Tag Archives: Boycott Target

TARGET CEO Hammered With Questions About Anti-Gay Donations By Shareholders As Stock Tumbles

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TARGET Chairman, President and Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafe was prepared to talk about how  even though Target is seeing profits its shares have hit an 18-month low on concerns that the retailer is not seeing enough shoppers buy high end items (Piss off the gays and the money goes away) at the company’s annual meeting yesterday.
Instead Steinhafe was HAMMERED with questions about Target’s $150,000 to MN Forward, a GOP group that supported GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.who supported a proposed amendment to Minnesota constitution to ban gay marriage.

Bill de Blasio, New York City public advocate and trustee of the New York City employees retirement system, which holds about $50 million in Target shares, said on Tuesday that he is “deeply concerned” which was echoed by other shareholders to the point where Steinhafe was so overloaded with questions about Targets political giving at one point in the meeting he said.  “Does anybody have a question relating to our business that is unrelated to political giving? I would love to hear any question related to something else,”

Target shares plunged 21.7 percent from the beginning of 2011 through Tuesday

Target Tells It’s Employee’s: Gay Inc. Loves Us, Especially "The Task Force"!

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TARGET Corp who gave $150K to MN Forward/ anti-gay Tom Emmer– then 5 days later apologized for it promising to be more careful in the future –  then proceeded – after that so-called apology – to give another $30K to some of the most rabidly anti-gay candidates ever both in and outside of Minnesota in the 2010 election cycle. Is letting its employees know that it embraces us gays and that Gay Inc embraces TARGET as pictured above in the Target Employee newsletter (that has

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force logo on the bottom)

Target participated in the NGLTF (Now only The Task Force they dropped the “Gay” and “Lesbian”.) 23rd annual “Creating Change” conference in February which really creates no change at all but does make “The Task Force” look like it’s actually doping something and a a nice chunk of money which I am sure that Target donated some $$$ into because why else in Harvey Milks holy name would “The Task Force” even allow TARGET to attend and participate?

Gay Inc and greed and lack of integrity go hand in hand it seems especially where TARGET in concerned.

Above we have The Task Force, earlier this month we had GLAAD who gave Ricky Martin the “The Vito Russo Award” at it’s latest round of Media Awards for being a gay role model even though Martin signed an exclusive distribution contract with TARGET a month earlier for his new album.  And the HRC who after Target’s donation to anti-gay Tom Emmer became public tried to get Target to donate a matching sum of money to a “pro-gay” organization to make up for it, namely them, which TARGET didn’t.

Until our LGBT Organizations drop the greed, move out of their multi-million dollar offices and gain some self-respect and integrity and fight for our rights because of a passion to do so and not a nice fat paycheck will we get anywhere.

BUSTED AGAIN: Over Thee-Quarters of ALL Political Contribution Made By Target In 2010 Went To Anti-Gay Candidates

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It turns out that even after being busted earlier in the year over 75% of donations made by Target’s political action committee in the 2010 election cycle funded anti-gay right,, right wing pro-business politicians According to the website  TheAwl.com

In August after being busted  for contributing $150,000 to MN Forward, a right wing PAC that supported anti-gay Minnesota Govenor candidate Tom Emmer, CEO Gregg Steinhafel apologized  in n a memo to employees, Steinhafel wrote that a “business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future,” and added he had not anticipated how the donation would affect its employees and that he was “truly sorry”.

But after August Target recorded $31,200 out of $41,200 (more than 75%) in donations to anti-gay rights candidates or PACs supporting those candidates, including Republican Representatives Spencer Bachus (Alabama), David Camp (Michigan), Dave Reichert (Washington), David Dreier (California) and John Kline (Minnesota), and Idaho Senator Michael Crapo and Target’s political arm also supported Representatives Michele “crazy as a fucking loon” Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) by giving to three PACs that in turn gave to the candidates.

So remember BOYCOTT TARGET and if you are in the mood for a bit of non-violent activism…… 

Go to Target and fill your shopping cart, top and bottom, with high-priced merchandise, hopefully with price tags missing, then head to the check out at the same time. The cashier will have to get price checks on the items that don’t have tags. Then, when it is time to pay, ask to speak to the Manager, and say that you have decided not to purchase these items because of Target’s homophobic policies, and that you will shop elsewhere. You will have tied up the check out for awhile and you would make a statement when you decide to spend your $400 somewhere else. 

Take some friends and make a party of it.  Especially on a busy Saturday or Sunday afternoon and then do brunch!

Source:  On Top Magazine:

TARGET Backed GOP Candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Emmer Doesn’t Believe In Or Back Anti-Bullying Legislature (Video)

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This really isn’t all that shocking considering that Tom Emmer is a total douchebag.  But in a recent debate between Emmer, Democratic Candidate for Govenor of MN Mark Dayton and Independent Candidate Tom Horner, who are both FOR anti-bullying legislature, Emmer who admitted to be being bullied when he was a child himself and has children in public school system strongly came out against it.

