Tag Archives: business

Major Florida corporations have united in support of a proposed bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Via the Tampa Tribune: The new coalition includes Disney World, railway giant CSX, health insurer Florida Blue, Wells Fargo, Florida Fortune 500 companies Tech Data and Darden Restaurants. The companies said they’ll have an easier time …

From the Denver Post editorial board: If you’re going to sell wedding cakes in Colorado, you have to sell them to everyone who comes into your shop. You can’t pick and choose among customers based upon your belief that some weddings are immoral. That’s the principle that administrative law judge Robert N. Spencer reinforced with his recent ruling that the …

Right wing sites continue to claim that the baker faces up to a year in jail for refusing to make a gay wedding cake. In fact, there are no criminal sanctions in any state for violating public accommodation laws and the baker faces only a fine. If he refuses to pay, he could eventually lose his business license.

Members of the Hawaii House may attempt to tack a sort of “wedding cake” amendment on to the marriage bill that would allow businesses with five or fewer employees to refuse to serve LGBT customers. Some House lawmakers want an exemption in the same-sex marriage bill that gives small businesses, especially those in the wedding industry, an “opt out” option. …

The famed Canadian sex shop chain Priape closed all four of its locations yesterday after spending several months in bankruptcy proceedings. According to one store manager, revenues had plummeted after the company was forced to cease selling poppers. Via Daily Xtra: In June, just before the Pride season, Health Canada issued a warning asking retailers to stop selling and distributing …

The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed suit against a small Mississippi town for denying a business license to a lesbian who wants to open a gay bar. Via press release: One alderman has stated that the town, which struggles with a shrinking tax base, welcomes the prospect of fighting a federal lawsuit rather than allow a revenue-generating gay bar …

Consumer goods giant Proctor & Gamble has announced its support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. “With Proctor & Gamble’s support, we see once again corporate America leading the charge when it comes to ending workplace discrimination,” said Matt McTighe, campaign manager for Americans for Workplace Opportunity, in a statement. “Employees should be judged on their talents, and everyone should have …

Yesterday Coca-Cola issued a statement declaring their support for the LGBT community after Queer Nation staged a protest in Times Square and denounced the company’s sponsorship of the Sochi Olympics.  Today Queen Nation responds to Coca-Cola’s statement via press release: Coca-Cola made a horrendous error when it sponsored the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany. This company knows better and …

After the wedding photography ruling in New Mexico last week, anti-gay and Christian groups predictably screamed about the (mythical) right of businesses to refuse service to anyone. Raw Story reports on a South Carolina restaurant exercising that “right”: A group of customers at a Wild Wing restaurant in Charleston, SC were forced to wait two hours for their table and …

The case that has inflamed anti-gay groups for years has finally been settled by the New Mexico state Supreme Court. Via press release from the ACLU: The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled today that Elane Photography illegally discriminated against a same-sex couple by refusing to photograph their commitment ceremony due to the business owner’s religious beliefs. The opinion stated: “We …

On Friday questions were raised by Right Wing Watch regarding a $50,000 donation made by Target to a GOP group that supports, among others, the gubernatorial campaign of anti-gay Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.  Target has issued a response: “Target has a long-standing commitment to the LGBT community. We also believe strongly in our civic responsibility to engage in a …

From the right-slanted Rasmussen: Americans draw a fine line when it comes to respecting each other’s rights. If a Christian wedding photographer who has deeply held religious beliefs opposing same-sex marriage is asked to work a same-sex wedding ceremony, 85% of American Adults believe he has the right to say no. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that …

Politifact ripped to shreds Tony Perkins’ claim on Face The Nation that business are being forced to serve gay customers. We didn’t find cases where people were forced to participate against their will. However, if vendors refuse service, there are consequences. There are 21 states that forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation. Vendors who refuse service there could face legal …

Two years after being damaged in a fire, San Diego’s gay bookshop will reopen just in time for this weekend’s pride events. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

I missed this during last week’s hoopla. General Mills has come out in support of the gay community for Pride, and what better way to show their love than with the Lucky Charms marshmallow rainbow? The “magically delicious” cereal is serving as the face of the new #LuckyToBe campaign which encourages people with Pride to tweet and post online their …

Posted to the brand’s Facebook page where the usual comments war has erupted. (Via Zack Ford)

Via Maps On The Web, above is an image of the states by the brands they are famous for. I’d have picked Orlando-based Red Lobster for Florida. Embiggen to read the smaller states. I can’t tell what Rhode Island or Delaware are supposed to be.

Via YouGov’s 2013 Brand Index: Falling out of the top 20 this year: iPad, Disneyland/Disney World, Apple, Advil, LG, Starbucks, Comedy Central, iPod, and Skype. Returning from last year: YouTube, Netflix, Samsung, Aleve, Subway, Target, Kindle, Ford, Android, iPhone and PBS. All 1,100+ brands in the YouGov BrandIndex brand universe were measured with the company’s buzz score, which asks respondents …

Heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar today announced that it will no longer fund the Boy Scouts because of the continuing ban on openly gay troop leaders. Caterpillar spokeswoman Rachel Potts said Thursday that the Caterpillar Foundation has decided to withdraw its supports for Boy Scouts of America. Potts says the company believes the group’s policy barring homosexual adults from serving as …

TechCrunch reports on another announcement out of Google’s developers conference. Flying under the radar amid a flurry of announcements from today’s Google I/O developer conference is the bigger news of how Google is stepping up its efforts to compete with online payment giants, such as PayPal. It plans to do so with a revamped checkout process for the web, mobile …