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NEWS FLASH

Poll: 58 Percent of North Carolinians Support Marriage Inequality Amendment | Fifty-eight percent of likely voters are suppportive of Amendment One — a proposed amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the North Carolina constitution — according to a SurveyUSA poll relased Wednesday. The poll, which was commissioned by WRAL News, interviewed 1,001 North Carolinians and found that 36 percent of respondents opposed the law, while 6 percent were undecided. The findings run counter to numbers reported in a survey conducted by Elon University earlier this month, which found that 54 percent of North Carolinians opposed Amendment One. Voters will have their say on the amendment during the May 8 presidential primary. — Fatima Najiy

Update

Cathy Bessant, the global technology and operations executive for Charlotte-based Bank of America and a former Charlotte Chamber chair, says that Amendment One would have a “disastrous effect” on North Carolina’s “ability to attract talent and retain talent,” and poses “a direct challenge” to the state’s “ability to compete nationally for jobs and economic growth.”

Media

Fox’s Geraldo Rivera Blames Hoodie For Trayvon Martin’s Death

As ThinkProgress noted, Fox News ignored the controversy over the killing of Trayvon Martin at first, even after every other network was covering it, but maybe they were better off not covering the issue than what they’re doing now.

This morning on Fox and Frends, Fox contributor Geraldo Rivera remarked, “I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman (his killer).” While he agreed that Zimmerman “should be prosecuted,” Rivera also blamed Trayvon’s parents for letting him go outside wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Media Matters flagged the exchange:

BRIAN KILMEADE KILMEADE (co-host): Let’s talk about the Trayvon Martin case and what’s going on in Florida right now.

GERALDO RIVERA: I believe that George Zimmerman, the overzealous neighborhood watch captain should be investigated to the fullest extent of the law and if he is criminally liable, he should be prosecuted. But I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.

JULIET HUDDY (guest-host): What do you mean?

RIVERA: When you, when you see a kid walking — Juliet — when you see a kid walking down the street, particularly a dark skinned kid like my son Cruz, who I constantly yelled at when he was going out wearing a damn hoodie or those pants around his ankles. Take that hood off, people look at you and they — what do they think? What’s the instant identification, what’s the instant association?

STEVE DOOCY (co-host): Uh-oh.

RIVERA: It’s those crime scene surveillance tapes. Every time you see someone sticking up a 7-11, the kid is wearing a hoodie. [...] When you see a black or Latino youngster, particularly on the street, you walk to the other side of the street. You try to avoid that confrontation.

Watch it:

Rivera’s comments suggesting that Martin’s attire was responsible for his death are offensive and repugnant. One of the reasons Martin may have been wearing a hood is that it was raining on the day he was shot. As Rivera himself has experienced, a hood can be helpful in a rainstorm (photo credit: Flickr user Extreme WX Photographer).

Activists have organized around Martin’s hoodie, holding a “Million hoodie march” in New York City and other events.

Update

On Twitter, Rivera responded, “My own son just wrote to say he’s ashamed of my position re hoodies-still I feel parents must do whatever they can to keep their kids safe.”

Alyssa

EXCLUSIVE: As ‘The Hunger Games’ Opens Big, Lionsgate Tries to Shut Down Anti-Hunger Advocates

There’s a long tradition of pop culture fans banding together to raise money for or take action on good causes, whether it’s the Browncoats, fans of Joss Whedon’s Firefly series raising money for charity, or the Harry Potter Alliance, which has done everything from send medical aid to Haiti to campaigning for marriage equality in Maine.

And fans of Suzanne Collins dystopian young adult series The Hunger Games are no different. Pegged to the opening of the film adaptation of the first book in the series, a movie that could be the most profitable film release of 2012, Imagine Better, an umbrella group of multiple fan franchises spearheaded by the Harry Potter Alliance, partnered with Oxfam to launch a campaign called “Hunger Is Not a Game.” It’s a multi-pronged effort, but the main thrust is in support of Oxfam’s GROW campaign, which aims to make food aid more efficient by encouraging local cultivation to reduce shipping costs and waste from spoilage.

