Retailers Are Put on the Spot Over Anti-Gay Aid

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

The culture war over gay rights has entered the impersonal world of e-commerce.

A handful of advocates, armed with nothing more than their keyboards, have put many of the country’s largest retailers, including Apple, Microsoft, Netflix and Wal-Mart, on the spot over their indirect and, until recently, unnoticed roles in funneling money to Christian groups that are vocal in opposing homosexuality.

The advocates are demanding that the retailers end their association with an Internet marketer that gets a commission from the retailers for each online customer it gives them. It is a routine arrangement on hundreds of e-commerce sites, but with a twist here: a share of the commission that retailers pay is donated to a Christian charity of the buyer’s choice, from a list that includes prominent conservative evangelical groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family.

The marketer and the Christian groups are fighting back, saying that the hundred or so companies that have dropped the marketer were misled and that the charities are being slandered for their religious beliefs.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/companies-get-gay-rights-heat-over-christian-donations.html?_r=1&hp

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[David Sky]

2. This is just incredibly stupid of the retailers and the Christian groups:

"Close to 100 companies have left the charity arrangement, though most refuse to discuss the matter. These have become the objects, in turn, of a countercampaign from the Christian groups — “Please Don’t Discriminate Against My Faith” is the heading of a sample letter — and of high-level entreaties from Mr. Huckabee and other Christian leaders."

Of course the Christians think it's perfectly alright to discriminate against gay people, but they don't like it when the economic shoe is on the other foot!!! Idiots! Discrimination is JUST FINE for THEM to do, denying people rights, waging a religious war against gay folks in the political realm, that's just FINE, they think?

I say we should shut down ANY group (religious or otherwise) that preaches or advocates discrimination, period!

[izquierdista]

3. They'll have another letter next month

"Please DO Discriminate Against That There Muslim Faith"

[No Elephants]

7. These religious groups (and Huckabee) need to be more honest.

Declining to direct your dollars to people with an anti-gay agenda is not discriminating against anyone's faith.

It's simply declining to support bigotry, as when people stopped investing in South African concerns.

It's YOUR bigotry. YOU support it. Nothing unfair about that.

[David Sky]

18. Well stated, n/t

[Kurmudgeon]

40. And as a Christian who would NEVER vote for these right wingers, please don't put me with them.

The bashing of a complete faith over the actions of one sect, large and power worshiping as that sect is, isn't accurate.

[donquijoterocket]

51. that would

be much easier for a lot of people to do if somebody with the courage, convictions, and credentials of the larger Christian community ever spoke out against these groups and their actions. National Council of Churches would be a good start or the national leadership of one of the major denominations would work also, Or even just more people like yourself especially if you got organized to the point where your message was loud and clear.

[kenfrequed]

55. Indeed

I see a lot of Christians that take offense to every time I bring up the problems of Christian fundamentalists. Would that those offended actually loudly stand up to fundamentalists rather than quietly sit back and defend against the awful spectre of atheism.

[Enthusiast]

41. Exactly...........nt

[Major Nikon]

58. Being tolerant does not require you to tolerate intolerance

nt

[Dogtown]

4. K&R n/t

[Maraya1969]

5. These Christian groups are sending an email with the following title.

“Please Don’t Discriminate Against My Faith”

Well what if your faith is The Taliban? What if your faith tells you to kill everyone that is not of your faith? Sure, your faith just tells you just to discriminate and judge an entire group of people but we can't take the chance of letting religious groups dictating social policy because we've seen first hand how dangerous it can be.

The sarcasm button is on, I think.

[rurallib]

33. They claim ateism is a religion. Can they get a hunk of the pie?

[Kurmudgeon]

42. When you start out debating "what if", you're not really debating accurately.

It's actually a variation of the Straw Man tactic.
When you bash all, you drive some to the right wing. No one here should want that.
Christ said and God's Law says, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself"
and "Judge Not Unless you be Judged yourself"
Christ has already said flat out, people as you describe, He won't recognize.

[louslobbs]

54. +1

Lou

[sakabatou]

47. Don discriminate against my faith, but we will discriminate about your orientation

Fucking double-standard bastards.

[No Elephants]

6. Where to begin?

First, what the hell has happened to the NYT? "Retailers Are Put on the Spot Over Anti-Gay Aid"


No bias there.

:sarcasm:

How about something like "Retailers' Aid of Anti-Gay Organizataions Exposed."

Second, what the hell has happened toTarget, which used to be a blue enterprise?

