LGBT History Month

February in the UK is designated as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month. The idea came from the US, where LGBT history month is celebrated in October - when the UK celebrates Black History month... right now it is Black History month in the US...

It is certainly a good chance to focus (again) on how 'everything' assumes that the average person is white and heterosexual and completely ignores the delicious diversity of humanity.  I believe the anti-gay lobby is far stronger in the US, where  tub-thumping right-wing Christianity is also so loud. Those anti-abortionists who believe in the death penalty...

A Human Rights mailing list I am signed up to sent some information about conscious shopping - this time not on where the goods are sourced or how the workers in other countries are treated, but on how companies stand on workplace equality. Most of the companies are American, but some are international:

Browse the online version or download a free copy

From clothing to computers to kids' stuff, from the latest hairstyles to the grocery aisles, we've collected data on hundreds of businesses. And some of the differences between companies selling similar products and services might surprise you:

Macy’s (100%) vs. Saks (30%*)
Staples (100%) vs. Office Depot (45%)
Nike (100%) vs. Adidas/Reebok (15%*)
UPS (100%) vs. FedEx (80%) vs. DHL (30%*)

Of course there's an app for your expensive phone, but unfortunately no app that I know of to make people treat others as human beings no matter what.