Coachella Owner Apparently Backs Anti-Gay and Climate Change Denial Groups
Coachella 2017 may have the best lineup in years, but there's a new drawback to going to the popular festival (other than paying a ridiculous amount of money to be surrounded by a crowd of sweaty, drunken people)—Coachella's owner is apparently the worst.
Afropunk reports that Philip Anschutz (pictured below), who owns one of the largest entertainment companies in the nation, uses the money he makes from Coachella to support some questionable causes, including climate change denial and anti-gay groups.
According to The Washington Post, Anschutz has donated money to organizations such as Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Coucil, and National Christian Foundation, all of which are major anti-LGBT groups.
Said ProgressNow Colorado executive director Ian Silverii in a press release:
"Phil Anschutz's extensive influence in Colorado politics has been known for years, but the degree of his support for anti-LGBTQ groups that fund extremist hate groups like Gordon Kligenschmitt's 'Pray in Jesus Name' is shocking. At a time in American history when discrimination and violence against LGBTQ citizens is on the rise, support for pro-discrimination groups puts Anschutz on the wrong side of Colorado, and on the wrong side of history."
According to Greenpeace, the oil and gas billionaire is also a "financer of climate science denial groups" and attends the Koch brothers' twice-annual strategy meetings.
So maybe save that money and see Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar another time.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.com.
* Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
