The Anti-Gay Blacklist

On November 12th, it was widely reported that Scott Eckern, the artistic director of the California Musical Theatre, resigned after the Yes on Proposition 8 donation list revealed his $1,000 contribution. Turns out, the idea of boycotting companies to get homophobic employees fired has caught on.

I spent Saturday at a rally in Chicago protesting Proposition 8 and the anti-gay marriage movement. One of the speakers talked about a blacklist of companies that donated to Proposition 8. Still high from the protest, I looked up the Anti-Gay Blacklist, a collection of names and affiliations lifted from the public record of political donations to the Yes on 8 campaign.

I am a big supporter of boycotts. They are a peaceful method of resistance, encouraging a decrease in consumption and socially responsible spending. The fact that the gay community cuts across class lines makes an LGBT boycott that much more effective.

The problem is, the Anti-Gay Blacklist doesn't just include companies that donated to Yes on 8. It includes companies that have employees who donated to Yes on 8.

At the rally, the speaker mentioned a few highlights -- preparing us for the worst -- including Ace Hardware and Home Depot, so I searched for those names first. Home Depot's offense is employing Richard Reep, the human rights manager for the hardware chain in Shingle Springs, CA. Ace Hardware's offense is hiring Robert Frost, Project Manager for the company in Clayton, CA.

It's easy to celebrate when the director of a theatre, a musical theatre, gets his just deserts for opposing our rights. It's not a minor affront. It's an allegiance with a movement of hatred and bigotry that offends every aspect of my belief system. But I can't support a company hiring or firing based on political or religious affiliation.

Weren't we part of the same movement that cheered when Wendy Chandler, a Utah school teacher, won her job back in the State Supreme Court? Didn't we celebrate when Kevin Logan, a high school student in Indiana, was allowed to wear a dress to prom?

These organizations tried to oust people who thought or acted in a way that counteracted the overall values of their employer or community. We fought legal battles to ensure that those organizations had employment and participation standards that were neutral, on sexual orientation, but also on political affiliation and personal belief systems.

If individuals perform their jobs well, if they are good students or good human resource managers, then they should be allowed to continue in their positions. Until their actions in the workplace create harm -- dismissals based on political affiliation should not be encouraged.

This movement for equal rights is based on the fundamental belief in the equal protection of the law. That means equal protection for us, but it also means equal protection for the people who hate us. We can create an effective movement for full protection for LGBT people under the Constitution without working to unemploy individuals who, because of faith or bigotry, don't think we deserve to be treated equally. That is a movement of which we can all be proud.

If you are interested in a boycott of companies who, as companies, donated to the Yes on 8 campaign, please see After Ellen's list: http://www.afterellen.com/node/39787.

Follow Emma Ruby-Sachs on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EmmaRubySachs

Comments

[allison89]

If you provide a service or product to customers, are you going to check out their political/social beliefs before taking their money for the product or service you provide?

Ridiculous!

[Zeppo2]

As a business owner, I really don't want staff bandying my company's good name around in connection with their own political whims.

Whatever causes employees choose to support in their private life should remain private. I do not want the good will of my business being burned up on some employee's private crusade and I'll use every measure at my legal disposal to ensure that they do not.

[Judyisacutie]

Point taken, but the people mentioned in the article were acting privately. Do you think your employees should answer to your company for legal and purely private affairs performed during off-work hours? Because the movement now wants to pressure you into firing an employee who took what many people believe is the wrong side on a political issue.

[overcat]

Definitely has a whiff of that religious right, conservative intolerance, doesn't it? Kind of like the uptight rightie whacko who won't shop at a store because it has gay employees. For corporate officers to monetarily support hate campaigns is fair game for boycott, I believe, but random employees?

If the general demeanor or outlook of a business is far right/intolerant, I won't patronize them. I think to drill down into the political/social beliefs of every individual employed by them is too much of a witch hunt. Progressives and liberals unfortunately fall down that slippery slope of adopting the tactics of those they claim to oppose more often than they'll ever admit. Did the owner of the business give to yes on 8? Boycott. The board members/corporate officers? Boycott. The parent company? Boycott. Did the business display signage for yes on 8? Boycott. Conservatives understand the almighty dollar better than anything else - hit them where it hurts. To find though, through a records search, some individual who donated to yes on 8, whom you would otherwise have no idea about, and to in turn punish their employer, is punishing through guilt by association.

