Michael Rogers (publisher)

Last updated
Michael Rogers
Michael Rogers DC 2.png
Rogers in March, 2012.
Born (1963-11-12) November 12, 1963 (age 60)
Suffern, New York, U.S.
OccupationJournalist, fundraiser, activist, blogger
Alma mater University of Buffalo

Michael Rogers (born November 12, 1963) [1] is an American fundraiser, blogger and gay rights activist. [2] [3] He is vice chairman of Raw Story Media, Inc., [4] co-owner of Alternet Media, [5] and founder and Director of Netroots Connect. [6] He is also known for his work in reporting on closeted gay politicians who are anti-gay. [7] He was the subject of the 2009 American documentary film Outrage. [8]

Contents

History and education

Rogers was born to a Jewish family, raised in suburban New York City in Rockland County, NY, and attended public schools. [9] Rogers attended Ramapo Senior High School in Spring Valley, NY.[ citation needed ] He attended Adelphi University (1982) and the University of Buffalo (also known as the State University of New York at Buffalo) (1983-1986), where he majored in political science. [10]

In both 2008 and 2022, Rogers was named to the Out 100, Out Magazine's compilation of the year's most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people. [11] [12]

Activism

Rogers was the first full-time fundraiser for the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Harvey Milk High School. [13]

After moving to New York City In 1989, Rogers joined the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP!). He, along with fellow Hetrick-Martin Institute employee Ann Northrop, was arrested for participating in ACT UP's "Stop the Church" demonstration at St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1989. [14]

In 2002, Rogers founded Stop The Box, his first internet activism effort. "The 'Box'," referred to a 20 ft. wide, 10 ft. height and 8 ft depth unattended structure that housed a prototype automatic convenience store. The Box was owned by TikTok Easy Shop company. Rogers created a website and organized resistance among residents living near the store. He coordinated protests and education campaigns against it. Rogers also discovered that the internet domain registration and the company were wholly owned by the McDonald's Corporation. [15] [16] [17] [18] Rogers had a letter published in The New York Times relating to the machine. [19] The machine was removed within months of its installation. [20]

In 2008, citizens of California approved Proposition 8, a voter initiative to repeal the state's marriage equality law. Under the law before the passage of Proposition 8, same sex couples were allowed to marry in the state. Because the initiative passed, marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in the state was repealed. Following the election, Rogers learned that a Subway Franchisee in Merced, California had donated $2,500 to the Yes on 8 campaign. Under threat of a boycott, Rogers made the following demands of Subway:

Subway agreed to the first two [21] [22] and Rogers dropped his demand for the equal gift when the original gift was rescinded. Subway's headquarters wrote to all locations (over 30,000) explaining how the gift was in violation of franchisee policies. The company also explained that the company's non-discrimination policies would now include sexual orientation and gender identity. [23]

Blog

On July 7, 2004, Rogers launched BlogActive, a personal blog. [24] The blog was a focal point for outing closeted gay politicians who actively opposed gay rights. His work was profiled twice by The Washington Post , including a 2007 profile which asked if Rogers was The Most Feared Man On [Capitol] Hill. [25]

Rogers' first major outing report was on US Rep. Edward L. Schrock (R-VA). [26] Rogers published a set of recordings of Schrock [27] [28] using the MegaMates/Mega Phone Line, a service for men to meet other men for the purposes of meeting for sexual encounters. [29] On August 30, 2004, during the Republican National Convention, Schrock ended his reelection campaign. [30]

One year prior to the publishing of emails from US Rep. Mark Foley to a 16-year-old seeking sexual encounters, [31] Rogers reported on Foley on March 4, 2005. [32]

On October 17, 2006, Rogers reported on sexual liaisons between US Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) and unnamed individuals in Washington, DC's Union Station. [33] Rogers uncovered a news story from 1982 that tied Craig to a sex and drug scandal in the US Congress. Rogers reported on more recent activity in various places throughout the nation. Rogers's report prompted Craig to issue a denial. [34] Nine months later, on June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for lewd conduct. [35]

Outrage

Rogers is the subject of the Magnolia Pictures/HBO film Outrage , a 2009 documentary by director Kirby Dick. The film focuses on closeted politicians and senior political staff who work against the LGBT community. [36] Rogers's activities are followed and a number of his cases, including US Rep. Ed Schrock and US Senator Larry Craig are central themes to the film. Rogers also served as a consultant to the filmmakers.

