GetEQUAL activists protest inside the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday, demanding the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bring ENDA to the floor for a vote.
Monitoring Art issues call for submissions
News release from O Cinema:
Log Cabin Republicans vs. Justice Department in court challenge to don't ask, don't tell
Here’s an e-mail today from Log Cabin Republicans:
After six years of litigation and months of pre-trial wrangling by the Obama administration trying to prevent it, Log Cabin Republicans has had its day in court to challenge "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The trial of Log Cabin Republicans v. United States came to a close on Friday, July 23, 2010. While Log Cabin presented a strong case grounded in evidence and the law, the the Obama Justice Department made a weak argument in favour of maintaining the unconstitutional and discriminatory DADT personnel policy, unsupported by any evidence or a single witness. To illustrate the difference, see the graphic below, available full-size here.
Log Cabin Republicans is proud to have brought this case, and is committed to fighting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on all three fronts - on Capitol Hill, within the executive branch, and through the courts. To learn more about our efforts, click here.
Women in Network to hold Broward candidate meet and greet on Aug. 4 in Fort Lauderdale
News release from Women in Network:
Candidates from the upcoming August 26th election will be joining WIN Members and friends at the August 4th WIN General Membership Meeting. Structured as a "Meet and Greet", the candidates will be available to discuss issues of concern to constituents in South Florida. The event runs from 7pm-8pm.
Slated to attend: Ken Keechl, Lindsay Meeks (for Ken Meeks), Bev Kennedy, Daniel Imperato, Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed, and Alex Snitker.
The meeting is free to WIN Members, $5 for non-members. Members of the press are welcome - please call ahead.
Refreshments will be available.
For more information: (954) 564-4946
Women in Network is a volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation committed to supporting and strengthening the LBTQ community of South Florida through education, outreach, philanthropic endeavors, and social and professional networking events.
Women in Network
P.O. Box 9744
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310
(954) 564-4946
information@womeninnetwork.com
http://www.womeninnetwork.com
Target CEO defends donations, says company support of gay community is 'unwavering'
By MARTIGA LOHN, Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Target Corp.'s CEO on Tuesday defended the discount retailer's political donations to a Minnesota group helping the state's Republican candidate for governor, telling employees at its Minneapolis headquarters that the company's support of the gay community is "unwavering."
Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel said gay employees have been raising concerns about the money helping state Rep. Tom Emmer, who opposes gay marriage. Target gave $150,000 to MN Forward, a group staffed by former insiders from outgoing Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration. MN Forward is running TV ads supporting Emmer.
"We rarely endorse all advocated positions of the organizations or candidates we support, and we do not have a political or social agenda," Steinhafel said in an e-mail.
He added: "Let me be very clear, Target's support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company."
Emmer is a fiery conservative who lauds Arizona's strict approach to illegal immigration, once advocated chemical castration for sex offenders and wants to lower taxes. His profile contrasts with Target's moderate image in Minnesota, where the company is known for donating to public school programs, food pantries and the annual Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival.
Target donated to MN Forward under new laws allowing corporations to spend company money on election campaigns. Corporate donations have been flowing since the U.S. Supreme Court threw out parts of a 63-year-old law that prohibited companies and unions from donating to campaigns for or against candidates.
The decision, which came earlier this year, changed rules in about half the states. But the change is so new that experts don't have a good handle on the likely impact nationally.
"This is the leading edge," said Ed Bender, who heads the National Institute on Money in State Politics in Montana.
In Minnesota, where Target has its headquarters and opened its first store 48 years ago, Democrats are grumbling about the large donation, and some are talking about striking back at the popular brand.
A few voices have even called for a boycott in the state, one of Target's top three for sales. One Democratic-backed group is reaching out to Target employees through Facebook ads urging them to sign a petition opposing the donations.
"I think Target is making a huge mistake," said Laura Hedlund, a former Democratic campaign worker who picketed outside a suburban Minneapolis Target store on Saturday, urging shoppers to spend their money elsewhere.
