Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Wal-Mart Partners With Gay-Lesbian Chamber
The Morning News ^ | August 22, 2006 | Anita French

Posted on 08/23/2006 5:50:17 AM PDT by sweetliberty

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is joining with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to help advance diversity within the Bentonville-based retailer’s operations, the company confirmed Tuesday.

Dee Breazeale, a Wal-Mart vice president, will serve on the chamber’s corporate advisory council, which works to educate corporate America on the benefits of workplace diversity.

“We are honored to have Wal-Mart's support of the NGLCC. Our partnership will not only provide more opportunities for the NGLCC, but the business community as a whole,” Justin Nelson, chamber co-founder and president, said in a news release. “We are pleased with this addition to our organization and to our council.”

Wal-Mart has also agreed to sponsor some of the chamber’s programs, including two of its conferences.

Wal-Mart didn’t issue a news release about its partnership with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, leaving it to the chamber to publish the news at its Web site Monday.

Wal-Mart spokesman Bob McAdam in a telephone interview with The Morning News downplayed any controversy over the issue.

“We participate in all kinds of organizations, hundreds of them, (and) this is just one. It’s not really any different than any outreach we do that represents a segment of our customers,” he said.

Reaction from one quarter was critical, however. American Family Association spokesman Randy Sharp said his organization wasn’t surprised by the news because it was the latest in a “long list” of Wal-Mart actions to “recognize and endorse a personal sexual behavior.”

“It’s disappointing. I personally chose two months ago to stop shopping at Wal-Mart ... and I think others will follow suit,” Sharp said. “Up until a year and a half ago, the AFA applauded Wal-Mart for their pro-family policies, but now it seems Wal-Mart has decided to push aside that legacy left by (founder) Sam Walton and joined those who look at the bottom line and stock prices.”

McAdam retorted that Walton’s legacy was “taking care of customers and taking care of their needs, and in the process we’ll run a profitable business.”

The American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Miss., and headed by Donald Wildmon, criticized Wal-Mart last year when the company held a seminar on how to market to gay America and also just recently when the retailer prominently advertised that it carried the “Brokeback Mountain” DVD in its stores.

Wal-Mart added gays and lesbians to its anti-discrimination policy in 2003. Spokeswoman Linda Blakley said in December that the company’s marketing seminar grew out of an Associate Resource Groups program Wal-Mart launched in April 2005.

The Associates Resource Group features “affinity or network groups” and includes ones for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. An American Family Association Journal article at the time criticized the program, saying Wal-Mart had “caved in” to gay activists.

Other companies with representatives on the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber Corporate Advisory Council include IBM, Wells Fargo and Kodak, according to the chamber.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Arkansas
KEYWORDS: aids; corporateamerica; discountsextoys; disease; economictreason; hiv; homosexualagenda; queersrus; sodomites; sodomy; walmart
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 last
To: Idaho Whacko

I'll tell ya this. If we ever find out any of those slaves in the manufacturing camps are gay, I'm gonna go ballistic.


41 posted on 08/23/2006 7:51:59 AM PDT by Wolfie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: ohioman
I have found things stuck to my shoe with more spine than these corporate pukes.

I hate to say this about the company I work for, but us "old-timers" have watched these young little fools with many "degrees" after their name and NO common sense go against everything Sam stood for, and what he built his empire upon.

These kids better watch out or Wal-Mart will go the way of K-Mart.

42 posted on 08/23/2006 7:55:41 AM PDT by Budge (<>< Sit Nomen Domini benedictum. <><)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: sweetliberty

" “We are honored to have Wal-Mart's support of the NGLCC. "

Translation: "We're glad that we Sodomites have another ally. If we get enough people to approve of our sodomy, we won't, maybe, feel so guilty.


43 posted on 08/23/2006 7:56:27 AM PDT by RoadTest (I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.Ps3)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JRochelle

target went over to the dark side a long time ago. i stopped shopping there when they were more willing to support the homosexuals than our troops, but when they refused to let the salvation army have bell ringers outside of their stores, i vowed never to set foot in one again.


44 posted on 08/23/2006 8:00:46 AM PDT by cas7boys (we all choose who we sleep with...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: acsrp38

And how will Wal-Mart verify the response?


