The letter from Yum! Brands’ attorneys, issued after Connecting Rainbows launched a parody YouTube campaign against Taco Bell, makes the usual legal and technical claims of innocent bystander, even though Taco Bell restaurants must remain in compliance with the parent company’s procedures, including employment policies. The letter can also be found here : http://www.scribd.com/doc/57715761/2011-05-24-Taco-Bell-Letter-to-Connecting-Rainbows
Selections from Yum! Brands’ employment policies can be found here :
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/54485377/Yum-Brands-2010-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Report-Training
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/54485374/Yum-Brands-2010-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Report-Diversity
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/54485367/Yum-Brands-2010-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Report-Associates
Members of Connecting Rainbows, who launched the parody campaign against Taco Bell, will have to vote on how to respond to Yum! Brands. In the meantime, Connecting Rainbows affirms its world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants.
In May 2011, Connecting Rainbows launched a parody YouTube campaign against Taco Bell over an alleged case of employment discrimination of one of Taco Bell’s employees.
Video Link : Episode 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFiaRocbGDc
Video Link : Episode 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Bf1xhSdnM
Jason Smith is an openly gay employee of Taco Bell, and he is a member of Connecting Rainbows. In April 2011, Mr. Smith was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on Mr. Smith’s sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of hisFacebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s description of the events :
http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/forum/topics/hate-crime-needs-to-stop-taco
Connecting Rainbows members have launched an online petition :Members of Connecting Rainbows have also launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight :
http://www.change.org/petitions/world-wide-petition-yum-brands-restaurants-re-jason-ray-smith-read-his-story-and-sign-petition
About Connecting Rainbows’ demands to Taco Bell and Yum! Brands :
- Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Mr. Smith and the LGBT community
- Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages
- Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!
About Connecting Rainbows’ demands for legislative remedies :
- Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed.
- Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
About Connecting Rainbows : Connecting Rainbows is a group is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans, and its members organise civil rights walks and other actions. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.
Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/
