Traditional Values Coalition

The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) is an American conservative Christian organization that represents, by its estimate, over 43,000 Christian churches throughout the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., its belief is in Bible-based traditional values as a "moral code and behavior based upon the Old and New Testaments". The group considers traditional values to include a belief "that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Lord has given us a rule book to live by: The Bible" and a commitment to "living, as far as it is possible, by the moral precepts taught by Jesus Christ and by the whole counsel of God as revealed in the Bible". The organization was founded by the Reverend Louis P. Sheldon who is the current chairman. His daughter Andrea Sheldon Lafferty is the executive director. (http://www.pfaw.org/)

The Traditional Values Coalition has been deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, as it spreads messages of hate and harmful speach, as well as its use of false facts that are used agains the LGBT community.


This is a list of the "Traditional Values" that this organziation that this group is trying to saved (in context)

• Right to life (against abortion and euthanasia)
• Sexual fidelity in marriage and abstinence before marriage
• Opposition to homosexuality and "other deviant sexual behaviors" (see below)
• Opposition to pornography
• Patriotism (supporting national boundaries, the Armed Forces, political participation, free enterprise, limited government, low taxes, and personal responsibility.)
• Opposition to "liberal" immigration reform (reform without first securing the U.S.-Mexico border)
• Freedom of Christians attempt to convert non-Christians
• Addictive behaviors (with opposition to gambling, the legalization of addictive drugs, alcohol, and smoking)

Read more in-depth Here

Sources
~ http://www.pfaw.org/
~ http://www.traditionalvalues.org/content/defined/
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Values_Coalition#cite_note-5

Exxon Mobil

ExxonMobil is a notoriously poor place for LGBT people to work if they want equal benefits. Despite being the top Fortune 500 company, the corporation is notorious for failing to provide for its LGBT employees. HRC's Corporate Equality Index rates major U.S. businesses on criteria that determine how well employers maintain safe and equal work environments for their LGBT employees. Here's how ExxonMobil ranked in the 2012 index

ExxonMobil Corp.
Scoring an abysmal -25 on HRC's Corporate Equality Index — the lowest possible score — ExxonMobil claims that LGBT protections are "unnecessary" and already covered under other company policy.

No - Prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation (15 points)
No - Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression (15 points)
No - Offers partner health/medical insurance (15 points)
No - Has parity across other "soft" benefits for partners (10 points)
(Half credit for parity across some, but not all benefits)
No - Offers transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage (10 points)
No - Firm-wide organizational competency programs (10 points)
No - Has employer-supported employee resource group OR firm-wide diversity council (10 points)
(Half credit if would support ERG if employees express interest)
No - Positively engages the external LGBT community (15 points)
(Partial credit of 5 points given for less than 3 efforts)
Yes - Employers will have 25 points deducted from their score for a large-scale official or public anti-LGBT blemish on their recent records (-25 points)

Total: -25

Sources:
~  http://www.advocate.com/business/2012/07/19/lgbt-friendly-alternatives-exxonmobil

Boy Scouts Of America

I know you may be thinking  " But Boy Scouts is a great organization!"  This is the American one, they are not nearly as awesome as us Canadians.

This is an article written by Sarah Dropek Called "Boy Scouts Gay Ban Sends Wrong Message to Youth"

