Target Staffers - It Gets Better

Reaction to this should be interesting...

Target: We're Neutral On Marriage Ban

Target Corporation says they'll be releasing no official statement on Minnesota's coming ballot referendum to ban same-sex marriage.

"Our position at this particular time is that we are going to be neutral on that particular issue, as we would be on other social issues that have polarizing points of view," CEO Gregg Steinhafel said. "We're a retail store, we welcome everybody," he added. "We have a broad team-member base, every shape and size and color. And so we are a very inclusive organization....We're going to continue to monitor, we're going to continue to assess, and see how that develops." Minneapolis-based Target has a long record of supporting gay and lesbian causes, including offering domestic partner benefits and being a major donor to Project 515, a group working to see that gay couples are treated the same as straight couples under Minnesota law.

Target Responds To Dropped Gaga Deal

"We were very surprised and disappointed by the statements made by Lady Gaga's organization related to her partnership with Target. Target remains committed to the LGBT community as demonstrated by our contributions to various LGBT organizations, our recently established Policy Committee to review our political giving and our respectful, inclusive workplace environment." - Target spokesperson.

Lady Gaga Ends Target Deal

Earlier this month it was reported that Lady Gaga had struck a special promotional deal with Target with the stipulation that the company "start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups." Now it appears that deal has fallen through.

Carmen Cacciatore, co-founder of Fly-Life marketing agency, announced this afternoon that the earlier reported deal between Target Corp. and Lady Gaga was dissolved this past week. Bob Witeck of Witeck-Combs Communications was familiar with the dissolved deal, although he does not represent Gaga or any of the parties, and told Metro Weekly, "Despite the expectation that this was all unfolding as a deal, it has been in a sensitive stage of continued discussion for probably the last three weeks." He added, "Quite a few people, even early on, were afraid it was going to dissolve."

MINNESOTA: Tom Emmer Concedes Gov Race, Target's Donation Goes Down Toilet

So much for the huge donation Target made to the campaign of anti-gay bigot Tom Emmer. Via Washington Post:

Republican Tom Emmer has conceded the Minnesota governor's race to former Sen. Mark Dayton (D), bringing a close to the last undecided governor's race of 2010 and finalizing the playing field for the 2011 nationwide redistricting. "Minnesotans have made their choice, by however thin a margin, and we respect that choice," Emmer said. Emmer said he will not press forward with a legal challenge following a recount that left him behind by nearly 9,000 votes. Dayton's win means Republicans will control 29 of the 50 governorships, while Democrats control 20. One seat will be held by an independent, former GOP Sen. Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island.

MINNESOTA: Democrat Mark Dayton Leading Douchebag Tom Emmer

Democrat Mark Dayton's lead over anti-gay douchebag Tom Emmer is widening. Let's hope Target wasted all that money.

MINNESOTA: Democrat Mark Dayton Leading Anti-Gay Tom Emmer

Anti-gay Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, the man at the center of the Target controversy and boycott, is trailing Democrat Mark Dayton by five to ten points in most polls. The two are tied in a poll conducted by Minnesota Public Radio.

Target Faces Loss Of Contract With San Francisco Over LGBT Benefits

Target currently does not have a location in San Francisco, but it wants one, which is perhaps why it has offered to provide services to the trauma unit at San Francisco General. But to get that contract, the city would have to waive its long-standing requirement that all companies involved in city business offer the same benefits to LGBT employees that it does to straight employees. Via the San Francisco Appeal:

Not so fast, said Human Rights Commission Executive Director Theresa Sparks, whose office oversees all so-called 12B waivers (so named for the section of the Administrative Code which guarantees Equal Benefits). The HRC tentatively approved Safeway's waiver for its $90,000, three-year contract -- it is, after all, the only 24-hour food store and pharmacy near SF General -- but has put the brakes, at least temporarily, on Target's waiver request for its $75,000, three-year contract. Typically, waivers are only granted to contractors or companies who provide a service no other entity can provide, Sparks said, like an engineering firm that has a patent on a turbine, or a Canadian software company with sole rights to the computer program that controls the doors at the County Jail (both real examples). "We don't just give these waivers out indiscriminately," she told the Appeal on Tuesday evening. "The whole concept of a domestic partner started in San Francisco. This is a very important process, and we protect it at all costs." Before Target's waiver is granted, the Human Rights Commission wants to be sure that a compliant vendor can't be found, Sparks said.

Target may still get the contract. But you can bet that this would not be such a huge issue were it not for the ongoing national boycott regarding their contribution to an anti-gay group in Minnesota.

NOTE: Target does provide domestic partner insurance benefits to its employees, so it's unclear what benefits are available only to heterosexual employees.

For Rectal Use Only

Infantile? Absolutely. Did I LOL? Hells yeah.

New From Target's BFF

Tom Emmer's got seven kids and he uses them all to shill for his bid for Minnesota governor.

Signorile: Why Won't HRC Change Target's Corporate Equality Rating?

