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.
This is one of the most self evidently untrue statements I've ever read, but stand up and disagree with this in a corporate meeting and you'd be fired.
Sue them for civil rights violations
balderdacious
what a word!
Set up signs outside the borders of Target that says, “Target is more concerned that pedophiles have the right to enter the same bathrooms with your children and grandchildren than their safety” and “Target supports the rights of pedophilles and the LGBT community before Christians and they don’t need your money.”
“Men using ladies restrooms and changing rooms needs to stop being a “ diversity issue”
I believe it starts with language. Just like people initially thought PC was cute or funny, claiming to “identify as...”
sets the wrong precedent. It sanitizes the condition into acceptability. Instead we should use phrases like “mentally ill”,
which in its day was a bit sanitized. Like saying “gay” given the modern meaning of the word. Likewise, it works in reverse. Think Pelosi never mentioning tax cuts without using the full “Bush tax cuts for the wealthy”.
We must nether accept nor use these sanitizing terms.
Fascism is now enforced by businesses, not by the government.
“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.”
Sounds like a participation trophy
Yes. I tell everyone I know about Target’s bathroom policy. I do not know one woman who wants to “share” our bathrooms with anyone but women and very young boys accompanied by their adult supervisor.
“Yes. I tell everyone I know about Target’s bathroom policy. I do not know one woman who wants to “share” our bathrooms with anyone but women and very young boys accompanied by their adult supervisor.”
....yup, REAL WOMEN, not those fake wannabes....fer sure!
Another company to boycott. Doubt they have much business. Best to target companies that use them.
Wonder, if like bakers, they can be sued for intolerance?
Still won’t shop there or buy gift cards for them.
Never hear of “Leadpages”, but I have absolutely stopped shopping at Target. My daughter went one time, only to use up some gift cards, and that’s been it for us (multi-generational family of 5) since they announced the policy.
And it does make a difference where we are concerned. It was one of our favorite stores; close by, plenty of parking and easy road access, decent prices comparably. I rarely left without putting $100 or more on my card, and I went every month/month and a half or so. At Christmas time it was my “go to” store, esp. for kids things & stocking stuffers ... I know I’ve spent at least $300 dollars there the last 4 or 5 Christmases just on those & “last minute” things ... sorry, no more.
We even did the gift registry for the soon-to-be-here grand-baby at a different store.
Lawsuit, now! $500 million for denial of First Amendment Rights.
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