Prop 8 Boycott Called on Legendary El Coyote Restaurant

Marriage rights advocates are calling for a boycott of Los Angeles' legendary El Coyote Cafe where Sharon Tate ate her last meal, and Penelope Cruz and U2 have had much more successful dining experiences, though George Clooney and Fabio came to blows in the naugahyde upolstered dining room after the Italian romance model called Clooney "a diva."

In high school El Coyote was notorious for not checking IDs-- that's where I had my first margarita. Nowadays they check your driver license before pouring you a 'rita, but it's still homey, cheap, cheesy, campy, classic LA and great fun. And it's also listed in travel guides as being "gay-friendly" for those reasons.

So imagine the surprise when it was discovered co-owner Marjorie Christoffersen gave $100 to Yes on 8 group ProtectMarriage.com. Marjorie, who is a Mormon, donated the money to her church, according to what she told blogger JazzyJeff63 which doesn't explain how her name ended up on the California Secretary of State's list of Yes on 8 donors. (You can use the previous link, from the LA Times, to search anyone you want by name, or check out who in your zip code gave and to which side!)

Marjorie said:

I love you guys, I would never do anything to hurt you, I wish I hadn't done it.

Yeah, I bet she wishes she'd never done it because now there is a call to boycott the restaurant, which has been owned by a branch of Marjorie's family since it opened in 1931. To try to make nice, Marjorie says that she's holding "an open breakfast Wednesday at 11am to speak to the community."

Brunch ain't gonna hack it with a bunch of angry gays who've had their rights eliminated by people who "love them." However, maybe Marj's story will give some insight into the machinations of the Mormons and what exactly they said to their followers.

Meanwhile this boycott and the one called for on California Musical Theatre is raising some thoughts about a Day Without Gay, in which marriage rights supporters--regardless of sexual orientation, because there are many, many straight supporters of marriage rights--would just take the day off of work. A Gay Day Off, a statewide "lavender flu" with everyone who support equal rights just not showing up for work and taking to the streets.

Comments

[MarjorieFan]

Even Albertsons and Lucky got married. Find a better term. It's overused.

[MarjorieFan]

What is this a witch hunt?We're not in Salem anymore, Dorothys.

Give some respect to Marjorie for standing up for her long-time beliefs. She doesn't hate gays neither does her chuch. It's evident from her words and her actions. She just doesn't think it's necessary to redefine "marriage." Call it something else. New union- New term. (Atleast Marjorie didn't throw her long-time church under the bus- like our new and improved President Elect Obama did and promised he would Not!) We Love You Marjorie!!

[GlennInVenice]

My partner and I were discussing the pros and cons of boycotting El Coyote given all of the facts. At one point I asked him to imagine walking in and having dinner again. Could he do it? He stopped in his tracks and said that the discussion was moot. He could not feel welcome and comfortable sitting there having dinner. It has stopped being a place where he would feel welcome and wanted and so we will no longer be dining there. You do not need to call it a boycott. It is simply the end of an era spurred on by an unkind act by one of our former hostesses. We will have marriage one day. We will celebrate it along with all of the other parts of our lives with people who understand and welcome us. It is not a boycott. It is an adjustment of our lives in reaction to not feeling welcome and wanted.

[harkin]

You really have to love all the intolerance here in the name of tolerance.

Find out who donated, shut down their businesses, hound their customers.

There's a lesson here for anyone willing to see.

[hack-the-planet]

Please take a few minutes out of your day to post reviews about businesses that supported Prop 8 on major review sites like Yelp. El Coyote is a start, but we must do more to show these bigots that we will not contribute to their destruction of our society.

[kennedyrepublican]

May I remind all the hysterics that the only aspect of so called discrimination towards the gay community is the use of a single word - marriage - to describe a committed same sex relationship. Exactly what "rights" are at stake? The proposition did not ban the relationship, a civil union, owning property together, having a job, having sex, visiting each other in the hospital, having children, sitting at a lunch counter, sitting on a bus at the front or any of the things so called "civil rights" that are falsely used to oppose the ban on the use of the word.

On the other hand, those of you so offended would advocate the destruction of an entire restaurant for the small donation of a single person again not for opposing gays or their unions but simply opposed to the re-definition of the word Marriage - can you say McCarthysim.

Why oppose the use of the word? Well one answer is because words have historical significance - afterall Gays are gays not just men who prefer men.....

Why the insistence on wanting the historical word used to described the union of one man to one woman? The idea of rights is bogus since a civil union confers all the same rights of marriage to same sex couples. If the objection is that CIVIL UNION is not a single word may I suggest - you drop the word civil and just use union or oneness - A Gay and Lesbian Joining

[melchore]

While you put it as a single word "marriage," it has greater ramifications. Even with a civil union, if something was to happen to me, my partner would not be protected from any one of my crazy relatives suing for my estate...even with a will. It also means that I am putting more money out of my pocket to cover him on my insurance or other policies. I had to fight to put him as the beneficiary for my investment portfolio because we weren't married or related by blood. Perhaps the government should do civil unions for EVERYONE and religious institutions can have the word marriage. Civil unions are not the same as marriages. I pay my taxes and want the same benefits. I have been with my partner for 12 years.