[victor182]

Ms. Arthor of this article, yes, gay persons can boycott with their wallets. Prop 8 has passed. It's passed over our objections. But, I don't accept third or forth class citizenship because a majority has determined that, all considered, I cannot have the family life.

I delegate my money every day. I buy what I want after finding the best price or the most convenience. And it's always the best valve for my circumstances. Either way, it's about an advantage for me. That's capitalism and it's the American way. It's how we get a better deal for the life that we're living.

There's no f'n way I'm going to affirm a person's actions that deny me a family. I sense that your point is that for the good of our democracy I should accept the will of the majority. Screw that! The strongest man in the room is not right just because he can beat up the lesser.

The money I spend is the money I earned. Earning that money gives me a responsibility to spend it wisely. I cannot respect that principle while continuing to encourage those who are against my equality in our society.

So, that means that whenever I find out that someone who supported Prop 8 is reliant on my patronage, I shall deny them just that. And I'll encourage anyone of like mind to do the same.

I have no obligation to work against myself in this matter. It's personal treason. Please reassess your article.

[Judyisacutie]

This is just silly. Should HR managers follow their employees around 24 hours a day making sure every check they write is a good reflection on the company? If that's the case, then why not have conservatives boycott any companies whose employee(s) gave money to a Democrat? PETA can organize a boycott of any movie company whose executives were seen eating lunch with an actress who wear fur. Sierra Club can organize a boycott of every company with an SUV in the company parking lot. See where this is going?

What happens if everybody else disagrees with you on something in the future? Should you lose your ability to feed your kids? These aren't necessarily rich people. We're talking about managers of hardware stores - everyday people.

It's one thing to boycott a company that takes a political stand AS A COMPANY, but the idea of boycotting companies in order to dictate who they hire and fire based on their employees' religious or philosophical beliefs is kind of scary - like Salem witch hunt, thought police scary.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

Then all these people need to do is not use their company name when donating to a cause.

[DubiousVoter]

Too Bad; don't affiliate your company or allow your the officers of your company to participate in political campaigns that promote divisive issues, or suffer the consequences.

I for one will not be giving my money to any organization that supports my oppression. Even those companies that did not officially donate, but are listed and will not repudiate this attack on civil liberty.

If you want sympathy for corporations, you won't find it here. I am actively seeking a new company to work for because my corporation's HR director, donated thousands of dollars to Yes on 8.

How safe can we feel when the bigotry of homophobia is as blatant and unapologetic as to allow an officer of a public traded company to make such a biased political statement. If the company does not distance itself from those individuals political views, it must be assumed that it supports or condones that view. (Mine does, enough to make employees take down No on 8 signs, but allow Yes on 8 signs to remain)

Most people just don't get it. Gays and Lesbians live in a world of blatant public humiliation and covert corporate discrimination.

[karungguni]

I agree that we should not boycott companies if an employee contributed to the campaign but I support boycotts of companies where there owner or Chief Executive contributed to the campaign. A good list of those is here. http://www.californiansagainsthate.com/dishonorRoll.html

[DMHopper]

That's where I feel the line should be drawn as well.

[LeeCalif]

People of all stripes were fooled into voting for this discriminatory proposition.
The P.R. firm had to use lies and scare tactics and threats of loss of parental control to win

The discriminatory Prop 8 was managed by a guy named Schubert. Hired by the Mormons.
Schubert has a P.R. firm with offices in Orange County & Sacramento.

They have been on the side of big business, anti-union, conservative Republican, anti-consumer initiatives. In New Jersey, Oregon & California.
It was Schubert's P.R. group, Schubert Flint Public Affairs with offices in Sacramento & Orange County that lied their way to victory on this one, folks. He is STILL the front man for this in TV and print interviews. They made a TRUCKLOAD of money on this.

Their tack is to control public opinion for their client by molding & shaping public opinion..
That is done by having "operatives" write letters to the editors of hundreds of newspapers, getting those newspapers to editorialize on their client's behalf, and to manufacture commercials that seem homey
& quaint & protective of 'plain Americans'. All the time lying without compunction. They use sponsorship names that sound like grassroots organizations but are anything but.

They have been extremely successful. They are extremely dangerous.

We need to start a P.R. offensive of our own.

[wdw102]

sounds like they did a good job

[LeeCalif]

I agree with the author of this article.

