Blogs Jul 26, 2010 at 10:04 am

Comments

1
I'm designing my poster as I type. "Target to Gay People: Fuck You!"
2
Doesn't Target carry clothing of mixed blends which is also disgusting to the Lord Jesus? And the wearing of such filth is worse than raping the baby Jesus while Mary and Joseph are foced to watch?
3
don't take away my target. :cry:

really, is there ANYTHING that isn't at least remotely linked to something bad at this point? is it even worth trying to keep up? unless they are slaughtering kittens in the front window display, i just give up.
4
Lord, remember when Target was the "blue" alternative to Wal-mart?

(Honestly, drawing the connection to Bradlee Dean is a little tenuous, but whatever: Emmer is hateful enough on his own merits, and nobody who wants my business should be shoveling money into his personal PAC.)
5
I agree with @3. I'm pretty sure most companies - especially large ones like Target - are going to have some money that goes somewhere that someone else doesn't like. And I would be suspicious that Target, being a big business, probably donated the money more out of a concern about the economic side of politics rather than the social side.
6
@3 You can shop at Home Depot:
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/07/afa…
And you can shop at Costco:
http://www.seattlepi.com/business/182915…

Hit them where it hurts, by boycotting the companies that donate to haters. They listen to that.
8
Target Corporation used to be called the Dayton Hudson Corporation. Back in the 1940s, the Dayton clan produced one Mark Dayton, the Democratic junior Senator from MN from 2001-7, and a current candidate for Governor.

So, just to make sure everyone's clear on that, Target Corporation is supporting the presumptive Republican candidate for MN Governor over the great-grandson of its founder, or any other Democrats.

Oh yeah, and it's going to be like 100ยบF here in MInneapolis tomorrow. I can't wait to get back to the friggin' west coast later this week.
7
Target pharmacies also allow their employees to refuse to fill birth control and other contraception prescriptions on the basis of their personal beliefs, without a mechanism in place to make sure the script is filled quickly by someone else. You'd likely be trucking your unhappy, don't-wanna-be-preggo ass across town, or having to find another pharmacy.
9
Target has been on my "boycott list" for several years. Their birth control pharmacy rules are definitely NOT woman-friendly. (Even K-Mart requires that all legal prescriptions be filled. A specific pharmacist may refuse, but then a different pharmacist must complete the transaction. If noone else is available, the 1st pharmacist must give you your legal medication). But Target says that their pharmacists are welcome to deny any prescriptions. Boo!

It's been sad, as I had really enjoyed shopping there, but honestly, my life has been fine (and Target-free) for 5 years.
10
@9, exactly. Target's right-wing affiliations aren't news. Neither are @6's recommendations for Home Despot and Costco.
11
@6: Yeah, just ask Rev. Ken Hutch how effective boycotts are, he'll tell ya! He starts up a new one every six months or so, any time a company doesn't take any available opportunity to denounce gays.

And isn't that a picture of Jason Mewes in the middle there? (I tried looking up this band to see if that's one of the members, but stopped caring when during my search I found that they don't even have an entry in Wikipedia--that's how little anyone cares about them.)
12
Yeah, Target are total fuckholes. In addition to this nonsense, and the absolutely irresponsible pharmacy policy, they have union-busting training for their low-level managers. Sure, they're one step up from Walmart, but one step up from the devil is still a fucking demon.
13
I went to the Target near me a few months ago and noticed a couple of guys just ahead of me who were holding hands. Normally I'm not in favor of eavesdropping, but I overheard enough of their conversation to get that they were looking for furniture for the place they were sharing.

At the time I felt happy that, even where I live, two people of the same gender felt comfortable being openly affectionate. It was clear that they were a couple and they not only didn't feel a need to hide the fact, they were downright casual about it.

I mention this solely because I hope Target's management will bear in mind that, however indirectly, they're attacking some of their own customers.
14
Where does Kevin Bacon fit into all this?
15
Is there any chance that this might just be poor research on their part?

Not that that would make it much better... but maybe a little better?
16
I live in SF and am freakin tired of having to drive out of the city to get anything reasonably priced without having to buy a gross of the commodity. SF has very little chain stores and it is very hard for those who barely are making it by month to month in the city of SF that need a Target. I welcome the hate as I have always gotten it from San Franciscans since I was born here so what difference does it make if it is a corporation or a peer in High School who fag bashes and extorts $$$ from you....I welcome the Target at the Metreon and the old Sears location. Besides it will give close to 500 people jobs at each location, that do not have them currently. There will always be haters in all shape and sizes. Skinny Queens that hate fat queens and so on. As Cyndi Lauper taught me - do not hate the haters...I will be frirst in Line and then when done - stop shopping & join the protest. Bwahahahahahahaha
17
The connection between Target and Bradlee Dean is tenuous, at best: Tom Emmer's camp donated something like $250 back in 2006 to Dean, and it in no way related to his support of Dean's comment about Muslim countries executing LGBTs.

The propaganda? Silly. What I care about, and what should be focused on, are the direct links between Target, Minnesota Forward, and Tom Emmer.

Target has already released statements that conform with its "our donations are only based on economic benefits" corporate policies, but those policies don't jive with their "corporate responsibility" platform. THAT is what we should be concerned about: asking Target to change their policies so this doesn't happen again.

