lawsuits

Target Doesn’t Want Customers Thinking It Supports Gay Marriage

As part of Target’s lawsuit against Canvass For A Cause — which has been installing operatives outside Target stores to collect signatures and donations in favor of gay marriage — the retailer claims having solicitors standing around its entrances is scaring customers away. But not just because Target believes shoppers don’t want to be pestered by clipboard-holders, but because shoppers might be tricked into thinking Target supports the radical homosexual agenda.

Among the reasons Target wants Canvass blocked from soliciting in front of its stores: shoppers “assume Target promotes” same-sex marriage. Wonk Room has the court filing:

Which is just silly. As any informed Target shopper would know, the last thing the company supports are efforts to legalize same-sex marriage or anything remotely pro-gay. But this might explain why Target has honed in on Canvass, while ignoring other advocacy groups that stand outside Target stores. (Officially, Target will tell you it doesn’t support any “political agenda,” which is bullshit: it supports anti-tax political agendas.)

Meanwhile, Canvass’ executive director Tres Watson, who founded the group in 2009 after Prop 8 passed, insists his activists will respect any shopper’s wish to be left alone. And when put to the test, well, that’s what seems to be happening.

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