may they achieve all the success JC Penny did...
Posted on 08/05/2014 5:11:42 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Target finally threw its corporate weight behind marriage equality Tuesday, with the Minneapolis-based retailer joining an amicus brief in a court case.
"We believe that everyone -- all of our team members and guests -- deserve to be treated equally," Target executive vice president Jodee Kozlak said in a statement posted on the corporate blog.
Yet in recent years, Target's official position on same-sex marriage had been a case study of mixed signals, causing the discount chain a great deal of grief.
During the heated 2012 marriage amendment fight in Minnesota, Target remained firmly on the sidelines -- and remained there in 2013 when the Legislature voted to let same-sex couples wed.
Yet for decades, Target had a reputation as a welcoming and supportive workplace for gay and lesbian employees. And it has been a large financial contributor to gay community groups in Minnesota and beyond.
While Minnesota's gay-marriage debate has come and gone, Kozlak's statement noted that it continues in other places. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit -- covering Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana -- is considering a case that finally impelled Target to take a public stand.
In part, Target offered a business case.
"Current laws -- in places like Wisconsin and Indiana that are addressed in this brief -- make it difficult to attract and retain talent," wrote Kozlak, who heads human resources for Target. "These disparate laws also create confusing and complicated benefits challenges across multiple states."
But Kozlak also hinted at a degree of corporate soul-searching as gay marriage spreads across the land. She did not mention another change: the firing of Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who in 2010 was criticized after Target made a $150,000 campaign contribution on behalf of an anti-gay-rights Republican, Tom Emmer.
That contribution led to consumer protests against Target, and an apology from Steinhafel. But stung by the reaction, Target instead embraced a series of wink-and-nod signals on the gay-marriage question.
In 2011, it signed an exclusive partnership with Lady Gaga to promote her gay-anthem album, "Born This Way." The singer told reporters that Target had promised to be more gay-friendly, a characterization Target disputed, and their deal quickly dissolved.
In 2012, Target ran an ad featuring two grooms. "Build a Target Wedding Gift Registry as unique as the two of you," the ad said. But Target stressed it was still neutral on the gay marriage issue.
In 2012 Target sold rainbow "Love is Love" T-shirts in its stores with proceeds going to a gay-families group, which angered religious groups supporting the marriage amendment, which would have banned same-sex marriage in the state constitution. But the amendment failed.
This week, Target decided to more direct.
"As our leadership team discussed signing on, we took time to consider the bigger questions at hand," Kozlak posted Tuesday. "This brief is important, as the issues it addresses have significant impact on business. But it is more than that and we agreed now is the right time to more directly share our views."
I am a regular shopper at Target. Until now.
With the world burning, our freedoms being taken away, elite leadership presuming to tell us when, where and how to breathe---somehow the marital rights of homosexuals are front and center?
Nope!
vaudine
“Why would a business chime in on something like this?”
Why are so many of them doing the same thing?
No wonder they are barreling toward their own demise. Would it have been too much to ask them to try to turn around this tired old store chain?
For our readers in Minnesota and some surrounding states.
Originally, Target was the spawn of the Dayton-Hudson Corp.
As in...Mark Dayton.
“Why are so many of them doing the same thing?”
Because they want to destroy themselves as a corporation, their shareholders and our nation.
I have no problem with any company who employs gays and lesbians. But I do have a problem with a company who will support less than a miniscule of a per cent of the population while spitting in the majority population’s faces. When I say less than a miniscule of a per cent, I’m talking about the number of gays who actually want to get married.
Target also took a big hit a couple of years ago when they told the Salvation Army bell ringers to take a hike.
I don’t shop at Walmart either because I do not want to support Communist China… nothing to do with Union fixations. I don’t think the Wal Mart heirs are even remotely as smart as Sam was.
I remember when the CEO of JC Penney went all in for the gay market with Ellen Degenerate as spokeswoman. 6 months later the company was bankrupt. I would not be surprised if Target is having some serious corporate problems and somehow thinks that going all in with the gays will save them. Would not be surprised at all.
They did not learn from JC Penny? Just wow.
Because homosexuals have reached the highest levels in corporations.
So when the guys in the dresses and wigs want to “marry” what will you do then, Target?
Buh-bye
may they achieve all the success JC Penny did...
Target is owned by Dayton Hudson Corporation. Current Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton formerly US Senator, is an heir to the Dayton fortune.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Corporation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Dayton
http://mn.gov/governor/dayton/
“But it is more than that and we agreed now is the right time to more directly share our views.”
Yes, and now is the time we, your once upon a time conservative customers, more directly share our views about your views. May your stores be empty at all hours.
Amen.
I go there because Wal-Mart is pretty far away. Not anymore.
Me too. The Target is about 7 minute job and Walmart is about 25 minutes. However, no more Target. I will just keep a list of things I need and go on Saturday when I have more time to shop. No more Target at all.....I never really liked the store anyway so this is really a favor from Target.
And Walmart supports Obamacare and minimum wage hikes.
6 of one, half dozen of another.
Target is cleaner and less crowded. If I have to choose between 2 Devils, I’m choosing the cleanest one.
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