I don’t think we need more laws. I think we need more understanding. We need people to start to understand what respect is all about. And guess what? Every one of us has a point of view. We are supposed to respect each other’s point of view, and we’re not supposed to tell somebody, because they have a different point of view, that they are not entitled to have that. We should all be able to have the point of view and respect each other but we don’t need more laws trying to get in between people.

So according to Emmer harassment, hate and violence is nothing more than a POV and should be respected.

Luckily King Douchebag Emmer is behind in virtually every poll and Mark Dayton has the lead. Dayton not only came out strongly for anti-bullying legislation but also gay marriage during the debate and and turned the tables on Republican Teabaggers by reciting the most important part of The Declaration of Independence quoting “that all men are created equal”.

Well played Mr. Dayton!

While We May Be Boycotting TARGET For Anti-Gay Political Donations, Bravo Television Sure The Hell Isn’t.

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Bravo, the so-called “Bisexual” Television Network according to Andy Cohen, the aged twink boytoy who is Bravo’s programming chief, has no pronlem casting LGBT and LGBT supportive haracters on it’s Television Shows.  What id does have a problem with is the fact that they have an exclusive distributioon deal with TARGET and the retail giant that supports anti-gay politic’s is the only brick-and-mortar outlet that carries it’s programming.  And romo spots currently airing on Bravo still say exclusively sold through TARGET.

I wonder what Andy Cohen and BRAVO have to say about this?  Actually I wonder what Kathy Griffin, Racheal Zoe, Brad, Jeff, Padma, Gail Simmons, The Real Housewives oif EVERYWHERE and others on the network would have to say about it?

Shall we ask? Contact BRAVO. 

Retailers Dealing With TARGET Begin To Feel The Heat – GILT GROUPE Slammed and Boycotted By Online Customers For Selling Target Designer Merchandise

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Online discount shopping website Gilt Groupe has come under fire from shoppers for partnering with Target, pre-selling the the  store’s designer collaborations. On Friday at noon Gilt Group stat\rted an online sale of TARGET designers sale, featuring John Derian, Mulberry and Tucker, which was met with crisism, iharsh comments and vows of boycotting on thier Facebook page

•Gilt – I will miss you but just cannot be a part of your support of Target and their funding of hate based anti gay politics. I can’t be a part of that GILT by Association.

•I’m very disappointed in the Gilt collaboration with Target. And not appeased by the statement released by Gilt supporting Target. I will not only not buy any Target merchandise through Gilt, but I will not buy any Gilt Groupe merchandise. I can’t have my money go towards politicians who not only advocate for stripping… LGBTQ people of their rights, but who advocate for harm/death to be brought to LGBTQ people.

GILT’s CEO Susan Lyne who was following the comments on Facebook responded to the crowd.

****READ Susan Lyn’s comments and what ahppened in it’s wake after the jump…

“Some of you have noted that Gilt benefits from the efforts and talent of the LGBT community — and you are absolutely right. We consider ourselves lucky to work in an industry that flourishes precisely because it embraces diversity and change. As a company and a community we are better, more creative, more successful because of the contributions of our LGBT colleagues. The sale we are doing with Target today is the result of many months of work on the part of Gilt employees and Target team members far removed from decisions about corporate political contributions. I am grateful to both groups for the care and effort they put into bringing something special to our respective customers. Whether you visit the sale today or not, please know that we will continue to celebrate the contributions of our LGBT employees and vendor partners and to support their events wherever we can. As always, thank you for engaging with us, today and every day.”

Fashion Magazine ELLE which has also been following GILT’s Frifay’s boycott remarks on Facebook noted what happened  after Lyon’s statement :

“As this post went live, 32 comments followed, including: “BS – your excuses are as feeble as Target’s…….business plans change daily at every company and you could have revistied your partnership. how stupid do you think we are???”    “Shopping the Groupe today is not shopping “Gilt” free. Social action and change stems from the idea that none of us are too far removed to stop injustice.  ” “So basically it’s monetary gain before ethics since you’ve already put time into the sale with Target.   Shame on you. Your words are meaningless If your actions don’t reflect them. You were better to keep your mouth shut and just keep using the gay community to your benefit than shine such a garish light on your hypocrisy.”

Once upon a time in the business word doing what was RIGHT for and by your customers and caring about thier needs and wants was the bottom line was  how a comapny made profits and became successful. 

As for Susan Lyon and GILT her statement might as well read:  “We have such pretty, nice things to sell at good prices, so you will not be able to resist buying something that came from Target, since you are shallow and gullible.”

You know what I say. 