"A few companies that briefly left the network have been persuaded to rejoin, including Delta, PetSmart, Sam’s Club, Target and Wal-Mart."

Third, nothing, but nothing, is "slanderous" if it's true. Unflattering, maybe. Uncomfortable, maybe. "Slanderous" is a lie, though.

Fourth, "destroying a business?" Since when is buying where you wish to buy, and only where you wish to buy, evil?

Firth, if your business depends on directing money to anti-gay organizations and your clientele does not like that, maybe you should re-think.

I do not wish bigots well.

ETA I hope you all saw the names of the businesses that were persuaded to re-join. I just bolded them. You know what to do, right?

[yardwork]

8. I just took my PetSmart frequent buyer card off my key ring and threw it away.

[No Elephants]

12. Quick. Retrieve it and mail it to them.

[Pacifist Patriot]

10. Oh, to be able to rec a response.

[No Elephants]

13. Thank you, Pacifist Patriot.

Coming from you, that's a real, and humbling, honor.

I appreciate it.

[patrice]

23. ALWAYS a good question: Why these particular words, in this particular syntax???

Of the many, many millions of ways any given thing can be stated, of all of the choices available, WHY this one? - is a good QUESTION to BEGIN with.

[Quantess]

30. No kidding!

I thought the article had a whiny tone, biased toward the big businesses, myself.

[geardaddy]

49. I'm not sure Target was ever a blue organization.

Maybe back when it was part of Dayton's it was.

[JTFrog]

9. .

[zalinda]

34. Love the sign

and am copying it and posting it on my front door. Now, if I can only get one for those guys selling energy.

zalinda

[AlbertCat]

11. the charities are being slandered for their religious beliefs.

So?

If your religious beliefs are crap, then you deserve to get slandered. Would you donate to a religious group that still burned witches? What if it went to those dreaded Muslims???!!!!

Just because a belief is religious doesn't make it OK and beyond criticism. Religious people are just gonna have to get over the fact that the heretofore (and undeserved) immunity to criticism religion has enjoyed for centuries is on the way out and hopefully will be over soon.

[No Elephants]

15. No, they aren't being slandered for ANYthing, unless someone is lying about them.

Truth is never slanderous.

[AlbertCat]

16. Truth is never slanderous.

Indeed.

Words have meanings.

Now the question is why the religious groups are so ashamed of their positions that they slander those who point them out.

[EFerrari]

28. Focus on the Family and Family Research Council are hate groups. n/t

[AlbertCat]

29. Focus on the Family and Family Research Council are hate groups.

Yeah.... religious hate groups. They claim authority from the Bible and religion.

[mwooldri]

59. Family Research Council is on SPLC's hate group list.

Here's your linkety link:

http://splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/family-research-council

As for "Focus" on the "Family", SPLC quotes their founder in their description of what they term to be an "anti-gay" hate group - link: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/anti-gay - but they do not go all out and say Fotf is an anti-gay hate group. Yet.

[newspeak]

35. why should I buy from any of these companies

who will give money to these churches and the churches will in turn spend millions to defeat any legislation that has to do with equal rights for gays? Also, if they are giving money to these churches, as a woman, they're probably aiding in harming my reproductive rights.

[Politicalboi]

52. Would you donate to a religious group that still burned witches?

It is called SarhaPac. They do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN7hJDS26rI

[Zorra]

14. Bigotry is a lifestyle choice. Someone needs to call a waaambulance.

Apparently, "faith based" bigotry is coming under attack.

So not sorry.

Poor little bigots are losing money because of their bigotry.

[queerart]

46. "Bigotry is a lifestyle choice".......

I am soooo going to lift that line... (I hope I have your permission)....


What a great twist on words for the haters........

[stlsaxman]

63. "Bigotry is a lifestyle choice"!!!

zing!

[patrice]

17. The Internet is a PUBLIC resource. Bigotry is an abuse of OUR investments in it.

All One! That's my belief and there are many like me.

[David Sky]

19. Delta, PetSmart, Sam’s Club, Target and Wal-Mart.

"A few companies that briefly left the network have been persuaded to rejoin, including Delta, PetSmart, Sam’s Club, Target and Wal-Mart."

Let's get busy making this better known in the GLTB and straight press, radio/TV and internet media!

[LynneSin]

36. Damnit, I love Target

But I don't need it.

Most of the stuff I find there I can get in a grocery store, including my pet food.

[David Sky]

20. Self deleted duplicate post. (How did that happen? I don't know)

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Don't support bigotry.

it's as simple as that.