45 posted on 08/23/2006 8:49:32 AM PDT by TheDon (The Democratic Party is the party of TREASON!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: DungeonMaster
Boycotting Wally World is going to be tough.

Not for me! I hate shopping there - it's like a 3rd world country and the lines are looong. I'll pay 40 cents more for something rather than have to even go in the place.

46 posted on 08/23/2006 10:44:30 AM PDT by texgal (end no-fault divorce laws return DUE PROCESS & EQUAL PROTECTION to ALL citizens))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: stevio
I just got an email that Sam's Club (Wal-mart owned) is going the "Holiday Season" instead of "Christmas Season" route this year. Seems like they totally PCed the freak out.

I would tell them that I'll be doing my CHRISTMAS shopping someplace where they celebrate Christmas.

47 posted on 08/23/2006 10:47:55 AM PDT by texgal (end no-fault divorce laws return DUE PROCESS & EQUAL PROTECTION to ALL citizens))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: JRochelle
"Has Target done this too?"

I don't know.

48 posted on 08/23/2006 3:20:07 PM PDT by sweetliberty (Stupidity should make you sterile!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: NC28203

Why is this a problem? I don't see a problem with a store wanting to market to non-Christians as well as Christians. Do you only shop at stores that market specifically to Christians?


49 posted on 08/23/2006 3:49:09 PM PDT by Stone Mountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Stone Mountain

>>>Why is this a problem? I don't see a problem with a store wanting to market to non-Christians as well as Christians. Do you only shop at stores that market specifically to Christians?

I think you meant to respond to post 13. I did not object to to Wal-Mart's use of "holiday season" in my post, but merely noted an economic reason for doing so.


50 posted on 08/23/2006 3:56:25 PM PDT by NC28203
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: traditional1

But there is one problem - while FORD has had a drastic dip in sales (more significant than other auto manufactureres), auto buyers generally have quite a few choices.

But with WalMart - many of the "choices" in many communities have been snuffed out by WalMart.

The "big box" store mentality has become the foundation of retail in many places.... thus there are quite limites alternatives. I tried for about a year to eliminate, or come as close as I could, WalMart from my shopping. I still found that every so often, I wound up at WalMart anyway - because they were the only place I could find what I needed/when I needed it.

I have basically given up - although I do go to other retailers if at all possible - and even will sometimes spend a small bit more for a product to not go to WalMart. But we just haven't been able to completely give them up. With two small children - and a reduces income - we just don't have much choice.


51 posted on 08/23/2006 8:23:30 PM PDT by TheBattman (Islam (and liberalism)- the cult of a Cancer on Society)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TheBattman
"many of the "choices" in many communities have been snuffed out by WalMart"

I am not one of the "anti-Walmart" "anti-big business" crowd, but I do the same thing as you.

I buy at the local hardware store, local lumber company, etc., wherever possible, but it's not always possible. I try to buy locally, from locals, and avoid the Big Box places, too, but some items aren't always available that way.

So, we're stuck with trying to minimize frequenting merchants/corporations with an agenda or who support agenda's I don't approve of.

I believe a lot of folks do that, and it adds up.

52 posted on 08/24/2006 4:05:14 AM PDT by traditional1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: TheBattman
But there is one problem - while FORD has had a drastic dip in sales (more significant than other auto manufactureres),

The first part of that statement is true, but not the second. Heck, Nissan has seen a bigger drop in sales. But the important factor to look at is truck sales v. car sales. Ford's truck sales are off, but they're actually off less than the industry as a whole year-to-date. Their car sales are up, and I believe that they are actually up more than the industry as a whole year-to-date.

So what's the problem? Some 70% of their sales were trucks, more than the industry average. In other words, its not that the products have done that poorly compared to their direct competition. Its that the products being offered weren't the right products.
53 posted on 08/24/2006 6:56:07 AM PDT by eraser2005
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: NC28203

Yup - you're right - my bad...


54 posted on 08/24/2006 9:55:07 AM PDT by Stone Mountain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: sweetliberty

diversity=anybody but conservative white people.

diversity = anythiny but DO YOUR JOB.

diversity = more taxes for BS training

diversity = grants to left wing organizations. (see shakedown)


55 posted on 08/24/2006 10:01:10 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NC28203

don't be a silly, everybody knows christmas is in july...
(sarcasm off)


56 posted on 08/24/2006 10:05:19 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson