Target Responds

So, Target has been in the news lately and on this blog a couple of times [HERE and HERE] for their $150,000 donation to Political Action Committee [PAC] called Minnesota Forward.

Minnesota Forward took some of that money and gave it to Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tom Emmer, who is virulently anti-gay.

Bad enough, right?

But then comes news that Emmer donated some of his money to a "Christian" rock band, fronted by one Bradlee Dean, who believes that killing gay people is the moral thing to do.

So, if you follow the money, it goes from Target to Dean, and stops in anti-gay candidate's coffers along the way, but Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel announced that Target's support of the LGBT community is "unwavering".

Really, Target? Really?

So, naturally I got a little angry and wrote a letter to Target corporate headquarters and, lo and behold, yesterday I received a response:

Dear Robert *******,
Target has long believed that engaging in civic activities is an important and necessary element of operating a national retail business. What's more important than any one candidate's stance on a particular issue is how we nurture thoughtful, long-term growth in the state of Minnesota.
To continue to grow and create jobs and opportunity in our home state, we believe it is imperative to be engaged in public policy and the political process. That is why we are members of organizations like the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Chamber of Commerce and many others. And that is why we decided to contribute to MN Forward.
MN Forward's objective is to elect candidates from both parties who will make job creation and economic growth a top priority. We operate best when working collaboratively with legislators on both sides of the aisle. In fact, if you look at our Federal PAC contributions year to date, you will see that they are very balanced between Republicans and Democrats. For more information please visit www.target.com/company, and view the Civic Activity page.
Target has a large stake in Minnesota's future, which is why it is so important to be able to provide jobs, serve guests, support communities and deliver on our commitment to shareholders. As an international business that is proud to call Minnesota home, it is critical that we have a business environment that allows us to be competitive. Our guests, team members, communities and shareholders depend on Target to remain competitive.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hanson
Target Executive
Offices
guest.relations@target.com

Interesting, no? Espeicially since Ms. Hanson, like Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel, never actually addreses the issue at hand: Target's money going directly into the hands of anti-gay politicians. So, I decided to write back

Dear Ms. Hanson,
I understand that target is free to donate money to any organization, or political candidate, or party, of its choosing. My problem, however, is that, as a gay man, when I see you giving money to a PAC that then funds an openly anti-gay politician, who then uses his money, and his praise, on a group that wants to "Kill The Gays" it leads me to question Target's alleged unwavering support for the LGBT community.
You say you want to do what is best for Target and your employees and your stores, but what about doing just what's best? What's right? What's equal? What's fair? You believe that "more important than any one candidate's stance on a particular issue is how we nurture thoughtful, long-term growth in the state of Minnesota," but I wonder how thoughtful Tom Emmer's stance on gay rights is, and how nurturing is his belief in a "Christian" rock band who wants to "Kill The Gays."
The answer is, it is neither thoughtful, nor nurturing. It's hatred and bigotry and intolerance plain and simple, and Target helped to fund it.
And, that, as you say is your right.
Well, it's my right to say I won't fund Target if Target wants to fund these types of candidates, of either party. It's my right to tell my LGBT friends and family to stay out of Target, and to write to Target and tell you why we're staying out of your stores.
You imply that it's just good business, doing what's best for the company, but you efforts at maintaining a good business could cost members of the LGBT community their lives.

Sincerely,
Robert *******

I would ask that every member of the LGBT community write to Jennifer Hanson, and let her know that, while we believe in being able to sponsor, and support, any group, candidate, or party, on their choosing, they cannot support people like Tom Emmer, and then still profess to be gay friendly.
Because they aren't.

Target Doesn't Care About The LGBT Community

Target's CEO Gregg Steinhafel defended the company's political donations to a Minnesota group helping the state’s Republican candidate, Tom Emmer's, gubernatorial run, telling employees at its Minneapolis headquarters that the company’s support of the gay community is “unwavering.”

Unwavering, though they give money to homophobes and bigots who give money to "Christian" rock groups that believe it's moral to Kill The Gays [story HERE]

Gregg Steinhafel said, via email: “We rarely endorse all advocated positions of the organizations or candidates we support, and we do not have a political or social agenda.....Let me be very clear, Target’s support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company.”

