Target Is Still Funding Hate

I am still over the moon about the repeal of DADT. I feel like it's a giant step along the Yellow brick road toward full equality for LGBT Americans, and it gives me such hope for the future. A future when gay men can marry, or not marry, if they choose, a future where an LGBT person cannot be fired, or evicted, or discriminated against simple for being themselves.

Hope is good, until reality sets it. And reality has reared it's ugly head at Target again.

Y'all remember when Target got nailed for donating money to a PAC [Political Action Committee] that then donated money to a rabidly anti-gay politician, Tom Emmer, who then gave some of his money to a "Christian" rock band who believes the moral thing to do is Kill The Gays?

And, I'm sure you remember when Target apologized, to it's employees, and not the LGBT community, for it's donations. And then, in the face of continued boycotts against the corporate giant, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel vowed to work with the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] to repair their tarnished image.  That is, until he changed his mind and stopped working with the HRC.

Now, according to documents filed with the FEC last October, comes the news that Target is still donating money to several anti-gay politicians, even after Gregg Steinhafel apologized, even after Gregg Steinhafel vowed to reform the corporate review process for future political donations. In fact, some of these anti-gay politicians cashing donation checks from Target are some of the same anti-gay politicians the company had already been criticized for supporting. 

It was back in August that Steinhafel released a statement, apologizing for how Target's decision had affected many "in a way I did not anticipate." In fact, Steinhafel also wrote that "… later this fall, Target will take a leadership role in bringing together a group of companies and partner organizations for a dialogue focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including GLBT issues." 

In the fall.

Well, by October, Target was back to funding anti-gay politicians. 

The updated Federal Election Commission [FEC] database coughed up filings that Target has continued to make significant political donations, the majority of which went to anti-gay equality politicians. In fact, shortly after Gregg Steinhafel's August 5 mea culpa letter, Target's PAC recorded $41,200 in federal election activity. Of that total, $31,200 went to anti-gay rights politicians or PACs supporting those candidates. 

To be fair, I guess, supporters of gay equality did get some money: in September, Target PAC gave $1,000 to Chuck Schumer. Still, it seems a little lopsided though, doesn't it? Thirty-thousand to anti-gay politicians and just $1,000 to a pro-equality candidate. But, just to even things out, I guess, on the heels of that $1,000 to Schumer, Target PAC donated the same amount to Kelly Ayotte who opposes both gay marriage and same sex adoption.

Target PAC also donated money to Spencer Bachus, who voted to ban same-sex adoption, while in Michigan, David Camp, who supports a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage and voted against protecting gays from job discrimination based on sexual orientation, also reported money received from Target. All through the fall--and remember, it was Steinhafel who said Target would work through the fall with the LGBT community to repair its image--Target PAC donated thousands of dollars to Michael Crapo and Dave Reichert, both of whom support anti-gay Constitutional amendments, and Rob Portman, a supporter of banning gays from adopting. 

In addition, after Gregg Steinhafel's 'pledge,' Target PAC sent money to other PACs, like $8,500 to Every Republican is Crucial PAC, Freedom and Security PAC and the Majority Committee PAC, all three supporters of both Michele Bachmann and Roy Blunt. 

Way to work with the LGBT community Gregg!

But what is most sickening is that some of the very candidates Target was initially criticized over for donating to their campaigns back in July, namely John Kline and Erik Paulsen, is the idea that Target continues to fund both of these vehemently anti-gay equality candidates. 

Erik Paulsen, a former Target employee and a friend to Focus on the Family's James Dobson, recently voted against the DADT repeal, and has come out against classifying anti-gay attacks as hate crimes. 

John Kline, on the other hand, received the maximum donation possible from Target, some $5,000, back in September. Kline is, of course, anti-gay marriage, but he has also voted against prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation and against treating anti-gay attacks as hate crimes. In fact, Kline goes above and beyond the call of bigot whenever he gets the chance. In 2009, John Kline added his name as a plaintiff to a lawsuit filed against the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics demanding a voter referendum on banning gay marriage, signing alongside such homophobes and haters as John Boehner, Eric Cantor, John Boozman, and Michele Bachmann. 