Media

Rogers has been a guest on cable television news channels and his appearances include programs on CNN, [37] MSNBC, [38] Fox News Channel, and Current TV.[ citation needed ]

In 2004 Rogers appeared on The O'Reilly Factor with Bill O'Reilly. During his appearance Rogers challenged the talk show host because O'Reilly outed a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, while attacking Rogers's work. The exchange was reported in the Chicago Tribune. [39]

Rogers has been profiled by GQ magazine, [40] named one of Out magazine's Out 100 and was selected as one of Genre magazine's Men We Love. He has been profiled twice by The Washington Post , both times by writer Jose Antonio Vargas. [41] [42]

Rogers is a guest-host of the Michelangelo Signorile Show on Sirius XM Radio, [43] and The Ed Schultz Show on SiriusXM and national terrestrial radio. [44] [45]

Related Research Articles

Outing is the act of disclosing an LGBT person's sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. It is often done for political reasons, either to instrumentalize homophobia in order to discredit political opponents or to combat homophobia and heterosexism by revealing that a prominent or respected individual is homosexual. Historical examples of outing include the Krupp affair, Eulenburg affair, and Röhm scandal.

Subway IP LLC, doing business as Subway, is an American multinational fast food restaurant franchise that specializes in submarine sandwiches (subs) and wraps. It was founded by Fred DeLuca and financed by Peter Buck in 1965 as Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After several name changes, it was renamed Subway in 1972, and a franchise operation began in 1974 with a second restaurant in Wallingford, Connecticut. It has expanded to become a global franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coming out</span> Process of revealing ones sexual orientation or other attributes

Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation or gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Schrock</span> American politician (born 1941)

Edward Lee Schrock is a retired naval officer (1964–1988) and American Republican politician who served as a member of the Senate of Virginia from 1996 to 2001. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 2001 to January 2005, representing the Second Congressional District of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Mehlman</span> American lawyer

Kenneth Brian Mehlman is an American social entrepreneur and businessman. He serves as a member, global head of public affairs, and co-head of KKR global impact at investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. He oversees the firm's responsible investment efforts, leading the firm's Environmental Social Governance programs. Prior to joining KKR, Mehlman spent a year as an attorney and partner at law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. In January 2017, Mehlman announced that he would act as chairman of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Policy Advisory Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Orange</span> American politician

Vincent Bernard Orange, Sr. is a former American politician from Washington, D.C., and former president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. An attorney and a certified public accountant, Orange represented Ward 5 on the Council of the District of Columbia from 1999 to 2007, and was an at-large member from 2011 to 2016. He lost the June 2016 Democratic primary election to Robert White. Although his term was not due to end until January 2, 2017, Orange resigned from the council effective August 15, 2016, in the wake of conflict of interest charges over his new employment at the Chamber of Commerce.

<i>Raw Story</i> American progressive news website

Raw Story is an American progressive news website. It was founded in 2004 by John K. Byrne and is owned by Byrne and Michael Rogers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gino's Hamburgers</span> Fast food chain originating in Baltimore, Maryland, US

Gino's Hamburgers was a fast-food restaurant chain founded in Baltimore, Maryland by Baltimore Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti and running back Alan Ameche, along with their close friends Joe Campanella, who played linebacker for six seasons for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts and Louis Fischer, in 1957. A new group of restaurants under the Gino's name, involving some of the principals of the original chain, was started in 2010. Campanella left the group in 1963 and started his own restaurant, Rustler Steak House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perez Hilton</span> American blogger (born 1978)

Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., known professionally as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality. His blog is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities, and for posting tabloid photos over which he has added his own captions or "doodles". His blog has garnered controversy for its attitude, its former practice of outing alleged closeted celebrities, and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.