While the Human Rights Campaign has come out uncharacteristically forcefully against Target, the company continues to enjoy a 100% rating on HRC's lauded Corporate Equality Index. Yesterday HRC's Fred Sainz told Michelangelo Signorile that it's just too complicated to change the Index right now. Signorile:

Sainz went onto again explain how complicated it supposedly is to change the Corporate Equality Index criteria (something he told me a week earlier when I had him on the show) and how the group is trying to “grapple” with the new changes since the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United and that they don’t want to make a "knee-jerk" response and that they are working it through but in a "thoughtful” manner. That’s all well and good, but the boycott is now, and as it goes on, HRC is still telling people to shop at Target.

Listen to Signorile's interview with HRC's Fred Sainz.

UPDATE: HRC has issued the following response in which they state that both Target and Best Buy will be removed from their list.

The recent political contributions by Target and Best Buy are cause for reflection on the criteria used for future editions of the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). While considering all of this, it’s important to keep in mind that the CEI has made a tremendous impact in the real lives of LGBT people in large part because it has been a predictable and transparent roadmap for companies to institute fair workplace policies. Instead of making capricious decisions about scoring criteria, we believe that a responsible consideration of all of the facts is the smartest way to move forward.

Already complicated, the Citizens United decision has made campaign finance issues even more complex. HRC is thoughtfully studying the many ramifications of political giving by companies in this new reality. The CEI, upon which the Buyer’s Guide is based, was completed in June 2009. Under that set of criteria, both Target and Best Buy scored 100 percent. The Buyer’s Guide available on our website was released in November 2009 and is representative of the information known to us at the time. Because we understand the impact of leaving Target and Best Buy on the various products associated with the Buyer’s Guide, both companies will soon be removed from it. HRC will not encourage people to shop at either store and believes that consumers should make their own decisions after careful consideration of all of the information available to them.

Bigotry Special At Target

Queer Rising made a customer service announcement at a Target in Madison, Wisconsin, much to the annoyance of store management.

MSNBC Rejects MoveOn's Anti-Target Ad

MoveOn.org's national ad buy for their anti-Target campaign has been rejected by MSNBC.

MSNBC spokeswoman Alana Russo says the commercial submitted by the liberal group MoveOn.org violates its advertising policy by directly attacking an individual business. MoveOn announced plans earlier this week to spend $35,000 airing the ad on MSNBC nationally and on three networks in the Twin Cities. The group says the stations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market are running the ad. MoveOn head Justin Ruben says the rejection is "the height of hypocrisy." Minneapolis-based Target last month donated $150,000 to a political fund supporting conservative GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer in Minnesota. That triggered a national backlash from gay rights groups and liberals.

Very disappointing. View MoveOn's ad here.

MoveOn Advertises Against Target

MoveOn.org has launched a television campaign against Target. The campaign begins tomorrow on three networks in Minnesota and will air nationally on MSNBC.

Anti-Target Flash Mob

(Tipped by JMG reader Aaron)

Target Gets 240,000 Boycott Petitions

From this clip's description:

Irate activists visited Target HQ to extend the boycott of Target Stores for the $150,000 contribution the corporation made to a group supporting Republican Tom Emmer. Emmer is seen as an enemy of LGBT people, immigrants and other groups. Randi Reitan, the woman seen on YouTube last week cutting up her Target charge card to protest Target's action was joined by her husband Phillip and Son Jacob to deliver signatures of 240,000 people across the nation to the Target CEO. Target security blocked the public skyway entrance leading to the 2nd floor lobby forcing the group to deliver their petitions to the foot of the frozen escalator. Later, a Minneapolis police Lt said that Target was very happy to have you here.

Who At Target Donated To Yes On 8?

Abe Sauer writes at The Awl:

The truth is not that Target and its leadership have suddenly turned on their commitment to gay rights. It's more that it never really existed to begin with. Further research shows that Target has funneled significant funding to the most socially conservative of Republicans and that it boasts a frightening culture of anti-gay candidate support from Target's own stable of top executives. We have already noted that CEO Gregg Steinhafel and his wife both maxed out their personal contributions this year to Michele Bachmann and Tom Emmer. But Steinhafel is just the captain of the crew. Target's current group of top corporate officers have supported a murderers row of anti-gay politicians. Even more confusing, some of those anti-gay candidates supported by Target's PAC and its executives don't even represent Minnesota.

Read Abe Sauer's complete expose.

BREAKING: Target Apologizes For Funding Minnesota Anti-Gay Political Group

Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has bowed to national outrage and issued an apology (just to his employees, so far) for funding an anti-gay Minnesota PAC to the tune of $150,000. Steinhafel's letter says the company "will more closely scrutinize" political donations in the future. Minnesota Forward, the recipient of Target's dough, funneled the money to anti-gay candidate for governor, Tom Emmer. Is this enough to call off the LGBT dogs? We shall see. And no word yet from Best Buy, who made a similar donation.

HRC's Message To Target & Best Buy

Olbermann On Target Backlash

And since the GOP filibustered the Disclose Act last week, we may often never know which corporations are behind these kinds of campaigns.

(Tipped by JMG reader Alan)