         In October of last year, Girl Scouts of Colorado released a statement welcoming any female individual in kindergarten through 12th grade as members. GLAAD covered the event well, advocating that this was a moment that taught us how best to be transgender inclusive. Recently, Boy Scouts of America has been featured for its decision to remain steadfast in its anti-inclusionary policy that garnered the spotlight again after Scout den mother Jennifer Tyrrell was ousted for being openly gay.
        According to Scout spokesperson Deron Smith, the decision was made after a review from an 11-member special committee formed in secret by Scout leaders in 2010. The official policy is cited in the New York Times as saying, "While the B.S.A. does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the B.S.A." Wayne Besen of Huffington Post wrote about why the decision is unsurprising in light of the large religious ties the BSA has (especially citing the money received from troop charters of the Mormon Church and Roman Catholic Church). 
       All religious ties aside, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of BSA in 2000 because of its status as a private organization. But with participation numbers reaching 2,723,869 individuals as of December 2011, and goals to "build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness", it's time we question the discriminatory status of an organization that so supremely impacts lives of youth of the United States.
       In fact, looking further into the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, the decision banning participation of openly gay individuals seems at odds with the Scout's messages. According to Scout Law a Scout "respects those with ideas and customs other than his own" and "treats others as he wants to be treated." Nothing about banning participation from openly gay scouts, volunteers, or employees is in line with those ideals. And to watch an organization affirm to youth (in very large numbers) that discrimination based on sexual orientation is not only okay but is part of Scout Law, does a large disservice to participants and the communities they live in. It puts youth in an environment that teaches that intolerance is acceptable, and it can lead to bullying behavior outside of Scout activities.
       A larger issue with the position espoused by the BSA is the way in which the policy lends itself to messy implementation. Reminiscent of the old U.S. military "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, BSA says that it won't ask up front what someone's sexual orientation is but will get rid of them if they find out they are "open or avowed homosexuals." This means that the ways the organization could become cognisant of someone's sexual orientation is through gossip channels, stereotyping, or other convoluted fashions. What this does is encourage scout members to police the masculinity of their fellow scouts in order to abide by the BSA's decision to not allow membership of openly gay individuals. 
       When masculinity is policed by your peers, the environment can become a stressful mess where boys and young men are given no real chance to explore and develop their emotional well-being for fear of being labeled as gay and being removed from the Boy Scouts. If BSA is going to succeed in their goals of guiding and educating the young men of the U.S., a good start would be to promote an environment where these men will feel safe expressing themselves.

Source:
~http://www.policymic.com/articles/11417/boy-scouts-gay-ban-sends-wrong-message-to-youth

Westborough Baptist Church

I am not the kind of person to demonize a church.  Everyone has a right to free speech and freedom of religion.  Most churches are very nice, even if they do not agree with your beliefs.  But this church... it has became a breeding ground of ignorance and bigotry.

This church does a lot of things to really show just how close-minded they are, but they are infamous for is their pickets.  They will go to just about anything event and picket their hateful speach.  They will go to prides, grieving sites of murder victims,  funerals of fallen soldiers, you name it.

Worse yet, these people get the children in on the hate speech!  Their homophobic and slanderous pickets have earned them a well deserved title of being a hate group more so than that of a church.

Hilariously,  the pastor of this church, Fred Phelps, and his daughter Shirley Phelps are both BANNED from entering the UK because they are both;

"Considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the United Kingdom" ~ (Press release). Home Office. 2009-05-05

Sources:
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom
~My previous knowledge of this disgusting group

Gay Converson Therapy

The practice has caused much physical and emotional damage to LGBT people by organizations who wrongfully say they can cure homosexuality.
Too often, young people are forced to undergo Conversion Therapy by parents and ministers who refuse to accept that they are gay.

 The British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy has written to its near-30,000 members to inform them of the new guidelines. The letter says the BACP "opposes any psychological treatment such as 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or based on the premise that the client/patient should change his/her sexuality". The body adds that it recognises World Health Organisation policy that says such therapies can cause severe harm to an individual's mental and physical health.

 Rather than resolving conflicts, reparative therapy programs create new ones by falsely promising gay people who are unhappy with their sexual orientation that they can become heterosexual. When gay men and women find that they can’t change, they end up with feelings of guilt and failure that lead to depression, loss of friends and social support, addictive behaviors, and substance abuse. – CRISIS – 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America

 

Sources:

~http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/01/conversion-therapy-gay-patients-unethical

~http://www.faithinamerica.org/reparative-therapy/

"Kill the Gays" Ugandan Bill

This bill was just recently introduced in Uganda.  It legalizes the sever punishment of homosexuality.  The bill has two different offenses of homosexuality.

The first is Aggravated Homosexuality.  ‘Aggravated homosexuality’ is defined as gay acts committed by parents or authority figures, HIV-positive people, pedophiles and repeat offenders. If convicted, they will face the death penalty.

The second is Offense of Homosexuality.   The ‘offense of homosexuality’ includes same-sex sexual acts or being in a gay relationship, and will be prosecuted by life imprisonment.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said the anti-gay bill will become law by December since most Ugandans ‘are demanding it’.
Referring to the law as a ‘Christmas gift’ to the population,  she spoke of ‘the serious threat’ posed by homosexuals.

Source:
~http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uganda-officially-pass-%E2%80%98kill-gays%E2%80%99-bill121112
~http://www.change.org/petitions/citibank-and-barclays-condemn-uganda-s-kill-the-gays-bill

This is a list of Companies/People/Other things I believe should be blacklisted based on the way that they treat sexual minorities horribly.