<i>Outrage</i> (2009 film) 2009 American film

Outrage is a 2009 American documentary film written and directed by Kirby Dick. The film presents a narrative discussing the hypocrisy of people purported in the documentary to be closeted gay or bisexual politicians who promote anti-gay legislation. It premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival before being released theatrically on May 8, 2009. It was nominated for a 2010 Emmy Award, and won Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival's jury award for best documentary. The documentary's prime subject was Michael Rogers, founder of BlogActive.com.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose Antonio Vargas</span> Filipino-American journalist, immigration activist

Jose Antonio Vargas is a journalist, filmmaker, and immigration rights activist. Born in the Philippines and raised in the United States from the age of twelve, he was part of The Washington Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2008 for coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting online and in print. Vargas has also worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Daily News, and The Huffington Post. He wrote, produced, and directed the autobiographical 2013 film Documented, which CNN Films broadcast in June 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwina Rogers</span> US congressional aide and lobbyist (born 1964)

Edwina Clifton Rogers has served in public policy positions in the US Senate, White House, private, and international sectors for over twenty years. She has worked for two presidents and four senators, and founded or directed lobbying firms for public health issues. From 2012 to 2014, she was the executive director of the Secular Coalition for America. She is currently President of the Secular Policy Institute and CEO of the Global Healthspan Policy Institute, a 501c3 nonprofit think tank working to support research and development of new treatments to address the underlying causes of diseases of aging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 NFL draft</span> 79th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible players

The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on May 8 through May 10, 2014. The draft started on May 8, 2014, at 8 pm EDT. The draft was moved from its traditional time frame in late April due to a scheduling conflict at Radio City Music Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wade Davis (American football)</span> American football player

Wade Alan Davis II is an American speaker, activist, writer, educator and former American football player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Washington, D.C., mayoral election</span> Mayoral election in Washington DC

On November 4, 2014, Washington, D.C., held an election for its mayor, concurrently with U.S. Senate elections in various states and U.S. House elections and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comet Ping Pong</span> Pizzeria in Washington, D.C.

Comet Ping Pong is a pizzeria, restaurant, and concert venue located on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C.'s Chevy Chase neighborhood. Owned by James Alefantis, Comet has received critical acclaim from The Washington Post, The Washingtonian, New York magazine, the DCist, and Guy Fieri of Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The homosexual sports community in the United States has one of the highest levels of acceptance and support in the world and is rapidly growing as of 2020. General public opinion and jurisprudence regarding homosexuality in the United States has become significantly more accepting since the late 1980s; for example, by the early 2020s, an overwhelming majority of Americans approved of the legality of same-sex marriages.

Paul H. Zukerberg is an American activist, lawyer, and politician. Through a series of lawsuits and appeals, Zukerberg successfully ensured the direct election of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia in 2014 after the Council of the District of Columbia and incumbent Irv Nathan sought to postpone the vote.

John K. Byrne is an American publisher and writer. He is co-owner of Raw Story Media and AlterNet Media, which publish the online progressive political news sites RawStory.com and AlterNet.org respectively. Prior to Raw Story, he wrote briefly for The Boston Globe and McClatchy Newspapers and has been published in The Atlantic.

