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Petition Urges Coachella Headliners to Donate Proceeds to LGBTQ Organizations

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Wikimedia Commons/Alan Paone

Come through, Beyoncé.

Recently, sources revealed that Phil Anschutz, owner of AEG who's responsible for the cultural monster that is Coachella, has donated portions of his massive wealth to anti-LGBTQ organizations. According to information released by The Washington Post, Anschutz has donated to groups like Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council and National Christian Foundation and his foundation also contributes to the efforts of climate change deniers, such as the Koch brothers.

Anschutz responded with an official statement that only further demonstrated his ignorance toward the issue:

"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... 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."

A new petition has inevitably emerged, seeking to involve the headliners of this year's Coachella in the issue by asking Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead to donate their performance profits to LGBTQ groups like The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline and the Human Rights Campaign. The petition has garnered more than 6,000 signatures toward their final goal of 7,000.

The Advocates with Sonia BaghdadyOut / Advocate Magazine - Jonathan Groff and Wayne Brady

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