OutPerform | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality - Issue #55
This week: beware of Le Pen, homophobia in Togo, 5 new queer seats on Fortune 500 Boards, the Lesbian PM who won't change history, some NYC Gala Dinners, the continuation of the UK meltdown 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?
Global News
France: what is really at stake for LGBTQ+ people in two weeks?
For the second time, Macron will face Le Pen in the second round of the Presidential elections (See the New York Times' take). In the past, I would have responded with my signature "bof" and French shrugs, but if I have learned one thing in the past four years, it is that the impossible happens …in fact, regularly. For now, I am glad that Zemmour is now in the “oubliettes de l’Histoire”. Le Pen has toned her homophobia significantly since her 2017 campaign when she promised to repeal equal marriage and prevent access to reproductive technologies for female couples. Yet, she has been a vocal supporter of the anti-LGBTQ+ tropes of Poland and Hungary's ruling parties. Despite her rather regressive positions, Le Pen receives support from gay and bisexual people for whom islamophobia trumps equality. French gay magazine Tetu estimates that 16% of LGB people would vote for her, a percentage which increases to 22% for lesbians. On April 24th, I will vote (again) for Macron.
Ukraine: LGBTQ+ refugees – what is really happening.
It is still Martial Law in Ukraine, which has been affecting the volume of LGBTQ+ refugees to some extent. It is also unclear how the US has been implementing its commitment to take in some Ukrainian refugees. In a way, the developments in the east of the country in the next few weeks might determine whether the war will truly be an endless affair a la Chechnya or end with a Russian retreat. In the meantime, read this uplifting story of a Louisville potter raising money for Outright Action International's Ukraine support.
UK: observations from the sideline.
On Sunday, Lord Nick Herbert (Prime Minister Boris Johnson's advisor on LGBTQ+ issues) issued a statement in response to the boycott of the government's Safe to Be Me Conference that prompted its cancellation (see the Washington Blade's coverage). In his statement, he argued that those who called for its boycott took a unilateral decision that ultimately affects LGBTQ+ people living in the most hostile environments. At the same time, hundreds of demonstrators outside Downing Street demanded the inclusion of trans people in the planned conversion therapy ban.
The Daily Mail had a piece claiming that £650,000 of taxpayers money was wasted as a result of the cancellation. As for The Times, in a piece titled “Undone by Intolerance,” it concluded “The disintegration of a proposed LGBT summit reflects badly on all concerned.”
Bermuda and Cayman Island: a backward decision.
Here is a link to the full statement last week by the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBRAHI) concerning the "shocking" recent decision (March 14th, 2022) of the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council on appeal from Bermuda and Cayman Islands. The Privy Council rejected arguments for marriage equality, overcoming local constitutional provisions requiring fundamental human rights based on the "God-fearing" nature of the local population. IBRAHI's co-chair wrote:
"This outcome is extremely disturbing and shocking in 2022. […] Under the UK's residual powers in both Bermuda and Cayman Islands as British Overseas Territories, it should exercise those powers to restore marriage equality in Bermuda and to provide for equality in the Cayman Islands."
(See the full statement here). Thanks to Michael Kirby for always reminding me to look at the big picture.
Togo: between oppression and progress.
West Africa has not benefited from the same influx of foreign support as other parts of the continent, in part because of the lack of engagement by French authorities in promoting LGBTQ+ human rights globally. A fight on a beach in Lomé that saw gay men kicked out manu-militari (4 years of Latin here) is a reminder of the slow progress in societal attitudes. A local MP had supportive words subsequently as the issue made national headlines.
Serbia elections: that strange Prime Minister.
A week ago, the ruling party – deemed a pre-war Putin ally - won largely the elections. Ana Brnabić is still Prime Minister. She has been rather useless as an out lesbian in influencing anti-LGBTQ+ policies (not unlike the chair of a major corporate Board who won’t name) and DW once described her as “a female leader who is unlikely to change history”. While there is civil union in Serbia, the macho-heavy culture has hampered societal progress.