People can boycott anything they wish. It is the US. The RR has called for boycotts of McDonalds, Disney, etc. for supporting LGBT causes...why is this any different.

The definition of marriage has evolved over time. Over time, same-sex marriages were blessed by the church; marriages have been arranged and have been between a single man and multiple women.

The RR condemned LGBT individuals stating that they were driven by a primal instinct not wanting a relationship. Now LGBT individuals want to settle down and they are falling back arguing about destroying marriage or lawsuits/not being able to speack against LGBT people. So far in Massachusetts, that has not happened with Gay marriages there.

[kennedyrepublican]

If you are concerned that the protection of civil unions is not broad enough please feel free to campaign for that and I am sure you will find that the same people who voted to keep the definition marriage in tact will be happy to support that cause.

The fact that you pay taxes should not allow you to change the definition of a term because it would make you feel better. You are right - a civil union is not a marriage because the two people involved do meet the requirement.

The definition of the term has not in fact evolved over time although the circumstances have ie -arranged marriages (still between men and women) etc. Please note that polygamy has always been disavowed legally although a few sects allowed it.

I have no problem with boycotts if the entity has done something to deserve it. In this case a single however a single person donated the mere sum of $100 to a cause that won by a significant percent. There are no plans to protest in front of the AME or in east LA - since the Latino and Black populations were in fact the ones that overwhelming voted for the proposition. At least be consistent

[BENNYINSF]

Your attempt to trivialize the issue goes both ways. The YES on 8 campaign thought that "marriage" was important enough to "protect" and deny to same-sex couples that they spent $40 million. Clearly civil unions and marriage are NOT equal because if they really are, there would be no need for Proposition 8.

[abbeyroad]

the only thing Marjorie Christoffersen loves in YOUR MONEY.

i will never step foot in that place again -- and neither will my friends.

[Dewtrell]

My boyfriend and I dined at El Coyote every Sunday and we will honor the boycott - we're not even gay but we do believe in their struggle.

El Coyote is truly a local/family type establishment with so much diversity. I would say the gay patronage easily is 15-20% of their business. What is sad is that it will hurt the employees, who truly are great. However, the gays have the right to not give THEIR money to an establishment who believes they shouldn't have equal rights under the law.

[Dewtrell]

My boyfriend and I dined at El Coyote every Sunday and we will honor the boycott - we're not even gay but we do believe in their struggle.

El Coyote is truly a local/family type establishment with so much diversity. I would say the gay patronage easily is 15-20% of their business. What is sad is that it will hurt the employees, who truly are great. However, the gays have the right to not give THEIR money to an establishment who believes they shouldn't have equal rights under the law.

[MYKZFATT]

IT IS WRONG TO BOYCOTT. DONT TAKE THIS ISSUE PERSONAL..LEAVE IT AT THAT.AND GO ON WITH YOUR QUEST TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS SO WRONG AND MAKE IT RIGHT.THERE IS A REASON WHY PEOPLE KEPT QUITE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY..IT IS WRONG..AND SHOULD BE YOUR PERSONAL ISSUE.YOUTH SHOULD NOT BE EXPOSED TO THIS CONDUCT AND BY NO MEANS SHOULD HOMOSEXUALS GET TAX BREAKS OR TAX CREDITS.WE CAN ALL LIVE AS PEOPLE AND GIVE EACH OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS,BUT EQUAL RIGHTS FOR SAME SEX,NO WAY..JUST IMAGINE ALL MEN LIVING TOGETHER..HOW WOULD THEY REPRODUCE..IT CANT HAPPEN..THE SAME WITH WOMEN..WE ARE NOT ANIMALS,WE ARE PEOPLE..USE COMMON SENSE...GET REAL..YOU CAN BOYCOTT ALL YOU WANT..IT WILL NOT HELP..IT WILL ONLYU MAKE ISSUES WORSE.

[JulesMyth13]

Ok MYKZFATT,
You are entitled to your beliefs....but really learn how to spell and form a sentence correctly.

[Jeffisok]

This is the exact type of illiterate person who voted to take our rights away. Educated people never vote for discrimination. This is EXACTLY why we need the court to strike this down. It's sad that marginal people such as this can take our rights away. Why not educate yourself MYKZFATT , You obviously did not have much formal education. Truly very sad.

[LiamPS]

"Boycott" is one form of an informed consumer exercising their right to choose who to do business with...that's all.

[mikey683]

This attack on my community is nothing less than a declaration of war. After all didn't brave people die for these rights? Civil rights are not something you vote on, that's why they're called "rights" and not privliges. Right now I'm deeply ashamed to be a Californian and an American.

[mdmurphyla]

I feel like war has been declared, also. Well said.

I am proud to be gay, proud that I got married a few weeks ago to the love of my life, and am proud to be in the trenches with you, mikey683.

