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These 25 rainbow-flag waving companies donated $18 million to anti-gay politicians since the last election

https://popular.info/p/these-25-rainbow-flag-waving-companies

At the pride parade in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, accounting giant Deloitte promoted its support of the LGBTQ community: In June 2023, Deloitte produced a report on "LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work." In a letter accompanying the report, Emma Codd, the company's Global Chief Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Officer, said she hoped it would enable organizations "to take the necessary steps to turn positive messaging on LGBT+ inclusion into concrete actions."

These 25 rainbow-flag waving companies donated $18 million to anti-gay politicians since the last election

Rainbow capitalism is still exploitive capitalism

49 comments

b3an

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Why is it legal for them to donate money to policymakers? I don't understand how we just allow lobbying like this. It is a root of corruption! It overrides the will of the people through buying an politicians vote on an issue.

jpreston2005

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because citizens united allows for corporate personhood, giving them all the benefits of citizenry, with none of the obligations.

blazeknave

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I remember them saying it was the death of democracy. I remember saying 2010 was the last real election. And then before we knew it, dark money super PAC hell. This court hasn't been legitimate in a long time.

orrk

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money = speech

whotookkarl

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The people in charge of whether they can be bribed are the same people receiving the bribes. The accountability of politicians under elections to prevent this behavior depends on a well informed and educated electorate which the wealth class has undermined for decades.

fiercekitten

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Because our politicians are bought and corrupted by corporate money, so getting them to repeal Citzens United is going to be very difficult.

foggy

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AT&T                         $63,050          $581,500           $625,000                 $1,269,550
Altria                       $36,000          $252,000           $937,471                 $1,225,471
Comcast                      $26,000          $413,000           $785,000                 $1,224,000
Charter Communications       $26,350          $321,500           $717,200                 $1,101,050
CVS                          $17,250          $127,000           $935,235                 $1,079,485
UnitedHealth Group           $40,750          $188,000           $800,000                 $1,028,750
Pfizer                       $23,950          $223,000           $752,120                 $999,070
Walmart                      $14,500          $280,500           $670,000                 $965,000
General Motors               $18,250          $206,800           $670,000                 $894,250
Home Depot                   $0               $407,500           $450,000                 $857,500
Google                       $0               $158,000           $570,000                 $728,000
Deloitte                     $12,500          $365,500           $301,000                 $679,000
Amazon                       $31,500          $170,500           $475,635                 $677,635
UPS                          $15,000          $481,500           $100,000                 $596,500
Microsoft                    $2,000           $180,500           $400,000                 $582,500
Visa                         $0               $211,000           $350,000                 $561,000
Eli Lilly and Company        $25,000          $155,000           $332,500                 $512,500
Aflac                        $0               $352,000           $100,950                 $452,950
Blue Cross Blue Shield       $0               $222,650           $225,500                 $448,150
T-Mobile                     $3,450           $237,000           $200,950                 $441,400
Boeing                       $2,000           $384,000           $0                       $386,000
Verizon                      $0               $321,000           $0                       $321,000
Delta Air Lines              $0               $205,000           $105,500                 $310,500
FedEx                        $22,500          $24,000            $0                       $46,500
Dell                         $0               $209,000           $0                       $209,000```

Beaver

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More people need to use the Goods Unite Us app! Check this example:

Maeve

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Shares location, collects other data, no data deletion. I really like the idea of the app, just not the lack* of privacy.

Beaver

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Yeah that is my sticking point of the app as well. I have submitted feedback asking for more privacy.

TheMonkeyLord

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This sounds awesome! But is there anything similar that is Open Source by any chance?

Beaver

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I’m unaware of any at the moment.

You can do manual research by auditing companies and reading articles.

mars296

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Here's the image in the article that has the 25:

https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f96629e-7fe7-4b8b-9c7a-6a9ce6396048_1556x1598.jpeg

Pandantic

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Here’s a screencap:

aubeynarf

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Don’t let shit talkers make you angry and divide you!

EleventhHour

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Yes, but rainbow capitalism has always been bullshit.

twig

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Even barring actual harm done against the queer community, there really should be a requirement that companies using pride flags for advertising contribute in some way to LGBTQ+ organizations. Otherwise all it will ever mean is: "we'll take your money."

JasonDJ

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The gays need to go Susan G. Komen on the rainbow flag. Trademark it and sue the hell out of anyone that doesn't "lease the rights to display the flag outside of a place of business".

captain_aggravated

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I think you're going to have to use trademarks for this.

Start a non-profit group promoting queer community rights, create a trademarkable logo (maybe a rainbow flag could be used, or you might need more unique symbology) and then you can license that logo only to companies that do actually support the cause.

Unlocalhost

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This is was bound to happen once corporate interests started showing up. They don't care about the people they simply want their $$.

jpreston2005

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I'm going to my city's Pride parade tomorrow, Verizon will have a booth there as a "silver level" sponsor, I think I'll stop and give them a piece of my mind.

