The Owner Of Coachella Is Still Donating To Anti-LGBTQ Politicians

January 4, 2018 / Posted by:

Philip Anschutz owns the huge entertainment company AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), which owns Goldenvoice, which operates Coachella. Philip Anschutz is very rich, and last year some of us learned that one of the things he likes to do with his money is throw it at anti-LGBTQ groups, anti-abortion groups, and climate change deniers. The Fader did some digging, and have found out that Philip donated more money to anti-LGBTQ politicans.

According to The Fader’s research, Philip donated $200,000 to Republican politicians and Super PACs. In March he gave $5,400 to Senator Cory Gardner (who came out against gun control after October’s mass shooting in Las Vegas), $2,700 went to anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion politician Rep. Scott Tipton, and $5,400 went to anti-abortion House member Mike Coffman. Philip’s company AEG gave $138,000 to the National Republican Senate Committee.

Last year, Philip swore up and down to Rolling Stone that he isn’t anti-gay and he’d never donate money to an anti-LGBTQ group. Here’s Philip’s denial from last January:

“Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news – it is all garbage. I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation. We are fortunate to employ a wealth of diverse individuals throughout our family of companies, all of whom are important to us – the only criteria on which they are judged is the quality of their job performance; we do not tolerate discrimination in any form.

Both The Anschutz Foundation and I contribute to numerous organizations that pursue a wide range of causes. Neither I nor the Foundation fund any organization with the purpose or expectation that it would finance anti-LGBTQ initiatives, and when it has come to my attention or the attention of The Anschutz Foundation that certain organizations either the Foundation or I have funded have been supporting such causes, we have immediately ceased all contributions to such groups.”

So he isn’t donating directly to hate groups, only to politicians who just so happen to hate the LGBTQ community. I bet when he slipped them those thousand dollar checks, he winked and made them promise they weren’t going to spend it all on gay hating.

This news actually might explain why Eminem is headlining for the first time ever, and on the same day as problematic rappers Migos. Philip Anschutz probably dove into some of his older stuff, got a (totally hetero) bro-ner for Eminem’s more homophobic tracks, and enthusiastically wrote his name on the line-up.

Reps for Coachella didn’t respond to The Fader for comment. Perhaps because they’re busy at the moment working on a new slogan for Coachella. Something like, “Coachella: Let’s go back to pretending the worst thing about Coachella was the $22 burgers.

Pic: Wenn.com

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