Homo Depot?

[FreeState]

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid89386.asp

It's no coincidence that many gays and lesbians are often spotted at Home Depot -- a new study finds that gay homeowners are continuing to spend oodles of money on home-improvement projects.

The study -- conducted in March by Chicago-based research agency Socratic Technologies and LGBT marketing agency Target 10 -- found that gay shoppers spend almost twice as much on home-improvement items at stores like Home Depot and Lowe's compared to straight peers, with 63% of gay couples saying they plan on starting new home-improvement projects in the next 12 months.

Gay couples who participated in the survey also said they intend, on average, to spend $2,077 on home improvements within the next year, while straight couples intend to spend only $1,384. The study also found that gay couples are not scrimping during the recession and intend to purchase products from high-end brands like Viking, Sub-Zero, Jenn-Air, and Miele. Thirty-four percent of gay homeowners reported that they plan to replace a kitchen appliance in the coming year.

Not something most of us did not already know - I wont even begin to say how much we have spent in the last year - but its much higher than the average...

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. OMG -- we spend SOOOOO much money there

Our house is a total fixer-upper, and we're (me) doing it all ourselves.

[FreeState]

6. We do too... it helps that my partner worked for them for 10 years

setting up Expo's (that are now sadly closed). We are there almost every other week. That and the garden department tend to be a huge draw for us :)

[TommyO]

7. We're in the same boat

The house isn't all that old, but has suffered from a bit of neglect over the past 12 years, so this year it's new outdoor stain, new outdoor lighting, new outdoor furniture (found a great set at Costco and it's now on the patio), and a whole lot more. We're not going extravagant on anything, but good, sturdy and workable, with just a bit of style.

Next year, it's the kitchen, and I'm getting a new induction range come hell, high-water, or more taxes!

[LostinVA]

24. I'm getting a new induction range

I am so jealous!!!

:cry:

[TommyO]

25. I love cooking with induction!

A former co-worker had a Cooktek induction hob, single burner, that he brought in to make breakfasts for special occasions. It was my first introduction to the technology and I was hooked. Since I couldn't justify spending that much for a single burner, I bought a much less expensive Sunpentown single hob unit, and still use it to this day.

Now that Sears is offering a stand-alone range (built by Electrolux) that will run on a standard 50-amp circuit, if nothing else, I'll replace the range next year.

I can't wait!

[David Zephyr]

2. Home Depot is an awful company.

While I prefer shopping stores, of the two big "home improvement companies", I think Lowes is a better company and has better policies.

In Palm Springs (gay city), we have Lowes and Home Depot both filled with GLBT employees, but our local ACE Hardward Store is where we shop with our gay dollars.

[FreeState]

5. The problem with Lowes is they dont carry standard brands

they are getting better but if you speck out a standard grout color good luck finding it. Lowes is any Interior Designers nightmare...

[izquierdista]

16. What do you mean, nonstandard?

According to their philosophy, if it's not made in China, you don't need it.

[FreeState]

18. Colors and dyes or even sizes of brackets etc are/were likely to be off at Lowes

its gotten a lot better lately but unfortunately they started off offering products that were not standards used by designers - for example if you specify "bone" for a grout color it will not be what is usually refereed to at nearly all the other stores as bone.

[izquierdista]

15. The one across from the high school?

It does have an alternative lifestyle ambiance about it.

[bluestateguy]

3. Don't gays tend to have higher levels of disposable income?

Since few gay couples are raising children, it would seem that there would be a lot of DINK households (double income no kids).

[SoCalNative]

8. Actually a LOT of gay and lesbian couples are raising children

either from previous marriages, adoption, or surrogate/in-vitro

[FreeState]

9. Not as much as most people think - GLBT persons make on average .77 per the 1.00 their counterparts

make - so there is less to begin with - however yes I imagine some gays have much higher disposable income than straights but on average GLBT persons from recent studies are more likely to live in poverty than their married straight counterparts.


http://www.gaypeopleschronicle.com/stories09/march/0327093.htm

Boston--“The myth of gay and lesbian affluence is just that--a myth,” says a study published March 20 by the Williams Institute.

