Masterbeat.com Goes Out Of Business

Masterbeat.com, the popular gay-owned dance music commercial download site, ceased operations on Sunday.

TENNESSEE: Major Corporations Back Statewide Ban On LGBT Rights

AmericaBlog Gay reports on the backers of yesterday's ban on LGBT rights in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce - chaired by Nissan, and whose other board members include such companies as FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG, Whirlpool, Embraer, Alcoa, and United HealthCare - actively lobbied for a religious right bill in the Tennessee legislature that would rescind Nashville's civil rights protections for its gay and trans citizens, and which bans every city in Tennessee from passing any civil rights laws, for anyone, ever again. The bill passed yesterday. It's on its way to the state's Republican governor for his signature, unless he vetoes it. And these companies led the way in making it happen.

Sign this open letter to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce demanding that they rescind their support for this hateful bill.

Microsoft To Purchase Skype

Microsoft has agreed to purchase Skype for $8.5B.

The acquisition will "increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities," Microsoft said. Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and an array of Windows devices. Microsoft will also connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft said it will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms. “Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. “Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world.”

Cable news networks have increasingly turned to Skype to eliminate the cost of bringing interview subjects to their studios.

TN House Votes To Overturn Nashville's Gay-Friendly Business Ordinance

Earlier this month Nashville's city council approved a law banning the city from doing business with companies that discriminate against their LGBT employees. Yesterday the GOP-dominated state House voted to overturn that law.

The measure sponsored by Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada of Franklin was approved 73-24 on Monday. The companion bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate State and Local Government Committee. The proposal would void a Nashville ordinance barring companies that discriminate against gays and lesbians from doing business with the city. Under state law it is illegal to discriminate against a person because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age or national origin. The Nashville ordinance prohibits companies that discriminate because of sexual orientation or gender identity from receiving city contracts. It does not apply to local governments' hiring policies for their own workers.

(Tipped by JMG reader Tim)

World Net Daily: Christians Need To Support Anti-Gay Corporations

In today's top-of-site story, World Net Daily takes a break from its usual "Obama is a Marxist Kenyan" routine to trumpet the virtues of companies that scored poorly on the Human Rights Campaign's Buying Guide for Corporate Equality.

When it comes to automotive service in America, Pep Boys may be among the best-known brands, but the company is doing absolutely nothing to promote the homosexual agenda. Besides Pep Boys in the automotive category, other apparent non-supporters for homosexual-related issues include Harley-Davidson, Goodyear, Cooper Tire, Advance Auto Parts and Autozone. That's the conclusion of the Human Rights Campaign which has produced its 2011 "Buying Guide for Workplace Equality." The report lists hundreds of U.S. companies according to their support and non-support for "gay," lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes. The scale is from zero to 100, with those closest to zero being firms that are not supportive of homosexual policies, and those nearest 100 being very "gay"-friendly.

WND going on to reproduce screencaps from the report in numerous categories in order to encourage Christians to support anti-gay corporations.

What Does Your State Do Best?

The rest are here.

SAN FRANCISCO: Gold's Gyms To Leave Chain Over CEO's Anti-Gay Donations

San Francisco's four Gold's Gyms announced on Facebook today that they will be ending their franchise agreement with the company in response to the news that CEO Robert Rowling had donated millions to Karl Rove's anti-gay American Crossroads PAC. The locally-owned Gold's still have almost two years on their contract, but have vowed to "match every dollar" in their remaining franchise fees with "equal or greater" donations to LGBT causes.

Gold's Gym San Francisco has long been a pillar of the gay community. We will continue to be. It is very unfortunate that the CEO of TRT holdings has chosen this course of action. We do not support it in any way. Our original contractual obligations to Gold's Gym International were signed over 22 years ago and TRT holdings is just the latest in a series of ownership groups that has presided over Gold's Gym.

Our company has worked for over twenty years to support our LGBT staff, members and community in everyway possible and we will continue to. We were as surprised by Mr. Rowling's action as anyone but because our company believes in and lives up to the ideals of equality for all we are going to take the following actions:

1: Our contractual obligation with Gold's Gym expires on September 15th, 2012 and on or prior to that date (our legal counsel is reviewing our options) we will leave the Gold's Gym brand. It is a major initiative to create a new brand and leave Gold's Gym which has been our identity for over 20 years but we will begin that process today.

2: For every dollar we pay Gold's Gym in franchise fees we will donate an equal or greater amount to LGBT charities. While we donate much more than this to charities and community groups that support the LGBT community we want to make a commitment to match or exceed this amount until our relationship with Gold's Gym can be severed.

And THAT, my buff kittens, is how you run a business. When you drop in after work today, let them know you appreciate it.

(Tipped by JMG reader Lee)

Target CEO Defends LGBT Record In Face Of $150K Donation To Anti-Gay Group

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has sent a letter to all employees defending the company's track record on LGBT issues. This comes after the revelation that the retail giant had donated $150K to a Minnesota group that funds the campaign of a candidate with ties to an anti-gay Christian rock band. The band and its leader openly call for the executions of homosexuals. Steinhafel's letter reads, in part:

As you know, Target has a history of supporting organizations and candidates, on both sides of the aisle, who seek to advance policies aligned with our business objectives, such as job creation and economic growth. MN Forward is focused specifically on those issues and is committed to supporting candidates from any party who will work to improve the state's job climate. However, it is also important to note that we rarely endorse all advocated positions of the organizations or candidates we support, and we do not have a political or social agenda. 

In the context of this contribution, some of you have raised questions regarding our commitment to diversity, and more specifically, the GLBT community. Let me be very clear, Target’s support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company.

