Rockstar Commits to LGBT Rights

by Dave Bennion

category: Advocacy and Activism

Published July 09, 2009 @ 10:20PM PT

Interesting things are going on in our neck of the woods here at change.org.

I don't know how many of this blog's readers followed the happenings over at the Gay Rights blog with regard to Rockstar Energy Drink.  A couple months ago, blogger Michael Jones posted an item drawing a connection between Rockstar Energy Drink and Rockstar CEO Russ Weiner's father, conservative radio host Michael Savage.  (Savage is no friend of immigrants, and perhaps the only view we share in common is that he should be able to travel freely, as should any other human being.)

The post contained some factual errors and was later removed under pressure from Rockstar.  Negotiations ensued.  Then something surprising happened:

Six weeks ago lawyers from ROCKSTAR Energy Drink contacted us about a post we wrote in April 2009 that raised questions about ROCKSTAR and LGBT rights, which at the time had begun circling the web.  In the time since, we have worked with all of the parties involved to reach an agreement that will affirm and dramatically expand the company’s support for LGBT rights and will substantially benefit LGBT organizations that work day-in-and-day-out to fight for equal rights and the dignity of LGBT people throughout the country, especially LGBT youth.

Specifically, Rockstar has agreed to donate $100,000 to LGBT rights organizations, publicly affirm its commitment to LGBT rights, and expand its LGBT-friendly company policies.

Some may find fault with this outcome.  I believe it is a welcome development.  What you have today that you didn't have two months ago is a global company now publicly dedicated to LGBT rights that just gave a chunk of funding to LGBT nonprofits that can certainly use the help in this down economy.  (Disclosure: my wife worked for GLSEN, one of the organizations receiving a donation, for a time before we met.)

Change is about, well, changing people's minds, as well as sometimes your own.  It is about not holding children guilty for the sins of their fathers because often, they don't believe the same things their fathers believed.  That is in part how the civil rights movement of the 1960s sustained the victories it did--as the Flower Children replaced their parents in positions of influence, they jettisoned some of that generation's harmful baggage.

Today's world is far from problem-free.  Change is not about denying culpability for bad acts or closing one's eyes to injustices past or present.  But change looks forward, change is Idealistic, change must maintain hope or it will never get out of bed in the morning.

Generational change is one reason the LGBT rights movement stands on the cusp of sweeping public policy reforms that will mirror the striking changes in public opinion of the past several years.  It is why activists and organizers do what they do, in the hope that their children's world will be better than their own.

To give credit where due:

Both Change.org’s CEO, Ben Rattray, and Gay Rights blogger Michael Jones, have been leading discussions with ROCKSTAR.

And it says something about the persuasive power of internet action and the good sense of Rockstar when one of the company's previously most trenchant critics says this about it today:

Not many companies would be willing to reach out to their main critics and find common ground for a solution that leaves all parties satisfied; ROCKSTAR should be commended for their eagerness to correct any previous problems.

Activists, take heart!  One day on this roller coaster brings elation, the next despondency.  The last few weeks have brought some hard hits at my day job, and some days it is hard to see much reason for optimism.  Today's news about Rockstar gave me some hope that has lately been hard to come by.