Lavender Magazine in hot water: Local LGBT Community members have launched a petition in the aftermath of the publication of a xenophobic, Islamophobic and whitewashed narrative on the Orlando massacre in Lavender Magazine. The scapegoating of Muslims and implications that Islam was to blame for the massacre unsettled many people. The petition stated:
The latest issue of Lavender Magazine, “Minnesota’s GLBT magazine,” is an utter disgrace. We demand an apology and the immediate removal of the editorial board. The editorial, Spirit of ’76 p.10, on the tragedy in Orlando is a racist and hateful commentary which claims that “This cowardly attack is solely an an issue of religion.” Lavender’s attempt to blame our muslim brothers and sisters and pit communities of color and LGBTQA community against one another will not be tolerated. Lavender Magazine must be held accountable.
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Minimum wage in Minneapolis: A minimum wage increase will soon be on the ballot for voters to decide in the November election but some are wondering if this power move by social activists is even legal. MinnPost’s Peter Callaghan writes that two questions come into play when discussing the legality of cities to pass ordinances such as this:
First, what powers are delegated to local governments by the state? Second, have actions by previous Legislatures created “implied preemption,” which argues that the state has “occupied the field” to such a degree that it has, in fact, preempted local governments from acting on certain issues, even if it doesn’t explicitly say so in state law.
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Microagressions in the workplace: Erin Hinrichs at MinnPost writes about the importance of addressing subconscious, implicit biases in the workplace. These biases have negative impacts on marginalized identities and can often create an unsuitable, hostile work environment. Cultural competency trainings were presented as a successful solution to these often uncomfortable situations.
Projecting an illustration of a white male asking an African-American female if he can touch her hair at the front of the room, they asked the supervisors in the audience for their reactions. Most agreed his question was born out of curiosity. It may even have been intended to be a compliment, they offered (even if the gender and age dynamic did make it seem a bit creepy as well). But they concluded that the way this gesture likely made the woman in the illustration feel — uncomfortable, less human — certainly didn’t justify his actions.
Read the rest of the article at MinnPost’s website.
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