The letter goes on to cite Target's 100% rating on HRC's Corporate Equality Index and the company's support of local Minnesota LGBT and HIV/AIDS events. Calls for a boycott and at least one protest at a Minnestota Target store have already occurred.

(Via - The Awl)

Con Edison Celebrates Pride

From their official YouTube page.

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce Cuts Ties With McDonald's

The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has sent a blistering letter (PDF) to McDonald's cutting their ties with them, perhaps partially in response to COO Donald Thompson's "I am a Christian" statement about the company's ad in France.

We strongly believe that McDonald’s plan to distance itself from LGBT and other diverse business segments, coupled with the release of the French TV ad, is ill advised and counter to the spirit of good business and sound ethics. We sincerely hope that McDonald’s will reconsider its position and that the company will again show its support for LGBT people, our families and our businesses -- not just where it is politically expedient, but around the globe.

Barring a significant change in policy on the part of McDonald’s, please consider this letter as official notice that the NGLCC will not accept future support or membership by McDonald’s or any of its subsidiaries. Additionally, please note that we will answer any questions about this communication, the past relationship between our organizations or any other questions by members of the NGLCC, the media or other interested parties with nothing less than factual and accurate information based on our communications and experiences with McDonald’s and its representatives.

The NGLCC says they represent the interests of about 1.4 million LGBT-owned business in the United States. Read their entire letter.

Starbucks Caves On Free Wi-Fi

Bowing to the pressure of McDonald's free WiFi, Starbucks will end their pay-to-surf program at the end of the month.

Starting July 1, Starbucks will let anyone connect to its WiFi network for free. This fall, the company will add a content network called Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo and other sites, which will include local content you won’t be able to read anywhere else. Both offerings will be free. “Free Wi-Fi is in my mind just the price of admission — we want to create … new sources of content that you can only get at Starbucks,” chairman and president and CEO Howard Schulz told the Wired Business Conference. “This is a thing that doesn’t exist in any other consumer marketplace in America.”

Customers will still have to log-in using a unique Starbucks identifier, meaning the company will be able to make big bucks creating targeted advertising. One small bonus: you'll be able to read the Wall Street Journal for free while in the store.

American Apparel: We Don't Hire Uglies

Yesterday Gawker dug up an internal memo from American Apparel directing managers to send in photos of potential new employees so that anybody not up to their model-pretty standards could be immediately weeded out. One former manager tells Gawker about the kind of black girls she was instructed to hire: "None of the trashy kind that come in, we don't want that. We're not trying to sell our clothes to them. Try to find some of these classy black girls, with nice hair, you know?"

ExxonMobil Votes Down Partner Benefits

Once again, ExxonMobil's shareholders have voted overwhelmingly to exclude LGBT employees from its partner benefits program. The Dallas Voice reports:

Only 22 percent of ExxonMobil shareholders voted in favor of adding the protections during today’s annual meeting at the Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas. Last year 40 percent of shareholders voted in favor of the proposal. About two dozen LGBT protesters gathered outside the meeting with signs and bullhorns. Richard Miller of the Dallas Peace Center was inside the meeting voting shares for a friend from Berkeley, Calif. He spoke in favor of the proposal and said a number of other shareholders, including a member of the Rockefeller family, spoke on behalf of environmental justice and sustainability issues. ExxonMobil is a direct descendant of the John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Co.

Prior to their 1999 merger with Exxon, employees of Mobil DID have partner benefits.

United And Continental Airlines To Merge

United and Continental Airlines have announced their intent to merge. The merger will create the world's largest airline in annual passenger traffic.

United’s name and Chicago headquarters will be retained, while Continental Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smisek, 55, will become the CEO and United’s Glenn Tilton, 62, will be non- executive chairman, the companies said today in a statement. Each Continental share will be exchanged for 1.05 UAL shares. United and Continental together would take the top spot in global traffic from Delta Air Lines Inc., with hubs in New York and Washington and the most traffic among U.S. carriers on high- fare Atlantic and Pacific routes. The airlines reignited merger talks last month after negotiations collapsed two years ago. “With the recovery of the economy, fuel prices moderating, capital markets opening and both companies having solid liquidity, it was the right time to get involved in merger discussions,” Smisek said today in an interview.

The new company will operate under the United name, but the planes will have the Continental logo and colors. The agreement is subject to approval by shareholders and federal regulators.

HP Buys Palm For $1B

Hewlett-Packard has bought struggling smart phone supplier Palm for $1 billion.

The companies announced Wednesday that the deal will see HP pay $5.70 for every Palm common share. Palm had closed trading Wednesday at $4.63 but traded as high as $18.09 in the past 52 weeks. When debt is included, the deal values Palm at $1.2 billion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of July. Last year Palm unveiled a stylish touch-screen phone, the Pre, that was well reviewed but didn't ring up many sales. Palm struggled to stand out in a market dominated by Apple and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd.

Hertz To Buy Dollar Thrifty

Hertz is buying Dollar Thrifty for $1.2B as the consolidation of the car rental industry continues.

The combined company will now have a single publicly listed U.S. company -- Avis Budget to compete against. "Dollar Thrifty also has a strong international presence, complementing our global footprint, which enables us to utilize a recognized brand to accelerate our leisure rental strategy in Europe and other markets," Hertz Chief Executive Mark Frissora said in a statement. Dollar Thrifty, whose primary market is the United States, rents cars under the Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental brands.

Hertz-Dollar-Thrifty vs. Avis-Budget. Not a lot of options left, are there?