The study, titled “Poverty in the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community” is not the first to challenge the myth of gay and lesbian affluence. But it is the most complete, and the first to use actual census data and other well-regarded studies to track family growth and health indicators.

It is also the first to analyze the causes and consequences of poverty among gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

“Lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals are as likely to be poor as are heterosexuals, while gay and lesbian couple households, after adjusting for the factors that help explain poverty, are more likely to be poor than married heterosexual couple households,” the study says.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. Yeah, I wish

[imdjh]

13. Not really, but since we all gave up cocaine, cigarettes, and meat our cost of living is lower. nt

[LeftyMom]

4. Does my Meile vacuum mean I'm...

Oh dear, and I thought I dodged that particular bullet when I got my Saturn wagon instead of the Subie.

[FreeState]

10. LOL - I have a Meile too and LOVE IT :) n/t

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

14. I had a coworker who didn't know rainbows were gay and stuck one on her Subie

She was like, "gay women keep waving at me driving around town."

So to fuck around with her, I used to stick a rainbow button on her purse constantly. Sometimes it'd be there for like a week before she noticed.

I miss her, she fucking rocked.

[Chovexani]

22. That might be the gayest thing ever

[imdjh]

11. I bought a toilet flapper yesterday, and I'm going out to get some cupboard shelves tonight. nt

[keepCAblue]

17. Home Depot Founder: Non-GOP donors should be shot.

We stopped giving our money to HD when we learned they were one of the biggest donors to Bush' and other GOP politicians' campaigns. This little gem, uttered last year during the presidential campaign by HD founder Bernie Marcus pretty much sealed the deal for us -- we will never shop at HD again. Ever.

Bernie Marcus, one of the founders of Home Depot, has the blogosphere all atwitter over remarks he made on a conference call Monday. From Tom Frank of The Wall Street Journal:

If a retailer has not gotten involved with this, if he has not spent money on this election, if he has not sent money to Norm Coleman and these other guys," Mr. Marcus said, apparently referring to Republican senators facing tough re-election fights, then those retailers "should be shot; should be thrown out of their goddamn jobs."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/19/home-depot-founder-retail_n_144863.html

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2008/11/19/home-depot-founder-non-gop-donors-should-be-shot/

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1600 :

Bush’s appearance at the home improvement behemoth has left the locals a bit baffled. On Wednesday, The Sun in Baltimore ran a story on the president’s upcoming visit to the town of 20,000 in southwest Baltimore County. Titled "A Presidential Mystery," the article confirmed Bush’s itinerary but concluded that "nobody seems to know why" he’s going to Halethorpe’s Home Depot.

Research by Public Citizen suggests the president’s visit is yet another way to reward the nation’s second-largest retailer for its generosity to the Bush campaign and the Republican Party. Home Depot employees and their families have given $1.5 million to the GOP since 1999, according to data provided to Public Citizen by the Center for Responsive Politics.

During that time, no candidate has benefited from Home Depot’s largesse more than Bush. The total includes $907,950 in mostly "soft money" donations to the Republican National Committee before such giving was outlawed by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). So far this year, Home Depot employees and the company political action committee have contributed $31,000 to the 2004 Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

[konnichi wa]

19. We spent twelve grand on home improvements this year so far...

some of the money was for tractor attachments. We enjoy operating heavy machinery. :D

on edit...we buy from Lowes mostly but also from Northern Hydraulics

:-)

[madrchsod]

20. i`ll never step foot in home depot

why would i shop at a company those founder is advocating the killing democratic contributors?

[Chovexani]

21. Suzanne Westenhoffer

Has some hilarious bits in her standup on this.

My ex used to drag me there ALL THE TIME, no joke. It was like Disneyland to her.

[LeftHander]

23. Don't forget....Down Lowes.....lol....

Just bought a house this early spring and my partner and I find ourselves at Lowes frequently.