FUCK EM BOTH!  FUCK TARGET!  FUCK GILT! AND FUCK ANYONE THAT DOES BUSINESS WITH TARGET OR ANY COMPANY THAT CARES MORE ABOUT ITS PROFITS THAN THE RIGHTS OF HUMAN BEINGS!

There are many many designers, stores, shopping websites, and small businesses that could benefit from our money that care about thier customers, human rights, and the world we live in.

Yesterday The Human Rights Campaign Said It Was Too Hard To Change "TARGETS" Corporate Equality Index. Today They Changed It. – OY GAVALT!

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So we all know that before TARGET’s  pro-business/anti-gay political donation came to light.  (The last one, that is.  Not the many before it we only found out AFTER the last one.) We all know that HRC’s Corporate Equality Index had rated TARGET at 100 Percent LGBT Friendly even AFTER 2 weeks of meetings with the  HRC and TARGET refusing to make mathing pro-gay political contribution to offset it negatiove one “to make it right.

Yesterday Michelangelo Signorile talked to HRC spokesidiot Fred Sainz about why HRC has not changed it’s Corporate Equality Index score for the company. Nor why HRC was traking a non-position position on a  boycott of the retailer.

Signorile: HRC does tell people to shop at equality-friendly businesses, even has an app that is devoted to that.
Sainz: That is true.
Signorile: Okay, so the equality-friendly businesses are those that score high on the Corporate Equality Index.
Sainz: That is true…
Signorile: So right now, at this moment, Target still has a 100, and that means that’s a good place to shop.

Sainz igoes on to say that The HRC doesn’t want to make a “knee jerk” reaction to Target’s political donations. Typical HRC.  Stupid because  it’s VERY difficult to see how responding to the corporation’s $150,000 donation to a PAC that’s seeking to elect an anti-gay candidate by at least deleting the relevant 15 points from the CEI score is a rash decision and that it’s just too complicated to change the Index right now.  (And probably because HRC won’t do anything until they’ve evaluated how it affects their bottom line and, especially, Miss Joe’s salary.)

Well cut to today and 24 hours after alot of pissed off LGBT’ers have called HRC out for beiung the shittiest Gay Rights Org in the Universe and VIOLA!  HRC issues the following response in which they state that both Target and Best Buy will be removed from their list. 

Now HRC was that so fucking hard?

** Read HRC’s  “squirmy response” about removing Target and Best Buy from the Index after the jump

The recent political contributions by Target and Best Buy are cause for reflection on the criteria used for future editions of the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). While considering all of this, it’s important to keep in mind that the CEI has made a tremendous impact in the real lives of LGBT people in large part because it has been a predictable and transparent roadmap for companies to institute fair workplace policies. Instead of making capricious decisions about scoring criteria, we believe that a responsible consideration of all of the facts is the smartest way to move forward.

Already complicated, the Citizens United decision has made campaign finance issues even more complex. HRC is thoughtfully studying the many ramifications of political giving by companies in this new reality. The CEI, upon which the Buyer’s Guide is based, was completed in June 2009. Under that set of criteria, both Target and Best Buy scored 100 percent. The Buyer’s Guide available on our website was released in November 2009 and is representative of the information known to us at the time. Because we understand the impact of leaving Target and Best Buy on the various products associated with the Buyer’s Guide, both companies will soon be removed from it. HRC will not encourage people to shop at either store and believes that consumers should make their own decisions after careful consideration of all of the information available to them.

"Attention Target Shoppers…."Queer Rising Infiltrates Madison WI Target And Makes "Bigot Specials" Announcements (Video)

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Queer Rising infiltrated a Target in Madison, WI and gave out “Bigotry Coupons” and made “Special Bigot Sale”customer service announcement much to the chargrin of the store manager who looks like Ilse, She Devil of the Nazi’s and sounds like Frances McNormands character from “Fargo”

NBC and MSNBC Will Not Air MoveOn.org’s "Boycott Target’ Ad Citing "Controversial Issue Advertising Policy" And Has Absolutely Nothiong To Do With Biting The Hand That Feeds Them. (Video)

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MSNBC and its parent, General Electric, has released a statement refusing to air MoveOn.org’s ad calling for a boycott of Target, stating the spot doesn’t ‘comply with NBC’s ‘Controversial Issue Advertising policy”

MoveOn.org had purchased a week of airtime in Minneapolis and nationally on MSNBC and Tten Parent MSNBC pulled the ad “because the ad is a direct attack on an individual business.’ While in fact, the ad referenced ‘Target and other corporations.

I am sure that NBC’s decison has nothing to do with th fact that TARGET spends MILLIONS of dollars a year in advertising on its stations.  Besides NBC’s commercial time is all filled up with BP propaganda commercials. 

Way to show Integrity NBC!  Maybe Rachel maddow and Keith Obermnan should do a story on this?