Ever since the announcement that Beyoncé will be headlining Coachella 2017, there's been an understandable excitement for this year's land of flower crowns and Instagram-worthy photo opps. But you might want to know more about the Philip Anschutz, the owner of the event, and his views before you fork over your money for a coveted Coachella ticket.
Philip Anschutz is the owner of a company called AEG, which owns several sports teams and venues. One of those events that's run by AEG is Coachella. According to an infographic from The Washington Post, Anschutz has taken some of the profits that he's made and donated them to groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Family Research Council, and the National Christian Foundation. All three of those groups have been known to campaign against LGBTQ rights, UPROXX points out. For example, the Family Research Council (one of the groups that Anschutz supports) describes itself as a "Pro-Marriage and Pro-Life" organization. Their website shows that it is anti-gay rights, anti-transgender rights, and anti-abortion.
Anschutz's right-wing ideologies are nothing new; Politico ran an article about his "conservative agenda" back in 2009. A former employee of The Washington Examiner explains that when Anschutz started the paper in 2005, he gave instructions that the editorial page should be "nothing but conservative columns and conservative op-ed writers." Additionally, Anschutz — who also happens to be an oil and gas billionaire — is a "financier of climate science denial groups," according to Greenpeace.
Related: Coachella 2017 Performers Include Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller
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