Something weird’s going on at Amazon HQ. Despite having a charitable donation policy that prohibits giving money to groups that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, the company is continuing to give money to antigay groups … including at least one that doesn’t even exist anymore.
Currently, Amazon has a long list of organizations that shoppers can designate as their preferred recipient for charitable donations. Their explicitly-stated policy is that they will only include organizations that do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation (among other qualities). That’s a nice idea, in theory.
But check out the notorious names on Amazon’s list: The National Organization for Marriage; The Boy Scouts; even ex-gay torture group Exodus International, which isn’t operational anymore.
And it gets worse: in a call with GLAAD, Amazon refused to remove the Scouts from the list, claiming that they’ll only remove a group if it’s on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of hate groups.
How about we take this to the next level?
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But then the SPLC chimed in to point out that the Scouts should be removed from Amazon’s list, since they are a discriminatory organization.
GLAAD will be in Seattle on Wednesday to deliver a petition to Amazon, asking the company to comply with its own policies. From there, the next move is Amazon’s.
queerbec
Perhaps GLAAD should also check the giving options listed by Mr. Bezos’ Washington Post. If indeed he is somehow behind Amazon’s decisions, he may also be implementing similar practices at the Post. Hmm, I wonder if the Post will cover this latest story??
Mezaien
Amazon, is affiliate with Google; Add them to your boycott basket.
Mezaien
I have try to get in touch for nearly an hour with Amazon, to verify about their Policy of non discriminate against GAYS in the boy Boys Scouts of the USA. They won`t talk with me, so I take it as they do discriminating against GAYS.
Ridpathos
Do you guys really want to perpetuate the gay mafia tripe that’s going around? If you guys boycott one of the few major organizations that supports us then you guys are chewing your own wrists off.
michael mellor
Ridpathos,
It’s perfectly reasonable to insist that Amazon abide by its own non-discriminatory policy. Amazon can’t have it both ways.
Cam
@Ridpathos:
And how exactly is it supporting gays when it is funnelling donations to the National Organization for Marriage. The one group that was behind the majority of anti-gay legislation that passed over the last two decades.
lszahm
I just Checked and NOM is an available charity, along with Lambda Legal and many other pro LGBTQ groups. Now what??