companies
Google Chrome runs television ad featuring the “It Gets Better” project
Google Chrome is running a television ad featuring Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” project. The commercial is part of Google’s biggest offline ad campaign.
The video, which was uploaded to Google Chrome’s YouTube account on Monday, features Dan Savage any the many other videos that were created for the project.
“Beginning with one inspiring video, Dan Savage used the web to create the It Gets Better project—a movement that has generated thousands of uplifting videos that give hope to teens.”
According to the New York Times, Google Chrome’s overall television campaign is “the biggest offline campaign ever for Google.”
Countless others have been joining in on the project. Just last month, Apple employees launched their own video.
Last year, Google announced that it would offer gay employees extra pay to allow for tax inequality.
Did you know?: A “Gaygler” is a gay Google employee?
(Video via Reddit)
Apple employees: It Gets Better
Apple employees share a personal message for the It Gets Better Project.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by purchasing a $3 marriage equality donation for $1
Fab.com is celebrating Valentine’s Day by “selling” $3 donations to Freedom To Marry for just $1.
Once purchased, Fab.com will make a $3 donation to Freedom To Marry on the purchaser’s behalf. The deal ends at midnight (PST) tonight.
According to the press release, “if a buyer gets three of their friends to also buy this deal, Fab.com will up their matching donation to $5 for the initial buyer. The deal ends at midnight tonight.”
Fab.com launched “The Big Gay Deal of the Day” on February 1st, a daily deal service similar to Groupon—but targeted to gays. Since its launch, the service has offered deals such as gay-themed magazine subscriptions, DVDs, vacation packages and other products.
Freedom to Marry is the United States’ leading marriage equality campaign.
Editorial disclaimer: Dan Leveille, the author of this post, is a Junior Advisor at Fab.com.
Infographic: Top Fortune 500 companies and their LGBT equality rankings
Designer Tiffany Farrant created an infographic overviewing the top 100 Fortune 500 companies and their LGBT equality rankings.
The infographic, which was designed for Meet The Boss TV, highlights the best and worst US companies to work for in regards to LGBT equality.
Equality rankings are based using the Human Rights Campaign’s 2011 Corporate Equality Index. This index evaluates companies on their employment policies and practices pertaining LGBT people.
(via fastcodedesign)
Funny Renault commercial: “We live in modern times”
French automaker Renault ran commercials that promoted “living in modern times.” They hit YouTube earlier this year, and this particular one promotes accepting alternative lifestyles.
A few months ago, McDonald’s France released a gay ad campaign. Earlier this year, France de-listed transgenderism as a mental illness.
Update: Some people have pointed out that it is unclear what the son says in the ad. He says “Can you get us in?”
French public opinion on homosexuality
According to PEW Research’s Global Attitudes Project (2007), 83% of the French public believe that “homosexuality should be accepted by society.” This percentage is one of the highest among countries surveyed. This month, a Crédoc survey (July, 2010) showed that 61% of respondents support gay marriage while 41% support same-sex adoption. Over the past 3 years, these statistics have increased 6% and 8%, respectively.
Google to offer gay staff extra pay to allow for tax inequality with straight couples
Internet giant Google today began paying its gay staff more than heterosexual employees in the latest example of its lavish perks culture, reports The Daily Mail.
Lesbian and homosexual staff will get extra wages to make up for higher taxes they have to pay.
The search engine decided it was only fair to bump up the salaries of its gay staff, a spokesman said.
Under U.S. law, when a firm offers health insurance as a benefit for an employee’s partner, it is tax-free for married couples but taxable income for gays.
Google will make up the difference in additional pay, on average $980 a year.
Gaygler: A Gay Googler
Did you know? A Gaygler is Google’s term for an LGBT Google employee. According to Gawker, employees have “-oogler” terms for just about anything; a Noogler is a new Google employee and a Loogler is a employee in the legal department.
From karaoke at a gay bar, to company presence at pride parades with t-shirts that read “I’m feeling proud” and “We are here” (pictured), Gayglers have their own logo and recruitment page.
Read Google’s official blog post »
(Photo credits: ohwhatachristy, eyespy-briany, firstwavedown)
Vodafone Suspends Employee After Obscene Homophobic Tweet
With 8,824 followers, Vodafone UK’s Twitter account tweeted “VodafoneUK is fed up of dirty homo’s and is going after beaver.” After hundreds of people retweeted and replied to the tweet, Vodafone began apologizing to users individually, and then tweeted a public apology saying that the individual who had posted the tweet had been suspended.
