Is the Target boycott still on?

Is there an article that references this? I haven’t heard about it yet.

Here’s a HuffPo article on the subject.

Target gave $100,000 to an anti-gay Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota, where they’re based. Their argument is that they have the right to financially support politicians whose policies they support. My response is that I have the right not to financially support your bigoted political efforts. So I will continue not to shop at Target, and try not to patronize other businesses writing checks to causes and politicians I find awful.

@Mamradpivo I agree! I’m wondering if they made good by contributing $ directly to a human rights organization or a pro-LGBT rights organization. Do you know? Anything I find on the topic dates back to the summer.

If everyone stopped contributing to companies that support a politician for one reason or another, then no one would contribute to anything.

Last I heard it’s still on. And thanks for the support!!!

@Mamradpivo Please put out facts. Target donated the money to MN Forward. A group that supports the said Republican. Target did not give the money to the Republican himself.

Here are the Facebook pages regarding the boycott:

Facebook Target boycott page 1

Facebook Target boycott page 2

And here’s a link to an article about why they needed/ended up with two Facebook pages.

@lillycoyote Thanks.

I’m torn on this one. Target has done quite a bit to support their LGBT employees and the LGBT community. From what I read, they did this contribution because they felt the money was going to the candidate that would foster the most economic growth for MN. They are a business and that is an important issue to them, so I can understand it. Also, from my understanding it was a one time contribution. I haven’t heard anything about them giving any more money since this happened or any plans to give any more money in the future.

There are very few candidates that I agree with every issue on. Many times supporting one and voting for one over the other becomes choosing between which issues mean more to me. I think it’s obvious that economic growth is going to be more important to a business than LGBT rights. If the economy doesn’t grow, companies could have to shut down stores and/or cut back on the number of their employees. If Target goes out of business, that would mean they wouldn’t be there to over a good work place for LGBTs or to support the LGBT community in other ways. I don’t think this one contribution negates everything else they have done.

It sucks that it came down to this, but how many of us can say each candidate we support and vote for matches where we stand on the issues 100%?

@Seaofclouds Well put. I suppose it’s like you said. Which of the issues is more important to an individual? For Target it’s economic growth over LGBT rights. For me it’s LGBT rights over convenience.

@Seaofclouds : Exactly my position, but you put it much more eloquently and simply than I was trying to, especially your last sentence. Let me second the “Well put”!

what @Seaofclouds said. Also, if Target is one of the most LGBT-friendly companies, boycotting might actually pull LGBT rights back . . . in a sense. If you’re going to boycott a company, do it to one that is not equal-rights in the first place.

This sort of sucks. I already don’t shop at Walmart because they do terrible things, and thought Target, although not perfect, was a viable, semi-guiltless alternative. Where the hell am I supposed to buy deodorant and toilet paper now? Sheesh. Sunflower Market I guess.

@cockswain Wal-Mart isn’t really all that bad. ;|

@cockswain Does K-Mart still exist? What about a Dollar General Store? If you want to go green, there are deodorant stones and bidets. I’d be willing to go with the former, but I’m not willing to give up toilet paper…not even for the cheap stuff.

I’m still boycotting. It was an opened ended boycott to begin with and Target seems to think a verbal apology was enough so I don’t see it coming to a proper end. I figure I’ll stop when Citizen’s United, the Supreme Court ruling that made the donation possible, is overturned. It will probably be years.