US News
Alabama: our letter to Governor Ivey.
While there was little doubt that Governor Kay Ivey would sign the most recent anti-LGBTQ+ bill, we wrote to her beforehand, warning her of the economic consequences for the State. We copied some Alabama employers and some contributors to her campaign. Read our letter here. There is an inherent contradiction in Ivey seeking European foreign direct investment for Alabama (Mercedes, Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Evonik, BASF, and Siemens all have operations there) and passing laws at odds with best practices in Europe. Ivey wrote,
"I believe very strongly that if the good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you are a girl," in a statement on the bill.
Senator Chris Murphy (D, Connecticut) had something to tell her about her empathy or lack thereof.
LGBTQ+ politicization: a crisis of leadership.
Last week, I wrote a piece suggesting the LGBTQ+ community in the US is suffering from a serious leadership crisis as it is again being used as a political pawn in the midterm elections (read it here: "The return of vintage homophobia calls for vintage queer tactics"). As in Europe, the question of who benefits from a deepening divide on LGBTQ+ rights is key. In this video, civil rights activist David Mixner gives two examples of progressive leadership's inertia: i) the insulin bill and ii) Florida's "Don't say gay" bill BEFORE it passed. One of his suggestions is to set up a copycat of the "Lincoln Project," the "Roosevelt Project" to fill what he called a "leadership void" and regain control of the narrative and our future.
Justice Ketanji Brown's confirmation celebrated by the community.
Justice Brown had been endorsed by the HRC. As the "brief political truce" on LGBTQ+ rights, in the words of the New York Times (see Culture War, Redux), came to an end and The Nation suspects gay marriage might be on the rocks, her appointment is a massive relief for many. Also, the Washington Post reported she belongs to my swanky DC club.
US starts issuing gender-neutral passports.
As of Monday, Citizens in the United States can now obtain a passport with the gender designation “X”.
Encourage Congress to bolster support for foreign LGBTQ+ movements.
The Council for Global Equality (CGE) is circulating a letter for organizations to sign on to Congressional appropriators calling for an increase in funding for the State Department's Global Equality Fund (GEF) to $30m and USAID's Inclusive Development Hub's Protection of LGBTQI+ Persons to $30m. You can view the letter here and sign it here by April 20th (we signed). Last week, I attended the GEF Annual meeting on its 10th anniversary at the Embassy of Argentina in DC. The event was attended by Special Envoys Jessica Stern (US) and Fabrizio Petri (Italy).
Washington Post disappoints trans activists with poorly timed opinion piece.
Amid it all, the Washington Post published Monday an opinion piece titled: "What I wish I'd known when I was 19 and had sex reassignment surgery". I am all in support of highlighting diverging views - in fact it is important - but the timing is indeed odd.
The Economist, surrogacy, and a Brooklyn couple sues NYC.
The Economist never really liked surrogacy (I write that, but they did interview me on the topic when my sons were born in 2014). This week its article on the subject titled "America's child making market is a legal and ethical minefield" makes a bizarre case that some Gay parents are unfit for the job. If I remember well, it has been the case that some parents are unfit for the job for several millennia. Unfortunately, being unfit for parenting is not limited to people who had their kids via surrogacy. In the meantime, a Gay couple in Brooklyn is suing the city over denial of coverage (Gothamist).
In the Boardroom.
Who needs legal mandates when investors are on your side?
Corporate Board homogeneity is an often-misunderstood phenomenon. The National Association of Corporate Directors issued a statement on the repeal of AB979 this week, and so did we, jointly with the Diverse Corporate Directors Coalition (DCDC). In our press release, we urged companies, investors, and regulators to accelerate their efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) at the very top of organizations. This week investors have also expressed their intent to keep the pressure on Boards to diversify.
2022 proxies reveal new LGBTQ-occupied Fortune 1000 Board seats.
