So today begins Target’s stupid lawsuit against Canvass for a Cause, a San Diego-based activist group that’s hanging out at the retailer’s shops collecting signatures and donations to support same-sex marriage. Target, with its sad history of trying to make nice with The Gays, claims it’s not going after the group’s message, but it’s actions — namely, scaring away customers. (Target says it has reports from eight stores that more than a dozen complaints were filed about the clipboard-wielding activists.) The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, already dealt Target one loss: a motion to keep Canvass for a Cause away from stores until the suit is decided was shot down. Naturally, Canvass says its First Amendment rights permit it to hang out at Target stores. At first I’m inclined to think Target must know how bad this looks to LGBTs who care where they spend their money, but then I remember that hey, they’ve got Ricky Martin to gay-washing their image, so WTF do they care.
enough of Target is evil bullshit
I don’t want to be bothered by anyone while shopping.
Target is right.
Nathan Adler
Target has a reasonably good track record with GLBT employees and issues. It’s increasingly hard for a corporation to find business-friendly legislative candidates without those candidates having some homophobic skeletons in their closets. While I think it’s right to pounce on target for some contributions, I also think it’s safe to assume that target did so out of ignorance, not malice.
I know this is cold comfort for “single issue” gay marriage voters, but business in this country is now stuck between business friendly, gay hating cadidates and business hating, gay griendly candidates. Not a comfy spot to find yourself if your a gay business owner, either.
The politics of now suck and cramming clipboards in shoppers faces doesn’t help matters one bit.
Bobby the Four Year Old
@enough of Target is evil bullshit:
You are a pathetic faggot. It’s no wonder we don’t have equal rights. We spend half the time fighting bigots who keep us down and we spend the other half of our time fighting faggots who want to keep us down.
Do us all a favor: shoot yourself in the head.
Bobby the Four Year Old
@Nathan Adler:
And that’s why you’re a second class citizen, idiot.
Faggots who make excuses for homophobia, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY MOVEMENT.
Nathan Adler
@Bobby the Four Year Old:
I hate to tell you this kiddo, but it’s not just your movement.
“It’s family glue – it belongs to all of us!” – Lisa Simpson
justiceontherocks
@enough of Target is evil bullshit: If you don’t want to be bothered then politely decline to talk with whoever approaches you.
Target seems a little litigation happy on this one.
Jeffree
Angry people with clipboards just annoy nearly everyone they accost. Interrupting Aunt Lainey while she’s picking up items for her kid’s craft project on her way home from work? Not gonna get you an ally.
I continually get stopped on the street by HRC-bots when I’m obviously in a hurry: a polite “Sorry, busy now” doesn’t deter them.
That doesn’t mean you can’t boycott Target or tell everyone you know not to shop there. But until you can tell a willing-to-listen shopper which alternative stores they should shop it, and why, you’ll get results just like the guy who carries a sign that says: “The World is Ending: Repent”
Crabby1
If Target wins this will the salvation army of hate be banned too?
Ricky
For those who wish to fall to their knees before their corporate Master Target – by all means – go ahead – though, really, is it even a fall for you now or do you just remain down there abandoning the pretense that you even know what it is to stand for anything anymore?
Target lies – period – their argument that these petitioners are harassing shoppers — IS A LIE – THERE IS NOTHING TO BE GAINED FOR ANY CAUSE BY HARASSING SHOPPERS – TARGET LIES – THIS IS A LIE – Target as a corporation is a liar – this is not news — this is fact.
These groups are in front of many stores in California – including Pavilions and Starbucks — they do NOT harass – that is a lie – they politely ask if you have a minute to talk about equality – and never follow-up if you say no – EVER — THIS IS SIMPLY ABOUT TARGET’S AMAZING HOMOPHOBIA AT THE VERY HIGHEST LEVELS.
Target allows for other petitioners on their property – but more importantly – for those so willing to crawl before their corporate Master – THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE OF FREE SPEECH – if you are too stupid to understand that – you need to get the Hell out of America – and take your emporium of cheap goods made in China with you.
