In 2008, Richard Hayne, president of popular clothing chain Urban Outfitters threw $13,000 at Rick Santorum’s soon-to-be failed presidential campaign. Santorum, the former senator of Pennsylvania, is infamous for his anti-gay comments, and also his commitment to not support legal protection for those in same-sex relationships. Urban Outfitters pulled “I Support Same Sex Marriage” T-shirts from its racks after only one week.
Their chicken and dumplings are delicious, but they don’t rank high when it comes to progressive thinking. A 2004 U.S. Justice Department investigative found that the restaurant chain had a pattern of preferring white customers over black customers. Back in 1991, the company fired 11 employees for not promoting “normal heterosexual values” (Huffington Post). According to HRC, Cracker Barrel does not cover same-sex couples in its employee benefits package.
This international organization does not find favor with atheists or homosexuals, which can be traced back to its affiliation with various churches including Methodist and Mormon that have adopted the Scouts. In 2013 and 2014, sponsor companies such as Disney started cutting ties with the BSA, and the American Civil Liberties Union continued its campaign to end their discriminatory policies. The Supreme Court ruled that BSA is allowed to have selective membership, as it isa private organization. Jan. 1 saw the ban lifted for youth of non-straight orientation, but LGBT adults are still not welcome.
This one caused a squawking ruckus! CEO Dan Cathy made an unabashed public statement: “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that…we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.” (Huffington Post). Uproar ensued and boycotts that were furious and also wonderfully creative, like the “Kiss Day” of August 2012, where same-sex couples shared a few smooches at their local Chick-fil-As. However, sales went up 12 percent during the tumultuous period that year. Nothing much has changed since.
In 1973, this Colorado brewing company announced that it would not hire gay people, and would go so far as to polygraph test anyone it wanted to determine sexual orientation. The boycott began and lasted until 1993, when Coors relented and created the Lesbian and Gay Employee Resource (LAGER), and in 1995 extended benefits to same-sex employees. Fully clean? Some Coors family foundations have donated money to rightwing campaigns that are anti-gay. Nobody’s perfect.
Who knew dog food could get so bigoted? While formerly complying with the American Family Association to pull ads deemed “immoral,” Purina also hasn’t taken a single paw-step towards protecting its gay sisters and brothers who scoop out the doggie chow. Apparently, a discount on dog food is as far as the employee benefits go for same-sex couples, and no policies protect gender expression or identity. Woof.
Santa’s little helpers with the bells outside your local Walmart ain’t collecting money for the gay club, that’s guaranteed. Not only does the organization get behind lobbies that wish to criminalize consensual sex among gay couples, but Salvation Army Media Relations Director Maj. Andrew Craibe went on air last year to cite the Bible’s claims that anyone who isn’t straight should be executed. When the radio host couldn’t believe his ears, Craibe responded: “You know, we have an alignment to the Scriptures, but that’s our belief.” (Huffington Post).
Read carefully before you erase them from your contacts list. The founder of Domino’s, Tom Monaghan, financed a ballot initiative in a small Michigan town to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation. Domino’s had a track record of funding anti-choice groups, and Monaghan also sued the federal government in 2011 because he didn’t want benefits to cover contraceptives for his employees at Domino’s Farms. Monaghan officially sold Domino’s in 1998, and the company today claims to support all kinds of love and life choices including providing benefits for gay couples.
The Stonewall Democratic Club tried to keep the Oprah of corporate supermarket chains out of New York City with this statement: “Walmart represents a culture of intolerance and insensitivity towards LGBT employees and issues that is unwelcome in New York.” (Huffington Post). Incidents that made Walmart appear anti-LGBT included an employee who claimed he was forced to wear a yellow vest as a sign of ridicule after admitting to his boss he was gay, and a children’s book in more than 100 stores that encouraged therapy for children who felt the ‘sin” of homosexuality. In February 2013, Walmart wrote to the Huffington Post, saying, “Walmart continues to have a strong commitment to diversity among our associates and against discrimination everywhere.” (Huffington Post).
For more than 14 years, this Texas-based corporation refused to enforce anti-discrimination policies and equal coverage of employees. When it bought Mobile, it dissolved the coverage for same-sex couples that Mobile had carried. After extended pressure, Exxon relented in October 2013, but many feel that it was a publicity move, not a moral leap.