You may remember that we had arrived at about 18 out LGBTQ+ people and 25 seats in the Fortune 500 corporate boardroom in our latest list (Thiel left, but Walker is also on the board of Block, Fortune #323). As companies start reporting the sexual orientation of their Board members, the tally is increasing slightly. A Board member self-IDed as LGBTQ+ on the Qualcomm Board. Ruth Ann Marshall at Conagra Brands and Elizabeth Burr at Rite Aid (also on the Board of Fortune 1000 Mr. Cooper and SVB Financial Group) also self-IDed as LGTBQ+. I had forgotten to include M. Michele Burns, who is on the board of Cisco Systems (which has two lesbians on its Board) and Goldman Sachs. With these additions, I think we now have 22 out LGBTQ+ people who hold 30 seats on Fortune 500 boards. Still abysmal…
Three LGBTQ+ directors on the "NACD Directorship 100" list for 2022.
Sandra Hernandez, Myrna Soto, and our very own Matt Fust (who has been a Senior Advisor to OutQUORUM for many years) are among the 100 honorees of the National Association of Corporate Directors for 2022. Congrats to all three.
From the semi-cultural desk
'Everything Everywhere All at Once' is good and has a queer plot.
I have not watched it (yet), but I had a date with a (really) cute guy who did Saturday. The plot might sound strange: "Michelle Yeoh stars as a stressed-out laundromat owner dragged into cosmic battle and genre chaos," but the New York Times called it Messy and Glorious. It has a 9/10 on IMDb too. Catch it in the theater before the next variant hits.
The New York Times gives some airtime to conservative men.
And it's mandatory reading if you care about America's midterms and presidential elections. I agreed with the one who deplored, "I'm seeing men wearing tight skinny jeans, with no socks and velvet shoes," can we stop with the no socks with dress shoes?
Zipolite-Playa DelAmor in México. ¿Podrá perdurar?
I need a vacation. I spent an hour searching for my wallet this morning and the twins were late for school. So this New York Times article on an LGBTQ+ haven sounded very tempting, although it is unclear how the piece does not contribute to the ‘overtourism’ it deplores. Zipolite apparently attracts a diverse cosmopolitan alternative crowd (more Radical Faeries than the Pines I guess).
Charlee Corra Disney Chimes In on Don’t Say Gay.
The irony of it all. An heir to the Disney name, Charlee Corra Disney, came out as trans this week and gave their thoughts on the Don’t Say Gay bill. In a recent Gay Times article Disney discussed the mental health repercussions of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation can have on the community, on top of the homophobia that is dealt with on a daily basis.
“To put something like this law on top of that? They can’t learn about their community and their history at school, or play sports or use the bathroom they want to use?”
Warner Bros degayed Dumbledore to please the Chinese.
Not sure that's grammatically correct. Warner Bros cut a 6-second clip in the Chinese release of the Fantastic Beast film "Secrets of Dumbledore" because it alluded to a romantic past between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Let's just say the Twittersphere did not like it. Then WB said the "spirit of the film remains," and we collectively sighed with relief. As some Twitterers said,
"I don't know if I'm more disappointed that the 6 seconds were removed or that the movie only makes their romantic relationship obvious for 6 seconds."
The Queer Agenda
Thursday: The Center Gala Dinner.
This Thursday, the big NYC event at Cipriani Wall Street will honor Ambassador Scott Miller, Tim Gill, and Cecilia Gentili. It will also feature Alex Newell and Murray Hill. You will be able to bid on this hat by Tom Daley. Come say hi if you attend as a friend generously invited me as his +1.
Wednesday: Housing Works' Design on A Dime.
There is still time to get tickets to Housing Works' Gala Dinner and support me as I will be giving a well-deserved award to my friend Groundbreaker Award to Kering's Laurent Claquin. If not, at least come for the decor bargains galore (see the lineup on Yahoo Finance).