Just days after the 2017 lineup for blockbuster music festival Coachella dropped online, it came to light that its founder Philip Anschutz had been a longtime donor to anti-LGBTQ groups.
Pitchfork has reported that according to the 77-year-old’s tax records, Anschutz’s philanthropic foundation has donated to one such group, called Alliance Defending Freedom, as recently as 2015.
Anschutz and his company AEG Live (that runs Coachella through subsidiary Goldenvoice) have shot down the reports, characterizing them as “fake news,” “garbage” and a smear campaign perpetrated by competitors. “I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation,” Anschutz said in a statement, adding, “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.”
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In response to the funding accusations, pressure has been mounting on this year’s festival headline acts to redress the balance and donate their paychecks for performing at the festival to support LGBTQ groups.
A petition set up by transgender woman and LGBTQ activist Sarah Rose surpassed 7,000 signatures as of Friday morning:
“As a transgender woman and advocate for the LGBTQ community, my genuine hope is that these artists can turn a bad situation into a positive one. I’m a diehard music fan and a musician myself, and I strongly believe that music shouldn’t be used as a means to discriminate.”
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The petition states “Coachella drew nearly 200,000 attendees last year, generating almost $85 million, a portion of which we now know went to organizations actively fighting to deny human rights to LGBTQ people.” The petition closes by urging all three headliners, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé and Radiohead to donate their fees to LGBTQ support groups.
None of the acts have responded to the petition yet.
Coachella will take place on April 14-16 and April 21-23 this year.