Target sure knows how to pick 'em.

And, sad to say, when asked about these massive donations to anti-gay politicians, versus the thousand bucks to Chuck Shumer, Target has nothing to say. It seems that Target puts its money where its mouth is, and the LGBT ought to do the same by continuing a boycott of Target and all of it's anti-gay politicians.

We've made a step along the road toward full equality, with the repeal of DADT, but we need to continue to fight those who fight us. we need to stand up to those who choose to fund hate with our money. And let's be clear, if you shop at Target, you are donating money to anti-gay politicians, and I don't think you want that.

I think we want equality.

Now.

source

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.

Is Target Still Funding Anti-LGBT Politicians?

Is Target at it again? Y’all remember, way back in 2010 when the Target Corporation was forced to apologize after stories surfaced that it had funded campaign ads for anti-LGBT Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer? And remember how Target kept saying they are big supporters of the LGBT community while giving big cash to Emmer and his ilk? Well, now it turns out that Target’s apology wasn’t real, and that Target is still giving money to anti-LGBT anti-gay candidates.

In fact, even during the same time period that Target was apologizing, the corporation donated some $31,200 to anti-LGBT candidates in that election cycle, and now we find out that Target is funding, albeit indirectly, the campaign of virulently homophobic Ken Cuccinelli in his bid to become Virginia’s next governor.

And this is how they do it: Target, in the first six months of 2013, contributed $50,000 to the Republican Governors Association, a group which has spent, wait for it because this is an example of the GOP’s new inclusiveness, almost $3 million on Cuccinelli‘s gubernatorial campaign. Now, to be fair, Target also gave $50,000 to the Democratic Governors Association, which is supporting Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe.

But, how does the LGBT community overlook Target’s money going in Cuccinelli‘s coffers? And should we look the other way? This isn’t about supporting Republicans or Democrats; it’s about giving money without a care as to where it goes, and to whom.

When the shiz hit the Target fan over the Emmer contributions, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel apologized, then backed off his apology and then apologized again. Then Steinhafel promised to launch “a strategic review and analysis of our decision-making process for financial contributions in the public policy arena” and to start “a dialogue focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including GLBT issues.”

It doesn’t sound like Target is coming through on that promise, but if they wanted to, they could begin donating only to those candidates who are LGBT-friendly, and deny support for those like Cuccinelli. But I hate that Target keeps calling itself a friend to The Gays when they are giving money to people who seem to have one goal, which is to deny us equality.

Of course, in damage control mode, Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder released a statement:

Target’s commitment to the LGBT community is long-standing and unwavering.       

We also believe strongly in our civic responsibility to engage in a bipartisan manner at the state and federal level in order to learn about public policy priorities and advocate on issues that affect our business, such as fairness legislation. One of the ways we do this is through membership in both the Democratic and Republican Governors Associations, both of which include several hundred other corporate members.  When paying for our memberships, we explicitly require that our dues not be used for any individual electoral campaigns or other electioneering efforts. It would therefore be wrong and inaccurate to associate our membership dues with any particular political candidate or campaign.

This sounds like a heaping pile of ignorance to me. Target is saying that they give money, in the form of membership dues, to both sides, and yet require that their monies not be used “for any individual electoral campaigns”.

That’s kinda hard to do, Target. You can’t hand someone a check for dues to their organization and then ask that the money not be given to certain parts of the group. Target is trying to play the Ignorance Card, but they know, as most folks know, that the GOP is still, by and large, and anti-LGBT political group so when you give them money—even for dues—you are paying for their candidates reelection and for their agenda.

Ignorance is n o excuse.

via  Right Wing Watch

Target: My Two Dads Ad

They say some things never change, but some things do … like Target.

It was just a couple of years ago that the retail giant sparked the ire of many in the LGBT community when they began donating money to the political campaigns of anti-LGBT candidates, and that ire turned into fury, and a boycott, when Target responded with a ‘So what’ attitude.

Now, however, Target has evolved, just like Barack Obama. In fact, they have come down on the side of marriage equality by joining the fight in Wisconsin.

Naturally, this has sparked the ire-turned-fury of the anti-equality folks who once said that the LGBT boycott of Target was “homo-fascism” but their boycott of Target was God’s will. Or something.

Anyway, on with Target’s change; they have released a new commercial for their “Made to Matter” line of goods that features two dads painting with their child. The ad was first posted to YouTube and is seen by some as an answer to several of those anti-LGBT groups’ boycott.

An answer that says, “Yeah? So?”

A Target spokeswoman responded to the uproar:

"Target is committed to diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our business, including our marketing efforts. The casting of this couple and their son is in line with previous marketing that Target has created including our wedding registry ad campaigns that have been running for the past several years."

YouTube response to the video s overwhelmingly positive:

"Thank you, Target, for standing against the sinful anti-gay lobby who seek to redefine discrimination as a 'sincerely held religious belief.' Despite their efforts to redefine traditional values such as equality, family and love into something ugly and sinister, we know that most Americans reject their evil agenda! God bless you for standing up for what is right, good and American!"

Naturally, though, anti-LGBT groups have been less happy with the ads. Matt Barber, vice president of the Hate group the Liberty Counsel Action, said Target's decision to sign the amicus brief — which federally challenged Wisconsin and Indiana's same-sex marriage bans — was a “slap in the face to millions of pro-family customers."

You know, cuz The Gays are anti-family.

But Target won’t back down. In a blog post published last month, Jodee Kozlak, Target's executive vice president of human resources, said:

“It is our belief that everyone should be treated equally under the law, and that includes rights we believe individuals should have related to marriage. We believe that everyone – all of our team members and our guests – deserve to be treated equally. And at Target we are proud to support the LGBT community."

Things can change; people can change’ retailers can change.

Sure, you can say that perhaps Target changed their policies because they realized they are shunning a segment of society that is rumored to be overflowing with disposable income, and in this economy, you wanna make the coins, but my feeling is, however you change your mind whatever brings you to equality … good.

source

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.

Another Target Boycott ... This Time From Anti-Trans Wingnuts

Sheesh! I take a couple of weeks off and suddenly there’s another Target boycott. Only this time it isn’t an LGBT boycott of the retailer over the company’s habit of endorsing anti-LGBT political candidates, it’s a group of bigots and haters and transphobic asshats boycotting the store over Target’s transgender bathroom policy.

The American Family Association [AFA], a conservative so-called “Christian” activist group says it has gathered more than a million signatures from people pledging to boycott Target because the company refuses to give in to hate and fear. The AFA says Target’s bathroom policy encourages sexual predators and puts women and young girls in danger because "a man can simply say he 'feels like a woman today' and enter the women's restroom."

Except then the man is not transgender, he’s a sexual predator — and quite likely a Christian like Josh Duggar, or a conservative like Dennis Hastert, or a Republican like Larry Craig — so go after the predator not the trans woman who just wants to pee.

AFA President Tim Wildmon says the viral nature of the protest — and those “millions” of signatures … much like One Million Moms actual number being about seventy thousand — is because “everybody knows who Target is, and it’s an easy-to-understand issue." Wildmon says Target stands "to lose a lot of customers who won't come back."

Yeah, except Target isn’t budging:

"We certainly respect that there are a wide variety of perspectives and opinions. As a company that firmly stands behind what it means to offer our team an inclusive place to work — and our guests an inclusive place to shop — we continue to believe that this is the right thing for Target." — Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder

She also added that hundreds of Target stores "have single-stall, family restrooms for those who may be more comfortable with that option."

This whole bathroom kerfuffle came to light in a Target blog post last week when the company stated that it welcomes “transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity." Sounds quite simple, but then folks, like the AFA and governors in a few states, decide to use fear as a weapon against something they do not understand, so, again, I’ll put it as simply as I can:

A trans female is not a “Man in a dress;” a trans female is a female and simply wants to walk into the women’s restroom, enter a stall, shut the door, do her business, and get out. That’s it.

Now, about that idea that a million people have signed the AFA petition … yeah, not so much; from what we hear, because the AFA doesn’t verify, or prove, the number, they are simply using this story as a means to get press and publicity and money for their Hate Agenda. And, to do that, the AFA listed several scary stories on their website — including one about a non-transgender man who had been arrested for illegally filming women in restrooms — to shore up their warped opinion. However, there is one list you won’t see on the AFA site: the names of those ALLEGED one million people who signed the Hate Petition.

So, to prove the AFA is lying, the good folks at ThinkProgress successfully “signed” the petition three different times from the same web browser using the names “I disagree With this,” “I really think this is stupid,” and “This isn’t A real email.” All that the AFA petition required was using a different email address each time, though, as the last name suggests, it was possible to sign the pledge using a non-existent email address.

Still, this petition, or pledge to boycott Target as the AFA calls it, is having an impact. Last week, the city of Oxford, Alabama passed a law banning transgender people from using public restrooms, and anti-LGBT conservatives in Texas, like Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and state Representative Matt Shaheen—both Republicans, of course—have stated their intention to boycott Target; Shaheen even said he would help Target pack up its stores, vow to “die on this issue politically. I am going to bat for my wife and my daughters.”

Fearmonger.

In response to the wingnuts, the “Christians,” the Republicans using fear as a weapon, MoveOn has launched a #StandWithTarget petition to counter the AFA pledge:

“I pledge to support Target and any other business that stands up for transgender rights and accommodates transgender people in their restroom use.”

You can sign HERE. When I signed there were over a hundred thousand real names on the list.

Stand with Target, and stand with and for our trans brothers and sisters.

USA Today

Think Progress
JoeMyGod

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.

source

The Boycott Is Back, Too

So, first Target gets nailed for donating money to a PAC that donated money to a rabidly anti-gay politician, Tom Emmer, who gave some of his money to a "Christian" rock band who believes the moral thing to do is Kill The Gays.

Then the LGBT community gave a big Steven Slater to Target. We grabbed a Bud Lite and slid out of their stores in droves. And their stock dropped as the boycott hit.

Well, what does a Target do? They apologize, though not specifically to the LGBT community but to their own employees and they talk about how they were just doing what was best for Target.

Okay, so, boycott off? Not so much.

After agreeing to work with the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] to make amends for being money-grubbing-asshats, Target has suddenly decided to abandon the idea. HRC has been working with Target for almost two weeks to try and come to some sort of resolution that keeps Target's reputation on relative solid footing within the LGBT community.

But Target said that they're no longer interested in working with the group, and don't really feel it's in the company's best interest to make things right with the LGBT community.
So, I would ask the LGBT community to reciprocate in kind, and stop working with Target. Perhaps do like this guy:

And if you work for Target, perhaps a job search is in order, and once you've found said employment elsewhere, why not head back into your Target store, find the nearest PA system, and give a big F-U to the company that gave a big F-U to the LGBT community.
Sounds only fair.

I Didn't Say It........

Julian Bond, on marriage equality, the Black community, and Maryland:

"Standing for the freedom to marry is about supporting all families, but I would be remiss without highlighting the impact that this inequality has on black same-sex couples, who statistically are already economically disadvantaged compared to their straight sisters and brothers. In comparison to black opposite-sex couples and white same-sex couples, black same-sex couples are more likely to parent children and earn a lower annual income. The lack of marriage rights negatively affects black same-sex couples because they are also more likely to work in the public sector, relying on health insurance that is often only afforded to married couples. Furthermore, I firmly believe that marriage strengthens communities. Allowing more couples the opportunity to marry will strengthen the communities — and families — that most need it.
I served for 20 years in the Georgia State House and Senate; I recall difficult decisions my colleagues and I had to make, often torn between conscience and public opinion. I hope the General Assembly will stand for what's right and bring the freedom to marry to Maryland."

Pay attention people.
This is what common sense sounds like.
This is what progress sounds like.
This is what equality sounds like.

Lady Gaga, on target about Target:

"That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I've ever had in a business meeting. Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they've made in the past ... our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they've made supporting those [antigay] groups."