(Yeah, I researched the hell out of this. I've also posted an open letter and call to action on my website. This is serious stuff, even without the extreme band crap.)
18
There is an awesome letter written by a Seattle woman on her blog addressing the actual company policy and the hypocrisy involved in Target's contributions to Tom Emmer. You can also send a version of the letter with your comments added directly to Target from her blog post. I highly suggest doing it. Power in numbers!

http://www.awakenedaesthetic.com/2010/07…
19
...and I'm a little disappointed that Dan Savage chose to repost misleading information instead of facts we can work with. It just makes it easier for anti-gay assholes to refute our belief in civil rights!
20
Sketch: It's not poor research. Target has already released a statement saying that their donations are made based solely on the politician's economic policies - basically, whether those politicians will institute laws that will benefit the company's bottom line.

I have no problem with focusing money - they ARE a business - but they can't play both sides of the fence by publicly supporting gay rights in superficial ways, then handing money to an anti-gay politician.
21
...And there's the Seattle woman now.

To commenter #3, spoiler alert, regarding:

"really, is there ANYTHING that isn't at least remotely linked to something bad at this point? is it even worth trying to keep up?"

How much do you value respect? Would you like some? Would you like -any-? Then I would go ahead and do your best to "keep up." The only way to destroy the existence of this kind of shit is to continue to push back. You want to stop pushing back, go ahead, but please feel a -little bit- bad when you enjoy any of the freedom and respect that the rest of us earn for you.
22
People with certainly protest this store opening, but just like Target's campaign donations, it'll be 100% based on personal interest on nothing to do with human decency.
23
@17-21: thank you. Your over-earnestness has cured me of the unrelenting constipation I've suffered for the past week. Reading your posts as a whole compelled me to void my bowels almost instantaneously.

Thank you *so* much for the freedom you *earned* for me... and by freedom, of course, I mean freedom from not being able to shit.
24
I'm inclined to think Target wasn't aware of where that money was going to, but they may reconsider further contributions once they find out about this.

As for that asshole Bradlee Dean he is not a follower of Christ teaching. Jesus said " Love one another as I have loved you" not "Love one another with the following exceptions."

As someone who was raised Christian ( I gave up Catholicism for Lent) I am sick of these narrow minded bigots claiming to be Christians when they don't even know the meaning of the word.
25
I like Target, always have.
Target is a great store and also supports the local community in return.
Have a hard time believing any of this garbage you're trying to attach to Target, so I'm going to continue to like Target and continue to shop there.

I like Tom Emmer (Conservative).

I've met Tom Emmer and I know him to be a good and decent person. Sounds like you're trying to tie some garbage to him as well. Well, I'm not buying that either.

Looks like Target is looking out for the business and the employees, buy supporting politicians that support and understand how their actions and laws have a direct impact on business and citizens.

Looks like Target is supporting Tom Emmer and not supporting Mark Dayton. Mark Dayton has a family link to the original owners of Target. I think Target knows who supports reasonable taxation for business and who doesn't. Mark Dayton and all of the other Democrats running for Gov. have stated they support raising taxes. Raising taxes hurts business and reduces the number of employees. Tom Emmer supports reasonable taxation and reasonable government. The Democrats have been supporting more and more and more government. Which we can't afford.

If politicians (Democrats) continue to set up businesses for failure, then we all fail. Hense, the destructive path and other situations we've been seeing our country heading towards.

If you love this country, vote conservative. Vote Republican. Support Tom Emmer. Vote for Tom Emmer.
26
"CommonSensibility"

So you have a hard time believing Target is making financial contributions to a fund that supports an anit-gay politician, or indeed that the politician is anti-gay in the first place (because youโ€™ve met him?)...and yet both things are demonstrably factual.

Truly, you are a good conservative republican.
27
I recently sent this email to all top executives at Target:

"I wanted to let you know how unsatisfactory Target's corporate response has been to the outrage regarding your contribution to the religious ultra-right. No amount of awards for simply not persecuting your LGBT staff members can offset this irresponsible act. To assume that not one of the other three candidates would support business and economic growth is absurd and no rational person will except this excuse. Spending profits gained from purchases by LGBT customers (and their friends and extended family members who love them, like myself) to attempt to deny these same people equal protection under the law for their families, is despicable. Either do better or stay out of the political arena... it's the only ethical choice.


Since hearing about what you have done, I have stopped shopping at Target which in the past has been my favorite store. I have spent thousands over the last decade and contributed to your success. It sickens me that you have chosen to use my hard-earned money to hurt this persecuted and misunderstood community. I am, on my own, circulating a pledge to boycott Target until you make concrete amends to those you have harmed (saying "we're so sorry" or "we'll talk about it" is not enough). It's the young (who in the vast majority accept gay people and have openly gay friends) and people with money to spend (gay people have more discretionary income than almost any other group) who buy from you. Most families have a gay family member and some even love them. I hope you can see what an 'anti-business' move it was (at least for you) to support those who hate gay people and want to oppress them.

In case it is of interest to you I am a devout Christian so don't assume your only criticism comes from the gay community and/or people who are not deeply religious. Bigotry has no place in today's world and I, for one, will not tolerate it in any form. We are either "one" or we are nothing. Support diversity and stop financially supporting those who don't.

Please clarify your ethics statement if you continue to choose to support homophobic or other types of bigoted candidates so that your customers will know about it ...Please add the following for clarification of your corporate identity...

"Target doesn't allow discrimination in any form. However, Target will lend significant financial support to those who do, whether they are racists or some other type of bigot, simply because they call themselves 'pro-business.' Target will not take responsibility for our actions in any concrete manner and will use awards given to us for simply not persecuting or LBGT staff members as 'proof' that we really are good folks after all... (so please keep spending your money here so we can keep supporting America's own special homegrown Taliban... the ultra-right religious fundamentalists."

Kathleen M. Lake, M.A.

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