodigy son and my twins. Gucci's Antoine Philipps wore a splendid suit and the best Mickey Mouse sneakers. I told him the story of how when I met Marco Bizzarri, who is a real giant, I refused to take a picture standing up with him – I know better.
At dinner, I was seated next to Nick Muscara, formerly of Equinox, who assured me I did not get Omicron from the steam room, as I believe. As I left, people stopped me to tell me: "we understood every word in your remarks," which reminded me that the bar has always been rather low for me.
See you at Lambda Liberty Awards Dinner tomorrow.
To Fight...to Win...to Stay. It's going to be a lot of lawyers and bespoke suits.
HRC also has its NYC dinner this week.
It’s April 30th but I am not going… Here is the link.
Next week, I am taking a few days off in Vermont, so I will send the newsletter one day early on Tuesday.