These are noble goals, and you’d think Lionsgate would welcome the good publicity that stems from them. It should be a gift to the studio that The Hunger Games isn’t just poised to be a massive blockbuster, but that it’s getting young people to think and act critically, so much so that they’re getting written up in the New York Times for it. And a month ago, that appeared to be the case: a Lionsgate representative emailed Andrew Slack, the executive director of the Harry Potter Alliance which is the organizing force behind Imagine Better, in February to say that while Lionsgate couldn’t join Imagine Better as a partner, they wished Imagine Better “the best of luck.”

Apparently no longer. Lionsgate’s senior vice president for business affairs and litigation, Liat Cohen (who’s been rather vigorous in defense of the project in the past), has issued a takedown notice to the campaign through Oxfam, accusing them of “piggy backing off of our motion picture” and “causing damage to Lionsgate and our marketing efforts.” The full text of the email is here:

Hello,

This morning I left 2 phone messages for your CEO Mr. Jim Daniell regarding your campaign “Hunger is not a Game” piggy backing off of our motion picture “The Hunger Games” and using Lionsgate’s fans and fan internet sites to promote your cause.

As I mentioned in my phone message, Lionsgate has formed a partnership with two large organizations fighting hunger, the UN’s World Food Program and Feeding America. We are encouraging fans to support this effort by going to www.wfp.org/hungergames.

What is not a part of the Lionsgate plan is the distortion of our Motion Picture title. That is what Oxfam has done with your “Hunger is not a Game” logo. And with the many website you have incorporated into your campaign. This is causing damage to Lionsgate and our marketing efforts.

We understand and support your cause and mission. We are on the same side. We are looking for an amicable resolution. For a start we request that you immediately remove any mention of “Hunger is not a Game” from all of your websites and its affiliates and stop using the slogan in your interviews and publicity or press releases. Additionally, please contact the undersigned so we can work out a mutually acceptable plan to go forward where we do not infringe on each other’s rights.

We are truly making an effort to work with you on this. We have the ability to take down your sites as a violation of our trademark and other intellectual property laws. We hope that will not be necessary as this is too serious a subject.

All rights reserved. Thank you.

Liat Cohen, Esquire
Senior Vice President Business Affairs & Litigation

It’s not clear that the takedown notice would hold up, but it’s still an aggressive move against advocates who are passionate fans of the franchise and have no desire to damage it.

“Fans have been changed by this story and have expressed a wish to change the world based on the message of this story,” Slack emailed me. “I would hope that Lionsgate would celebrate fans, not pick on them, for taking the message of their own movie seriously. It’s amazing that they’re working with two great partners already to fight hunger. But why get in the way of fans who are working with a third one?”

NEWS FLASH

Teen Hospitalized After Attempting Suicide Over Anti-Gay Bullying | Andy Towle flags the story of Austin Rodriguez, “a gay teen at Wellsville High School in Ohio who came out of the closet 6-8 months ago and immediately faced bullying from fellow students.” Rodriguez attempted suicide last Friday by swallowing pills, and now remains on a ventilator in the hospital. His mother says that the bullying “was electronic, it was face to face bullying, they were hiding his gym clothes because they didn’t want him changing in the locker room with them. They didn’t want him to eat by them, or in the school lunchroom.” Watch a local news segment on the story:

NEWS FLASH

Liberia’s President Sirleaf Defends Controversial Stance On Gay Rights | Nobel Peace Laureate and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is standing by her country’s anti-gay policies amid controversy stemming from a joint interview with former Prime Minister Tony Blair. In a letter to the Guardian, the Liberian government claims that there are currently no anti-gay laws in practice within the country, although voluntary sodomy is a criminal offence and can result in up to three years imprisonment. The letter then attempts to clarify President Sirleaf’s comments: “What the president is on record as saying is that any law brought before her regarding homosexuality will be vetoed. This statement also applies to an initial attempt by two members of the Liberian legislature to introduce tougher laws targeting homosexuality.”

