A bill advancing rapidly through the Florida legislature would prohibit many of the state's teachers from discussing "sexual orientation or gender identity" in class. Under the legislation, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, parents who believe the prohibition was violated could sue schools for damages. The politicians pushing the bill, a group that includes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), are backed financially by major corporations that claim to be champions of LGBTQ rights.
Judd - Might be getting close to a time to create the "great hypocritic crossover map" infograph. Can you put something together that shows which companies are most in violation of their stated values through their donations to causes? I'm thinking AT&T showed up on the Jan 6 accountability register *and* here for example - and that sort of consistent "doublespeak" would be useful to highlight.
DeathSantis needs to be defeated in his re-election bid this fall. He is beyond awful. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him try to take away the vote from women next. He doesn’t care about the people of Florida. He wants to be President. Greed and lust for power define him. He is worse than TFG, if that’s possible. Please vote BLUE & get him out of office this fall.
I am glad to see your coverage of LGBT issues. I live in Florida and what is happening this very day is horrifying. I'm 74 and given the past history of being LGBT, I spent many years of my life in hiding and self-deprecation, bullied in school by what they then called a "faiiry'. I eventually became ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, probably hoping that would "save" me. I lasted only 3 years discovering how gay the clergy was and that the Institution hated us and said we were "intrinsically disordered. Such a conundrum that the church condemns homosexuality while it is full of gay people, many of whom were abusers. What a shit-show the country has become while politicians with their culture wars completely ignore the First Amendment. As I like to say, there is already too much red meat being eaten in this country without it becoming a legislative priority!
I'm stunned by United Healthcare's contribution to DeSantis. Damn! This is why what you do is so vitally important Judd. This is what journalism and reporting are supposed to do. Educate the public with fact, not tittilate them with mis-information, distortions, lies and click bait!
Thank you, Judd, for your careful (Care Full) and painstaking work to expose how corporate money underhandedly works to shape our government and laws. After reflecting on all of the wonderful feedback offered by this group about what we'd like to know more about, I concluded that your work applies across the board. CALL THEM OUT! Today, Russia's lying and false narratives show us how crucial "calling them out" becomes when Putin attempts to justify war against Ukraine. And, of course, "calling them out" matters when it comes to disinformation about not dying from Covid 19. And, every political and corporate issue you elucidate for us!
Is there a way for the federal government to tie education funding to districts that do not pass such restrictive laws? And, this whole theme of the citizens getting to sue school boards and districts because they don't like the instruction really opens the door to a lot of abuse. What can be done about that? Such a slipper slope.
About a year ago, Delta Airlines faced a bill that would have eliminated a fuel tax break because Delta condemned voting restriction bills. Ours is a pay to play system where Corps not only have to pay, but they must also play nice.
What is wrong with Florida politicians? Good grief, Florida has been a gay haven for longer than most of these politicians have been alive. Reminds me of pre-Harvey Milk days in San Francisco!
Until there is a coherent, consistent economic penalty for companies who support these types of regulations and laws, we will continue to get stories like this. Not sure how to get a message to these companies when they suffer no profit/market share erosion.
Judd: I like the infographics that show the top contributors for each appalling "corporations say X and support Y" article. Have you considered posting the rest of the list as a simple table or even a downloadable csv file? I'm often curious to check on other companies whose contributions may not rank in the top 10. I know we could do this manually by checking your original sources, but your team is already doing the work to summarize the contributions. :)
Florida politicians behind "Don't Say Gay" bill backed by corporations that claim to support LGBTQ rights
Judd - Might be getting close to a time to create the "great hypocritic crossover map" infograph. Can you put something together that shows which companies are most in violation of their stated values through their donations to causes? I'm thinking AT&T showed up on the Jan 6 accountability register *and* here for example - and that sort of consistent "doublespeak" would be useful to highlight.
As someone in Florida immersed in this fight I can’t think you enough, Judd, for shining a light on the supporters of this terrifying legislation.
DeathSantis needs to be defeated in his re-election bid this fall. He is beyond awful. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him try to take away the vote from women next. He doesn’t care about the people of Florida. He wants to be President. Greed and lust for power define him. He is worse than TFG, if that’s possible. Please vote BLUE & get him out of office this fall.
Wonderful and chilling reporting. Could you ask HRC for a comment? Thx
I am glad to see your coverage of LGBT issues. I live in Florida and what is happening this very day is horrifying. I'm 74 and given the past history of being LGBT, I spent many years of my life in hiding and self-deprecation, bullied in school by what they then called a "faiiry'. I eventually became ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, probably hoping that would "save" me. I lasted only 3 years discovering how gay the clergy was and that the Institution hated us and said we were "intrinsically disordered. Such a conundrum that the church condemns homosexuality while it is full of gay people, many of whom were abusers. What a shit-show the country has become while politicians with their culture wars completely ignore the First Amendment. As I like to say, there is already too much red meat being eaten in this country without it becoming a legislative priority!
I'm stunned by United Healthcare's contribution to DeSantis. Damn! This is why what you do is so vitally important Judd. This is what journalism and reporting are supposed to do. Educate the public with fact, not tittilate them with mis-information, distortions, lies and click bait!
Thank you, Judd, for your careful (Care Full) and painstaking work to expose how corporate money underhandedly works to shape our government and laws. After reflecting on all of the wonderful feedback offered by this group about what we'd like to know more about, I concluded that your work applies across the board. CALL THEM OUT! Today, Russia's lying and false narratives show us how crucial "calling them out" becomes when Putin attempts to justify war against Ukraine. And, of course, "calling them out" matters when it comes to disinformation about not dying from Covid 19. And, every political and corporate issue you elucidate for us!
Is there a way for the federal government to tie education funding to districts that do not pass such restrictive laws? And, this whole theme of the citizens getting to sue school boards and districts because they don't like the instruction really opens the door to a lot of abuse. What can be done about that? Such a slipper slope.
I agree with Bill, HRC must be pressed to add political contributions to its rubric.
One hopes there is another side to this - which FL legislators are opposing this legislation, how are they funded, how can we readers support them?
About a year ago, Delta Airlines faced a bill that would have eliminated a fuel tax break because Delta condemned voting restriction bills. Ours is a pay to play system where Corps not only have to pay, but they must also play nice.
What is wrong with Florida politicians? Good grief, Florida has been a gay haven for longer than most of these politicians have been alive. Reminds me of pre-Harvey Milk days in San Francisco!
How can we reform the HRC so that these hypocritical donations count against their scores?
Until there is a coherent, consistent economic penalty for companies who support these types of regulations and laws, we will continue to get stories like this. Not sure how to get a message to these companies when they suffer no profit/market share erosion.
Thanks for this analysis. Sobering!
Judd: I like the infographics that show the top contributors for each appalling "corporations say X and support Y" article. Have you considered posting the rest of the list as a simple table or even a downloadable csv file? I'm often curious to check on other companies whose contributions may not rank in the top 10. I know we could do this manually by checking your original sources, but your team is already doing the work to summarize the contributions. :)