Posted on 11/25/2016 4:23:42 AM PST by markomalley
A conservative corporate watchdog group’s effort to galvanize conservatives against Target’s restroom and changing-room policies was shut down on Thanksgiving Day by the server company hosting its website, because the campaign allegedly violated the company’s effort to “create an inclusive workplace” respectful of “diversity.”
In an e-mail, Leadpages Director of Operations Doug Storbeck ordered 2nd Vote to take down its #AnywhereButTARGET website. According to Storbeck, “at Leadpages, we strive to create an inclusive workplace that upholds the dignity of all people. We value, respect, and celebrate everyone’s individualities and honor their unique strengths from all different walks of life.”
2nd Vote’s campaign encouraged conservatives to shop #AnywhereButTARGET because of the company’s policy that allows males who identify as females to use the restroom and changing room of their choice. Conservatives have boycotted the retail giant, though Target executives said in August that a stock drop and an investment in single-sex restrooms was unrelated to the backlash.
Storbeck continued:
We believe that embracing diversity of thought and perspective encourages collaboration that leads to product innovation, diverse products and a successful business. Staying true to our core values is something we take very seriously and we feel this is reinforced in our Terms of Service. Specifically, and according to our Acceptable Use and Conduct policy (to which you have agreed), we prohibit any content which: “(g) is hateful or discriminatory based on race, color, sex, religion, nationality, ethnic or national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or age or is otherwise objectionable, as reasonably determined by Ave. 81;”
For the reasons stated above, I am respectfully requesting that you to take down your #AnywhereButTarget landing page upon receipt of this notice, but no later than 8:00am CST on Thursday November 24, 2016.
Earlier this week, 2nd Vote Communications Director Robert Kuykendall told The Stream that his organization believes “Target is carrying the water for the liberal LGBT agenda that wants to undermine religious liberty protections for business owners, people of faith, and religious institutions.”
“We want conservatives to know that they have alternative choices for their Christmas shopping and to use the power of their shopping dollars to show Target that they don’t want to those dollars used to fund a radical political agenda,” Kuykendall added.
In an e-mail announcing the elimination of their #AnywhereButTARGET landing page, 2nd Vote Executive Director Lance Wray said, “Liberals who constantly tout tolerance and inclusion go out of their way to shut down ideas they disagree with. To say our campaign is about inequality, intolerance, hate, discrimination or devaluing anyone is flat wrong, it’s about common sense and safety. But, some of the truest hate and intolerance we’ve seen has come from the liberal responses to our campaign.”
Kuykendall told The Stream that he suspects Leadpages realized the campaign was having an effect on Target,
Leadpages must have sensed our campaign was gaining momentum, so they resorted to the typical liberal bully tactics of shutting down and censoring ideas they don’t agree with and calling them “hateful” or “discriminatory.” Apparently, Leadpages wanted to use the cover of Thanksgiving Day, thinking they could quietly make #AnywhereButTARGET disappear.
Kuykendall explained that the campaign “has reached over 3 million conservatives through several platforms. We’ve even added our Christmas Shopping Guide to the campaign, giving these conservatives better choices on where to spend their Christmas shopping dollars.”
Less than 12 hours after Leadpages eliminated the #AnywhereButTARGET campaign page, LOGOS Identity Clothing’s Ryan O’Neil announced in an e-mail to Storbeck that he intended to boycott the company if it backed Target. Storbeck said that Storbeck and Leadpages’ executive team had “inserted your company into identity politics, and I can’t support a company like yours that doesn’t respect freedom of speech and expression.”
Leadpages did not respond to The Stream’s effort to clarify the company’s policy. The #AnywhereButTARGET campaign is directed at the company’s gender identity policy, which is not listed in Storbeck’s listing of company non-discrimination policies. Likewise, neither Storbeck nor Leadpages’ public relations manager responded to Wray’s accusation that the company’s actions consist of hypocrisy on the issue of diversity.
Time to switch hosting companies, I guess.
> at Leadpages, we strive to create an inclusive workplace that upholds the dignity of all people.
How does the website impinge upon your workplace?
> We value, respect, and celebrate everyone’s individualities and honor their unique strengths from all different walks of life.
Only so long as they agree with you.
I’d say Leadpages is ripe for a boycott.
Almost certainly Target got with this bunch and probably paid them to shut down the site. Target is DEFINITELY feeling pain with their ‘anything goes’ bathroom policy.
Men using ladies restrooms and changing rooms needs to stop being a “ diversity issue”
The emperor has no clothes here and the smallest child recognizes that
There is nothing “honorable” about deviancy.
It’s sick. It’s disgusting. It deserves dishonor.
My wife and I shopped at Target occasionally, but used their pharmacy frequently. We switched our pharmacy to another store, and have not been back to Target at all since they announced their acquiescence to perversity.
Well...I can’t stop using Leadpages, because I never have...
And I can’t go to Target less than I already am not...
So, y’all have a good time with whatever comes next.
Godspeed.
Same here - I used to like going there as it was always less crowded than Walmart. But that was then...
we strive to create an inclusive workplace that upholds the dignity of all people. We value, respect, and celebrate everyone’s individualities and honor their unique strengths from all different walks of life.”
Statements like this are just plain horse shit.
They need to be called on it.
Would they host a group of pedophiles? How about a group recruiting for ISIS? Of course you do not uphold the dignity of all people, because some people have no dignity.
Hate, that often used word is here again. “Hate” actually means anything a leftist wants it to mean, mostly disagreeing with a conservative. As in, They are full of hate because they don’t agree with me. Tolerance usually goes with hate in the sentence attacking conservatives like, We are not tolerant of hate filled ideas we disagree with.
Respect for the .02% and to hell with everyone else.
Making a public statement with unsubstantiated charges does not make them true. It is an often used tactic by the left relying on the “It’s the seriousness of the charge that counts; not the evidence.” Unless Leadpages produces offensive commentary that is provably taken from the #AnywhereButTARGET website, they are risking a First Amendment lawsuit.
Of course Leadpages is betting that #AnywhereButTARGET does not have the funds to pursue legal action.
This is Alinsky tactics. Use their principles against them. If everyone’s rights are to be protected demand they protect the rights of murderers to kill.
Yes, time to change. Their are a LOT of hosting sites who don’t give a rip about your politics, just the color of your money. A website is such an easy thing to set it up, you could host your own with an old computer.
We are being shut out of social media. Go GAG and build some more.
Deviancy has been elevated to the most honorable status in the society.The treatment of deviancy is causing more of it.The market, you know. Pay more for something you get more of it.
bottom line, the ISP is spouting balderdacious drivel
in the vernacular, BS
But remember kids - Christian bakeries must bake gay wedding cakes because civil rights or something...
We stopped going to Target the moment they decided turn their bathrooms into pedophile shops and we are never going back
So, they would be fine with a "Shop Walmart and eat at Chick-fil-A" movement?
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