[JulesMyth13]

I am a lesbian and used to work for El Coyote. I worked there for 8 years and I know Margie. She is a very sweet woman. Let me be clear that I don't agree with the $100.00 that she gave to the Mormon Church, but I really do believe she was unaware of the consequences. I want to share with you the good things she has provided for her employees...medical insurance, dental insurance, paid vacation and Christmas bonuses. There's something we all have to remember here...there are other companies out there who gave a hell of a lot more money then she did... We live in a country, USA, the land of the free. Freedom of speech. We have a right to vote how we feel. That is what America is all about. I agree with everyone's outrage that a 8 passed.We need to focus on how to overturn this.
Instead of focusing on a mom and pop operation, we should also look at the other much larger companies that poured thousands and possibly millions of dollars into passing prop 8. If we would picket them and make them realize that we have a very large voice out there, maybe we could persuade them to think differently.
Focus on how we can get this put into law. Focus on the lawmakers and the general public. We need to educate people not persecute them, because then we are no better than they are.

[CrimsonTom]

After she donates, say, $10,000 (which is about how much I've spent there in the last decade), to an organization actively supporting marriage rights for all, I'll eat there again. Until then, game on. No tolerance for intolerance. None.

[BENNYINSF]

I wouldn't step foot in the restaurant knowing that any amount of money I spent in the restaurant (even the smallest amount) may end up going to Margie and eventually to YES on 8. Why not focus on mom and pop operations? She may have done some good things for her employees, but then again, she expressed her views on the marriage issue and donated based upon her views. Why shouldn't people make a decision about patronizing the restaurant based upon this issue?

[Dropping By]

I think boycotts like this one are a reasonable response to the outcome of Prop 8 -- no one ought to associate with and/or financially support businesses with which they feel they no longer share an affinity. Hopefully, now that a week has passed, gay-rights activists will continue to come up with useful, productive ways to vent their displeasure about the outcome of the vote. Some of what happened over the past week has, I fear, played into the hands of those who like to demonize gays, and I'd personally like to see the "No on 8" proponents begin to act more strategically than emotionally.

[SLTerry]

the lack of emotion and lack of unity the gay community has had is the real problem. We need MORE emotion funneled into positive events like the National Protests on Nov. 15th. Sometimes things get ugly but people need to know that if they are bigots they will be called on it.

[vandrop]

Boycott a business that supports dozens of workers in critical economic times - some of whom may be gay? Because the owner, on her own (not as a corporate entity) supported her church? Listen, I'm HUGELY hurt and angered by California's passing Prop Hate. It sucks. But boycotting this woman's business is wrong headed. To what end? What can she do, as a business owner, to "correct" her donation of 100 dollars to the Yes cause? People are not thinking straight here. Pardon the pun.

DOWN WITH PROP HATE.

[shiraleh]

How can you say it's supporting her church if she gave money directly to the campaign? It's not like she put money in her church collection tray and suddenly it magically wound up in the hands of the Yes campaign. She chose to give it to them, and there's no saying she won't choose to give them more money in the future if there are other hateful ballot initiatives. If she was just an employee, I would certainly not advocate for this boycott - and indeed I actually defended the restaurant against the boycott when I thought she was just the restaurant manager. But if she is a co-owner, it means she gets a direct cut of the earnings of the restaurant rather than a fixed wage, which means that the more we spend there, the more she gets, and the more she is able to contribute to causes that harm us. I won't be a part of that.

I DO NOT advocate boycotts against companies whose regular employees contributed. This would be tantamount to asking those companies to fire those employees, and I just don't think that is right, or legal, or reasonable, or just, or appropriate. But when the OWNERS, or EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, are the ones contributing, that is very, very different.

[Geosy]

It is absolutey appropriate to boycott this place. This lady followed the leaders of her church. Let the leaders of her church help her business and it's employees. Let Mormon money support this business!!! It's on the shoulder of the Mormons NOT the gays to help this lady.

Self respecting gays will spend their money at a business like Marix that don't have a conflict of interest.

[jonstirling]

Anyone who supported Prop 8, the proposition that broke the hearts of the California Gay Community, deserves what they have coming to them.

I am straight, and voted NO, because I didn't want to see some of my friends stripped of rights to have the same life as I.

If this is what religion teaches people, I want it considered a hate crime. How do they justify this? Who's God are they praying too? Not mine! My God does not DISCRIMINATE based on sexual orientation. Yours shouldn't either.

If your God does discriminate, you better watch your ass, because someday, you may be the one who has fallen out of favor.

Boycott? Hell yes! I will tell you why. Because no matter how hard you pray, a business is nothing when it has zero customers, and dollars haven't fallen from the sky - EVER.

Fake News Flash: El Coyotee looking for a new owner! Price Reduced! Special consideration given to people who support the community they serve.

[dubthach]

lisa...you da bomb! cross posted the CA link everywhere...this is how we make h8ters accountable. and you will know them by their works...thanks for this.

[SLTerry]

Amen...if only these misguided religious people lived by what their religious books actually taught instead of spreading hate by trying to make their religion a clique.