I'm glad Gaga is working with Target, but I am not so optimistic that Target will change it's ways.
Target is about profit and the bottom line.
And they've pledged to work with the LGBT community before, and then opted to stop that altogtehr.
If I buy Gaga's music, it won't be at Target.

Dan Savage, on Rick Santorum and his outrage over Dan's Santorum website:

"You have to love how Santorum is out there mewling about being the victim here and about civility—this from the man who compared people in stable, loving same-sex relationships to dog fuckers and kiddie rapists, this from a man who would make gay and straight sodomy illegal, ban gay marriage and any other protections for same-sex couples, and prevent loving same-sex couples from adopting children who need homes. This from a man who would literally destroy my family if it were within in his power to do so....There has been no effort to strip Rick Santorum of his civil rights, no moves to nullify his marriage, no one has suggested that his children be taken out of his home, no one is trying to prevent him from having more children. No one has compared Rick Santorum to a dog fucker or a pedophile. Compared to Rick Santorum, my readers and I have been models of decorum and restraint. And don't think you're fooling us, Rick. Now that you're running for president—eight years after we redefined 'santorum' — you're whining to attract a little attention to your campaign and because your advisors think that maybe you'll get a little traction playing the pansy-assed victim card, à la Sarah Palin, and rake in a few bucks. Oh, look at all that mean gay dude—one of the guys I want to oppress—he's picking on meeeeeeeeeee!"

I could add my two cents, but Dan don't need no help.

Democratic Representaive Jackie Speier's emotional and personal rebuttal during a debate, and GOP asshat Chris Smith, who read aloud graphic descriptions of abortion only moments before:

"I really planned to speak about something else. But the gentleman from New Jersey just put my stomach in knots. Because I'm one of those women he spoke about just now. I had a procedure at 17 weeks pregnant with a child who moved from the vagina into the cervix. And that procedure that you just described is a procedure that I endured. I lost a baby. And for you to stand on this floor and suggest that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought, is preposterous."

I've said it before, and will say it again: If you don't beleieve in abortion, don't have one.
And, to that, I will add, If men were the ones who got pregnant and gave birth, abortion would have been legalized in teh Constitutuion.
This is just another way for men to exert control over women.

Wyoming Republican--Yes, Republican--state senator Cale Case, who proposed a $200,000 appropriation for road signs that would alert visitors from out-of-state: "Warning: your marriage or civil union may be void or voidable in Wyoming. Proceed with extreme caution" on Wyoming's string of anti-LGBT measures:

“We should kill this bill. We should kill it right now. We should kill it because it’s not very well thought out. It has enormous practical implications....What about the millions of people that visit Wyoming? That just come for vacation. We’re so proud of our visitors, now we’re going to say all of you visitors who happen to be from another state, when you come across the border, you’re magically not together any more. ‘Poof.’ It’s gone. Don’t get into a car wreck. If you’re in a hospital and you’re dying, and your partner is with you, we’re going to have to call your mother because that’s the nearest relative that we’re going to recognize under Wyoming (law) to make decisions about your life....Gays and lesbians live and work among us. They’re also soldiers in the military. They’ve been here and talked about their service in Iraq and...now you’re going to deny them the benefits (of marriage of civil unions).”

Oh wow!
A Republican standing up for the LGBT community?
And in Wyoming, no less?
Stand tall Congressman Case. You're on the right side.

Maggie Gallagher, on Marriage Equality in Maryland, and thie idea that NOM is "going to win there, one way or another":

"To me, it’s amazing, given the array of forces pushing for gay marriage and the weak response of most conservative politicians, that the American people have stubbornly dug in their heels on this question: Are two men in a union a marriage? The answer is 'no,' and people really do know it. Marriage is the union of husband and wife — for a reason. Creating a world where people are treated like haters or bigots for standing for marriage is irrational, and people know that, too. An America in which Genesis is akin to racism is an America that will be unrecognizable. Ideas have consequences, and this idea cuts us off from our roots and makes the future much harder."