Themadbeagle

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If you do, please know that it is possible the people at the booth are just low level employees with no say in the corporate policy and while these companies do deserve your ire, these individuals don't deserve you yelling or screaming. By all means let them know your opinion and tell them that version is not welcome at the parade, but don't attack or harass the employees.

jpreston2005

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Oh I'll 100% be peaceful, but I'd be lying if I said a part of me doesn't want to flip their table lol

SoleInvictus

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Camp out front with a big signboard laying out their anti-LGBTQ+ donations. If money is an issue, I'll pay for it.

rozodru

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jpreston2005

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I go to Pride to revel in my community and support the local LGBT vendors/small businesses. Couldn't care less about whatever big corp is there, as they're all equally soulless. Plus I like to get my face painted

Confused_Emus

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We’ve got at least two pride events where I live. There’s “corpo pride” with the parades and booths set up by corporate sponsors. You may get a few local businesses in there, but it’s mostly the flag waving corporations clamoring for cash. That was earlier this month. Next weekend we’ll have “people’s pride” which is funded and organized directly by local people. Tends to be much more fun.

itsnotits

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my city's* Pride parade

TheBigBrother

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Business is business..

bobs_monkey

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It's more profitable to be LGBT+ friendly. Doesn't mean they agree with it.

TheBigBrother

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Trendy business..

dditty

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It's most profitable to have both sides in your pockets apparently

RememberTheApollo_

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Sounds like the Human Rights Campaign organization is crap if they just hand out good ratings regardless even if the reviewed corp donated to anti-lgbtq politicians.

anticolonialist

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HRC is nothing but gatekeepers for the DNC. They are garbage.

xc2215x

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Really disappointing to see.

drunkpostdisaster

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Not if you already expected it.

CharlesDarwin

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I feel sorry for people that fall for companies that do performative things like slap some colors on a product...

StaySquared

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eskimofry

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Not trying to side with businesses (Yuck) but was it about other issues where these politicians were pro business? I mean if you are trying to avoid antigay politicians... you might run the risk of missing out on the majority who have significant power to sway policy making..

EleventhHour

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Any company that would trade the dignity of a group of people for their own profits doesn’t deserve my patronage.

eskimofry

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My point is its difficult to change the system without participating in it.. short of tearing it down

fartington

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kn33

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Been doing fine for quite a few years already, thanks

•

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•

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I try to avoid nestle, and even that feels impossible. This would be much harder

UltraMagnus0001

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Walmart for me

fartington

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EleventhHour

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I do fine, thanks.

fartington

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EleventhHour

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Lol

GeekFTW

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fartington

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GeekFTW

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A lack or originality begets a lack of originality. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If you want an original response, don't use an unoriginal insult in the first place lmao

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•

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Seems pretty easy to avoid if you don't donate to the Republican party. And if you are willing to do that, then the business is fundamentally immoral (or amoral if you're being generous).

daq

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Interesting that there's a comment posted an hour before yours that says the same exact thing, but it's upvoted, but yours is downvoted. Would be interesting to see conservative VS liberal leanings on Lemmy by time of day.

By the way, I completely agree with you. These stats have nothing to do with lgbtq community and everything to do with business looking out for its interests.

For example all 3 cellphone providers available in US are on the list. Most likely the only reason donations vary is because they are either based in or focusing their business in different states. What are you going to do? Switch to using ham radio?

PyroNeurosis

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Not even just that. How many of these companies also donated to other politicians in that same race? Seems more of a move to have sway in politics than endorsement of any particular stance.

anticolonialist

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Money sways politics, something we don't have.

AT&T $63,050 $581,500 $625,000 $1,269,550 Altria $36,000 $252,000 $937,471 $1,225,471 Comcast $26,000 $413,000 $785,000 $1,224,000 Charter Communications $26,350 $321,500 $717,200 $1,101,050 CVS $17,250 $127,000 $935,235 $1,079,485 UnitedHealth Group $40,750 $188,000 $800,000 $1,028,750 Pfizer $23,950 $223,000 $752,120 $999,070 Walmart $14,500 $280,500 $670,000 $965,000 General Motors $18,250 $206,800 $670,000 $894,250 Home Depot $0 $407,500 $450,000 $857,500 Google $0 $158,000 $570,000 $728,000 Deloitte $12,500 $365,500 $301,000 $679,000 Amazon $31,500 $170,500 $475,635 $677,635 UPS $15,000 $481,500 $100,000 $596,500 Microsoft $2,000 $180,500 $400,000 $582,500 Visa $0 $211,000 $350,000 $561,000 Eli Lilly and Company $25,000 $155,000 $332,500 $512,500 Aflac $0 $352,000 $100,950 $452,950 Blue Cross Blue Shield $0 $222,650 $225,500 $448,150 T-Mobile $3,450 $237,000 $200,950 $441,400 Boeing $2,000 $384,000 $0 $386,000 Verizon $0 $321,000 $0 $321,000 Delta Air Lines $0 $205,000 $105,500 $310,500 FedEx $22,500 $24,000 $0 $46,500 Dell $0 $209,000 $0 $209,000```