And for those who are so very, very, grateful for Target’s highly-publicized – and somewhat suspect — so-called support of gays and lesbians in the work place – which seems amazingly lacking at the higher levels – uh, so I have to actually be inside a Target either working for low wages or spending my money on cheap tacky crap in order to GET SUPPORT FOR FUNDAMENTAL EQUALITY AND RESPECT FROM TARGET THAT WILL NOT EXTEND OUTSIDE ITS DOORS.
No thanks – like so much in that crappy store – I find what they are selling – WORTHLESS.
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/target-sues-to-keep-activist-group-from-canvassing-for-marriage-equality-outside-their-stores.html#comments#ixzz1HeXvQ4IJ
Spike
As previously stated, this sucks, I liked shopping at Target, cool t.shirts, great prices, but why spend money in an establishment that spits in your face every time you walk in the door?!!?
It would be nice to see the younger gay generation embrace this boycott and own it much like the Coors boycott for those 40+.
Wishful thinking.
go target
Iapplaud target ,customers should not have to be harrassed while shopping . i do not believe in homosexual relations ,and i do not want to have to explain to my child when she ask’s daddy why are those 2 men kissing. i do not intrude on gays life style nor do i push heterosexual life style on them , so why should they push homosexuality on me .if the gay community wants same sex marriage , start your own nation , pool together your money buy a small town marry each other create your own gay laws grow old no children will be produced your town will eventually fade away in yrs to come . and we normal heterosexuals can finally live in peace free from pushy homosexuals.if being gay is so right then why are alot of gays so ashamed and in the closet , if nature intended homosexuality then why can’t two of the same sex produce off spring ? hmmm maybe because it is not how god intended it to be . and god will never recognise same sex marriage .not to mention even the few states that (tolerate it) nobody but homosexuals belive it’s real . to us normal straight people it’s nothing more than a mock wedding ,a circus act so to speak.
Spot
Target has a policy against every canvass group. They won’t even let Salvation Army do bell ringing at Christmas. It’s gotten them a lot of crap from everyone, but they’ve banned canvassing activities across the board.
I really dislike some of the actions of Target, but this specific example isn’t Target being homophobic, it’s Target equally banning all canvassing on its property.
If Target was letting someone else canvass and banning this group, this post would be completely justified. As it is, it’s just more anti-Target bandwaggoning.
I am totally in favor of calling out people when they engage in anything that works against our community, as the political contribution did. Unfortunately, if you make up instances of injustice, then that gives people no reason to ever be on our side. That’s the problem I have with this post.
chiDan
I live near downtown chicago. HRC is always on my block harassing people. It’s very annoying. I had one girl tell me i was not being a good gay for not giving to the cause.
Target built their store. If they don’t want people bothering customers in front of the store, then make a policy prohibiting it for all groups. That’s right, they do. This group decided to be assholes in ignore an long standing policy that has existed for years. Not a good way to support their cause.
If this group wins, i will not ever support them. There have been complaints. That’s not how to help your cause.
For those against target: I refuse to boycott target. What do you want me to do? Shop at wal mart? Never. Sometimes you have to pick the lesser of the two evils. Target try’s. Nobody is perfect. You boycott target, that’s fine, support walmart while your at it. Your choice.
Dallas David
As a former shopowner who’s thrown out enough obnoxious peddlers (called the cops on a few before figuring out how to get rid of them), I can understand the management’s desire to preserve a calm and obnoxiousness-free shopping environment. None of us like to be bothered with panhandlers, Salvation Army bell-ringers begging for donations to pay for their anti-gay lawsuits, & etc.
Nevertheless, Target should have found a better way to resolve the problem — anything would have been better than a lawsuit. They must be hard-up for talent in their managerial ranks. But there’s a lot of that shortage going around these days . . .
justiceontherocks
@Jeffree: The HRC bots are commissioned sales people placed on your street by an agency that supplies perky young people for fundraising. The same person might bother you the next day on another street corner on behalf of GreenPeace.