Now, if a company bundled, solicited or in some other way attempted to coerce employees to contribute, I would boycott the company. But I will not if the company merely had an employee(s) who were contributors to this discriminatory proposition.

[NYC07]

I might agree with you except for the fact that this is a matter of removing the Civil Rights which were granted to Gay men and women. The people who are so willing to strip people of their rights scream BOYCOTT if a company gives a dollar to a cities “Gay Games” or call for boycotting Disney for having a “Gay Day”, they feel that because they are in a majority that they can do what ever they want with no fallout. All actions have consequences and sometimes these consequences are not fair. The very fact that a state would allow its people to vote away a given civil right is ludicrous and unfair. To give these people a little Bible lesson I’d say : “ What ye sow , so shall ye reap” If you want to be supportive of bigots then you deserve what you get.

[wdw102]

what civil right do you think was taken

[karafern]

um, the right to marry whomever they love, duh.

[Smith808]

Talk about six degrees of William Ayers...we're talking about very slim associations, here. If a gay business owner hires a Christian, is he/she then accountable for every decision this employee makes in his/her personal life?

I know we're all talking about "boycotts" that impact businesses, but how would one approach the discovery that a city's Assistant District Attorney (from a state outside CA) donated $1,000 to the Yes Campaign? It raises some serious "objectivity" concerns for me if he/she were ever in a position to protect my legal rights.

[Balancement]

It's really very simple. If I discover that my purchase of something goes to support someone -- anyone -- who would in turn give money to take away my rights, they no longer can use my money to do that.

Period.

[Artemis34]

Agree. I free to deny them of my money.

[WestCoastBuckeye]

I agree someone's personal politics should never be a reason to be hired or fired. People who do their jobs, even if they are complete jerks, shouldn't be fiscally punished for their world views.

But can (or should) consumers hold a business responsible for an employee's political actions? I don't think this question has a black or white answer, and the Prop. 8 vote definitely hits the gray area.

Take the case of the Mexican restaurant here in L.A.: a Mormon manager "answered the call of the church" and donated a measly $100 to Yes on 8. Now the restaurant itself is being boycotted by the anti-Prop. 8 movement.

Do I believe the restaurant is an intolerant establishment because of one manager's donation? No way. But am I justified in withholding my money from this restaurant, or any other business with high-level Yes on 8 donors, to send a message? Absolutely.

[Balancement]

Marjorie is part owner of El Coyote. She's made a lot of money from gay people over the years and yet she donated to "Yes on 8" and voted "Yes on 8," thereby stripping rights away from the very people who have supported her. The boycott is fully justified.

[hypnotoad72]

Consumers? Or shareholders?

[WestCoastBuckeye]

Just speaking as an individual consumer here, Hypno.

I think if an individual employed by a business has financially supported (with or without the employer's go-ahead) an attack against any segment of the population, it's reasonable to withhold my money from that business. That's the only way I can be sure my money won't indirectly go to such people or such a cause.

Fair to El Coyote and other businesses employing managers who support Prop. 8? Probably not (and I'll miss their margaritas). But I'm WAY past competing fairly with anti-gay marriage folk and their ilk, people who would deem my gay friends and co-workers as second class citizens.

My way may not be fair, but It's effective if enough people send the same message: support hate, divisiveness, and "separate but equal," and both you and your business will lose $$$.

[luvobama]

Absolutely is right!!! I don't care if the donation was a dollar or a million dollars. it's the principle. People need to know they can't have it both ways.

[LaHenche]

Excuse me! As a Bi-Sexual person, I can, in fact have it both ways!

[Skua]

Well, another issue is that the Prop 8 supporters may have been less than careful about who they declared themselves to be or who they publicly listed as endorsers. For example, the After Ellen's list above includes a hospital system which had been listed on the protectmarriage.com site as an endorser or donor or something. But (from a news cache):

"As a county agency, the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital system does not take positions on any propositions," said hospital CEO Kim Roberts. "We did not endorse Proposition 8 and are requesting that any misinformation listing SCVHHS as an official supporter be removed from all Web sites and other sources."

[M1]

You point is well taken. One just needs to pay attention to that little detail box listing employer/employee. If a person only works for a business you can still check records to see if they own another private business and I have found a few that way. Also, maintaining a list of names is great if you are a service provider like a lawyer who rather not represent a prop 8 supporter.

I am still working my list in my area and I am fine tuning it. I will post my info soon.