I'm going to Target today. I wish I were still working near Chicago I'd go out and provoke these deviant bastards.
Posted on 08/14/2010 12:18:59 PM PDT by Maelstorm
About 50 people turned out Saturday, Aug. 14 for a protest of the new Target store in Chicago, on Broadway just north of Montrose. They were calling for a boycott of the store because of a recent $150,000 contribution to a fund, Minnesota Forward, that in turn gave that money to right-wing conservative Republican candidate Rep. Tom Emmer in his race for Minnesota governor.
While Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has apologized to employees for the contribution, and while Target is also meeting with the Human Rights Campaign to mitigate damages, they have not requested the funds back, and Chicago activists are demanding that before they stop boycotting the store.
If Target does get the money back, or even if it does not, activists are calling on the store to give equal or more money to Emmer's Democratic opponent as well as gay organizations and candidates in Minnesota, where the superstore is based.
"We will not be targets" chanted one of the protest's organizers, Rick Heintz, as the group marched in front of the store. Heintz also cut a cake commemorating the victory in the Prop 8 gay marriage case in California. As the Target protest went on in the mid-day sun, dozens of drivers honked their horns in support.
The Chicago protest was initiated by 16-year-old New Trier High School student Zachary Fraum. He came out the week before during the Gay Liberation Network's protest in Arlington Heights against the Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.
"I have known I was gay since I was 10 years old," Fraum said, adding that Rep. Emmert is not just anti-gay, but right-wing on other social issues such as abortion and immigration.
Organizer Andy Thayer of Gay Liberation Network made it clear they were not against the employees of Target, who he said are also victims of an anti-gay CEO who also opposes a unionized workforce. Their CEO "says through his contributions that he hates them, and that has to be a horrible burden" for employees, Thayer said. "To the workers, we say we are on your side."
Transgender activist Dove Paige Anthony asked Target to "stop funding our oppression now!" Anti-war activist Heather Benno from the Answer Coalition connected the dots between those who oppose gay rights and the bigots who get elected and work against gay issues. She said gay rights are the "civil-rights struggle of our generation."
Carrie Maxwell, a former Target employee, said this boycott was a slippery slope, now that the U.S. Supreme Court said corporations can give campaign contributions. "What if Illinois companies like Walgreens and Kraft do this? What are we going to do?" she asked. "So maybe Target, if they can't get the money back, can donate double to gay groups and to the Democratic candidate."
Thayer and GLN's Bob Schwartz said the protesters' demands include Target getting the money back, Target giving that money to a Minnesota gay group, and the Target CEO issuing a "real apology."
Several people at the protest also mentioned that Best Buy is also guilty of similar campaign contributions, and should also be boycotted.
I'm going to Target today. I wish I were still working near Chicago I'd go out and provoke these deviant bastards.
Better living through entitlement politics...
I pity the kid in that photo. He’s likely gonna grow up all messed up....
Target just became my store of choice this week.
Why do they call them Chicagoans? I am sure all Chicagoans don’t associate themselves with these people.
Target should close the store and move to a better area.
Good point.
We see in this protest a new tactic. Target simply gave to a conservative group. This is a tactic that is trying to force corporations not to give to any conservative group all of which are anti the gay agenda. I don’t understand the fear that so many conservatives have in standing up to these leftist activists. Have we all become idiots like Meghan McCain or did CPAC and the fairy contingent suddenly freak Republicans out?
At least the faggots understand how to fight. I’m begginning to think conservatives are wussies.
He looks messed up already.
“the fear that so many conservatives have in standing up to these leftist activists”
that’s way too abstract to be helpful. What exactly do you mean by that? Who’s not doing what?
Gotta love the mother of the year holding an obscene sign in one hand & her child’s hand in the other. Total pigs, these people.
Screw the queers....as soon as my kid gets up from her nap, we’re going to Target!!
Headline is inaccurate
Should read “Filthy Disease-Ridden Queers Protest Target Store”
Yup. I pity him for having such a stupid mother. Poor kid. *sigh*
Mine too.
The Citizens United Case has a price and the price will be that Leftist groups will protest and boycott companies that contribute to conservative candidates and causes and Conservative groups will protest and boycott companies that contribute to leftist candidates and causes.
This is nothing more than a fulfillment of the First Amendment.
“Screw the queers....as soon as my kid gets up from her nap, we’re going to Target!!”
You had better hurry as Target is going to need your cash in order to make that payout to The Equal Rights Campaign and liberal Democratic candidates.
The Pink Swastika strikes again!
Good point. All of these companies/corporations make donations in one way or another to political causes. All of them. I just read where Staples & Trader Joes give to Planned Parenthood.
Furthermore, in years past both Target & Best Buy refused to say “Merry Christmas” and changed all of their Christmas slogans to read “Happy Holidays” instead. THAT should make the secular progressives very happy.
It all seems rather silly to be as it was not too long ago that there were legions of Freepers claiming that they would never shop at Target again due to their “Merry Christmas” policy and now Target is all of a sudden a good corporate citizen.
And on Monday or Tuesday when Target announces that they gave money to leftist groups there will be a thread here about how target should be boycotted.
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