OutPerform | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality - Issue #38
This week: Chimano, Kenyan singer, comes out, time for Mauritius to decriminalize, Iran arrests lesbian, prominent LGBTQ+ appointments, mourning Anne Rice, binging on “Young Royals” and more...
Welcome to this week's edition of my weekly equality news digest, where I share important news, updates, and commentary about the LGBTQ+ equality movement globally. I hope you are enjoying your holiday festivities haze while I navigate the shady NYC real-estate underworld for my overdue return to the city (signed for West 88th) ;)
Questions, feedback, and comments are always welcome. Would you mind sharing with your networks to continue helping us in moving the LGBTQ+ equality conversation forward?
US News
What Biden can learn from Hillary Clinton’s landmark LGBT Speech.
This must read article in Foreign Policy by former diplomat Dan Baer encourages the current administration to be bold in pushing for global societal progress: “Even in societies where old prejudices endure fairness has resonance, and in our efforts to deal with the pressures of geopolitics we should not forget the power of universal principles.”
U.S. lags other countries on LGBTQ rights, says CGE.
Malta remains the country with the best score (100%, also a great place to retire in btw) in this report card, developed by our friends at the Council for Global Equality (CGE) and F&M Global Barometers, that rank countries on their LGBTQ rights records. The ranking was disclosed ahead of the US virtual summit on democracy. This is a call to action to pass a much-needed Equality Act (read about the US Score in the Hill). Sharita Gruberg and Mark Bromley just penned an article on American Progress urging the Senate to do so.
Chantale Wong’s confirmation advances to the Senate floor.
Today at 10 AM the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee reported 13 Presidential nominees including Chantale Wong who will become the first lesbian Ambassador in the history of the country and US Executive Director at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Her role will be a critical role in the current geopolitical context but also an important one for our embattled community. Onto the Senate floor. (See The Hill)
Global News
Kenya: a courageous singer comes out.
In 2019 the Kenya High Court declined to decriminalize same sex acts ruling out claiming it would “contradict constitutional values”. That did not prevent famous Kenyan artist Austin Chimano to come out on 8th December ending years of speculations: "Hakuna Kujificha jificha anymore.. it's 2021 and I am laying everything bare. I'm a member of LGBTQ". Most reactions were positive with some expected hate speech on social media. Read about it on BBC.
Iran: 28 year-old lesbian allegedly arrested for “supporting homosexuality”.
Amnesty Iran tweeted on December 9th “We are concerned by reports from @6rangiran that an Iranian lesbian woman, Sareh, was arrested by the Revolutionary Guards on 27 Oct in West Azerbaijan province near the border w/Turkey.” The ordeal Sareh went through before her arrest is already harrowing. (see The Advocate)
EU: a landmark decision entrenching same-sex parenting in law.
In a landmark judgement, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that a child and its same-sex parents must be recognizes as a family, the child should be issued a Bulgarian passport, and the family should have free movement in all Member States of the European Union. In 2013, I had to jump through horrendous hoops to get my twin sons French citizenship: to this day their other dad is still not listed on the French registry. (Read ILGA Europe’s take).
Hungary: still in the news for the wrong reasons.
I have not yet published my crystal-ball gazing post for 2022 (this is for next week. Want to see how I fared last year? I was wrong, particularly on China. But will do better for 2022). However, one thing is certain Orban will ramp up his politicization of LGBTQ+ people as he veers for re-election. This week, President Macron subtly told him the EU patience is running thin. In the meantime, his “anti-gay propaganda” law is not getting a good rap.
Mauritius: high time to decriminalize.
Section 250, which criminalizes sodomy with a penalty of up to five years imprisonment, is challenged in Court. In the words of a local activist: “[it] is like the sword of Damocles hanging over the lives of LGBT Mauritians”. I woke up at 4 a.m. today at the invitation of the Young Queer Alliance and Collectif Arc en Ciel to speak at a one-day symposium on the theme “Diminie inegalite, avanceman draw imin”. I streesed how LGBTQ+ inclusion makes particular sense for a country which relies heavily on tourism. Read my remarks, focused on the role of tourism in the Covid19 economic recovery, here
In the Boardroom
Key OUTQuorum appointments in the Boardroom this week.
Pamela Stewart joins the Utz Brands, Inc. Board of Directors. Pamela is the President of the West Zone Operations, North America Operating Unit of The Coca-Cola Company, and an OUTQuorum member. Tony Prophet, former Salesforce, also joined the very exclusive club of out LGBTQ+ Board Members by gaining a seat on the Board of Dolby Laboratories
Denice Torres, out Board Member extraordinaire…. mentor to many and part of the OUTQuorum family, was also named to Directors & Boards 2021 “Directors to Watch.”
The Board Challenge rings the NASDAQ Bell.
Our friends, at the Board Challenge, a movement to improve the representation of Black directors in the boardrooms of U.S. public companies, rang the bell at NASDAQ this morning. Our head of partnership Jane Barry-Moran was in attendance. We believe Board representation is an intersectional issue and are proud of our work with the Board Challenge.
LGBTQ+ financing
Daylight, the LGBTQ+ Bank, is gaining attention.
Read this article in Wired. “Big banks, says Billie Simmons, cofounder and Daylight’s chief operating officer, treat LGBTQ+ people “like a monolithic group” when they need tailored financial advice”.
ESG impact investing gets easier.
Interactive Brokers Group introduced this week IMPACT, a patent pending mobile trading application designed to help investors easily align their portfolios with their values. This creates another pressure point for LGBTQ+ impact investing – a topic we discussed during the OutPerform Advisory Board this Monday with some key voices in the movement such as Bob Witeck, Deena Fidas or Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil.
From the “semi” cultural desk
Many mourned Anne Rice and her homoerotic vampires this week.
In 1994 (I was 16), Brad Pitt played Lestat in Interview with the Vampire, based on Mrs Rice 1976 novel. His role can be partially credited for my coming to terms with my homosexuality. Many clearly had a similar experience based on the reactions on social media after the author died this week. Rice remained all her life a vocal supporter of equality for gay men and lesbians. Read her obituary in the LA Blade.
What to binge on during your holiday break?
Well at least 6 hours of the break. Based on the recommendation of Out Leadership’s Michael Patterson, I started watching “Young Royals” on Netflix, a Swedish, LGBTQ+ drama, and I must reluctantly admit it is well-done and enjoyable.
The risk of artificial intelligence for LGBTQ+ people.
This article “TikTok thinks I’m gay. How could it know before I knew?” is interesting as it illustrates the power of our personal data in identifying aspects of our identity we might not be aware of. The article is a light read but hints at the risk of having data companies discover confidential information about individuals just by the power of algorithm. Food for thoughts…
The Royal House of LaBeija at LVMH.
For history month, Out Leadership’s member company, LVMH, honored ballroom culture in NYC in their famous Magic Room. I was not invited but am still hoping for the sample sale ;)
“Single All The Way”, the Netflix Christmas Rom-com, if you are into Christmas. I am more of a grinch as you might have imagined.
On this cheerful note, my sincere thanks for your attention and see you next week.