References

  1. ↑ Rogers, Michael (2009-11-11). "8,400 days of 'out'". BlogActive. Retrieved 2013-05-26.
  2. ↑ Zremski, Jerry (September 9, 2007). "Ex-Buffalo activist is D.C.'s 'most feared man' Mike Rogers, a founder of Gay Men's Chorus, 'outs' closeted conservatives on his blog". The Buffalo News .
  3. ↑ Schulte, Bret and Oldenberg, Don (August 30, 2002). "Convenience and Controversy in Adams Morgan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "Raw Story Masthead". The Raw Story. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  5. ↑ "Raw Story Partners Announce Acquisition Of AlterNet.org And The New Civil Rights Movement". PR Newswire. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  6. ↑ Rogers, Michael (2014-06-26). "Why I Outed Gay Republicans". DCist.com.
  7. ↑ Rogers, Michael (2014-06-26). "Why I Outed Gay Republicans". Politico. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Alvarez, Fredo (2009-05-07). "NewsChannel 8's McKelway Threatens Gay Blogger on Live TV". DCist.com. Archived from the original on 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  9. ↑ Trykowski, Tyler (2016-07-22). "What Drives Gay Republicans into the Closet?". Vice News.
  10. ↑ Zremski, Jerry (2007-09-09). "Ex-Buffalo activist is D.C.'s 'most feared man' Mike Rogers, a founder of Gay Men's Chorus, 'outs' closeted conservatives on his blog". DCist.com.
  11. ↑ "Out100 2022: 24 LGBTQ+ Titans of Media and Entertainment". DCist.com. 2022-10-26.
  12. ↑ "The Out 100". Out Magazine. December 2007. p. 214.
  13. ↑ "Politics and the Pokey" (PDF). Outweek Archives.
  14. ↑ Miller, Andrew (24 December 1989). "Politics, Professions and the Pokey" (PDF). Outweek. p. 16. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  15. ↑ Hutchinson, Brian (14 September 2002). "Shopping outside 'the box': new 'monster' vending machine off to a rocky start in Washington". National Post of Canada. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  16. ↑ Tierney, John (August 28, 2002). "Shop Till Eggs, Diapers, Toothpaste Drop". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  17. ↑ Schulte, Bret and Oldenberg, Don (August 30, 2002). "Convenience and Controversy in Adams Morgan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Hutchinson, Brian (September 14, 2002). "Shopping Outside 'TheBox'". National Post. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  19. ↑ Rogers, Michael (September 4, 2012). "Vendor Without a Face". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  20. ↑ "TikTok Easy Stop Big Box, We Hardly Knew Ye..." www.metafilter.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  21. ↑ Subway Sandwich Corporation. "Our People, Our Communities: Diversity".
  22. ↑ Flandez, Raymund (November 18, 2008). "Subway Franchisee Forced to Recall Prop. 8 Donation". The Wall Street Journal.
  23. ↑ "International food chain responds to blogger's demands, franchisee retracts gift, job protections added". PageOneQ. November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008.
  24. ↑ Rogers, Michael. "You Asked...We Deliver". BlogActive.com.
  25. ↑ Vargas, Jose Antonio (4 September 2007). "The Most Feared Man on the Hill?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  26. ↑ "Michael Rogers blog entry dated August 19, 2004" . Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  27. ↑ "Michael Rogers blog entry dated August 30, 2004" . Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  28. ↑ "MP3 Recording on Edward Schrock using MegaMates phone service".
  29. ↑ Byrne, John (18 August 2004). "Rep. Schrock resigns after 'gay phone sex call' surfaces on web". The Raw Story. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  30. ↑ Shear, Michael; et al. (31 August 2004). "Va. Legislator Ends Bid for 3d term". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  31. ↑ Hudson, Lane. "Emails from Congressman Foley to 16 Year Old Page!!!!". Stop Sex Predators.
  32. ↑ "Michael Rogers blog entry dated March 4, 2005". Archived from the original on May 1, 2011.
  33. ↑ "Michael Rogers blog entry dated October 17, 2006".
  34. ↑ Kuraitis, Jill (October 17, 2006). "Idaho Sen. Larry Craig Denies Allegations of Same-Sex Affairs". NewWest Boise. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008.
  35. ↑ Karsnia, Dave (12 June 2014). "Arrest Report: Lewd Conduct by Senator Larry Craig". The Smoking Gun.
  36. ↑ Anderson, John (April 25, 2009). "Film Reviews: Outrage (Documentary)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  37. ↑ "CNN Newsnight with Aaron Brown". CNN. August 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-05-26. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  38. ↑ "Speakers: Michael Rogers, MSNBC's The Practical Futurist". LAI. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  39. ↑ Cook, John. "O'Reilly scolds guest who outed gays, then calls judge a lesbian". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2013-05-26. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  40. ↑ Tapper, Jake (April 2005). "Hot for Gay Republicans". GQ Magazine.
  41. ↑ Vargas, Jose Antonio (September 4, 2007). "The Most Feared Man on the Hill?". The Washington Post.
  42. ↑ Dana, Rebecca & Varga, Jose Antonio (2004-07-14). "Capitol Hill Insiders Irked By Campaign To 'Out' Them". The Washington Post.
  43. ↑ Rogers, Michael. "Guest hosting on Signorile's Sirius/XM Show" . Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  44. ↑ Carpenter, Megan. "Listen live at noon ET: Raw Story Managing Director Mike Rogers hosts 'The Ed Schultz Show'". Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  45. ↑ Steiger, Kay. "Listen: Raw Story co-founder Mike Rogers hosts Ed Schulz show on marriage equality". Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.