Hmm, this can’t be good for Target’s public image. On Friday “irate activists” visited the company’s corporate headquarters in downtown Minneapolis to drop off the names of some 240,000 consumers who are livid over the retailer’s support of anti-gay candidates, ranging from Tom Emmer to Michele Bachmann. Randi Reitan, the most awesome ex-Target shopper, was there!
But even after apologizing to LGBT employees over the company’s anti-equality political activity, CEO Gregg Steinhafel apparently doesn’t want to hear from these folks: “Target security blocked the public skyway entrance leading to the 2nd floor lobby forcing the group to deliver their petitions to the foot of the frozen escalator,” reads the YouTube description. “Later, a Minneapolis police Lt said that Target was very happy to have you here.”
Let the countdown begin: Randi wants to sit down with Steinhafel. Will Target’s chief executive block out some time in the conference room?
Blake J
Let’s hope this boycott is more effective then past attempts!
Mike
lol GOPROUD will now hold their next ‘convention’ at Target Headquarters. Get it? Cause they’re like sooooo rebellious.
FreddyMertz
Awesome!!!!!
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
240,000 names in like what, a week? Retail 101: Don’t piss off Gay shoppers!…….. :-p
Devin
I’m apart of this boycott and this past weekend, a funny something happened that I want to share.
I needed cups and plates and knew of a local Crate&Barrel. Since I wasn’t going to Target, I needed some place affordable and their ceramics are actually pretty low in price.
Parched upon arriving, I was walking around the food court for a place where I could get a cheap medium cup of soda. I eventually just kinda picked a place—since it was the furthest down—not paying attention to where I was or where I was going. Only after about five minutes of waiting in line did I realize where I was about to give my money to.
Chick-Fil-A. And hopefully you’ll be able to pick up on the irony. 😉
Phil
I… hope you left? I don’t know whether or not the founder of Chick-Fil-A was of homophobic Christian variety, and I certainly hope not, but I’m not really going to pass judgement upon somebody (or some company) for being Christian because, to me, that seems rather bigoted.
Devin
@Phil: From an article dated this past ’09:
“Chick-Fil-A is a supporter of Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family is the organization in Colorado run by Rev. James Dobson, which (among other anti-LGBT things) openly works to try and defeat equal rights measures around the country, and sponsors an ex-gay ministry program, Love Won Out.”
http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/is_your_chicken_sandwich_homophobic
And I did leave and found another chain at the other end of the mall.
Dawson
They do realize it costs the company a crap load of extra money that they are not legally required to spend in order to pay for same sex partner benefits, right? If I was Target, I’d bite back and conform with the current laws on the books. This was one incident and the whole community is going to turn their back on a company that has a long standing commitment to equality. Some day we will stop shooting our allies just because they said/did the wrong thing on one occasion. Hopefully that day is soon.