Nice spin. What it says is that they give money to campaigns and causes without really knowing what the campaigns and causes stand for, and if they subsequently find out that the campaigns and causes are anti-gay, well,, yeah, too bad.

I believe the LGBT community should show it's unwavering support for all retailers that are Not Target. You cannot say you support the LGBT community and then give money to a bigot like Emmer because, then it seems, the campaign contribution was given to help Target and screw the LGBT community.

Here's a few facts on Tom Emmer, the man Target funded, but says they don't "endorse all advocated positions" of his:

• Emmer is a conservative.
• Emmer applauds Arizona’s strict approach to illegal immigration
• Emmer once advocated chemical castration for sex offenders

Emmer's candidacy contrasts sharply with Target’s moderate image, where the company is known for donating to public school programs, food pantries and the annual Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival. And to bigots.

But Target was able to donate to Minnesota Forward--the PAC that donated to Emmer--under new laws allowing corporations to spend company money on election campaigns so that we can become the United States Of Target. Corporate donations have been flowing since the Supreme Court threw out parts of a 63-year-old law that prohibited companies and unions from donating to campaigns for or against candidates.

In Minnesota, where Target has its headquarters, Democrats are grumbling about the large donation, and some are talking about striking back at the popular brand. A few have even called for a boycott in the state, one of Target’s top three for sales. One Democratic-backed group is reaching out to Target employees through Facebook ads urging them to sign a petition opposing the donations.

In the end, Target says one thing and does another because it comes down to money, and doing what's best for Target, not its employees, customers, or the LGBT community. Lena Michaud, a Target spokeswoman said the company supports causes and candidates “based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives.”

There you have it.

Fuck the LGBT community. This is about making Target more money.

The Corporate United States.

We're The Target

Seems like it was only a week ago or so--and I think it's less--that i was urging all of the LGBT community, and you gay-friendly folks, to thank the Home Depot for their pro-gay, or simple gay-friendly, policies and community efforts.

Now I'm back again to tell you about another corporate giant that is, well, less than gay-friendly.

Target.

It seems that someone named Bradlee Dean is the lead singer of a :::cough cough""" Christian rock band called You Can Run But You Cannot Hide. And the Christian Bradlee Dean recently said that Muslim countries that execute LGBT people are "more moral than even the American Christians." Of course, he also spewed the usual Christian rubbish about gays engaging in abominations and child molestation; the usual lies.

So, what does asshat Christian Bradlee Dean have to do with Target, you ask? Well, I';ll tell you.

Bradlee's, um, er, ministry received money and support from Tom Emmer, who is a virulently anti-gay Minnesota Republican--who'da thunk it--running for Governor.

Okay. So what about Target, you continue to ask? I'm getting there.

It seems that asshat homophobe Republican fucktard Tom Emmer's campaign got a little monetary boost from Minnesota Forward, a Political Action Committee [PAC] which is airing television commercials touting Emmer's run for governor. And Minnesota Forward got $150,000- which amounts to about a third of all of their donations -- from Target.

That's how Target comes into play.

Target gives$150,000 to Minnesota Forward, which uses that money to produce and air commercials for Tom Emmer--who says, "I believe marriage is the union between one man and one woman"--and who gave money to a guy fronting a Christian ministry and rock band that believes killing LGBT people is moral.

Tom Emmer also said, of Bradlee Dean and his band of Christian haters: "These are nice people."

In Target's defense, if there is one, perhaps they chose to back Tom Emmer out of their own need for corporate welfare, and didn't even pay attention to Tom Emmer's homophobic, anti-discrimination stance, or the fact that he thinks a guy who wants gay people killed because it's the moral thing to do, is a nice man.

Maybe.

But, should we hold the corporation accountable for giving money to a PAC that funds an anti-gay political candidate who donates to a ministry that believes in Killing The Gays?

I think so. And I, for one, will be emailing Target my disgust. And I, for one, won't be frequenting Target. I'll be at the Home Depot.

Go HERE to tell Target you're not happy about this.

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