• The Coachella festival is a must-see for all VIPs every year. But if the Californian event gives itself a progressive image, it is not spared by accusations of homophobia.
  • It is actually its owner, Philip Anschutz, who is targeted by these accusations. Several revelations have been made since 2016 that the billionaire has funded several anti-LGBT associations.
  • Other donations are pushing for a boycott of the festival: funding for the campaign of conservatives, anti-abortion associations, others in favor of guns, as well as climate sceptic movements.

Coachella, every year, is "the place to be", the American festival not to be missed. It is also the place to show off for celebrities and influencers. And for the artists who have the opportunity to perform there, it's a golden opportunity. This year again, the edition of the festival, which aims to be progressive, seems to have been a great success. But this idyllic setting is scratched by accusations of homophobia.

The presence of the Belgian singer Angèle, who came out several years ago, has also questioned some Internet users. Although it is difficult to refuse Coachella, not all fans appreciated the passage of the artist yet generally very committed to feminist and LGBT+ themes. "Daring to show up at an openly homophobic event is a bit big, isn't it?" one fan commented. The singer carried an LGBT flag during her performance, but some saw it as a mark of hypocrisy. Only a minority welcomed this gesture of resistance.

Millions of euros in the pockets of anti-LGBT

This accusation of homophobia towards the festival actually targets its owner, Philip Anschutz. He is a very conservative billionaire whose reputation is totally opposed to the very progressive image of the event. The American media say of him that it makes rain and shine on Los Angeles. It owns the Crypto.com Arena and the prestigious teams based there, such as the Los Angeles Lakers in basketball, the Los Angeles Kings in hockey. His empire also spread all over the world.



In 2016, the one who remained until then in the shadows finds himself projected on the front of the stage. An infographic from Freedom for all Americans, a bipartisan campaign in support of LGBT+, later relayed by the famous newspaper The Washington Post, reports on his many donations. Recipients of Anschutz's financial support include the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the National Christian Charitable Foundation, and the Family Research Council. All organizations known to campaign for the enactment of anti-LGBT laws across thirty-four states of the country. For example, the ADF has linked "being LGBT to incest and bestiality."

In January 2017, The Fader magazine announced that the businessman had donated nearly a million dollars to active conservatives during the 2016 campaign. A news that was very little surprising since Philip Anschutz is none other than a close friend of Donald Trump.

Pro-gun, anti-abortion... Philip Anschutz has the chic to choose his fights

Once these various donations were revealed, Philip Anschutz suffered the wrath of part of the public, the boycott of some celebrities and the grievances of his own collaborators. Paul Tollett, organizer and co-founder of Coachella, said in 2017: "The image of the festival is tarnished, and I am offended." Under pressure, the billionaire ended up speaking out to plead carelessness, accompanying it with a donation of $ 1 million to Elton John's association, which fights for the protection of sexual minorities.

Yet he was singled out again, only a few months later, for other important donations to evangelical structures promoting LGBT discrimination. Like Colorado Christian University, whose charter states that "no person shall teach, defend, support or excuse homosexuality."

But donations to anti-LGBT groups are far from the only ones pushing some to boycott the festival. The man is also accused of having financed associations positioning themselves against abortion, in favor of firearms, as well as climate skeptics. In recent years, the controversy has given rise to the hashtag #NoCoachella on social networks.

  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Coachella
  • Homophobia
  • Festival
  • Fake Off