Oh Maggie, you douchebag.
Look at a poll, and i don't mean the rusty pole you keep in your bedroom for, um, your amusement.
The tide is changing.
More and more people are accepting of marriage equality, until you spin your pedophile/bestialty line of bull shiz.
Your days of being anything more than a sad clown are just about up, and then what, ot who, will you go after?

 Playgirl's Daniel Nardicio, on Nick Gruber, the 21-year-old lover of Calvin Klein:

"I had contacted him a long time ago about posing in Playgirl, before he was outed as a porn star. I kept trying to meet up with him and he kept blowing me off, with monosyllabic texts, yet he said he'd do Playgirl as long as he got the cover. Finally, in frustration I texted him to forget it, and he came back with 'You only want me because of my fame, so you can go fuck yourself.' To that I told him that in three years when Klein tired of blowing him, he'd be just another bottle blond looking for work, so he should be more respectful of people trying to give him work."

Hey Playgirl.
We all know your models are mostly gay porn stars, so quite trying to market yourself as entertainment for women,
The men in your magazine only want women to do their hair.

Porn actor and Calvin's lov-ah, Nick Gruber, on Playgirl editor Daniel Nardicio:

"You only want me because of my fame, so you can go fuck yourself. Calvin [Klein] is my partner -- you don't understand because you don't have that. I am famous now, and people want me for my fame, and you should be careful 'cause of the people I know and what they could do to you."

Hmm, porn star threats?
Is he gonna have someone 'blow' Nardicio away?
Fluff him to death?
Seriously, this little man's fifteen minutes as Calvin's plaything are almost up, because, I'm pretty sure Calvin is now dreaming of some luscious 18-year-old that he simply must have.

Lady Gaga, on how she spent 72 hours in the egg before the Grammys:

"I was in there for about 72 hours. It was a very creative experience...It was time for me to really prepare and think about the meaning of the song and get prepared for the performance. I really wanted to be born on stage. The creative vessel was helpful for me to stay focused. We had it backstage so that I was able to really stay in this sort of creative, embryonic incubation."

I'm slowly getting over Gaga.
She tries to make it sound like she lived in the egg for three days before, um, hatching at the Grammy's, but take a close look at the red carpet egg, and the stage egg.
They are two very different eggs.
Plus, um, is it like an egg condo, because Gaga changed from a black outfit to her incubus dress in there!
Seriously, Gaga, spend more time writing songs and less time promoting yourself.
Seriously. 

Target Apologizes.....To Its Employees

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel finally apologized Thursday over a political donation to Minnesota Forward, a PAC that backed conservative Republican for governor, Tom Emmer. The donation angered many in the LGBT community, the straight community, and Target's own employees.

Steinhafel wrote to his employees to say that Target was "genuinely sorry" over the way a $150,000 contribution to MN Forward donation played out. Steinhafel said Target would set up a review process for future political donations.

As everyone should do, when donating money to any group or cause. Find out where it goes, and to whom.

Steinhafel said the contribution from the corporate treasury to a political effort, which until this year wasn't allowed, was designed to support Emmer's stance on economic issues, not social issues.

"While I firmly believe that a business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future, I realize our decision affected many of you in a way I did not anticipate, and for that I am genuinely sorry," Steinhafel wrote. "The diversity of our team is an important aspect of our unique culture and our success as a company, and we did not mean to disappoint you, our team or our valued guests."

Now, mind you, this was an apology only to Target employees, and not, directly, to the LGBT community, but I do think it has merit, and I do think we need to move on. Hopefully Target has learned that you cannot say you support our community and then give money to people and causes that seek to deny us basic civil rights.

We still, however, have not heard from other MN Forward contributors like Red Wing Shoe Company Inc., Best Buy Co., Pentair Inc., Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., Davisco Foods International Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc.

We'll be waiting.

Homophobes Are Stupid

FROTHY MIX IS NOT A HOMOPHOBE....GAYS JUST DON'T DESERVE EQUALITY 
Rick Santorum, AKA Frothy Mix--Google it and see what that means--who is running for presidential, which causes endless giggle fits around Casa Smallville, has come out--no, not like that--saying he supports a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Of course, this is the same Ric....Frothy Mix, that has said in the past that same-sex marriage is akin to having sex with dogs, and that it's "common sense" to keep gays from marrying and adopting children, who wants to reinstate the ban on gays in the military, and has said that gays shouldn't have the "privilege of government benefits" offered to heterosexual couples.