A Target spokeswoman said the company supports causes and candidates "based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives." Spokeswoman Lena Michaud said Target has a history of giving in state and local races where allowed, but wouldn't provide detail on those donations.
She added that TargetCitizens, the company's federal political action committee, has spread donations evenly between Democrats and Republicans so far this year. Political action committees contribute money collected from employees and shareholders, not from corporate funds.
Target's donations to MN Forward - $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in brand consulting - slightly exceeds the total amount the company has given this year to all campaigns and causes at the federal level. By contrast, individuals can give a maximum of only $2,000 to candidates under Minnesota law.
Three Democrats, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and former state Rep. Matt Entenza, are running in the Aug. 10 primary. Pawlenty chose not to seek a third term and is instead exploring a 2012 presidential bid.
Although corporate donations are now legal, they could be sensitive for companies that serve customers of different political orientation. "You're never going to please everyone," said Elliot Schreiber, a professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia and consultant on corporate image management. "Taking sides is only going to exacerbate the situation."
MN Forward is technically nonpartisan, but executive director Brian McClung, Pawlenty's former spokesman, said Emmer is the only gubernatorial candidate the group supports.
"We believe that everybody has the right to express their opinions and we're going to run a fair and factual campaign," McClung said. "Our first ad is a positive ad talking about a candidate's vision for creating jobs."
As of Tuesday, Target was the largest single donor to the group, which had raised more than $1 million from industry trade groups and companies, including Pentair Inc., Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., Davisco Foods International Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc. Electronic retailer Best Buy Co. gave $100,000 to the group according to an MN Forward report made public Tuesday.
The Supreme Court ruling left in place state prohibitions against companies giving directly to the candidates. The money can go to independent groups supporting the candidates. But individuals can donate directly to the candidates' campaigns.
Money from Target's top executives has gone mainly to Republicans. Former Chief Executive Officer Robert Ulrich, who retired last year, gave $617,000 during his time as Target's leader, most of it to the state GOP. Current Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel has donated about $25,000, almost exclusively to Republican candidates and causes.
Associated Press writers Brian Bakst in St. Paul and Jim Kuhnhenn Washington contributed to this report.
Caption: In this photo taken July 24, 2010, Laura Hedlund, 48, right, and Sue Skog, 48 both of Eagan protests in front of Target after Target donated money to a PAC that is supporting the Republican candidate in the governor’s race in Bloomington, Minn. Craig Lassig / AP Photo
Indianapolis protester displays 'Solution to Gay Marriage ' -- two nooses (with video)
Bil Browning of The Bilerico Project reports that an attendee at the National Organization for Marriage’s “One Man, One Woman” bus tour held this sign in Indianapolis on Tuesday:
Here’s a video interview with Larry Adams, the man with the sign:
Lady Gaga launches line of Bluetooth headsets
Urgent news: Lady Gaga is launching her own line of Bluetooth headsets:
From Earloomz:
Earloomz Launches Exclusive Lady Gaga Bluetooth Headsets and Announces Contest to Meet Lady Gaga in Las Vegas at Her Sold Out Concert
Los Angeles, CA – Life is too short to get lost in the crowd and lose your individuality. Lady Gaga; Grammy Award winner, breakout pop star who has taken the world by storm, and named one of the 100 Most Influential People by TIME Magazine; knows this first hand. Her iconic style grabs attention everywhere she goes and fans can’t get enough of her. So, it was only fitting that Earloomz has debuted its innovative twist to the typical Bluetooth headset adorning "The Fame Monster" herself.
Wire Magazine online contest to give away two sets of season tickets for Miami City Ballet
Wire Magazine is hosting a contest to win sets of tickets to the 25th anniversary season of the Miami City Ballet.
From Wire publisher Rafa Carvajal:
Two VERY LUCKY winners will receive 2 Season Ticket Subscriptions to Opening Night Performances of the 25 Year Anniversary Season of the Miami City Ballet. 1 Winner will be selected in Miami and 1 Winner will be selected in Fort Lauderdale. To enter the contest you need to visit www.wireweekly.com
Click the ad below to enter. Hurry. Contest ends Thursday, July 29!
