Courtesy of BFIArts+CultureNewsCoachella headliners urged to donate proceeds to LGBT groupsThousands have signed a petition aimed at Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead in response to the festival owner's huge donations to discriminatory agendasShareLink copied ✔️January 12, 2017Arts+CultureNewsTextAnna Cafolla News broke last week that the owner of Coachella – home of flower crowns, drunk ex-Laguna beach castmembers and cultural appropriation – was donating significant amounts of money to support anti-LGBT work and climate change-denying groups. Now, thousands have signed a petition asking its headliners to donate their fees to LGBT groups in protest. Phil Anschutz owns Anschutz Entertainment Group, which manages the group Goldenvoice that oversees the Californian music and arts festival. Information uncovered by the Washington Post found that AEG, one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, was funnelling thousands into groups like the National Christian Foundation, the Family Research Council and the Alliance Defending Freedom. These groups actively campaign against LGBT rights, like supporting conversion therapy and promoting bigoted views. Anschutz has also been linked to climate change denial groups by Greenpeace. As the owner of another oil and gas company, he reportedly sued an entire town because of its anti-fracking policies. His influence on politics in Colarado has been terrifyingly significant, according to ProgressNow Colorado director Ian Silverii in 2016, who spoke out about Anschutz in 2016. Coachella is a festival parading itself as being pretty woke and with it, with a line-up that includes Beyoncé as the first ever black woman headliner, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead, and a crowd that would probably describe themselves as ‘a free spirit just finding my path y’know?’. The Care2 petition has asked the festival headliners to donate their profits to groups like The Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline and the Human Rights Campaign, in response to Anschutz’s ties to right-wing organisations. So far they’ve gained over 5,000 supporters on the petition. “As a transgender woman and advocate for the LGBTQ community, my genuine hope is that these artists can turn a bad situation into a positive one,” Care2 LGBTQ Issues Advocate Sarah Rose said. “I’m a diehard music fan and a musician myself, and I strongly believe that music shouldn’t be used as a means to discriminate.” You can find the petition to sign here. Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREWhy did Satan start to possess girls on screen in the 70s?Learn the art of photo storytelling and zine making at Dazed+LabsVanmoofDJ Fuckoff’s guide to living, creating and belonging in Berlin8 essential skate videos from the 90s and beyond with Glue SkateboardsThe unashamedly queer, feminist, and intersectional play you need to seeParis artists are pissed off with this ‘gift’ from Jeff KoonsA Seat at the TableVinca Petersen: Future FantasySnarkitecture’s guide on how to collide art and architectureBanksy has unveiled a new anti-weapon artworkVincent Gallo: mad, bad, and dangerous to knowGet lost in these frank stories of love and loss