He says all that, and the says that he isn't a homophobe.

Oh, but'ch'are, Blanche, but'ch'are a homophobe.

As for his desire to federally ban marriage equality, he said

"I support a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. I believe that marriage should be a consistent thing across the country. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman...Once people realize the consequence to society of changing this definition...it's gonna have a profound impact on society, on faith, on education. And once people realize that, they say, you know what, we respect people's right to live the life they want to lead but don't try to fundamentally change how society functions by changing that definition."

Hey Frothy, look at the recent polls where support for marriage equality is on the rise. I don't think there will ever be a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage, but I am working on an amendment banning you from opening your ignorant yap.

TARGET ISN'T ANTI-GAY, THEY LOVE EVERYBODY

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel said: "Our position at this particular time is that we are going to be neutral on that particular issue [marriage equality and Minnesota trying to ban it], as we would be on other social issues that have polarizing points of view...We're a retail store, we welcome everybody...We have a broad team-member base, every shape and size and color. And so we are a very inclusive organization...We're going to continue to monitor, we're going to continue to assess, and see how that develops."

Um, Greg, you douchenozzle. You don't welcome everyone if you donate to anti-gay causes. That little act makes you anti-gay.

See, simple.

Now, if I were to, say, ask anyone who believes that Target is a discriminatory company that seeks to deny the LGBT community their rights, and I ask people to support a ban on shopping at Target, that would make me anti-Target.

Which I am.

See, I can admit being anti-Target, you should admit to being anti-gay, since you have given all sorts of money to anti-gay groups, without trying to cover your tracks with corporate rhetoric about business and inclusiveness.

You're not that dumb, are you Greg?

Anita Bryant 2.0
During the Eagle Forum Collegians 2011 Summit with Phyllis Schlafly, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri told ll those strapping young conservatives why they should oppose marriage equality, by trotting out that old chestnut that legalizing gay marriage is akin to legalizing pedophilia, that legalizing gay marriage would be like legalizing incest.

That legalizing gay marriage is exactly like letting a three-year-old drive a car.

Portia de Rossi DeGeneres, she's an idiot.

But here's Anita, er, Vicky, in her won words: 

"Some people say, why does it matter to you as a government official? I care about someone else, I'm committed, I should be able to marry. Well, think about it. That starts you down the road to opening up licensure to basically meaning that the license would mean nothing if you let everybody with that standard. For instance, if you just care about somebody and you have a committed relationship, why not allow one man and two women, or three women to marry? ....Why not allow group marriage? .... Why not allow an uncle to marry his niece? Why not allow a 50-year-old man to marry a 12-year-old girl if they love each other and they’re committed? .... It's not a right of anybody--of a 3-year-old to be able to drive a car."

Well, you can imagine that these comments sent Little Miss Vicky into damage control, and when asked to clarify her remarks, or if they were taken out of context, she said that they were indeed misquotes.

She meant to say letting thirteen-year-olds drive cars, not three-year-olds.

Oh, well, then......carry on. Dumbass.

BRYAN FISCHER'S ILLOGICAL LOGIC

Bryan Fischer, Executive Bigot of the American Family Association believes that the repeal of DADT will actually lead to the LGBT community fighting for it's reinstatement.

Dan Choi, say what?

See, Bry, and he loves to be called Bry when he ALLEGEDLY snuggles with his non-sexual life partner, says the repeal of DADT will cause fewer gays to enlist because we only enlist so we can use being gay as an excuse to get out of the military, and because we don't really want to be soldiers anyway.

Which makes perfect sense. To morons.

Then he says that the repeal of DADT will cause straight men and women to stop enlisting because they don't want to serve with the gays.

But, Bry, you said the gays would stop enlisting with the repeal of DADT so why would the straights mind serving if there are no gays in the military anymore?

Oh, that's right, you're an idiot.

Don't ask, it makes no sense to me either.