Posted on 06/16/2023 9:32:23 PM PDT by Cronos
Wickes, a do-it-yourself retailer and garden center that has been in existence for over 50 years in the United Kingdom, is facing backlash and calls for boycotts following a strong statement by the company's chief operating officer in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
...One year after Wickes reportedly had a parade float with a slogan that read "No LGB without the T," Chief Operating Officer Fraser Longden participated in a virtual trans summit on Thursday hosted by PinkNews and sponsored by company EY.
"I don't think I'm ever going to change some of the bigots' minds, I'm never going to win that argument with them," he said during the summit. "So, we were doing [the Pride float] to show support to the community."
Most of the population is in a "sort of slightly ignorant but mostly kind position," Longden added, eventually leading to the company's stock share dropping a reported 5-plus points at one point on Friday.
"At Wickes we are proud to be an inclusive home improvement employer and support the LGBTQ+ community in its entirety," a Wickes spokesperson told Newsweek via email on Friday. "We are committed to building a workplace and culture where everyone can feel at home"
..."Let's hope that Wickes now gets the Bud Light moment it so richly deserves," tweeted Gary Powell, a British campaigner. "This is arrogant, irresponsible, authoritarian, cynical capitalism at its worst."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
"The other 10 percent, you know, they're just hot air and they will go and buy a tin of paint in the nearest place to them," he said. "That might have been us before, it might not be us afterwards. And equally, if they do come in and buy a tin of paint and behave that way, they're not welcome in our stores anyway."
>> Longden maintained his stance even after threats of boycotts.
Prolly at the behest of Black Rock and WEF
NGOs don’t want morally strong, patriotic citizens — too much resistance for their nefarious agendas.
Interesting.
International resistance to GloboHomoNazi!
Newsweak didn’t get the memo. Isn’t “Boycott” a sexist transphobic term?
“”I don’t think I’m ever going to change some of the bigots’ minds,”
They just don’t get it. We don’t give a crap about what they do. But they don’t deserve special treatment, and I am sick and tired of them throwing their lifestyle in my face.
That pretty much sums it up.
I think the UK is ripe for boycotts.
A boycott can be a silent protest.
There is not much semblance of free speech in the UK.
They definitely have the thought police in place.
International boycotts against AnBev will make a difference. Even if they stop selling beer in the US they are an international company and could survive. But with other countries boycotting them they might not survive.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to change some of the bigots’ minds, I’m never going to win that argument with them,” he said during the summit”
Did he really say that, or did he READ that, after having it handed to him with the implied threat of the government ‘making life difficult’ for his business if he didn’t do as told.
This stuff just doesn’t happen all at once, to practically every large company, without getting a bit of a push from someone with a LOT of power.
Only way to wake them up if possible, BOYCOTT
Isn’t BOYcott a term that should be discarded?
Folks need to ze/zercott! /S
Stop talking about boycotts. Start talking about divorce. It’s no longer a question of trying to stop them, but of leaving them and organizing our society, without them.
Well folks.. any hospital, med office or other medical entity accepting Medicare has gone woke for dollars. Yes, that’s right, in addition to pushing big pharma poison for cash, there’s this.
Still trust science and experts? Mengele was an expert also.
What about 99% of your customers, that have bought your stuff for decades?
Are we ignorant and bigoted?
There are men and women from conception.
Either can pretend to be the other, that OK with me, but don't tell me that I have to pretend along with them.
I am not a bigot, but a man cannot compete in women's sporting events, pretending to be a woman...it's not FAIR.
“We are committed to building a workplace and culture where everyone can feel at home”. What they seem to not realize is that I won’t feel at home there along with a heck of a lot of other people. I do not support this transgender thing...it is a mockery of what God created. Along with the groomers which is just plain evil.
Special treatment is what bothers me. You don’t see them saying “At Wickes we are proud to be an inclusive home improvement employer and support the Christian community in its entirety.” Instead, they call us bigots and tell us we are not welcome in their stores.
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.