Florida Agenda

SAN DIEGO, CA – Target Department Stores has filed a suit against a San Diego pro-gay marriage organization to get them to stop protesting in front of its area stores claiming that that the protests are driving away customers.

The trial against an organization named Canvass for a Cause began last Friday and will most likely further strain relationships between the LGBT community and Target, which began when it was disclosed last summer that Target made a $150,000 donation to a business group backing a Republican Minnesota candidate opposed to same-sex marriage. Target, however, claims they remain committed to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and its lawsuit has nothing to do with the political agenda of the organization.

Canvass for a Cause says it is using shopping malls, college campuses and department stores, including Target, to collect signatures and donation in support of gay marriage.

Target is once again in the firing line with the Gay Community.  Eight months after sparking a national firestorm over donations in support of a political candidate who opposed gay rights, and just weeks after Lady Gaga pulled her exclusive deal with them, the Target Corp.  raised the ire of the gay and lesbian community by suing a California advocacy group that has been lobbying for same-sex marriage outside its stores.

“In response to feedback from many guests, Target long ago established a solicitation policy at our stores nationwide,” the company said in a statement. “We do not permit solicitation or petitioning at our stores regardless of the cause or issue being represented.”

The company wants to ban activists with the grassroots group Canvass for a Cause from its properties, stating their recent activities at eight San Diego-area stores have made customers feel uncomfortable and could be hurting business.

Lawyers for Canvass for a Cause have argued in court filings that store fronts and shopping centers are part of the public square, where free speech ought to be protected.

“You’ve seen activists like us at almost every store in the country,” said Canvass for a Cause executive director Tres Watson. “Twenty-somethings in t-shirts with clipboards, saying ‘Hey, do you support gay marriage?’ And when people say no, we say, ‘Well do you want to talk about it?’

“Target is alleging that our people are angry, militant, homosexual activists. But if you think through it logically, there’s nothing [that] supports our cause [by] acting that way, and we don’t,” he said.

A judge in San Diego County Superior Court heard arguments in the case today and is expected to issue a ruling on the restraining order late next week.

Target wants to preserve a “distraction-free shopping experience” and has consistently taken legal action against groups which infringe on that experience, regardless of their viewpoint or affiliation.

Last year, Target triggered outrage among some employees, customers and interest groups for a $150,000 contribution supporting Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who opposed same-sex marriage and greater legal protections for gays and lesbians. Emmer ultimately lost to Democrat Mark Dayton.

Photo: Lady Gaga, Courtesy, skateboard-city.com

Lady Gaga has nixed a deal to sell a special edition of her upcoming album at the retail giant.

Gaga previously told, Billboard that her relationship with Target was tied to their “reform … and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those [antigay] groups.”

Last month, Target announced it would be selling a deluxe edition of Lady Gaga’s new Born This Way album, starting May 23. But now, a rep for the singer confirms the two sides “came to a mutual decision to end their overall exclusive partnership,” reports The Advocate.

Why? Gay advocates were concerned, citing Target’s donations to a political candidate who was against gay marriage. Target came under fire last year after the discount store chain had donated corporate funds to MN Forward, a political action committee that supported anti-gay candidate Tom Emmer in his failed 2010 run for governor of Minnesota.

“She and Target didn’t see eye to eye on Target’s policy of political donations and how they affect” the GLBT community, Bob Witeck of Witeck-Combs Communications, told the Advocate.

By BOB KECSKEMETY

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of Minnesota is joining the boycott against the Target Corporation, the owner of Target Department Stores. The union has 30,000 members and is Minnesota’s largest labor union. The Union said that Target should not have contributed money to Minnesota Forward, an organization supporting Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate, Tom Emmer. Minnesota Forward started television ads for Emmer in July.

In January of this year, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that the government can not ban donations to political organizations made by corporations with the court claiming is was a case of free speech. The dropping of the ban did not include direct corporate donations to individual candidates but only political organizations.

Target Corporation made a $150,000 donation in cash and services to Minnesota Forward to help support Tom Emmer. Emmer is known for opposing gay rights and especially gay marriage. Target’s donation was comprised of $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in goods and services. Electronics giant, Best Buy also donated $100,000 to Minnesota Forward.

LGBT organizations throughout the country called for a nationwide boycott against the country’s third largest retailer. Afterward, MoveOn.org joined the LGBT community and also called for a boycott. Protests nationwide were organized in front of neighborhood Target stores including a national day of protest on August 14.
Almost immediately, Target stock lost over $1.3 billion with the threat of a nationwide boycott, a loss of 3.5% but has since risen to pre-boycott levels.

August sales reports for Target indicate that same-store sales for August 2010 rose 1.8% over August 2009 and were inline with what the corporate management expected. The increase was less than what Wall Street market analysts forecasted which was a 2% increase — the overall forecast for the 31 reporting retailers. However, those same analysts said that their sales rise was comparable to much of their competition and that there is not enough data yet to know for sure. Five chains, including J.C. Penneys, bettered the 2% forecast. Overall, sales increase of the 31 retailers rose an average of 3.2%.

Minnesota Forward rose just over $1-million dollars in its fundraising efforts which were well below their $10-million dollar goal.

Retail Chain Faces Community Ire

by JAMES MICHAELS

LGBT activists has designated a national day of protest against neighborhood Target Department Stores for Saturday, August 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sporadic protests have already been held in numerous cities throughout the United States. Organizers are upset with the Target Corporation for making a contribution to MN Forward, a political organization supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Emmer is known for opposing gay rights and especially gay marriage.

Earlier this year in January, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-to-4 decision that the government can not ban donations to political organizations made by corporations with the court claiming is was a case of free speech. The dropping of the ban did not include direct corporate donations to individual candidates.

Target’s donation was $100,000 in cash and another $50,000 in goods and services. Both Target and Best Buy, another retailer which made a $100,000 donation to MN Forward, had previously rated a 100% from the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.

“Target has been a champion for workplace equality for many years,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese in a written statement. “That’s why their recent donation to MN Forward was so at odds with their sterling reputation as a great employer for LGBT people. The fact that their political contribution was used to advance an anti-equality candidate was extremely hurtful to all fair-minded Americans.”

Target responded with: “Target understands the concerns of the HRC. We have had multiple conversations with the HRC during the past few weeks and will continue our constructive dialogue. Target respects the work of the HRC and appreciates our partnership with them over the years. We hope to continue to work with the HRC in a spirit of mutual cooperation.”

Target said that its decision to support MN Forward was based solely on helping to elect candidates who make lower taxes, jobs and economic issues a top priority.

Target’s chief executive, Gregg Steinhael also sent a statement to Target employees saying that the company is genuinely sorry about the donation and vowed to review the process in which political donations are decided.

Since the revelation of the donation, gay-rights activists have called for demonstrations outside of Target stores throughout the country and to destroy Target Visa credit cards. At first, Target stock has lost over $1.3 billion with the threat of a nationwide boycott, a loss of 3.5% but has since risen to pre-boycott levels.

Other research showed that Target has a history of supporting anti-gay causes. Abe Sauer wrote in The Awl that “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.”

The progressive-leaning MoveOn.org has joined in calling for a boycott of Target.

As a side note, Tom Emmer’s Democratic opponent for Minnesota governor is Mark Dayton whose family founded Dayton-Hudson Department stores which owns Target.

At press time, questions to Target corporate media relations department went unanswered.