Fatima Najiy

Saint Petersburg Official: Madonna Will Be Punished If She Violates Anti-Gay Law

International pop icon Madonna could face a fine of 5,000 rubles (roughly $170) for spreading “homosexual propaganda among minors” if she follows through with her vow to publicly denounce the newly enacted “gay propaganda” ban in St. Petersburg, Russia, at upcoming performance.

If Madonna or one of the organizers of the concert breaks the city law, they will be punished,” warned Saint Petersburg assembly member Vitaly Milonov, who authored the law. Milonov promised to attend Madonna’s concert so as “to control its moral content.”

“I’m ready to personally suffer a couple of hours of her concert,” he reportedly told the Russian Interfax news agency.

Madonna, a long-time gay rights activist, spoke out about the controversial law after the New York Times published an op-ed by Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen on Monday, urging businesses and tourists to boycott St. Petersburg and calling on Madonna to cancel the August 9 show.

Madonna wrote on her Facebook page Wednesday, “I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community, to support the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed.”

As the propaganda bill makes illegal anything that can be perceived as “promotion of homosexuality,” Madonna’s concert promoters stand to lose upwards of 500,000 rubles (about $16,700) in fines.

It was reported earlier this month that Russian Orthodox Church officals were so pleased with the new law, that they are seeking ways to implement the ban nationwide.

Fatima Najiy

NEWS FLASH

Ohio Marriage Equality Activists To Submit New Petition | Earlier this month, Ohio’s Rick Santorum-supporting attorney general, Mike DeWine (R), rejected a proposed petition to legalize same-sex marriage, citing various concerns about the language. Now, Freedom to Marry Ohio has utilized that feedback and is ready to move forward with a new proposal. The group will have to again collect at least 1,000 signatures before submitting the language to DeWine, but the group’s leader, Ian James, is optimistic that the problems have been addressed. Given that Equality Ohio has not yet endorsed the effort, it’s unclear whether James has yet established the coalition necessary to advance the measure beyond these initial steps. Nevertheless, Ohio did have its first same-sex divorce this week and 17-year-old Adam Hoover has organized a massive marriage equality rally in Cleveland tomorrow.

NEWS FLASH

Colorado To Consider Repealing Unconstitutional Anti-Gay Amendment 2 | It has been 20 years since Colorado passed Amendment 2, forbidding the protection of gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination, and 16 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional, but it is currently still in the Colorado Constitution. State lawmakers Sen. Pat Steadman (D) and Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D), both of whom are gay, introduced a resolution yesterday to try to clean up the governing document by removing the antiquated language. Meanwhile, Focus on the Family is trying to advance a new amendment that would have much the same effect as Amendment 2 by creating a “license to discriminate” based on religious belief.

ExxonMobil Fails To Block Shareholders From Advancing LGBT Employment Protections

ExxonMobil is by far the least LGBT-friendly company in the Fortune 500. This past December, the Human Rights Campaign issued the company its first-ever negative score on the Corporate Equality Index, which tracks the LGBT inclusiveness of 636 major companies.

Recently, ExxonMobil made another attempt to limit protections for its LGBT employees by blocking shareholders from advancing an equal employment opportunity policy that would protect sexual orientation and gender identity. The company claimed that a “zero-tolerance” policy is already on the books, but the Securities and Exchange Commission did not agree, pointing out that it does not have the same legal force or consistency across the company as the proposed protections:

We are unable to concur in your view that ExxonMobil may exclude the proposal under rule 14a-8(i)(l0).  Based on the information you have presented, it appears that ExxonMobil’s policies, practices, and procedures do not compare favorably with the guidelines of the proposal and that ExxonMobil has not, therefore, substantially implemented the proposal.  Accordingly, we do not believe that ExxonMobil may omit the proposal from its proxy materials in reliance on rule 14a-8(i)(10).

This could mean that shareholders might finally have the opportunity to advance a modicum of LGBT protections at the company, but the effort by executives to block that proposal is troubling, to say the least. Prior to 1999, Mobil actually did prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and offered health benefits to domestic partners of employees, but Exxon removed those policies when the two merged.