[sarcasmo]

26. +1

[No Elephants]

22. Customer Relations contact info for the companies named as RE-joining:

Target, sadly once known for its "blue" policies'

http://contacthelp.com/directory/Shopping/Home+and+Garden/Target?ListingID=63

Walmart, always known for its "red" policies http://walmartstores.com/7663.aspx

Delta http://www.delta.com/help/contact_us/support_services/customer_care_offices/index.jsp

No, Delta, you are not "just flying planes." You are directing your money (which is your customers' money, really) to someone who directs your money to bigots. Own it and deal with it.


Petsmart http://help.petsmart.com/contact-us/


Sam's Club http://www.contacthelp.com/directory/Sam%27s+Club?ListingID=61


You know what to do, correct?

[EFerrari]

27. @PetSmart, @Target, @NetFlix, @SamsClub, fyi. n/t

[EFerrari]

24. Please rec & tweet this story at the link and get friends to join you.

[sarcasmo]

25. Tax religious stupidity, no more tax free religious groups. I can just imagine

what focus on the family takes in tax free to promote hate.

[Shining Jack]

32. +1

[patrice]

38. Why do I have to support their right to believe whatever, but they don't have to even respect my

right to believe what I believe?

Tax them!

[Solly Mack]

31. k/r

[SoapBox]

37. It never fails to amaze me...they want the homo's money but after the sale...

...they give you the finger!

I'm sick of these asshole companies, always trying to put a knife in my back, when my back is turned.

I'm an AMERICAN...STOP IT!

[David Sky]

56. Nice post! Thanks! n't

[Kurmudgeon]

39. They should call them Right Wing Christian groups, other Christians follow Christ's teachings more

[patrice]

43. Thank Good -ness!!

[Tumbulu]

45. Wrong Wing

Until they stop having the upper hand of being synonymous with correct we will always have an uphill battle.

They are wrong, period.

[queerart]

44. Lets Keep It All In Focus......

The companies are funneling money to "certified hate groups"........


... and lets not leave out Pay Pal..... (however, I think they have been cleaning house as of late)....


<snip>LaBarbera insists his anti-gay rhetoric doesn’t violate PayPal’s rules because unlike Muslims, he claims, AFTAH doesn’t overtly call for the executions of homosexuals.<snip>

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/09/advocacy-group-petitions-paypal-to-shut-down-account-of-anti-gay-labarbera/


The country has woken up to you hating fuckers..... a :hi: to the Christian Terrorists reading this thread.....


http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/david-katos-death-a-result-of-hatred-planted-by-us-evangelicals/media/2011/01/27/17015


American Christian Terrorist Exports Hate Around The World

http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2010/01/5789/


... and who could leave out the Ugandan First Lady???

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/wikileaks-ugandan-first-lady-behind-kill-the-gays-bill.html


Some will hate you publicly... while others smile, and hate you privately..... but never confuse the fact, that both groups despise you with equal intensity....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miULdI-qocg

[benld74]

48. Religious beliefs my 55 year ol ARSE!!!!!

[Initech]

50. I refuse to eat Chik-Fil-A for this very reason.

[louslobbs]

53. K&R n/t

Lou

[David Sky]

57. How about we fight back? Have donations to ACLU, or Amnesty, or GLADD.. added to..

these companies' lists!

[UrbScotty]

60. First things first, NYT: 'Christian' is not the best word to describe them.

Not to judge them or anything, but hatred of God's people is not Christ-like.

"God Is Love." Ever heard of that?

[Heywood J]

61. Is there a more comprehensive list of companies which donate to

or otherwise support nefarious causes, have horrible business practices, or donate Republican (but I repeat myself)?

[Heywood J]

62. Further down, it gets smarmy.

He said CGBG focused on Christian consumers and marketing through large organizations like Focus on the Family because it saw an untapped commercial opportunity.

Money-changing in the temple - another huge untapped commercial opportunity.

Mr. Huckabee said it was offensive to apply the “hate group” label to organizations that are legal, peaceful and promote biblical values.

What about the Biblical values like slavery, witch-burning, torture, stoning, and genocide? Do they just forget about those?

[Honeycombe8]

64. Why didn't the advocates object to this before? I mean, the Christian groups are also anti-choice,

anti-feminism, and anti a lot of things. So it was okay then?

[Oceansaway]

65. K&R...n/t

[patrice]

66. K&R for a new place to spend Zoe's food budget each month.

Will keep you posted.