ExxonMobil has over 80,000 employees worldwide who could be impacted by the policy. Assuming no further obstructions, the shareholders will vote on the proposal on May 30.

NEWS FLASH

Methodists In Oklahoma Call For Marriage Equality | A group of United Methodists in Oklahoma “are signing a statement in support of marriage equality ahead of an April global policy conference of the church, which prohibits gay marriage.” So far, 62 clergy and 203 members have endorsed the call for “full equality and inclusion to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the life of the Church.” The statement reads: “We joyfully affirm that we will offer the grace of God, and our blessings, to any prepared couple in our ministry context desiring Christian marriage. We are convinced by the witness of God’s love for all people, and are compelled by scripture, tradition, reason and experience to act.” Members of the church’s New York conference circulated a similar measure.

New Hampshire’s Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Show Little Enthusiasm For Repealing Marriage Equality

Earlier this week, as Republicans in New Hampshire defeated a proposal to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law, opponents of marriage equality insisted that they would reintroduce the measure and resurrect the issue in the gubernatorial election this November. But lawmakers have little enthusiasm for revisiting the issue and, given the public’s support for the law, the GOP’s nominees for governor are also hesitant to take-up the cause.

Yesterday, Patch’s Kyle Stucker caught up with Republican gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne, who told him that while he would support repealing the state’s marriage equality law, it is not a priority:

LAMONTAGNE: I believe in traditional marriage as well, but it’s not my top priority and I think like anything else it’s going to work itself out people come together in whatever it is they want to do in addressing this. I think we should have a referendum, frankly, in the state to find out wehre people are. But let’s focus on what really matters to people right now… and it’s job creation….Social issues aren’t the dominant issues, I don’t hear about them really, anywhere else.

Watch it:

Lamontagne’s fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Smith — former Executive Director of the anti-gay Cornerstone Policy Research and Cornerstone Action — shares a similar sentiment. “I support traditional marriage and if the Legislature were to put a bill on my desk to support that definition, I would sign it,” he said on Thursday. That being said, it is not my agenda as governor.” Democratic candidates Jackie Cilley and Maggie Hassan voted for the law in 2009 and oppose its repeal.

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The Morning Pride: March 23, 2012

Welcome to The Morning Pride, ThinkProgress LGBT’s daily round-up of the latest in LGBT policy, politics, and some culture too! Here’s what we’re reading this morning, but please let us know what stories you’re following as well. Follow us all day on Twitter at @TPEquality.

- According to the Williams Institute, the first three years of marriage equality in Rhode Island could generate $1.2 million in new government revenue.

- An extensive new survey reveals how pervasive anti-LGBT school and workplace discrimination is in Anchorage, Alaska.

- The Student Government Association of UNC Charlotte passed a resolution this week opposing North Carolina’s Amendment 1.

- Catholic schools students in Canada want the right to call their clubs “gay-straight alliances,” instead of “Respecting Difference” clubs as dictated by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association.

- What’s it like to start a gay-straight alliance in the South?

- Vermont’s Norwich University will be the first military university to hold a pride week.

- The extremists at WorldNetDaily are hawking a new poll they conducted that found some people believe same-sex marriage equality makes a compelling case for polygamy.

- Truth Wins Out provides an in-depth investigation of the “stealth evangelism” and anti-LGBT connections of Invisible Children, the organization responsible for Kony 2012.

- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has strongly affirmed LGBT rights in a ruling protecting a Chilean lesbian judge’s right to custody of her children.

- Northern Ireland is not going to be lifting its ban on same-sex adoption anytime soon.

- Finland will soon start debating marriage equality.

- The new anti-gay “propaganda” laws in St. Petersburg, Russia will make Vladimir Putin the odd-one-out at May’s G-8 conference.

- Intel’s new Facebook app censors the word “gay.”

- Focus on the Family’s response to the Day of Silence should more accurately be called a “Day of Monologue,” with “conversation cards” that more accurately look like this:

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